The wind carried an unsettling chill as the group advanced through the darkened forest. The once-serene beauty of Narukami Island was now warped—an unseen force twisted the air, thick with abyssal energy. The light of the moon barely reached through the dense canopy, casting eerie shadows along the path.
Noah walked ahead, his senses sharp, his grip firm on his lightsaber. His gaze flickered to Kiana more than once. She hadn't said much since the shrine. None of them had—but it was Kiana who carried the silence like a weight.
"There's something unnatural about this place," Lumine murmured, walking beside him. Her golden eyes scanned the darkness. "The Abyss is strong here."
Elysia twirled an arrow between her fingers, her usual playfulness dulled by caution. "It's like walking into a haunted house. Only instead of ghosts, we're dealing with something worse."
Kiana followed slightly behind the others, her hands clenched into fists. Her posture was tight, jaw locked, steps uneven. She hadn't noticed she was gripping the rose from Elysia, tucked into her belt—until her thumb brushed against the crystal's surface. The warmth that once soothed now flickered faintly, like a flame struggling against the wind.
Lumine slowed, falling in step beside her. "Kiana—"
"I'm fine," Kiana cut in quickly, too quickly.
She wasn't. The whispers had started again.
"You feel it, don't you? The Abyss calling you back. You can't escape."
Kiana shook her head, forcing the voice away. She took a sharp breath, the way the adepti had taught her—breathe in clarity, exhale chaos. But the moment she steadied herself, a cold pulse ran through the air.
Then—the darkness moved.
Twisted creatures emerged from the trees—grotesque, malformed beasts infused with Abyssal energy. Their blackened limbs pulsed with sickly violet light, their eyes glowing with unnatural hunger. Some slithered across the ground, while others towered over them, their forms shifting unnaturally.
A piercing snarl echoed as they charged.
Noah's lightsaber ignited in a brilliant blue flash, cutting through the darkness. He moved like a blur, sidestepping a lunging beast before bisecting it with a single clean stroke. Another lunged at him—he thrust his hand forward, the Force crashing into the creature like a tidal wave, sending it flying back into a tree.
Lumine reacted instantly, summoning Anemo. A powerful gust of wind surged from her fingertips, creating a vortex that pulled several enemies into the air. As they struggled against the currents, she seamlessly switched to Electro—sending a chain of lightning through the airborne creatures, electrocuting them midair.
Elysia fired crystalline arrows, each shot freezing the Abyssal creatures in jagged ice. She twirled gracefully, flipping backward as one monster lunged for her—only for an arrow to pierce its forehead mid-jump. "Too slow~" she teased.
Kiana charged forward, trying to summon her Herrscher of the Void powers. A golden portal flickered open—but it immediately destabilized, crackling with instability.
"What's wrong?" Sirin's voice mocked her. "Struggling? You're nothing without me."
Kiana growled, forcing herself to focus. She managed to summon Void spears, but they wavered in the air before flying wildly, missing their intended targets.
Lumine saw her struggling and immediately covered for her. She switched to Geo, stomping the ground—sharp stone pillars erupted beneath the Abyssal creatures, impaling them.
"Kiana, stay sharp!" Lumine called.
Kiana bit her lip, her frustration boiling over. "Damn it!"
One of the larger Abyssal creatures roared, charging at Lumine with terrifying speed.
Before it could reach her—Noah was already moving.
He extended his hand—the Force gripped the massive beast mid-charge, halting it in its tracks. Its limbs thrashed violently against the invisible pressure, but it couldn't move.
Lumine took the opening. She switched to Dendro, summoning thorned vines that wrapped around the trapped creature. Then, with a quick switch to Electro—the vines erupted in a burst of crackling purple energy, igniting in an electrified explosion.
The creature shrieked before disintegrating into Abyssal mist.
Elysia let out a whistle. "You two make a scary team~"
As the last of the creatures fell, a sudden chill ran through the air.
From the shadows, a figure emerged.
Tall, humanoid, and cloaked in shifting abyssal energy, their presence alone made the air feel suffocating. They moved with unnatural grace, their gaze settling immediately on Kiana.
"Well, well…" The figure's voice was smooth, almost amused. "The lost queen."
Kiana froze.
Noah immediately stepped in front of her, lightsaber at the ready. His presence was solid—unyielding. "Who are you?" he asked coldly.
The figure chuckled. "Names are meaningless in the Abyss. But you… you were meant to return." Their gaze didn't waver from Kiana. "The Abyss never forgets its own."
Kiana's breathing became shallow. The whispers grew louder.
"He's right. You're just pretending, running away from what you really are."
"Shut up," Kiana hissed under her breath.
The figure tilted their head slightly. "Struggling against yourself… how amusing."
Noah noticed the shift in Kiana's energy. Her aura was unstable. He clenched his fist.
"Kiana," Lumine's voice was urgent, but gentle. "Stay with us."
Elysia moved beside her, her warmth cutting through the cold. "Hey now, don't let some shady abyss guy mess with that pretty little head of yours~"
For a moment, Kiana wavered.
Then—
The Abyss figure raised their hand—and the ground beneath them cracked.
Dark tendrils burst from the ground, reaching for Kiana.
Noah moved instantly. He thrust his palm forward, the Force crushing the tendrils mid-air before they could touch her. His lightsaber spun in a precise arc, severing the last of the corruption.
The figure chuckled, unfazed. "Not today, then. But soon."
And with that—they vanished.
Silence followed.
The forest no longer howled, but the tension remained sharp.
Kiana fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her hand clutched the rose again—desperate for its light, but it dimmed in response, as if even it feared the darkness clawing at her from within. Lumine was already at her side, dropping to one knee, her eyes wide with concern.
"Kiana, talk to us," Lumine urged. "We're here. You're not alone."
Elysia knelt beside her too, brushing her knuckles gently along Kiana's back. "Don't scare us like that," she whispered, voice tight despite her usual grace. "You don't have to carry this on your own."
Kiana swallowed hard. "I—I'm fine. Just… give me a second."
She wasn't. She knew it. They knew it.
Noah stood nearby, watching silently. His knuckles were white around his deactivated lightsaber. He'd seen this coming. He just hadn't been fast enough. Again.
"We're retreating," he said, voice steady but low. "We need time to regroup."
Lumine nodded, rising slowly and helping Kiana to her feet. Elysia stayed close, wrapping a steadying arm around Kiana's shoulders.
No one argued.
As they turned back toward Inazuma City, the weight of what had just happened pressed down on all of them.
But through the cracks of fear and exhaustion, their steps never wavered.
And in the back of Kiana's mind, Sirin laughed.
"We're retreating," he said. "We need time to regroup."
No one argued.
As they turned back toward Inazuma City, the weight of what had just happened pressed down on all of them.
And in the back of Kiana's mind, Sirin laughed.