The oppressive weight of the abyss had faded, but its echoes remained. The chamber, once twisted by eldritch corruption, now lay eerily still. Dim light filtered through the cracked ceiling above, casting long shadows over the remains of the Abyssal Herald.

  Kael wiped the sweat from his brow, his muscles still tense. Even though the battle was over, his instincts screamed that they weren’t safe.

  Phantom exhaled sharply. "That was a damn nightmare."

  Lyria knelt near the fallen Herald’s remnants, prodding at the fragments of its broken mask with the tip of her dagger. "It’s dead, right? No creepy resurrection?"

  The prisoner approached the remains, the faint glow of its violet eyes flickering. "The Herald is no more. But death is not the end for things born of the abyss."

  Kael frowned. "Meaning?"

  The prisoner reached down, grasping a shard of the mask. The moment its fingers made contact, a surge of abyssal mist curled around its hand. The sigils on the prisoner’s armor flared in response, burning away the lingering corruption.

  "This was merely a vessel," the prisoner said, voice distant. "A fragment of something greater."

  Elysia’s expression darkened. "Then what’s stopping it from returning?"

  The prisoner clenched its fist around the shard, and it disintegrated into ash. "For now, time. But the abyss is patient. It will adapt."

  Phantom cursed under his breath. "Fantastic. So what’s our next move?"

  Kael surveyed the chamber. They had fallen deep beneath the ruins, and if they wanted to escape, they needed to move fast. "We find a way out. Before something else finds us."

  The prisoner turned toward the passage Phantom had pointed out earlier. "Then we move."

  The tunnel stretched upward, winding through layers of stone and forgotten architecture. Unlike the abyssal chamber, these ruins bore no signs of corruption—just the wear of time and abandonment.

  Still, Kael couldn’t shake the unease settling in his gut. The further they ascended, the more he felt like something was watching them.

  Lyria seemed to notice too. "Anyone else feel like we're being followed?"

  Phantom adjusted his grip on his rifle. "I was hoping it was just my paranoia acting up."

  The prisoner remained silent, its gaze fixed forward.

  Elysia ran a hand along the wall, her fingers tracing ancient markings. "These structures… they predate even the oldest records we have."

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  Kael glanced at the faded engravings, trying to make sense of them. "You recognize anything?"

  Elysia hesitated. "Only fragments. Warnings, maybe. Something about ‘sealing the dark beneath the stars.’ But the rest is too worn away to read."

  "Comforting," Phantom muttered.

  As they moved further, the passage opened into a massive underground chamber. At its center stood an ancient, monolithic door—sealed shut with layers of glowing runes similar to those on the shattered gate from before. Unlike the first one, however, this door remained intact.

  Kael approached cautiously. "This doesn’t look like an exit."

  Elysia examined the inscriptions. "No. This is another seal."

  The prisoner’s voice was firm. "And it must remain closed."

  Lyria raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you’ve seen this before."

  The prisoner’s gaze lingered on the door. "I have."

  Before Kael could ask more, a deep vibration rumbled through the ruins. Dust cascaded from the ceiling, and a distant, guttural growl echoed through the tunnels.

  Phantom aimed his rifle into the darkness. "Tell me that was just the ruins settling."

  Elysia’s magic flared to life. "No. That was something waking up."

  A sudden gust of cold air swept through the chamber. The torches along the walls flickered wildly before extinguishing entirely, plunging them into darkness.

  Kael’s instincts screamed danger. He raised his weapon, scanning the shadows.

  Then—movement.

  A shape, barely visible against the black, shifted along the edge of the chamber. It was fast. Unnatural.

  Lyria tensed, daggers ready. "We are definitely not alone."

  The prisoner raised a hand, and the runes on the monolithic door pulsed in response, illuminating the chamber in a faint, ethereal glow. The light revealed twisted figures lurking at the chamber’s edges—skeletal forms wrapped in abyssal mist, their hollow eyes glowing with violet fire.

  Phantom swore. "More of them?!"

  Kael steadied his stance. "No. These aren’t like the Herald."

  Elysia’s voice was sharp. "They’re echoes."

  The prisoner nodded. "Remnants of those who failed to escape the abyss. Trapped between death and oblivion."

  One of the figures twitched violently, then lunged.

  The battle began.

  Kael fired first, his bullets ripping through the nearest creature. It staggered, but instead of falling, its form twisted, reshaping itself as if reality itself struggled to keep it bound.

  Phantom’s rifle barked, energy rounds striking multiple targets at once. Lyria darted between them, slashing with precision, her blades carving through mist and bone alike.

  Elysia unleashed a burst of arcane force, sending several echoes flying backward. "They’re not solid!" she called. "They’re shifting between forms!"

  Kael gritted his teeth. "Then we need to hit them faster than they can reform!"

  The prisoner raised its chains, and for a brief moment, the entire chamber trembled. Then, with a wave of its hand, a surge of violet energy erupted outward. The echoes screamed in unison as the light tore through them, dissolving their forms into nothingness.

  Silence fell once more.

  Kael exhaled. "That was too close."

  Lyria nudged one of the fading remains with her boot. "So what the hell were those?"

  The prisoner regarded the monolithic door. "Warnings. The abyss does not let go of what it claims."

  Elysia frowned. "Then why are they appearing now?"

  The prisoner turned, its glowing eyes locking onto hers.

  "Because something is trying to break free."

  The group stood in tense silence, the weight of the prisoner’s words settling over them like a shroud.

  Kael finally spoke. "Then we can’t stay here. We still need to get out."

  Phantom gestured toward a smaller passage along the far wall. "That tunnel looks like it leads up. Could be our way out."

  The prisoner gave one last look at the monolithic door before turning away. "Then we move."

  As they stepped into the tunnel, the last traces of abyssal mist curled along the floor, whispering through the ruins like a dying breath.

  They had won a battle.

  But something far worse was waiting ahead.

  End of Chapter Forty