Chapter 47: The Ones Who Answer

The Abyss had called.

And now, they were coming.

Sai stood at the heart of the ruins, watching as the shadows shifted around him. Kael, the first warrior to kneel, remained still at his side, his golden abyssal eyes glowing faintly under the flickering abyssal light.

Lena had her arms crossed, watching the mist with a wary expression. "So… how many more of these guys are we expecting?"

Ezren was the only one who wasn't tense. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, posture straight, his golden gaze scanning the darkness like he already knew what was coming.

Sai exhaled. "No idea."

But something told him—this was just the beginning.

The Second Arrival

The next one came alone.

A sharp gust of wind cut through the Abyss as a new figure stepped forward from the darkness.

Sai narrowed his eyes. They moved differently than Kael.

Kael had been a warrior, his stance firm, his every motion precise.

This one?

They moved like a shadow, blending into the Abyss as if they had been born in it.

A woman, draped in a tattered black cloak, her hood pulled low over her face. Unlike Kael, her eyes didn't glow. They were dark, unreadable.

Yet Sai could feel her presence.

She stopped a few feet away, tilting her head slightly. "So… you're the Heir?"

Sai sighed. "I'm getting tired of hearing that."

Lena muttered, "I'm getting tired of you not denying it."

Ezren smirked but said nothing.

The woman in the cloak let out a soft chuckle. "Interesting. I expected someone different."

Sai crossed his arms. "And who are you?"

The woman lifted her head slightly, and for the first time, Sai saw her fully.

A scar ran across her lower jaw, disappearing beneath the shadows of her hood. Her skin was marked with faint abyssal runes, similar to the ones Sai had seen on some of the Forgotten.

But what caught his attention most?

The air around her was completely still.

Even the Abyss didn't move near her.

"I am Neris," she said simply.

Sai frowned. "And why are you here?"

She smiled faintly. "Because the Abyss called. And I was listening."

Ezren's expression turned thoughtful. "A Shadowborn."

Sai raised a brow. "Shadowborn?"

Ezren nodded. "The assassins of the Abyss. They do not follow orders. They follow power."

Neris inclined her head slightly. "That's mostly true."

Sai exhaled. "And what do you want from me?"

Neris's dark eyes gleamed. "Nothing."

Sai blinked. "Nothing?"

She smirked. "If you prove strong enough, I will follow you. If not…" She shrugged. "I'll kill you myself."

Lena scowled. "I hate this already."

Sai chuckled. "Yeah. Get in line."

The First Test

Neris moved before Sai could react.

One second, she was standing still. The next—she was gone.

Sai barely had time to dodge as a knife flashed toward his throat. He twisted midair, landing lightly a few feet away.

His system flared with a warning.

[Hostile Engagement Detected.]

[Opponent Classification: Assassin.]

Sai clicked his tongue. So she wasn't wasting time.

Neris lunged again, her movements fluid, silent, precise.

Sai countered, his dagger flashing toward her side—

But she was faster.

She twisted mid-motion, avoiding the strike entirely, her blade sliding toward Sai's ribs—

Sai activated Phantom Step, flickering out of range at the last second.

He reappeared behind her, aiming for her exposed back—

But before his dagger could land, she vanished.

Lena whistled. "She's fast."

Ezren nodded approvingly. "Good. A true assassin should be."

Sai narrowed his eyes. "Fine."

He exhaled, then stopped thinking.

The Abyss stirred inside him, and he moved.

Fighting in the Dark

Sai had always been quick.

But now, he was something else.

The Abyss flowed through his veins, sharpening his instincts, stretching out before him like a map of movement and possibilities.

He didn't chase Neris.

He let her come to him.

The moment she flickered forward again, Sai was already one step ahead.

He sidestepped, twisting his body just enough to let her attack graze past him.

Then, before she could retreat—

He caught her wrist.

Neris's eyes widened slightly.

Sai smirked. "Got you."

Abyssal energy flared from his grip, locking her in place just long enough for him to shift his dagger—not toward her throat, but her wrist.

A quick, clean disarm.

Her blade clattered to the ground.

Neris stared at it for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. "Well. That's interesting."

Sai released her and stepped back.

"You done testing me now?"

Neris rolled her wrist, then smirked. "For now."

Then—she knelt.

Lena exhaled. "Oh, not this again."

Sai just shook his head.

Neris glanced up at him. "I'll follow you for now, Heir. But if you falter, I'll kill you myself."

Sai sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Welcome to the team."

The Army Grows

With Kael and Neris standing at his side, Sai was starting to see what Ezren had meant.

These weren't just soldiers.

They weren't just people looking for a cause.

They were the remnants of something forgotten.

Warriors who had survived the fall of the Abyss.

And they weren't joining him because of destiny.

They were joining him because he had proven himself.

Ezren folded his arms. "That's two."

Sai exhaled. "How many more are there?"

Ezren's golden abyssal eyes gleamed. "Enough to build a war."

Sai glanced at the dark mist surrounding them.

The Abyss was still waiting.

Still watching.

And deep down, he knew—

More were coming.

More warriors.

More enemies.

More trials.

Lena sighed. "You realize we're basically building a cult at this point, right?"

Sai chuckled. "It's not a cult."

Lena raised a brow. "Are you sure?"

Sai hesitated.

Then shrugged.

"…Not yet."

The Abyss stirred.

And the gathering continued.