"It's the true force," Mia whispered. "The one the entity was talking about. The power that was locked away."
The dark figure's voice rang out, cold and powerful, echoing like a chorus of nightmares. "I am the one who binds reality, who shapes it and reshapes it. I am the architect of all things. And now, you, Mia, have broken the seal."
The figure's eyes—if they could even be called eyes—burned with an unnatural light, glowing like twin suns in the abyss. Mia felt a wave of dread wash over her as the weight of its gaze fell upon her. Her mind reeled, her thoughts crashing against each other like waves.
"I didn't mean to," Mia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know—"
The figure's laugh was chilling, the sound reverberating like the cracking of bones. "It doesn't matter whether you knew or not, child. You have already made your choice. You have already opened the door. And now, you will see what lies beyond."
As if in answer, the ground beneath them split open, and the landscape around them cracked like glass, revealing a vast, endless abyss. A chasm, darker and deeper than anything Mia had ever seen, stretched out before them, swallowing the light. The shadows of the past, present, and future collided within it, twisting together into a chaotic, ever-shifting maelstrom.
"I... I didn't do this," Mia stammered, stepping back, her chest tightening as she saw the endless void. "I didn't mean to."
"You are far more than you realize," the dark figure intoned, its voice like a cold wind cutting through her.
"You are the key. The bloodline you carry—the same blood that runs through the one who stood before you in the past—is the key to unlocking the full extent of this power. But you were never supposed to know. You were never meant to be this close. Now, you've broken the cycle. The gates will open, and nothing will stop what comes next."
Ethan's grip on Mia tightened as he pulled her back, his gaze scanning their surroundings. "We need to get out of here, Mia. This is beyond us. This is... too much."
But Mia stood frozen, staring into the abyss that seemed to call her name. The entity, the power inside her—it was all connected. She could feel it in her bones, an aching recognition, as though her very existence was tethered to the dark power before her. She had opened the door, but now she couldn't find a way to close it again. The truth was staring her in the face.
"I can't leave," Mia whispered, her voice hoarse. "I have to stop this. I have to fix it."
The dark figure loomed closer, its presence suffocating. "It is too late to fix anything. The cycle cannot be broken. The seeds of the end were planted long ago, and now you must watch as they come to fruition."
Mia's heart raced, but as she looked at the figure—this terrifying, incomprehensible being—something inside her sparked. She didn't know what it was, but it felt like a surge of energy, a burst of defiance that refused to be silenced.
"No," Mia said, stepping forward, her voice stronger now. "I won't let you destroy everything."
The dark figure's laugh was colder this time, more foreboding. "You think you have the power to stop me? You are nothing but a pawn. You always have been."
Mia felt a sudden rush of warmth through her body. It was faint, but it was there. It was the connection she had to the power inside her—ancient, raw, untapped. It was hers.
"No," she repeated, this time with more certainty. "I'm not a pawn. I'm not your puppet. You will stop."