Chapter 28: The Abyss Grows Deeper
The days following the battle in the Abyssal Hall passed in a haze of tension and anticipation. Though Lahsiv had won, the presence of the Umbral Circle lingered like a shadow over the Academy. Their interest in him had been solidified, and while he had shown his strength, Lahsiv knew they were only beginning to reveal their hand.
Lahsiv spent those days in quiet preparation, honing his abilities in the depths of the Academy’s training grounds. He pushed his connection to the Abyss further, testing the limits of what he could control. Each time he reached into the darkness, the shadows responded more easily, their energy bending to his will. Yet, the more he commanded the Abyss, the more he could feel its presence, almost like a living force, watching and waiting.
The man from the Umbral Circle’s parting words haunted him: The Abyss does not care for ambition or pride. It only seeks to consume.
Lahsiv had always believed himself to be in control. He had proven time and again that he could master the Abyss’s power, but now, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered a warning. The Abyss was vast, far more than a simple tool to be wielded. The thought was unsettling, but Lahsiv buried it. He would not be controlled by fear.
One afternoon, as Lahsiv practiced his sword techniques in a secluded part of the training grounds, Elira appeared. Her face was pale, and her usual confident demeanor had been replaced by something close to anxiety. Lahsiv paused, lowering his sword as he watched her approach.
“They’re coming,” Elira said breathlessly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lahsiv raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“The Circle,” she replied, glancing around nervously. “I overheard some of the other students talking. Valen’s disappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed, and now the Umbral Circle’s agents are here—inside the Academy.”
Lahsiv’s expression hardened. He had known the Circle wouldn’t give up easily, but the fact that they had infiltrated the Academy meant things were about to escalate. Valen had been a pawn, and with him gone, they would likely try to move directly against Lahsiv.
“Did they say where they’ve been seen?” Lahsiv asked, his voice calm but firm.
Elira nodded. “Near the Abyssal Hall, mostly. They’ve been quiet, but the students are starting to notice strange figures around the older parts of the Academy. Some say the instructors are aware, but they’re not acting yet. Maybe they’re waiting for proof.”
Lahsiv smirked. “They won’t act until they have no choice. The instructors will stay out of this unless it becomes a direct threat to their authority.”
Elira swallowed hard, her fear clear. “What are we going to do? If the Circle’s agents are here, they won’t wait long to come for you.”
Lahsiv turned back to the shadows around him, his thoughts already forming a plan. “They think they can intimidate me. That they’ll force me into a corner where I’ll make a mistake. But they’re wrong.”
He sheathed his sword and stepped toward Elira, his gaze cold and calculating. “We’re going to find them first. If the Circle wants a confrontation, I’ll bring it to them on my terms.”
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Elira blinked, surprised by his confidence. “You want to fight them? Here?”
Lahsiv’s smirk deepened. “The Abyss is strongest here. They’ve underestimated how much control I have. I’ve faced them before, and I’ll face them again. But this time, I won’t be waiting for them to make the first move.”
Elira hesitated, then nodded. She knew Lahsiv was dangerous, but she also knew he was their best chance at surviving whatever the Circle had planned. “What do you need me to do?”
“Watch the students,” Lahsiv said, his voice sharp. “If anyone starts moving toward the Abyssal Hall, follow them. The Circle’s agents won’t act openly, but if they’re recruiting more students, we need to know who’s aligned with them.”
Elira nodded again and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Lahsiv alone. He took a deep breath, the weight of the situation settling on him, but he pushed the unease aside. The Abyss was his weapon, his power. He would face whatever came next and show the Umbral Circle just how deep his connection to the darkness went.
Later that night, Lahsiv stood at the entrance to the Abyssal Hall, the familiar pull of dark energy tugging at his senses. The hall had become something of a second home to him, a place where he could sharpen his connection to the Abyss without interruption. But tonight, it wasn’t for training. Tonight, he was hunting.
He slipped inside, his steps soundless as he moved through the dimly lit corridors. The runes on the walls glowed faintly, casting long shadows that danced in the corners of the room. Lahsiv could feel it—the presence of others, lurking in the darkness.
He wasn’t alone.
Lahsiv slowed his pace, his senses on high alert. His hand rested on the hilt of the Sword of Ruin, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice. The Abyss stirred within him, responding to the tension in the air.
Then, from the far side of the chamber, movement. Three figures stepped out from the shadows, their forms cloaked in dark robes. Lahsiv recognized their aura immediately. They were agents of the Umbral Circle, their power tied to the same dark energy he commanded.
The leader of the group, a tall figure with a deep hood obscuring his face, stepped forward. His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried through the hall like a blade cutting through silence.
“Lahsiv Vale,” the man said, his tone dripping with malice. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Lahsiv met his gaze, his expression calm but deadly. “I expected you would come.”
The man chuckled softly. “You’ve made quite the impression. The Circle has taken notice of your… abilities. But you’re playing with forces far beyond your control. The Abyss is not something you can master alone.”
“I’ve already mastered it,” Lahsiv said coldly. “And I’ll do it again if I have to.”
The other two figures shifted, their hands glowing faintly with dark energy. They were preparing for a fight, but Lahsiv was ready. He could feel the Abyss stirring within him, its power coiling like a serpent ready to strike.
“You’re mistaken,” the leader said, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “The Abyss is not yours to control. It belongs to the Circle. And now, it’s time for you to relinquish it.”
Lahsiv’s smirk returned, his grip tightening on his sword. “Come and take it, then.”
Without another word, the leader’s hand shot forward, a wave of shadow energy erupting from his palm. The attack surged toward Lahsiv, but he was already in motion. He drew his sword, slicing through the air as a wave of dark energy countered the attack, scattering it into harmless mist.
The other two figures lunged at him, their hands crackling with energy as they closed in. Lahsiv met them head-on, his sword moving with deadly precision as he parried their strikes. The clash of Dark Karma filled the air, the sound sharp and violent.
Lahsiv moved with fluid grace, his body a blur of motion as he fought off both attackers. The Abyss fed him strength, the shadows bending to his will as he used them to strike at his opponents. One of the figures faltered, their defense crumbling as Lahsiv’s blade found its mark. They collapsed in a swirl of dark mist, vanishing into the shadows.
The second figure hesitated, but Lahsiv gave them no time to recover. With a swift, decisive strike, he sent them crashing to the ground, their form dissolving like the first.
Now, only the leader remained.
The tall figure’s face was still hidden, but Lahsiv could feel the man’s anger radiating through the darkness. “You think this is over? The Circle is far more powerful than you realize.”
Lahsiv stepped forward, his sword gleaming with dark energy. “Then show me.”
The leader snarled, his hands crackling with shadow energy as he unleashed a devastating blast of Dark Karma. The force of the attack shook the walls of the Abyssal Hall, the air humming with raw power. But Lahsiv was ready. He raised his sword, channeling the Abyss’s energy into the blade as he met the attack head-on.
The two forces collided in a violent explosion of dark energy, the shockwave rippling through the chamber. For a moment, the entire hall seemed to shudder under the force of the clash.
But when the dust settled, Lahsiv stood victorious.
The leader of the Umbral Circle’s agents lay defeated, his form crumbling into the shadows as his power faded.
Lahsiv sheathed his sword, his heart steady. The Circle had made their move, and he had answered. But he knew this was only the beginning. The Abyss had grown deeper, and the Circle would not stop until they had what they wanted.
But Lahsiv wasn’t afraid. He had faced the darkness before, and he would face it again. No matter what came next, he would be ready.