Adrian's breath caught as he stood at the edge of the abyss, staring down into the oppressive darkness. His chains snaked out from his back, crackling with dark energy, ready to carry him across the yawning void.

His heart pounded as he took in the distance separating him from the other side. He had no other choice but to go over the abyss and reach the sarcophagus.

Steeling himself, Adrian took a deep breath and leaped into the air.

As soon as his feet left solid ground, he shot two more chains toward the ceiling above, anchoring himself firmly.

The fiery spearheads dug into the stone, and he hung suspended in the void, dangling like a spider from its web. His muscles tensed as the chains held him tightly, the pull of gravity threatening to drag him into the blackness below.

He released two more chains ahead of him, the fiery tips embedding themselves into the rock across the abyss.

Carefully, he let some slack from the chains behind him, allowing himself to swing forward in a slow arc.

His body sailed through the air, and just as he reached the peak of his swing, he shot another pair of chains to catch himself midair, their sharp points digging into the jagged ceiling.

The process was exhausting, each swing requiring precision and strength. His chains were an extension of his will, but the venom still burned through his veins, slowing his reactions.

Each swing took more effort than the last, the muscles in his arms screaming from the strain.

Mid-swing, his mind began to wander to the dangers ahead. The sarcophagus at the other side—was it truly the resting place of the goddess?

If so, why was she locked away in a place like this, a temple dedicated to obsession?

He shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. He couldn't afford distractions. Not here.

Another swing.

This time, as Adrian shot his chains forward to catch himself, something went wrong.

Instead of sinking into the rock, the spearhead struck something hard and metallic—a sound like a bell rang out, and the chains bounced off, useless.

At that moment, he has already released the chain anchoring him from behind.

Adrian's eyes widened in shock as he suddenly found himself free-falling, no longer tethered to anything.

That was when he knew he had fucked up.

For a millisecond, he hung in midair, suspended in the void with nothing to stop his descent.

Then the pull of the abyss took over, and he plunged downward into the darkness.

Adrian's heart raced as he plummeted, the wind rushing past him, cold and sharp. His instincts kicked in, and he shot his chains frantically upward, desperately searching for something—anything—to anchor himself.

But the chains found no purchase.

There was nothing to catch onto, just the endless black.

Panic surged through him as the abyss swallowed him whole. The air around him grew thin, oppressive, and he felt as though the very breath was being sucked from his lungs.

How deep does this go? Adrian thought, trying to calm his mind even as he continued to fall.

The abyss seemed bottomless. His descent stretched on, and the deeper he fell, the more the darkness pressed in on him.

It wasn't just a physical sensation; it was as though the abyss itself was alive, an entity suffocating him, draining his strength.

He could feel his limbs growing heavier, his thoughts slower, as if the abyss was pulling him into itself, erasing him.

A memory flashed in Adrian's mind—something similar had happened in the goddess of Wrath's temple.

That had been an illusion, a trick designed to trap his mind in fear. Could this be the same? He had faced powerful illusions before, but this… this felt too real.

What if it is an illusion? he thought, clinging to that possibility. What if this abyss isn't real at all?

Adrian squeezed his eyes shut, forcing his breathing to slow despite the oppressive sensation around him. He focused inward, remembering how he had dispelled the illusions in the past.

He pictured solid ground beneath his feet, imagined it as clearly as he could. There has to be something here, he told himself. There's always something.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The darkness still pressed in, and he could feel his body hurtling downward. But then… something shifted.

The pressure around him lessened, just slightly, and Adrian dared to open his eyes.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

He was no longer free-falling, but standing on solid ground. Yet, before him stood a figure—pale, translucent, and shimmering like a ghost.

The figure had hollow eyes, its face twisted in sorrow and despair, and it hovered just a few feet away, staring directly at him.

Adrian cursed under his breath, instinctively gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. "What the…?" His voice echoed strangely in the cavern, as if the air itself was distorting his words.

The ghostly figure drifted closer, its form flickering like a candle in the wind. "Why… why have you come?" it whispered in a hollow and distant voice, like a breath carried on a cold breeze.

Adrian took a cautious step back, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer immediately. It simply stared at him with its empty eyes, its head tilting slightly, as if trying to understand him.

Then, with a mournful sigh, it spoke again. "This is the Abyss of Obsession. Those who fall never escape. Why do you seek her?"

Adrian's heart skipped a beat. "The goddess," he muttered under his breath, his suspicions confirmed. He straightened, his gaze hardening. "I seek the imprisoned goddess."

The ghost's form flickered again, its expression shifting, almost as if it recognized something in Adrian's words. "The goddess… imprisoned… cursed… sealed away by those who feared her power."

Adrian's grip on his sword tightened. "Who sealed her away? And why?"

The figure's eyes grew darker, the sorrow deepening in its hollow face. "The gods themselves feared her. Her power… her obsession became her downfall. She was… too dangerous."

Adrian frowned, trying to piece the puzzle together. The Shadow Court had been after the imprisoned goddess, but for what purpose?

Did they seek to control her power, or something more sinister? An

d why was this temple so deeply tied to obsession?

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