THE TEAM STOOD IN SILENCE.
RYUJIN CLEANED THE BLOOD OFF HIS KATANA WITH SLOW, METHODICAL MOVEMENTS.
HIS EYES WERE EMPTY, AS IF THE FIGHT HAD MEANT NOTHING.
KAI GRITTED HIS TEETH.
"OI… DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU JUST DID?"
RYUJIN TURNED HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY, A COLD SMILE ON HIS FACE.
"I KILLED A MONSTER. ISN'T THAT WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR?"
KAI TOOK A STEP FORWARD, ANGRY.
"YOU DIDN'T JUST KILL IT—YOU TORE IT APART LIKE SOME KIND OF—"
"KAI, STOP."
ARIANA'S VOICE CUT THROUGH, SHARP BUT SHAKEN.
SHE LOOKED AT RYUJIN WITH WORRY.
"RYUJIN… THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT KILLING. YOU ALMOST ENJOYED IT."
FOR A MOMENT, RYUJIN SAID NOTHING.
THEN HE SMILED—A DARK, TWISTED SMILE.
"MAYBE I DID. AND MAYBE THAT'S WHY I'M STILL ALIVE."
DEEPER INTO THE ABYSS
THE AIR SHIFTED.
A LOW, RUMBLING HUM FILLED THE CHAMBER AS THE GROUND SPLIT OPEN—
REVEALING A DESCENDING PATHWAY LINED WITH STRANGE, GLOWING RUNES.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?" KAI WHISPERED.
ARIANA STUDIED THE RUNES.
"ANCIENT… OLDER THAN ANYTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN. THIS MIGHT BE THE TRUE HEART OF THE ABYSS."
RYUJIN STEPPED FORWARD WITHOUT HESITATION.
"THEN LET'S GO. THERE ARE MORE OF THEM WAITING FOR ME DOWN THERE."
ARIANA REACHED OUT AND GRABBED HIS ARM.
"WAIT! YOU'RE PUSHING YOURSELF TOO FAR—"
"LET GO," RYUJIN SAID QUIETLY.
HIS VOICE WAS SO COLD THAT ARIANA INSTANTLY FROZE.
"I CAN'T STOP UNTIL THEY'RE ALL DEAD."
AS THE TEAM DESCENDED DEEPER INTO THE ABYSS, THE ATMOSPHERE GREW HEAVIER.
STRANGE WHISPERS ECHOED THROUGH THE TUNNELS, AND THE WALLS SEEMED TO MOVE ON THEIR OWN.
KAI WALKED CLOSE TO ARIANA, SPEAKING IN A LOW VOICE.
"HE'S LOSING IT. IF HE SNAPS COMPLETELY, WHAT DO WE DO?"
ARIANA BIT HER LIP, HER EYES ON RYUJIN'S BACK.
"WE CAN'T LOSE HIM. BUT… I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SAVE HIM EITHER."
THE PATHWAY OPENED INTO A MASSIVE CHAMBER.
IN THE DISTANCE, A SHADOWY FIGURE STOOD ON A THRONE, SURROUNDED BY DOZENS OF ABYSSAL ELITES.
THE FIGURE SPOKE IN A VOICE THAT SHOOK THE EARTH:
"WELCOME, SHADOW ASCENDANT. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU."
RYUJIN'S GRIP ON HIS KATANA TIGHTENED, HIS DARK SMILE RETURNING.
"GOOD. I WAS GETTING BORED."