Chapter 8: Shattered Fates
Luna's heart pounded as the weight of the abyss pressed down on her. The choice before her was unthinkable—one life for another. She had fought so hard to save Adrian, but could she truly condemn someone else to take his place?
Her green eyes flickered with uncertainty as she stared at Adrian's lifeless body, still ensnared by the abyss's tendrils. His brown hair, usually tousled and full of life, now hung limp, shrouded in darkness. She clenched her fists, feeling the power within her surge and writhe, waiting to be commanded.
The shadowed figure before her spoke again, its voice a chilling whisper that seeped into her bones. "Decide, Luna. The abyss does not wait."
Luna sucked in a sharp breath, her own brown hair whipping around her face as an unseen force swirled around them. Her mind raced. She had no enemy here, no stranger whose soul she could offer. And yet, the abyss demanded balance.
Then, a thought struck her—a way to defy the abyss.
"What if I give my own soul?" she asked, voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.
The shadow figure stilled. The air around them seemed to tremble.
"A noble sentiment," it murmured. "But one that cannot be accepted. You have already been claimed. You are no longer just Luna—you are something more."
A cold dread settled in her chest. There was no escape. No loophole. The abyss had her, and it would not release its grip so easily.
Desperation clawed at her mind, and her green eyes flashed with determination. If she couldn't bargain with the abyss, she would fight it.
Raising her hands, she summoned the dark energy now fused within her. Shadows twisted, coiling around her arms like living snakes. The abyss had given her power, but it had also underestimated her.
She turned to Adrian, focusing every ounce of strength she had. "You're coming back," she whispered, and then she struck.
The tendrils binding Adrian recoiled as her shadows lashed out, severing their grip. The abyss roared, its fury shaking the ground beneath her feet. The shadowed figure lunged forward, but Luna stood her ground, green eyes blazing with defiance.
Adrian's body convulsed, a sharp gasp escaping his lips as his eyes fluttered open—those same green eyes, mirroring hers, filled with confusion and fear.
"Luna...?"
"I've got you," she breathed, reaching for him.
But the abyss was not done with them yet.
The darkness surged forward, furious and relentless. The ground beneath them shattered, the sky above cracked open like broken glass, and the void itself howled in rage.
Luna had won a battle.
But the war was far from over.