Kael's body ached, his lungs burning, as he staggered through the endless cavern.
Every step echoed against stone walls veined with red light, pulsing like a heartbeat. Every heartbeat reminded him of the mark over his chest—the Abyssal Brand, alive and demanding.
He thought he could control it. He was wrong.
[Warning: Host autonomy decreasing. Synchronization: 22%]
The whispers had grown louder, more insistent. "Kill… survive… obey…"
Kael clenched his fists, the veins under his skin darkening as the Abyss slithered through his muscles.
"Focus," he muttered. "Just survive."
Then he saw them.
A pack. Seven creatures, larger and faster than the ones before. Their bodies were malformed—fused with bone and shadow, mouths split impossibly wide, eyes glowing red with hunger. They moved as one, circling him silently.
Lira emerged from a side passage, spear in hand. She glanced at Kael. "You don't have to do this alone!"
Kael shook his head, voice low. "I… can't. Not yet."
The Abyss coiled tighter, hunger thrumming in his chest. It wanted control, wanted blood, wanted him to cross the line.
The pack lunged.
Kael barely dodged. One creature's claws tore his cloak, shredding fabric and flesh beneath. Pain flared, sharp and immediate.
[Abyssal Borrowing — Level 2 Activated]
Dark tendrils erupted from his arms and legs, snaking across the cavern floor like living shadows. The creatures screeched and twisted as if burned by unseen fire.
Kael struck with precision he didn't fully understand. Shadows ripped through flesh and bone, killing two of the creatures before the others could react.
Lira fought beside him, striking with deadly accuracy, but Kael could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Even together, they were outmatched.
The Abyss hummed, deep and resonant. "Feed… kill… obey…"
Kael's mind screamed in resistance, but his body moved with the speed of a predator. His hands crushed skulls, tore through limbs, and his chest burned with the brand's power.
[Synchronization increased: 30%]
Warning: Host autonomy critically at risk.
By the time the pack lay broken, Kael's body was trembling, sweat mixing with blood. He dropped to his knees, chest heaving.
Lira knelt beside him, hand on his shoulder. "Kael… you can't keep letting it take over."
He shook his head violently. "I have no choice!"
She froze. "There's always a choice."
Kael looked at her. "Then what would you have me do? Let them kill us?"
The Abyss whispered again, almost smugly. "Obey… or die."
Kael realized the truth. This trial wasn't about survival. It was about obedience. Every life he took, every move he made under the Abyss' influence, it was testing him—shaping him into something he wasn't… or perhaps always was.
Lira's voice cut through his thoughts. "We have to move. More are coming."
He staggered to his feet, chest still burning, limbs trembling. The Abyss pulsed violently, as if it had just tasted his fear.
Kael clenched his fists, whispering to himself: "I'll survive… even if I have to fight myself to do it."
One truth was undeniable: in the Nightmare Realm, death came easily.
And the curse had only just begun.