Chapter 37 · Echoes of the Abyss

"Get away from me!" Selena screamed, her voice cracking as she scrambled back across the obsidian floor.

Cane didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just stood there, the Void swirling around his ankles like hungry oil, his eyes two pits of absolute nothingness. The shadows behind him weren't just shapes—they were teeth, claws, and the distorted faces of every nightmare he’d devoured since the altar.

"Why?" he asked. The word wasn't a question; it was a vibration that rattled the bones in her chest. "You’re shaking, Selena. Is this the part where the Holy Maiden prays for mercy?"

"I'm not praying for mercy, I'm telling you to stop!" She pressed her back against a jagged spire of void-rock. The white silk of her gown was already stained with soot, clinging to her trembling frame. "You're losing it. Look at yourself! You're not even human anymore."

Cane let out a short, sharp laugh that sounded like glass breaking. He took a step forward, the distance between them shrinking with a predatory slowness. "Human? You’re the one who reminded me I wasn't human when you pushed me into the pit. You did a great job, by the way. Really thorough.