Sovereign of The Abyss

Chapter 4

Miko stood in the middle of the red wasteland, his chest heaving as the monstrous creatures closed in. His legs were trembling, his hands clammy as he gripped the pendant around his neck like a lifeline. His thoughts were a mess, swirling in chaos.

“What do I do? What should I do? Think, Miko, think!” he muttered under his breath, taking shaky steps backward. His eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but the creatures were everywhere. The guttural growls grew louder, closer, each sound cutting into his nerves like a blade.

Miko’s pendant grew hotter on his neck, almost burning. “This thing… what are you supposed to do?!” he hissed as he took it off, holding it up and glaring at it like it would answer him.

The creatures lunged.

“No!” Miko shouted, shutting his eyes.

A blinding blue light exploded from the pendant, so intense that it forced his eyes open again. The light shot outward like a wave, slamming into the creatures with a deafening roar. The creatures were obliterated on the spot, their forms disintegrating into ash.

Miko’s jaw dropped. “What… just happened?”

Before he could catch his breath, the light turned inward, focusing on one remaining wraith that had barely survived the blast. The creature let out a bone-chilling shriek as the light from the pendant pulled something red and glowing from its chest.

The orb of red light shot into the pendant, which vibrated in Miko’s hand before going still.

He staggered back, his heart racing. “Did it just… take something?”

The ground trembled as more creatures emerged from the mist, their numbers multiplying.

“No, no, no, this isn’t happening!” Miko muttered, panic rising. He took a step back and nearly tripped over a broken sword buried in the sand. Desperately, he picked it up. “A sword? What am I supposed to do with a broken sword against… that?!”

He held the sword firmly, letting out some magic energy as he steadied his grip. His Ash element began to manifest a new form. It slowly covered the broken blade in his grip.

“What is this? My ash seems.. different,” he whispered. The ash shimmered faintly, and he felt an odd pull in his chest. Without thinking, he swung the blade.

The nearest creature lunged at him, its claws glowing with mana, but the ash-coated sword cut through it like it was paper. The creature’s body fell apart mid-air, its glow extinguished.

Miko stared at the sword, stunned. “I… I just cut through mana?” He looked at the ash coating the blade, realization dawning on him. “Is this my ash? Is this my element?”

More creatures charged, and Miko gritted his teeth. “Okay, okay, focus. Just swing. Swing like your life depends on—”

Before he could finish,

“Blurghhh!!!” He vomited blood.

“W-what’s happening? Why am I feeling so dizzy?” Miko said as blood gushed out rigorously from his mouth and eyes.

“Wa-was it that move with the mana cutting thing just now?” He asked himself.

“It seems like I was too optimistic, the price to pay for cutting through magic, is my life?”

“Bummer. Seems like that isn’t a skill i can make use of as I wish,” he said as his weak failed him.

He crashed to the floor.

Suddenly, another creature dived out from nowhere and with his sharp reflex, he tried to block but a fireball formed and exploded the head of the wraith.

Miko staggered backwards.

“F-f-fire element?” Miko questioned.

”How did I end up with a fire element?”

“According to lessons from school, You are stuck with the elements you awaken for life. Then how did I?”

“This is insane,” he muttered, staring at the destroyed creatures around him. “Double element and my ash… it’s not just some weak element like everyone says. It can now cut through magic? I need to—”

His thoughts were interrupted as the pendant glowed again. This time, the blue light engulfed him completely.

“What now?” Miko shouted, stumbling as the world around him twisted and blurred.

When the light faded, he found himself in a strange space. It was a void, endless and quiet, with floating orbs of light surrounding him. He looked down and saw the pendant glowing faintly against his chest.

“Where am I now?” he asked aloud, his voice echoing. He clutched the pendant. “What are you? What did you do back there?”

As if in response, one of the orbs floated closer. It showed an image—a burning creature, its body covered in flames. Miko stared at it, his eyes narrowing.

“This… this is the creature from before,” he murmured.

“Speaking of creatures, when I look closer, this seems to be an eidolon wraith, part of the millions of wraiths that occupies the abyss,” Miko said as he took a closer look. “I would’ve known more about this if my bullies allowed me to attend classes.”

“All I can remember is that Eidolon wraiths are the incarnation of evil but I never heard anything about an Eidolon wraith that could use elements. Wasn’t it on fire?”

The orb dissolved, and the pendant grew warm. “Wait, are you telling me you… absorbed its element? Fire?”

His mind raced as he pieced it together. “The wraith was using a fire element, but I thought wraiths didn’t have elements. They’re just mindless monsters, right?”

“That’s because it wasn’t a normal wraith,” a deep voice said behind him, pulling him back to reality.

Miko froze. Slowly, he turned to see a figure sitting casually on a jagged rock formation. The man—or creature—had the body of a human but dark, leathery skin and piercing red eyes. Wisps of wind curled around him, and his aura was overwhelming, and suffocating.

“You… you’re a wraith?” Miko stammered, gripping the sword tightly.

The humanoid wraith chuckled, the sound low and unsettling. “Close enough. You just killed my brother, by the way. Took you less than a second.”

Miko blinked, shocked. “Your… brother?”

The wraith nodded. “Yeah. He wasn’t much, but he was family. And you killed him..” he paused, taking a look around.

“No, you’re too weak to kill him,” the humanoid wraith said.

Miko bristled. “I’m not weak!”

The wraith smirked. “Oh? Then why can’t I sense any real strength from you?”

And suddenly, he burst into laughter.

”I get it, you must be one of those spoiled brats the academy sends into the Abyss for special training. Let me guess—your master is hiding somewhere, waiting to step in and save you again?”

Miko’s mouth opened, then closed. He didn’t know how to respond.

The wraith’s gaze swept the area. “Your master must be strong. If he could kill my brother in an instant then he could easily handle someone like me.”

“What master is he talking about?” Miko screamed in his thoughts.

“That means I’m wasting my time with you,” the wraith continued.

“There’s no master! The pendant killed your brother, but it’s best not to tell you that,” Miko swallowed as he fought to stand upright under the immense pressure that the wraith’s presence exuded.”

The wraith stood, the pressure from his presence making Miko’s knees buckle.

“Today’s your lucky day, kid. You get to live.” The wraith turned and leapt into the air, disappearing into the red mist.

Miko collapsed to the ground, his body shaking. The sheer weight of the wraith’s aura had been overwhelming.

“That… that was insane,” he muttered, clutching the pendant. “What even was that? How did I survive?”

He stared at the pendant, its glow faint but steady. His mind raced with questions, but one thing was clear.

“I’m inside the Abyss,” he whispered. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. “I’m actually inside the Abyss.”

The desolate landscape around him suddenly felt even more dangerous. But as he looked at the ash-covered sword in his hand, a small flicker of hope sparked within him.

“I have this new equipped Ash elemental skill.. and I have this pendant,” he said, gripping it tightly. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to survive. I hav—“