how much this time?

The Abyss shifted around Ochi, as though it were alive—alive and watching him. The whispers had returned, louder than ever, filling his mind with promises of power. It was a siren's call, seductive and dangerous, and Ochi could feel it pulling at him again. His body was burning from the inside out, but his will remained ironclad. He couldn't afford to give in. Not now. Not when his family was still out there.

"Are you alright?" Karin's voice broke through the fog of his thoughts, and Ochi turned to find her standing a few steps behind him, her expression filled with concern.

Ochi took a deep breath, shaking off the lingering sense of dread that had settled over him. "I'm fine," he said, though his voice was rough. The Abyss was a constant weight on him now, its influence harder to ignore with each passing moment. "But this isn't over. We've only just begun."

Karin nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and admiration. "You're stronger, Ochi, but... this power—"

"It's not like it used to be," Ochi cut in, his voice quiet but filled with determination. "I can feel it too. But I won't let it consume me."

Taro stepped forward, his expression serious. "We're with you, Ochi. But you're pushing yourself too hard. The Abyss… it's not something to be taken lightly. If you keep going like this, eventually, you won't be able to come back from it."

"I'm not afraid of losing myself," Ochi said, his eyes darkening with an intensity that sent a chill down their spines. "I've already lost everything. But I'm not losing my family. Not again."

Karin and Taro exchanged uneasy glances, but neither of them said anything. They had seen the transformation in him, felt the weight of the power he wielded, and they knew there was no turning back now. The Abyss was inescapable, and Ochi had become one of its champions.

With a final, heavy breath, Ochi turned and began walking deeper into the Abyss, the others following close behind. The path seemed endless, the cavern twisting and shifting with every step they took. There was no clear way forward, no clear destination. Only the abyssal darkness that stretched on forever.

Hours passed—or maybe it was days. Time had become meaningless here.

Finally, the tunnel opened up into a vast, cavernous space. The air was thick with power, the darkness so deep it seemed to swallow everything whole. In the center of the cavern stood a massive stone altar, inscribed with strange, glowing runes that pulsed with a faint light. It was ancient, older than anything Ochi had ever seen, and it radiated a sense of foreboding power.

"This is it," Ochi said, his voice reverberating in the still air. He could feel it—the presence that had been guiding him, urging him forward. The Abyss was alive here, waiting for him to make his move.

"What is this place?" Taro asked, his voice cautious as he stepped closer to Ochi. "It doesn't look... normal."

"It's a gateway," Ochi replied, his eyes fixed on the altar. "A connection between the worlds. The Abyss has always existed at the fringes of reality. This is where it comes to life. This is where I'll find the answers."

Karin stepped forward, her hand hovering over the strange runes. "This is dangerous, Ochi. You don't know what could happen if you activate it."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Ochi said, his voice hard. "I'm not afraid of the Abyss. I've already crossed that line. This is my only way forward. I won't stop until I bring them back."

He raised his hand, and the power of the Abyss surged through him, responding to his will. The air crackled with dark energy as he reached out toward the altar, his fingers brushing the glowing runes.

The moment his skin touched the stone, the cavern erupted in an explosion of light and sound. The ground trembled beneath them, the walls of the cavern shifting and warping as if they were alive. The runes flared to life, their glow blinding, and Ochi's vision went white.

For a moment, there was nothing but searing light and an overwhelming sense of power. Then, as suddenly as it began, the light faded, and Ochi found himself standing in a new place.

It was a void—a never-ending expanse of darkness stretching in every direction. There was no ground beneath his feet, no sky above. Only endless blackness.

And before him, floating in the void, was a figure. It was tall and draped in shadow, its face obscured by a mask that seemed to absorb the very light around it. Its presence was suffocating, an oppressive weight that made Ochi's chest tighten.

"You have come," the figure's voice echoed through the void, cold and distant. "I am the Guardian of the Abyss. You seek something that is beyond your understanding. But you are not yet ready to wield the power you crave."

Ochi's eyes narrowed as he took a step forward. "I'm not here to ask for power. I'm here to bring them back. My family. I won't stop until I do."

The figure tilted its head, as if amused. "The dead cannot return, child. That is a truth you must accept. No one can defy death and live."

"I've already defied death," Ochi said, his voice firm, his hand crackling with dark energy. "And I'll do it again."

The figure's voice grew colder. "The Abyss is not a place for mortals to traverse freely. It takes, and it never gives. Do you think you can defy the rules of the universe itself?"

Ochi's eyes flashed with determination. "I don't care about the rules anymore. I've lost everything. My family. My life. The Abyss might have taken them, but it won't stop me from bringing them back."

The figure raised a hand, and the darkness around them thickened. "You seek to challenge fate itself? You will learn that not even the Abyss can undo the law of life and death. But you have your own path to walk. I will grant you a choice—continue down this path, and you will be granted the power to reshape the world. But beware, child. There is always a price. Power has its consequences."

Ochi's heart raced, but his resolve was unshakeable. "I'm ready for whatever it takes. I will pay any price."

The figure lowered its hand, and the dark void shifted. "Very well. But remember, the cost of your desires is never what you expect. The Abyss will demand its due."

Suddenly, the figure's form began to dissolve into the void, its voice echoing one final time. "You have made your choice, Ochi Nakagura. The Abyss will shape you into something... different."

The world around Ochi shattered, the void breaking apart as he felt the overwhelming surge of power course through him once more.

But as he took a step forward, the whispers returned, louder than ever.

The price is yours to pay.