The great doors groaned open.
Dust and centuries of decay spilled into the cavern as the massive gate, carved from the bones of forgotten titans, trembled under unseen force. Beyond it, darkness pulsed—alive, breathing, shifting.
Ronan's body tensed, the mark on his arm flaring to life.
Something was in there.
Something old.
"Step carefully, Bound One." Doomfang's voice was low, a warning carried on the trembling air. "The beast behind this gate is no mere creature. It is a remnant of an age long past. An entity that should have remained buried."
Ronan swallowed. He wasn't a fool—he could feel the sheer pressure radiating from the depths beyond the door. The presence was overwhelming, like staring into the abyss and feeling it stare back.
But hesitation was no longer an option.
He stepped forward.
The Descent into the Maw
The darkness swallowed him whole.
The stone path beneath Ronan's boots crumbled as he descended deeper into the unknown. The air was thick, heavy with something ancient. The deeper he went, the more his senses sharpened—his beastblood humming in warning.
Then, he saw them.
Bones.
Mountains of them.
The remains of creatures he could not name—some massive, others small, but all shattered and discarded. As if whatever had lived down here had fed for centuries and left nothing but scraps.
Doomfang growled behind him, his golden eyes flickering.
"Something still lingers."
Ronan didn't need to be told. The presence was everywhere.
And then…
The breathing stopped.
A deep, rumbling silence fell over the abyss.
And that's when the eyes opened.
The Titan Below
Two massive golden orbs flared to life in the darkness, each the size of a boulder. The ground beneath Ronan shook as something moved.
Then the shadows shifted—rising.
The beast unfurled, its form coiling through the abyss like a living nightmare. Its body was monstrous, a fusion of creatures long extinct—its head was wolf-like, but its mouth unhinged like a serpent's, lined with teeth that gleamed like obsidian. Massive, tattered wings stretched wide, their membranes covered in long, jagged scars.
But what struck Ronan most was its presence.
It was not just a creature.
It was something from before time.
A relic of the abyss.
And it was awake.
The golden eyes locked onto Ronan. A voice, deeper than the cavern itself, rumbled through his bones.
"You are… different."
The beast did not roar. Did not lash out.
It watched.
Studied him.
Ronan's pulse thundered in his ears. He clenched his fists, feeling the energy pulsing in his veins. He had faced death before—but this was something else.
"You carry the mark of the Forgotten." The beast's voice was ancient, layered with something that felt… unnatural. "And yet… you are not like the others."
Ronan took a slow step forward, meeting the golden gaze. "I survived the Trial."
Silence.
Then—laughter.
A deep, echoing laugh that sent dust cascading from the cavern walls.
"Survived?" The beast's wings unfurled further, casting the entire chamber into deeper shadow. "Foolish child. The Trial does not end with survival."
The air shifted.
A massive claw slammed down just feet from where Ronan stood, shaking the entire cavern. The force alone sent cracks rippling through the stone.
"The Trial ends when you prove yourself worthy."
The beast lunged.
A Battle Against the Abyss
Ronan barely had time to react.
The beast's jaws snapped down where he had stood a heartbeat ago, crushing rock into dust. He rolled to the side, his instincts screaming.
Doomfang roared, his wings flaring as he launched forward—but the ancient beast moved with terrifying speed. A single swipe of its claw sent the wyvern hurtling back, slamming into the cavern wall.
Ronan's blood ran cold.
Doomfang was powerful—strong enough to tear through most creatures.
And yet, this thing had swatted him aside like an insect.
"Do not waste my time, Bound One." The beast's voice was a growl of thunder. "If you cannot fight, then I shall end this quickly."
Ronan's mark burned against his skin.
His instincts screamed.
And then—he let go.
Unleashing the Bound Form
The power surged through him, raw and untamed. His muscles tensed, his vision sharpened. The mark on his arm flared, and for the first time, he felt the true strength of the Bound.
The beast lunged again, but this time, Ronan moved before it struck.
He blurred forward, faster than before. His claws extended, slicing through the air as he met the attack head-on.
A shockwave erupted as their blows collided.
The beast's massive jaws snapped down, but Ronan twisted, using the force of his leap to land on its back. His claws sank deep into its scaled flesh.
The beast roared, its body thrashing, trying to throw him off.
But Ronan held firm.
This wasn't just instinct. This wasn't just hunger.
This was control.
The mark burned, shifting, changing—growing.
And then, he felt it.
The abyssal beast's power.
Not just its strength, but its essence.
And it was his for the taking.
A New Power Awakens
Ronan clenched his teeth. He could feel the ancient force beneath his fingers—the sheer, primal energy that had kept this thing alive for centuries.
And for the first time, the beast hesitated.
"What… are you?"
Ronan met its gaze, his golden eyes burning.
"I am Bound."
He pulled.
The beast's roar shook the entire cavern as Ronan's mark absorbed part of its power. He didn't consume it entirely—he didn't need to.
Instead, he took just enough.
Just enough to bind it.
The beast collapsed, its massive body shaking the cavern floor. Its golden eyes, once filled with primal rage, were now dimmed with something else.
Recognition.
Submission.
For the first time in centuries…
The abyssal beast bowed.