Sovereign of The Abyss

Chapter 3

The night was quiet, but Miko’s mind wasn’t. He wandered aimlessly around the academy grounds, the pendant his father had left him clutched tightly in his hand. It felt heavier than usual, like it carried some hidden weight he couldn’t explain.

He found himself at the training fields, now empty and eerie under the moonlight. His gaze fell on an old, cracked mirror leaning against one of the walls. It looked out of place, the glass warped and dull, but something about it pulled him closer.

As he stood in front of the mirror, he noticed his reflection seemed… wrong. The longer he stared, the more it looked like the surface was moving, rippling like water.

“What’s going on?” Miko whispered, taking a hesitant step back.

That’s when he saw it—thin streams of smoke curling out from the edges of the mirror. At first, it was faint, but then it grew, twisting and swirling until it was thick and dark.

“Smoke? From a mirror?” Miko muttered, his voice shaky. Suddenly, a memory came rushing back—his father’s stories about the Abyss.

“Smoke… mirrors… isn’t that…” His breath hitched. “A sign of a door to the Abyss opening?”

The smoke began to take shape, forming a hollow skull in the mirror’s surface. Its empty eyes seemed to stare straight at him. Miko’s chest tightened as he staggered back.

“No way,” he stammered. “This can’t be real!”

The smoke poured out faster, spilling onto the ground and racing toward him like a living shadow.

“Stay away!” Miko shouted, turning to run, but the smoke was too fast. It shot forward and wrapped around him, cold and suffocating.

“No!” he screamed, struggling as the smoke pulled him closer to the mirror. “Let me go!”

The last thing he saw was the skull’s menacing grin before everything went black.

When Miko opened his eyes, the world around him was completely different. The sky above was blood-red, with dark clouds that seemed to pulse like they were alive. The ground was dry and cracked, stained with what looked like dark red sand. In the distance, he could see broken ruins scattered across a barren wasteland.

“What… what is this place?” Miko whispered, his voice barely audible.

The pendant around his neck was warm, almost as if it was reacting to the strange world around him. He clutched it tightly, looking around for any sign of life.

“This has to be the Abyss,” he muttered, dread settling in his chest.

A low growl echoed from behind him, sending chills down his spine. He turned quickly, his heart pounding. In the distance, he could see shadows moving. They were large and unnatural, shifting through the red mist like predators hunting their prey.

Miko’s legs froze in place. His body screamed at him to run, but fear had rooted him to the spot.

One of the shadows stepped closer, revealing itself. It was a monstrous figure with a hulking body and glowing red eyes. Its face was twisted, its features barely human. Another figure slithered out of the mist, its snake-like body dragging across the ground.

“No… no, no, no,” Miko whispered, backing away. “This can’t be real. This isn’t happening.”

The creatures began to close in, their glowing eyes fixed on him. Miko turned and ran, his feet slipping on the unstable ground. The pendant bounced against his chest as he sprinted, its warmth almost comforting.

“I have to get out of here,” he said, his breathing ragged. “There has to be a way out!”

But the creatures weren’t slowing down. Their snarls grew louder, echoing in the desolate landscape. Miko’s chest burned as he pushed himself to keep running, but the wasteland seemed endless.

He stumbled, falling to his knees as the shadows loomed closer.

Miko’s hands trembled as he forced himself to his feet. The creatures were almost upon him, their grotesque forms becoming clearer.

“I’m not going to die here,” he said through gritted teeth. “I won’t let them win.”

Clutching the pendant tightly, he turned to face the oncoming monsters.

“You want me?” he shouted, his voice shaking. “Then come get me!”

The pendant grew hotter, its faint glow spreading through his chest. Miko could almost hear a whisper, like a distant voice urging him to stand his ground.

The creatures jumped at him.