Lucian's sword trembled in his grip.
Ash stood before him, eyes clouded, body rigid with unnatural tension. The black veins pulsed along their neck, a physical manifestation of the Abyss's hold on them.
"Ash," Lucian said, voice tight. "Fight this."
Ash's dagger flashed in the firelight.
"I can't," they whispered.
Then they attacked.
A Battle Between Friends
Lucian barely had time to block before Ash's blade sliced toward his ribs. The force of the strike sent him staggering back.
They were stronger than before.
Faster.
Lucian gritted his teeth. This wasn't the Ash he knew. This was Nyx's doing.
Selene, still weakened, struggled to stand, her fire flickering around her fingertips.
"Ash, please!" she called. "You don't have to do this!"
Ash hesitated—just for a second.
But Nyx's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Enough."
Ash's body tensed. Their eyes darkened.
And then—
They moved.
Lucian met them head-on, blocking, dodging, trying to disarm, not kill. But Ash wasn't holding back.
Dagger flashing. Feet moving in deadly precision.
Lucian had trained with them for years. He knew their style.
But now?
Now, it was like fighting a shadow of himself.
And he was losing.
Selene's Fire Awakens
Selene couldn't watch anymore.
Her heart ached at the sight of Lucian struggling.
Her hands clenched into fists, and deep inside, the fire that had weakened since their escape from the Abyss fought to rise.
She needed more power.
She needed strength.
Nyx saw it—the struggle, the desperation—and she smiled.
"You feel it, don't you?" she murmured. "The fire fading?"
Selene ignored her.
Instead, she reached deep inside herself—to the very core of her power.
And for the first time in days, she felt something shift.
It wasn't just fire.
It was light.
Pure. Untainted.
Something that didn't belong to the Abyss.
Something stronger.
With a cry, Selene threw out her hands—
And a blazing wave of golden fire erupted from her body.
It crashed against the Forsaken like a storm, sending them reeling.
Even Nyx took a step back, her silver eyes narrowing.
Lucian seized the moment.
He ducked under Ash's next strike, knocking the dagger from their hands.
Then—swift as a flash—he twisted behind them, wrapping his arms around their chest in a desperate hold.
"Ash!" he gasped. "I won't lose you!"
Ash struggled, breath ragged, the darkness inside them still pulling—
But Selene's fire, bright and untamed, washed over them.
Ash cried out, the black veins cracking, burning away.
And then—
They collapsed.
Lucian held them, chest heaving, as Ash's body went limp in his arms.
Selene staggered, her flames flickering, exhaustion taking its toll.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Nyx laughed.
Nyx's Final Warning
"You think you've won?" she said softly.
Lucian looked up, rage simmering in his eyes. "Leave. Now."
Nyx tilted her head, amusement flickering in her gaze. "Oh, brother… this was never about winning or losing."
She lifted her hand.
The Forsaken—those still standing—stopped.
Then, with a single gesture, she called them back into the shadows.
Lucian didn't trust it.
Neither did Selene.
"Why?" Selene demanded. "Why call them off now?"
Nyx met Lucian's gaze.
"Because I already have what I came for."
Lucian's blood ran cold.
Nyx smiled.
And vanished.
A Terrible Realization
Lucian turned to Selene, his heart pounding.
"What did she mean?" he asked.
Selene shook her head, still catching her breath. "I don't—"
Then her eyes widened.
Lucian followed her gaze—
And saw what was missing.
Ash was still there, unconscious but alive.
The Forsaken were gone.
But something far worse had been taken.
A distant roar echoed in the night.
Lucian felt it in his soul.
Because Nyx had stolen something more dangerous than an army.
She had stolen the Heart of the Abyss.
And with it—
She had ensured that Lucian's choice was no longer his to make.
End of Chapter Sixty-Two