The pulsing glow ahead grew sharper, steadier, almost like a beacon guiding him through the endless dark. Kaelen's boots scraped against stone as he moved faster, the Abyss within him thrumming with restless energy.
But before he reached it, the ground split.
A jagged crack tore through the floating plain, belching out black mist that coiled like living smoke. From within it, something crawled forth—long limbs bent at unnatural angles, a torso that twisted like molten wax, and a face made only of teeth. Its body shimmered with shifting shadows, as if it were both flesh and void.
Kaelen froze. He'd fought monsters before—spawn of the Abyss that invaded the mortal realm—but this thing was different. Older. Hungrier.
The fragment's glow behind it pulsed frantically, almost as if warning him: guardian.
The creature lunged.
Kaelen's blade roared to life in his grip, arcs of abyssal fire trailing through the dark. The strike met the guardian's claw, sparks scattering as the impact shook his arm to the bone. The beast shrieked, a sound that wasn't just noise but an assault on the mind, sending knives of agony through Kaelen's skull.
He stumbled, but the Abyss surged inside him, answering the call. Power erupted in black flames along his blade, burning the mist that clung to the guardian's body.
It recoiled, but did not fall. Instead, it split open at the chest, birthing two more heads of gnashing teeth.
Kaelen gritted his teeth, planting his boots. He wasn't just fighting for survival—he was fighting for answers. And if this was a guardian, then beyond it lay a truth worth bleeding for.
The next strike would decide whether he advanced… or was devoured.
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