Abyssborn: The Forsaken King

The mark burned.

Kael had endured pain before—blades, fire, even the abyss itself—but this? This was different.

It wasn't just searing his skin. It was crawling deeper, sinking into his veins, his bones, his very soul.

He clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain still. No weakness. No hesitation.

Yet, something inside him was… changing.

The moment the Abyssforged disappeared, the world around him had dimmed. The sounds of the battlefield felt distant, as if he were standing at the edge of reality, staring into something deeper.

And then—

"Kael."

The whisper slithered into his mind. Soft. Cold. Familiar.

His breath caught.

Not because of fear—but because he had heard this voice before.

Back then, when he first touched the abyss.

It had called to him.

And now, it was back.

"You are not ready," it murmured, barely a breath against his thoughts. "But you will be."

Kael gritted his teeth. He didn't respond, didn't even allow himself to react. This was a test. It had to be.

Yet, as he stood there, heart pounding, the mark on his shoulder shifted.

The pain faded—replaced by something else.

A pulse.

A presence.

The abyss wasn't just watching him. It was inside him.

Kael took a slow breath. He had to stay in control. Whatever was happening—he couldn't afford to break now.

But then—

A flicker of movement in his peripheral vision.

He turned sharply, instincts flaring—

And saw her.

Standing at the edge of the battlefield. Cloaked in shadows. Watching.

He knew that figure. He had seen her before.

But how?

His pulse quickened. The abyss was whispering to him, his power was shifting, and now this?

"Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer.

Instead—

She smiled.

And then, just like the Abyssforged—

She vanished.

Leaving Kael standing there, haunted by too many questions and not enough answers.