The cavern was silent.
For the first time since Ronan had stepped into the abyss, the air was still. No trembling walls. No echoes of a monstrous growl. Only the steady sound of his own breath, ragged and heavy with exhaustion.
Before him, the great abyssal beast lay still—its massive form slumped, its golden eyes dimmed. Not with death. But with submission.
Ronan's mark still burned against his skin, pulsating with a strange rhythm. His body trembled, not from weakness, but from the sheer magnitude of what he had done.
He had bound it.
Not slain. Not vanquished.
Bound.
The very essence of the beast now existed within him, tethered by the arcane sigils that had carved themselves deeper into his flesh.
Doomfang staggered to his feet, shaking his wings with a heavy groan. His golden eyes locked onto Ronan, unreadable for a long moment before he spoke.
"You… truly did it."
Ronan barely nodded. His muscles ached from the strain of channeling so much raw power, but he forced himself to stay standing.
The abyssal beast stirred, shifting its massive wings before lowering its head—acknowledging him.
"I do not know what you are, Bound One." Its voice was softer now, the thunderous rage replaced with something older, more cautious. "But you are no mere Forsaken."
Ronan exhaled slowly. "I never wanted to be."
The beast chuckled—a deep, rumbling sound that carried a strange amusement.
"Then you walk a lonely path."
A Bargain in the Dark
The beast raised its head slightly, its golden gaze peering into Ronan's soul.
"I have slept for an eternity, waiting for something worthy of my presence. And now, you come—one who does not take power… but bends it."
Ronan said nothing, watching.
"You have bound me, boy. But tell me—what do you intend to do with that power?"
The words settled deep in his chest.
What did he intend to do?
The Forsaken were hunted, their existence cursed. The world saw them as monsters. Abominations. And until now, Ronan had been running, fighting, surviving.
But for the first time…
He had dominion.
"I will break free," Ronan said, his voice unwavering. "I will not be a pawn in this world's games. And I will carve a path where Forsaken no longer have to live in chains."
Silence.
Then, the beast laughed again—louder this time, the sound shaking the cavern walls.
"A bold claim." Its wings stretched, the shadows shifting around them. "Very well, Bound One. You have proven your strength. But strength alone will not win you this world."
The beast lowered its head further, until it was just feet from Ronan.
"Then let us make a pact."
Ronan's breath caught. "A pact?"
"You have already claimed me. But power means nothing without understanding." The beast's golden eyes glowed. "I will teach you the secrets of the abyss, the nature of the bound. In return, you will carry my will beyond these depths."
Doomfang shifted slightly, watching warily. "And what exactly is your will?"
The abyssal beast's lips curled, revealing jagged fangs.
"I wish to see the world once more."
Ronan studied the creature, his heartbeat steady. This wasn't just about power anymore. This was something deeper.
A choice.
Would he wield this strength alone? Or would he accept the burden of something far greater?
Ronan stepped forward.
"I accept."
A pulse of energy erupted between them, sealing the pact in blood and shadow. The mark on Ronan's arm expanded, stretching across his chest in swirling patterns of dark silver.
And deep within his soul, he felt it—
A second presence.
Silent. Watching.
Waiting.
The abyssal beast had truly become his.
The Call to the Surface
Doomfang broke the silence first.
"You have done something… unprecedented."
Ronan clenched his fists, feeling the raw power now flowing within him. The presence of the abyssal beast lingered, woven into his very essence.
He had changed.
Forever.
But there was no time to dwell.
They had spent too long in the depths of this cursed cavern. The world above still hunted him. The Forsaken were still in chains.
And he had work to do.
"We're leaving," Ronan said, his voice steadier than he felt.
Doomfang snorted. "And where exactly do you plan to go?"
Ronan turned toward the cavern's exit, feeling the weight of his new power settle into his bones.
"To war."
The darkness behind him trembled, and the world would soon tremble with it.