Chapter 34: Shadows Within

The ascent from the Vault of Eldrath was slow and silent. Azarion led the way, his footsteps steady, but the faint glow of shadows that danced around him didn't go unnoticed by Sera. She clutched her daggers tightly, her gaze flickering between his back and the dim stairwell that spiraled above them.

She had seen him wield the Eternal Flame countless times, had trusted in its power and his unyielding will. But now, the flicker of darkness around him felt wrong—unnatural.

"You're awfully quiet," Azarion said, breaking the silence as they reached the top of the stairs. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a faint echo that hadn't been there before.

Sera hesitated, then spoke. "I'm trying to figure out if you're still you."

Azarion stopped and turned to face her. His glowing eyes softened, but the faint shadows swirling around him betrayed an inner turmoil. "I'm still me, Sera. I promise."

She stepped closer, her jaw tightening. "You say that, but you just absorbed a fragment of the Abyss. That's not something you walk away from unchanged."

Azarion lowered his gaze, his fists clenching. "I didn't do this lightly. You know that. If we're going to stop the Abyss, I need every edge I can get."

"And what happens when it starts controlling you?" Sera shot back. "What happens when you're no longer Azarion, but some... puppet of the Abyss?"

The tension hung between them, thick and suffocating. Azarion looked away, his voice quieter. "Then you'll stop me."

Sera froze, her breath catching. "Don't say that."

"You're the only one I trust to do it," he continued. "If I lose myself, you have to stop me, Sera. No matter what it takes."

Her hands trembled, and she shook her head. "Don't put that on me."

"I'm not putting it on you. I'm asking you to protect everything we're fighting for," Azarion said firmly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes meeting hers. "But it won't come to that. I won't let it."

Before Sera could respond, a faint rumble echoed through the walls of the stairwell. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the ground beneath them trembled.

"What now?" Sera muttered, her instincts kicking in.

Azarion turned toward the exit. "We're not alone."

---

When they emerged from the Vault, the landscape outside was eerily still. The forest that surrounded the ancient ruins was shrouded in mist, the trees casting long, distorted shadows under the pale light of the moons.

But something was wrong. The air felt heavier, charged with an unnatural energy.

"Do you feel that?" Sera asked, her voice low.

Azarion nodded. "The Abyss is stirring. It knows we're a threat now."

Before he could say more, the ground erupted a few feet ahead of them, and a massive, writhing creature clawed its way to the surface. It was a grotesque amalgamation of shadow and flesh, its many eyes glowing with the same abyssal energy that Azarion had just absorbed.

"Guess it didn't take long for it to send a welcoming committee," Sera said, already in a defensive stance.

The creature let out an ear-piercing screech and lunged at them. Azarion reacted instinctively, raising the Eternal Flame. Fire and shadow erupted in unison, striking the beast and forcing it back.

But the moment his shadow-infused power connected with the creature, Azarion felt something shift. A whisper echoed in his mind—a voice that wasn't his own.

"Why fight us? You are one of us now."

Azarion staggered, clutching his head. The voice was overwhelming, a chorus of shadows clawing at his thoughts.

"Azarion!" Sera called out, slicing through one of the creature's tendrils as it lashed toward him. "Focus!"

He gritted his teeth, forcing the voice into silence. The Eternal Flame burned brighter, pushing back the influence of the Abyss. With a guttural cry, he unleashed a powerful strike, a wave of light and shadow that obliterated the creature in an instant.

The forest fell silent once more, save for Azarion's labored breathing.

"You okay?" Sera asked, rushing to his side.

Azarion nodded, though his hand trembled as he sheathed his sword. "I'm fine."

But he wasn't. Deep down, he could feel it—the Abyss wasn't just a distant enemy anymore. It was inside him, a part of him. And it was waiting.

---

As they continued their journey through the forest, Azarion's thoughts churned. The power he had gained was immense, but it came at a cost. Every time he used it, he felt the shadows pulling at him, whispering promises of greater strength if he would only let go.

Sera walked beside him, her expression guarded. She didn't say much, but Azarion could sense her unease. She didn't trust the shadows that now surrounded him, and he couldn't blame her.

Finally, Sera broke the silence. "So what's the plan?"

Azarion glanced at her, his jaw tightening. "We head to the Citadel. The others need to know what we're dealing with."

"And after that?"

"We fight," Azarion said simply. "No matter what it takes."

Sera frowned but didn't argue. She knew better than anyone that Azarion's resolve was unshakable. But as they pressed on, she couldn't shake the feeling that the shadows weren't just an enemy—they were a battle Azarion would have to fight within himself.

And she wasn't sure he could win.