Seris had never felt so alive—or so terrified.
The Abyss shifted beneath her feet as she ran through twisting corridors of black stone. The mark on her chest pulsed violently, screaming warnings she could not ignore. Mason's presence was everywhere—watching, breathing, a shadow she could not escape.
And yet… she ran.
The corridors warped against her, as if the Abyss itself was trying to trap her. But for the first time, Seris pushed against it. Her fingers burned with the power of her goddess blood. A shard of shadow ripped from the wall and hurled itself at her pursuers—ancient demons sent by rival immortals.
The demons froze. Then exploded into ash.
Her chest heaved. Fear and exhilaration warred in her veins. She had done it. She had fought back.
"Impressive," a voice purred from the shadows.
Mason emerged silently, silver eyes narrowing. He did not step closer; he did not touch her. And yet, she felt him—like gravity, like a tide pulling her in.
"You defy me," he said softly, almost approvingly.
"I am not yours!" she spat, her chest heaving.
His lips curved faintly. "Not yet," he murmured. "But you will learn… the Abyss does not forgive, and neither do I."
The mark burned hotter. She sank to her knees, trembling—not from exhaustion, but from the dangerous thrill of defiance.
Mason knelt beside her. The air between them shimmered.
"You are mine," he said, voice soft but heavy with promise. "In every heartbeat, in every shadow, in every breath. And one day… you will know it too."