Eclipse Requiem

The morning sun barely pierced through the thick canopy of the forest as Kael and Saren continued their journey toward **Veyna.**

The ruined city was a name spoken in hushed whispers, a place long abandoned after the Abyss War centuries ago. Legends claimed the city was cursed, swallowed by darkness, and that no sane person would ever dare to set foot there.

But Kael wasn't just any person.

And if there were answers to be found anywhere, **they would be in Veyna.**

---

### **A Dangerous Journey**

The road was rough, overgrown with twisted roots and thick underbrush. Kael carried Orin on his back, the unconscious warrior's breathing steady but shallow.

Saren walked beside him, her senses sharp. "We've been traveling for hours, and we haven't seen a single soul."

Kael frowned. "That's what worries me."

Saren shot him a look. "You *want* to run into trouble?"

Kael shook his head. "No. But silence like this? It's unnatural."

They pressed forward, moving deeper into the wilderness. The deeper they went, the colder the air became. The trees grew twisted and gnarled, their bark blackened as if scorched by some unknown force.

A shiver ran down Saren's spine. "The air feels… wrong."

Kael didn't respond, but he felt it too. **A presence.** Faint, but undeniable.

They were being watched.

And then—

**A scream shattered the silence.**

Saren and Kael immediately drew their weapons. The sound had come from up ahead.

Without hesitation, Kael **sprinted forward.**

---

### **A Town in Ruins**

They broke through the dense forest, emerging onto the outskirts of **a small, crumbling village.**

It was long abandoned, buildings reduced to skeletal remains of wood and stone. **Yet signs of recent activity were everywhere.**

Burned-out torches. Fresh footprints in the mud. The scent of blood on the air.

Kael scanned the area. "Someone's here."

Saren knelt near the footprints, her eyes narrowing. "These tracks… they're recent."

Then, another sound—**a low growl.**

Kael turned sharply, his grip tightening on his sword.

From the ruins, **figures emerged.**

Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light. Their bodies were covered in tattered cloaks, but beneath them, Kael could see their skin—**gray, lifeless, cracked like dried stone.**

Saren stiffened. "No way… Abyss Wraiths?"

Kael's pulse quickened. **They weren't supposed to exist anymore.**

These creatures were remnants of the Abyss War, twisted souls that had been consumed by darkness, their bodies left to roam the earth as mindless husks.

They should have been wiped out **centuries ago.**

And yet—**here they were.**

One of the wraiths let out a guttural snarl before **lunging forward.**

Kael moved instinctively. **Blade met flesh.**

Or at least—**it should have.**

The moment his sword struck, **the wraith vanished into black smoke.**

Kael's eyes widened. "Illusions?"

Saren cursed. "No—**they're testing us.**"

Then, from the rooftops—**more figures appeared.**

But these ones weren't wraiths.

They were **human.**

---

### **The Abyss Cultists**

They wore dark robes, their faces hidden behind metal masks. Each one carried a weapon—**blades infused with the same dark energy Kael had felt before.**

One of them stepped forward, his voice hollow. "You are not welcome here."

Kael met his gaze. "I don't care. We're passing through."

The cultist tilted his head. "No one passes through Veyna and lives."

Saren sighed. "Why does everyone we meet want to kill us?"

The cultist **raised his hand.** Instantly, the wraiths around them **howled**—their forms twisting, solidifying.

And this time—**they didn't vanish.**

Kael had no time to think. **The fight had already begun.**

---

### **Battle in the Ruins**

The first wraith lunged at Kael. He dodged to the side, slashing his blade clean through its torso. This time, the creature **howled in agony before collapsing into black dust.**

Saren moved in tandem with him, her sword flashing as she cut through two wraiths at once. "They're not illusions anymore!"

Kael gritted his teeth. "Good. That means they can die."

The cultists on the rooftops **began chanting.**

Dark energy gathered in their palms, forming **black fire.**

Kael barely had time to react before the first **blast of Abyssal flames** shot toward him. He raised his sword, the air around him warping as his own abyssal energy **clashed against theirs.**

The impact sent him **skidding back.**

Saren cursed. "They're using Abyss magic!"

Kael steadied himself. He could feel the abyss inside him stir—**calling to him.**

*Use me.*

*Unleash me.*

Kael **shut it out.**

Not yet.

Instead, he **rushed forward.**

He closed the distance between him and the nearest cultist in a blink, his blade flashing upward.

**Steel met flesh.**

The cultist staggered, **blood spraying across the ground.**

But Kael had no time to celebrate. The others **struck back.**

Saren barely dodged a wave of black fire, rolling across the dirt before springing to her feet. "We're outnumbered!"

Kael gritted his teeth. "Then we even the odds."

He **threw out his free hand—**

And the shadows **answered.**

A pulse of abyssal energy **rippled through the air.**

The cultists hesitated. "Impossible…!"

But Kael wasn't done.

His shadow stretched—**twisting, lashing out like living tendrils.**

In an instant, **two of the cultists were yanked off the rooftops, crashing into the ground below.**

Saren's eyes widened. "Kael—"

"I'm fine," he growled.

*For now.*

The cultists, realizing they had underestimated him, quickly **retreated into the ruins.**

The wraiths, now leaderless, **vanished into black mist.**

Kael exhaled, his body trembling. He could feel his control slipping, the abyss still **hungry for more.**

Saren stepped toward him carefully. "Kael… your eyes."

He blinked, and **his vision returned to normal.**

The abyss had almost taken him again.

But he had won.

For now.

---

### **The Path Forward**

Kael and Saren stood in the ruins, their breaths heavy.

The cultists were gone. But their presence **confirmed Kael's suspicions.**

Something was waiting for them in Veyna.

Something ancient.

Something tied to the abyss.

Saren sheathed her sword. "That could've gone worse."

Kael exhaled. "We need to keep moving."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "You sure you're okay?"

Kael didn't answer.

Because he wasn't sure himself.

**The abyss was growing stronger.**

And soon—**he would have to face it.**