Chapter 843: Echoes of the Abyss
"Ah... ah..."
The air trembled as Echoes of the Abyss exhaled, its body shuddering with a suppressed, breathless gasp. A dense, swirling vortex of shadowy energy erupted from its chest, swirling into a deep, pulsating eye of pure Soul Energy. The sheer volume of spiritual presence was overwhelming—countless flickers of light, like sparks from a dying fire, surged upward from the abyssal void, forming a storm of shimmering light that tore through the air, screaming as it was pulled into the abyssal eye.
It was a terrifying sight—yet not one of destruction, but of transformation. The soul itself was being unraveled, stretched, and reformed in the crucible of the Abyss. The body of Echoes of the Abyss remained motionless, its form still as stone—until a sudden, violent twitch rippled through it. A single, sharp cry escaped its lips.
A figure emerged from the shadows, its face obscured by a veil of darkness. The form was humanoid, yet twisted—its silhouette shifting and warping as if trying to mimic the observer's own shape. It was the Face, a mirror of the self, reflecting not the body, but the soul. The Face, embedded within the Abyss, whispered back the observer’s own thoughts, their deepest fears and desires, and in that moment, the soul was exposed.
Within the mirror, the soul was torn apart—its essence scattered and reassembled. The Face’s reflection was not just a mirror—it was a trap. Once caught within, the soul could not escape. It would be consumed, reshaped, and reborn in the image of the Abyss.
And yet, the Abyss was not finished.
Lifeforms of the Abyss—ancient, sentient entities that had existed long before time—watched from the edges of perception. Their presence was felt, not seen. They were the architects of the cycle, the ones who shaped the Abyss’s will. They observed with cold precision, their eyes fixed on the form before them. This was no ordinary soul—it was a vessel, a key. The Abyss had to be careful. Too much force, and the soul would shatter. Too little, and it would slip away.
But the Abyss was patient. It would wait.
"Continue emitting," a voice echoed through the void. "Do not give it a chance to recover."
The sound of a distant, echoing laugh. The face of the Abyss twisted, its mouth stretching wide as if in a grin. The soul within trembled.
"Pay attention to the changes beneath," a voice warned. "Your heart is racing."
The figure stood frozen in place, its breath shallow. Its hands clenched, fingers digging into its own arms as if to anchor itself. It watched the face before it—the reflection shifting, warping, becoming something else entirely.
Then, it saw it.
The moment the Abyss’s reflection began to form the shape of a human face, it knew. This was not just a mirror. It was a trap. And the soul within it was already being consumed.
"Never again," it whispered, voice trembling. "Not this time."
The Abyss pulsed. The face shimmered, and for a split second, the observer saw their own reflection—clear, whole, unbroken. But it was a lie. The Abyss had already taken it.
The soul trembled. The face flickered. And then, it was gone.
But the Abyss did not stop.
The soul was not destroyed—it was transformed. The Abyss had taken the essence of the observer, twisted it, and reforged it in its own image. The face remained, but it was no longer the observer. It was something else. Something older. Something darker.
And deep within the Abyss, something stirred.
A new presence emerged—a vast, formless entity, its presence so immense it seemed to warp reality itself. The Abyss had not just consumed a soul. It had awakened something far greater.
The cycle had begun.
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The air grew heavy. The Abyss pulsed. The Face flickered once more, and this time, it did not reflect the observer.
It reflected the Abyss itself.
A single, ancient eye opened—wide, unblinking, and filled with endless hunger. The soul within it screamed, but no sound came. The Abyss had already taken its voice.
And somewhere, in the distance, a voice whispered:
"Welcome home."
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(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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