Chapter 26: The Abyss
Excerpt from the diaries of Edgar Wilmore:
"Everyone who comes close to me sees the abyss. Some fall, and some choose to stand on the edge of madness. Eliza… will you stand, or will you fall?"
In the streets of London, the messages began turning into direct warnings:
Red roses placed near crowded places.
Murals on the walls depicting dark scenes—each painting carrying symbolism that threatened potential victims.
Eliza felt the game had become direct… intensely personal… and impossible to escape.
The shadow was now only one step away from her… and every movement was watched.
She sat in her apartment, notebook before her, trying to decipher the latest symbols:
"Every painting… every message… brings me closer to him. Can I survive, or am I merely part of his art?"
In her mind, Edgar's pressure intensified:
"Do you know what it means to fall into the abyss? Falling is not death… it is art… a final experience."
Eliza felt terror—but in a strange way, she began to accept the game: she was part of the grand stage, yet still trying to control her mind.
Detective Howard gathered his team and began tracking the symbols and messages:
"Eliza… we are close to catching him. Every step is leading us to him."
But Edgar was always one step ahead:
He left mental traps.
He made the messages mislead the police, turning the city into a psychological maze.
At midnight, Edgar sent his final direct personal message:
"The final masterpiece… your place is within it… you are part of my last art."
Eliza felt fear—but she knew the end would reveal everything:
Would she survive?
Would she become the ultimate victim?
Would she manage to expose Edgar before it was too late?
In the heart of London, inside an abandoned building Edgar had designed as a "living painting":
Walls covered with dark murals of the victims.
Red roses arranged with precise care.
A large message read:
"Eliza, the final chapter… are you ready to stand on the edge of art?"
Eliza felt the abyss literally before her—and that Edgar was watching her every reaction.
Edgar appeared suddenly, like his shadow in the darkness, smiling:
"Welcome, Eliza. You have reached your natural place… where art and madness meet."
Eliza steadied herself:
"I will not be just a victim. I will see the truth—no matter how terrifying it is."
Edgar laughed softly:
"The truth… is sometimes crueler than any death. Are you ready?"
As night deepened, all of London fell silent except for the sound of rain:
Eliza stood on the edge of a dark room, studying the symbols and paintings.
Edgar stood behind her like an untouchable shadow, watching every breath, every heartbeat.
Howard was only steps away, not fully knowing how the scene would unfold.
The abyss is real now… and everyone stands on the edge of their choice. Will Eliza fall—or will she survive?