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Chapter 8: The Abyss's Choice
Ryn stood swaying, the System's voice still buzzing in his ears like angry bees.
His violet eye flashed with every passing second of the countdown.
He looked at Leora, who stood before him, lost, hearing nothing of what he heard, seeing nothing of what he saw.
Thoughts began to clash in his mind like storms:
"If I leave her here, she will be safe from my darkness... but she will face 'The Pursuers' alone."
"And if I take her with me, I might turn her life into an eternal hell. She might be the first victim of my power when I lose control."
Ryn felt an immense pressure weighing on his chest.
He knew that Leora was not just a girl; she was his last remaining thread to the human world.
Leaving her meant absolute isolation; taking her meant risking her very soul.
"Am I selfish if I ask her to stay? Or am I a monster if I let her come along?"
He looked at the countdown: [ 02:15 minutes ].
Time was bleeding out, and the sound of distant footsteps began to shake the forest's silence.
They were not human footsteps; they were heavy, terrifying strides that reeked of death.
Ryn turned toward Leora, approaching until his breath brushed her pale face.
He grabbed her wrist firmly—it wasn't the grip of a lover, but the grip of a drowning man clinging to the last straw.
"The forest will no longer be a safe place for you, Leora..."
He paused for a moment, as his black eye swallowed all surrounding light.
"Fate has chosen you to be a witness to my curse... or its victim."
"I will take you with me, not because I trust you... but because I cannot leave you as prey for those who hunt me."
He took her hand and began to run, the time behind him vanishing.
[ 01:00 minute remaining ]
The shadows began to coil around their feet, as if the forest were clearing the path for its returning son.
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