The Darkness Between Us

The ruins quaked under the weight of the darkness swirling around Ava. Shadows writhed like living things, their tendrils stretching outward, grasping at the ground, the stones, the very air. The sky above was no longer sky, but a swirling black vortex, heavy and ominous, threatening to swallow the world whole. Ava stood at its center, her form towering and menacing, her eyes twin pools of black, devoid of any light. She was a mere vessel now—claimed by the Abyss. But Lucas couldn't look away.

His heart raced, pounding in his chest, faster and faster, as the full reality hit him: she was no longer his Ava.

"Ava…" Lucas whispered, his voice trembling, almost a prayer. He took a step forward, the sharp chill of the Abyss's energy pressing against his skin. "Please, don't let it take you…"