The Abyss wants me, and I feel it in every fiber of my being. At 2500 meters, in this cursed cavern where the black water pulses like a living heart, I stand alone against Sylas, the Eye of the Depths in his hand, his charming smile masking the monster he is. The colossal sea serpent lies behind us, wounded but still menacing, its silver scales stained with blood. Jace is gone, his heart-wrenching scream still echoing in my ears, his suit crushed by the monster's fangs. Lena, with her honest gaze and her "kid" that gave me a fleeting moment of hope, is gone too, crushed by the pressure. Their deaths, so swift, so tragic, add to the litany of losses: Taro, Soren, Lira, Vora, Erynn, Ryn. On pourrait pleurer l'humanité de Jace, sa vulnérabilité, ou la force de Lena, avec moi. But Sylas, the cruel genius who orchestrated every betrayal, every death, stands before me, the Eye of the Depths pulsing in his hand like a trophy.
"You still don't understand, Kaël," he says, his voice soft but laced with fanatical fervor. "The Abyss is a god, and these artifacts—the sphere, the crown, the Heart, the Eye—are its keys. I chose you, the novice, because you're pure, malleable." His words hit like a blow. He manipulated the love I had for Taro, the pity for Soren, the admiration for Lira, to push me deeper into the Abyss. He convinced Vora to betray, orchestrated the dives, sacrificed my teammates to serve this god he worships. My rage explodes, stronger than fear. "You killed them!" I shout, my plasma lance aimed at him. "Taro, Lena, all of them… for what? Power?"
Sylas laughs, a clear sound that echoes in the cavern. "Not just power, Kaël. Immortality. The Abyss promises eternal life to those who serve it." He raises the Eye, and a silver glow erupts, illuminating the pulsing crystals around us. The whispers in my head become a scream, a clear voice speaking for the first time: *He lies. The Abyss gives nothing. It takes.* I understand, suddenly. Sylas isn't a prophet; he's a slave, manipulated by the whispers as he manipulated Vora, as he tried to manipulate me. But the love I had for Taro, for Lena, for my lost teammates, is stronger than his lies.
I charge, my lance spitting a blue bolt. Sylas dodges with inhuman agility, his own weapon retaliating. "You're pathetic, Kaël," he sneers. "You fight for the dead, for a love that weakened you." His words hurt, but they also give me strength. The love I bore for Taro, for Lena, for Jace, wasn't weakness. It was my reason to survive. The serpent, sensing the chaos, rises, its yellow eyes fixed on us. Sylas fires at a crystal, triggering another shockwave. Rocks collapse, blocking my retreat. "You'll die here, Kaël," he says, swimming toward the entrance. "The Abyss has claimed you."
But I'm done listening. The whispers, for the first time, are on my side. They guide me, showing a flaw in the serpent's movements. I dive, dodging a fang, and plunge my lance into its other eye. The beast roars, its body convulsing, and I swim toward Sylas, my suit screaming under the pressure. An alarm flashes: the crack is widening. I don't have much time. Sylas, near the entrance, turns, surprised by my tenacity. "You can't win!" he shouts, but I see a flicker of doubt in his blue eyes.
I reach him, wrenching the Eye of the Depths from his hand. The sphere is cold, pulsing, and the whispers explode, a clear voice saying: *Destroy it.* I raise my lance, but Sylas strikes, his weapon slashing my suit. The pain is unbearable, water seeping in, but I hold on. "You took everything!" I scream, thinking of Lena, Jace, Taro. I plunge my lance into the Eye, and a burst of silver light erupts, knocking Sylas back. The serpent, enraged, charges, its fangs aiming for Sylas. He screams, a sound of pure terror, and the beast crushes him, his suit imploding in a cloud of blood. Sylas, the charismatic genius, the antagonist who manipulated our lives, is dead, a tragic but deserved end.
The Abyss trembles, the crystals dimming one by one. The whispers quiet, but I feel they're not done. My suit is in tatters, the pressure slowly crushing me. I swim toward the submarine, the Eye destroyed, but the faces of Lena, Jace, Taro, and the others haunt me. Their love saved me, but the Abyss isn't finished with me. I know the next dive, if I survive, will reveal a greater truth. For now, I'm alone, and the Abyss waits.
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