Chapter 18: Echoes of the Abyss

The air within the Abyssal Rift was thick, charged with an unnatural presence that pressed against their senses. Every breath felt heavier, as if the very atmosphere carried whispers of the past. The deeper Alex and his team ventured, the more evident it became that this place was more than a mere testing ground—it was a graveyard of forgotten battles, a lingering remnant of the Abyssal War.

Their path wound through a maze of twisted corridors, where shadows shifted unnaturally, flickering as if watching their every move. Strange symbols glowed faintly on the stone walls, pulsating in a rhythm that sent an uneasy shiver through Alex's spine. The murals here were different from those near the entrance. These depicted beings wreathed in abyssal flames, their hollow eyes staring into the void.

Lena ran her fingers along one of the engravings. "These aren't just historical records… they feel like warnings."

Marik, ever the strategist, studied the layout of the path ahead. "The academy wouldn't send us into something we couldn't handle. But I doubt they expect all of us to return."

Darren scoffed. "You sure know how to lighten the mood."

A distant, guttural sound made them freeze. It wasn't the growl of a Nightfang—it was deeper, more resonant, like the earth itself was groaning.

Then the cavern trembled.

Without warning, the ground beneath them shifted, ancient mechanisms clicking to life. The floor split apart, forming jagged gaps that threatened to swallow them whole. Talia barely managed to leap to safety, landing with a sharp exhale.

Alex activated his Gale Striders, propelling himself upward as a portion of the floor collapsed beneath him. He landed near Lena, his eyes scanning the shifting terrain.

Marik shouted, "It's a shifting labyrinth! The structure is changing!"

A sharp, piercing howl echoed through the corridors, followed by a sudden explosion of movement. From the darkness, creatures emerged—warped figures that barely resembled their original forms. Once humanoid, their flesh had been twisted by abyssal corruption, their eyes glowing with a soulless hunger.

Lena cursed. "Abyssal Wraiths. The war didn't just leave behind ruins. It left behind the fallen."

Darren cracked his knuckles, his aura flaring. "We're not dying here."

The wraiths attacked in a blur of unnatural speed. Alex barely had time to react before one lunged at him, its clawed fingers slashing through the air. He twisted his body, evading the strike before retaliating with a precise, aura-infused slash. His blade connected, but the wraith barely flinched.

"They regenerate fast," Marik warned. "We need to destroy their cores."

Alex's eyes flickered, catching a faint glow within the wraith's chest—its weak point.

"Lena, go for their cores. I'll create an opening."

Without hesitation, Alex surged forward. His movements became a blur as he weaved between the creatures, striking at their limbs to disrupt their balance. The wraiths screeched in frustration, their bodies momentarily exposed.

Lena wasted no time. Her blade gleamed with an icy light as she executed precise, fatal strikes. One by one, the wraiths faltered, their corrupted forms dissipating into the abyssal air.

The last wraith lunged for Darren, but before it could reach him, Alex's dagger found its core. With a final, agonized shriek, the creature dissolved into nothingness.

A heavy silence followed.

Talia exhaled. "That was close."

Marik knelt, examining the remains of one of the wraiths. His expression darkened. "These weren't ordinary abyssal creatures. They were once warriors."

Alex looked around, his mind racing. The Abyssal Rift wasn't just dangerous—it was unnatural. Something about this place felt… aware.

Their trial wasn't just about survival.

It was about uncovering a truth the academy had long buried.