The oppressive air grew thicker with each passing moment, the darkened sky above seemingly pressing down on Sarina and Lira as they stumbled through the warped, twisted landscape. Every breath felt like inhaling smoke, and the cold, clammy sensation of dread clung to their skin as they pressed forward. The whispers of the Abyss, like a chorus of mocking voices, grew louder, more insistent, as if calling them deeper into the shadowed realm.

Sarina’s heart pounded in her chest, each step an effort to keep moving despite the crushing weight of exhaustion. Her mind swirled with confusion and fear. How could they have fought so hard, only to find themselves ensnared again by the very force they believed they had defeated? It was as if the Abyss had never truly left, lying in wait for them to let down their guard.

They reached a clearing where the gnarled trees gave way to an open expanse of barren, cracked earth. In the center of the clearing stood a massive stone structure, ancient and crumbling, as though it had existed long before the world around it. Dark vines crept up its sides, pulsing faintly with the same malevolent energy that had emerged from the ground moments before.

Lira’s eyes widened at the sight of the ruin. "What is that?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Sarina shook her head, her eyes locked on the dark stone. "I don’t know," she replied, her voice tense with unease. "But we’re not safe here. We need to keep moving."

But as they turned to leave, the ground beneath them trembled once more. This time, it was stronger—violent, as if the very earth was tearing itself apart. Sarina stumbled and fell, her hands scraping against the hard, jagged surface of the ground. Lira reached out to help her, but before she could, a crack opened in the earth, directly beneath Sarina.

With a deafening roar, the ground split open, and Sarina was thrown backward into the abyss. Her scream echoed as she tumbled into the darkness, her body falling through the air with a sickening sense of weightlessness.

"Sarina!" Lira’s voice echoed above her, but there was nothing either of them could do.

The darkness swallowed her whole.

----------------------------------------

Sarina’s fall seemed to last forever, her body tumbling helplessly through the void. Her mind was a blur of panic, but somewhere deep within, she sensed that this was no ordinary fall. The Abyss was pulling her in, dragging her into its depths, as if it had been waiting for her all along.

And then, with a sudden jolt, she hit the ground.

The impact knocked the air from her lungs, and for a moment, she lay there, gasping, her body aching from the fall. Slowly, she pushed herself up, wincing as pain shot through her limbs. She was in a different place now, though the darkness was just as suffocating as before.

The air here was colder, and the ground beneath her was slick and wet, like the floor of a cavern. Strange shapes loomed in the shadows around her—jagged rocks, twisted formations that seemed almost alive. And everywhere, the whispers were louder, clearer, as if the Abyss itself was speaking directly to her.

“Sarina…” the voices hissed, her name drawn out in a way that sent a shiver down her spine.

She staggered to her feet, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. She wasn’t sure where she was or what awaited her in this dark place, but she knew one thing: she had to find a way out.

The Abyss had lured her here, and it had something in store for her. But she wouldn’t let it break her.

She took a step forward, and the ground beneath her shifted. A pale light appeared in the distance, flickering faintly, like a beacon in the dark. Without another thought, Sarina began to move toward it, her steps cautious but determined. She didn’t know what awaited her in the light, but standing still wasn’t an option.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As she walked, the whispers grew louder, their voices blending together into a cacophony of words that she couldn’t quite understand. But one phrase kept repeating, over and over, rising above the rest: “The truth lies within.”

Sarina frowned, her mind racing. What truth? What was the Abyss trying to show her?

The light ahead grew brighter, and as she drew closer, she saw that it wasn’t just a flickering flame or a glow from some distant source. It was a doorway—an arch of pale stone, covered in strange, intricate carvings. The light poured from within, casting long shadows on the ground at her feet.

Sarina hesitated for only a moment before stepping through the doorway.

The world on the other side was nothing like the dark, twisted landscape she had just left. She found herself standing in a vast, open field, the grass soft beneath her feet, the sky above clear and bright. The sun shone down with a warmth that felt almost too real after the cold darkness of the Abyss.

But something was wrong.

The field was empty. The horizon stretched out endlessly in every direction, and there were no signs of life. No trees, no animals, no wind. Everything was still, unnaturally still, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

And then she saw it.

In the distance, a figure stood alone, its back to her. It was tall, draped in flowing, dark robes that billowed in the non-existent wind. Sarina’s breath caught in her throat as she recognized the figure’s silhouette.

Azrathis.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she unsheathed her sword, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. How was this possible? They had destroyed her, severed her connection to the Abyss.

But the demon queen stood there, motionless, as if waiting for her.

Sarina approached cautiously, her grip on her weapon tightening with each step. The closer she got, the more certain she became that this was no illusion. Azrathis was here, somehow. But why? And how?

When she was only a few feet away, the demon queen finally spoke.

“You cannot escape what you are,” Azrathis said, her voice cold and echoing in the still air. She didn’t turn to face Sarina, but her presence was overwhelming, like a storm on the horizon.

Sarina clenched her teeth, raising her sword. “I’m not afraid of you,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at her insides.

Azrathis remained silent for a long moment, then slowly turned to face her. But when Sarina saw her face, her breath caught in her throat.

It wasn’t Azrathis.

It was her.

Sarina stared at the reflection of herself standing before her, a perfect mirror image, down to the smallest detail. The same eyes, the same face, the same weariness etched into her features. But there was something else, too—something dark, lurking just beneath the surface of the reflection’s gaze.

“You cannot run from what you are,” the reflection said, its voice a perfect echo of her own.

Sarina took a step back, her mind reeling. “What… what is this?”

The reflection smiled—a cold, twisted smile that sent a chill down Sarina’s spine. “You are part of the Abyss. And the Abyss is part of you.”

Before Sarina could respond, the reflection lunged at her, its eyes blazing with dark energy.

Sarina raised her sword to defend herself, but the reflection’s blade was faster, striking with impossible speed. The force of the blow sent Sarina crashing to the ground, her sword flying from her grasp.

The reflection loomed over her, its dark eyes glowing with power. “The Abyss will consume you, Sarina,” it hissed, raising its blade for the final strike. “Just as it consumes everything.”

Sarina’s vision blurred, the world around her spinning as she struggled to rise. The whispers of the Abyss were deafening now, a cacophony of voices that filled her mind, drowning out everything else.

But somewhere deep within, a voice—her own voice—cut through the noise.

“Fight.”

With a surge of strength she didn’t know she had, Sarina rolled out of the way just as the reflection’s blade came crashing down where she had been moments before. She scrambled to her feet, her hand finding the hilt of her sword once more.

And then, with all the strength she had left, she struck.

The reflection’s eyes widened in shock as Sarina’s blade pierced its chest, dark energy spilling from the wound like black smoke. The reflection stumbled backward, its form flickering and distorting, before finally collapsing to the ground.

Sarina stood over it, her chest heaving with exhaustion, her sword still clenched tightly in her hand.

The whispers of the Abyss faded, leaving only silence in their wake.

But as Sarina stared down at the fallen reflection, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was far from over.

The Abyss had shown her something—a truth she didn’t yet understand.

And it was waiting for her to come to terms with it.