Abyssal returned within hours of the Hollow's song fading, but he was no longer the child who had first manifested on the citadel stairs. The being who entered the throne room now stood taller—perhaps adolescent height, perhaps young adult, age remaining a fluid concept for entities born from marrow and abyss rather than flesh and time. His form had solidified, become more defined, more present in ways that suggested rapid maturation, accelerated development, growth that followed patterns other than biology.
He walked with purpose now, with certainty that hadn't been there before, with the bearing of someone who'd made decisions and was prepared to act on them regardless of consequences or opposition. His dual-colored eyes—one ember-warm, one storm-grey—held knowledge they hadn't possessed during his first manifestation, held understanding that came from somewhere other than lived experience.
