Ash and dust hung in the air, leftovers from the battlefield continuing to swirl around them. Crunched burnt earth beneath their feet, war echoes ringing out far in the distance like ghosts on the wind.
Kaito did not shift, his eyes locked on Nyra. Despite resolve in her voice, doubt gnawed at him. He had thought the Abyss was defeated, thought that the nightmare was finally over—but the words she spoke now weighed heavily on him.
"The Abyss lives within me?" he muttered, disbelief flickering in his eyes. "That's impossible. I've faced it. I've destroyed it."
Nyra's head shook, her eyes locked. "No, Kaito. The Abyss has consumed everything now. It's no longer a force, a place, or a person. It's an idea, a dark thought that lurks in the back of everyone's mind. It feeds on fear, on regret, on despair. And right now, it's feeding on you."
Kaito's heart was racing. The wind that swirled around him grew cold, growing colder, the darkness closing in upon him.
