6: A Promise to Return (1)

As Niva approached the end of the cave, she could sense the being's presence growing stronger. Suddenly, the darkness seemed to swirl and gather, coalescing into a grotesque form. The being looked like a manifestation of the abyss itself, a creature born of the tormented souls trapped within. Its eyes glowed with a sickly green light, and its presence was suffocating.

Niva knew that she had to act fast. She called upon the power of the souls she had absorbed and unleashed a barrage of spells at the creature. The being retaliated with its own powerful attacks, but Niva's mastery of the dark arts proved to be too much for it. With a final burst of energy, the creature dissipated, and the darkness receded.

As the cave brightened, Niva realized that the abyss was fading away. The souls she had absorbed were finally at peace, and the darkness that had once filled the valley and the cave was no more.

However, as the light shone brightly, there was a figure in the distance, covered in soot, chained to the wall. Niva rushed towards him, wondering about how he ended chained to this wall and his origins. She unchained him and checked his breathing. He was alive.

Despite being coated in ash and soot, the man exuded a striking handsomeness that was hard to ignore. As his long, gray lashes fluttered open, Niva found herself captivated by the piercing gaze of his eyes, which seemed to look directly into the depths of her soul.

Niva wrapped a blanket around the man and rushed to make a fire, and even roasting some meat for him. She also fetched some water, the only pure thing in the abyss, and laughed at the irony.

Her laugh alerted the man, and he tried to speak.

"Y-ou -ha-ve fr-free-freed me?" his voice low and raspy, but deep.

Niva nodded, assuring him that he was okay. She fed him some water and waited for him to rest and feel better.

After over an hour, the man woke up, and although weak, he reached out to the meat Niva roasted.

Without hesitation, he ate it all and had some water.

"What was this meat?" he asked her.

Niva grinned. "Do you really want to know?" she asked.

The man furrowed his brows at her question, but also figured the same as she did when she asked Sylas. She had eventually found out what it was and started preparing it herself, although it did not sit too well at first, so she'll spare him the details.

"How did you get down here? You were chained, and that creature, I thought it was the source of the dark aura of the abyss, but it was you, wasn't it?" Niva asked the man daringly.

The man looked at Niva, surprise etched on his face. "You are perceptive," he said, his voice stronger now. "I was the source... or the reason all those souls were trapped. I've been watching you for years, it's now thanks to you that I can now be free."

"What do you mean and how did you end up down here?" Niva asked, going on the defense hearing that he was the reason those souls were trapped.

The man hummed a tune as he walked towards the water pond, and Niva couldn't help but look away as he undressed and submerged his body in the water. She felt a twinge of discomfort as his skin became more visible, and she shifted her gaze elsewhere.

The man spoke, "Niva is your name right? I've seen the way you move, the way you fight. There's something special about you, Niva. Something that sets you apart from others. Once you started absorbing all of their souls in that room at the entrance of the cave you knew of my existence, you could sense me. By the way, you have exceptional abilities."

Niva was surprised that he knew her name, and she nodded in response.

He continued, "As to how I ended up here, I was betrayed by my clansmen, and I ended up being chained to this wall. However, I wasn't going to be the only one to stay here, I made it so all those who betrayed me would not be able to leave. After years of trying, some killed each other, and the rest died with time, their souls trapped here with me. Well they were, you absorbed them from that room which is why you were able to discover my existence."

He finished washing up and got dressed in fine clothes that she has no idea where he got them from, and Niva was taken aback by how handsome he looked. He seemed to have gained more muscle and had an air of nobility about him. He sat across from her, and she listened intently as he spoke.

"This valley somehow became infamous for souls not being able to leave, and I'm guessing it gained quite the reputation because this valley became the tomb of many. As more people died here, I grew weaker with every new soul trapped since my power was being used to trap my clansmen. Then you came, and you started absorbing them, in turn strengthening me and I started paying more attention to you. At first, your presence was faint, but the closer you got and the more souls you absorbed, I started hearing you, seeing you, and I've grown to truly admire you."

Niva was taken aback by his words, and she felt a twinge of fear, yet excitement in her heart. She asked him, "Are you a master of dark arts?"

He grinned and replied, "You could say that."

Niva furrowed her eyebrows in suspicion as she looked up at the towering man. "Who are you then?" she asked, her voice low and guarded.

The man stood up to his full height and cleared his throat before speaking. "My name is Akio, and I am the last surviving member of the Ashen Clan," he replied, his voice deep and commanding.

Niva's eyes widened in surprise, the Ashen Clan was a legendary group of warriors known for their exceptional fighting skills and command of dark magic. She had heard stories about them from her father, who had been a renowned mage himself.

"The Ashen Clan was thought to be extinct," Niva whispered in disbelief.

"Good, that was my intention when I trapped them all down here with me."