The Abyss was alive. Not in the way that mortals imagined life, with gentle rhythms or breathing air, but with a presence so ancient, so aware, that it felt like a predator circling its prey. Shadows wriggled along the walls, liquid and black, flickering like flames in response to Seris's every heartbeat. The mark burned hotter than ever against her collarbone, a silver thread coiled deep within her flesh, tethering her to Mason in ways she couldn't escape, and increasingly, ways she did not want to.
She could feel him before she saw him. The pull of his presence was impossible to ignore—silver eyes threading into her mind, obsessions weaving tendrils into the very core of her being. The Abyss itself seemed to recognize the tether, amplifying every surge of power, every flicker of defiance.
"You cannot escape it, Seris," Mason's voice whispered, silk and steel intertwined. "Every heartbeat, every spark of independence… it threads you closer to me. You feel it, don't you?"
Her chest heaved, shadows coiling around her fingers as she tried to fight the pull, though the heat of the mark made resistance nearly impossible. "I am not yours," she whispered, her voice trembling with both fear and defiance. She could summon the shadows, could wield the darkness like a blade, but even as her power surged, Mason's obsession pressed closer, threading through every thought, every heartbeat.
"Already," he corrected softly, silver eyes like molten ice. "You already are. And even when you resist… every act of defiance strengthens the bond. Every spark of rebellion… only feeds my obsession. Do you feel it? The craving? The pull? You cannot fight it, Seris. You will not."
Before she could respond, the Abyss shifted violently. From the black depths of the corridor, twisted forms emerged, emissaries of rival gods she hadn't seen in years—or perhaps centuries. Their eyes glowed molten gold, bodies wrapped in dark energy, and every step they took caused the shadows to recoil in terror.
Her pulse spiked. She had faced immortals before, but this time felt different. Every strike she planned, every shadow she summoned, was amplified by Mason's obsessive presence, threading his power into hers without overtaking it. It was intoxicating. Dangerous. And terrifying.
"You will let me guide you," Mason murmured from behind her, his voice threading into her mind. "Not to control… but to protect. To bind. To make this work. Because if you falter, Seris… the Abyss will not hesitate. And neither will I."
A sudden screech tore through the corridors as one of the rival immortals lunged, eyes molten and burning with ancient hatred. Seris's shadows sprang to life, wrapping around the intruder like serpents, striking and coiling, blades of darkness slicing through their flesh. Mason moved beside her without touching, his presence a storm of obsession, amplifying, guiding, tethering.
"You see?" he whispered, voice a dangerous caress in her mind. "You are unstoppable with me, Seris. You are alive. Powerful. Beautifully dangerous. And mine. Every heartbeat, every spark of defiance, every shadow you summon… belongs to me."
Her hands shook, shadows writhing as they obeyed her will while simultaneously bending toward his. She felt both exhilaration and fear, a dizzying cocktail of power and helplessness. She hated him. She feared him. And yet, even as the words left her lips, she realized she wanted him—every tether, every obsession, every consuming thread that connected them.
Another immortal emerged, faster, stronger, and this one carried the aura of ancient divinity. Seris struck first, her shadows slashing, whipping, piercing—but Mason's presence amplified her, pushing her strikes to deadly perfection. The immortal screamed, staggering under the combined force of her defiance and Mason's obsessive tethering.
"You are mine," he whispered again, silver eyes pressing into her soul like molten fire. "And every moment you resist… only strengthens my desire. Only strengthens the bond. Every heartbeat… every breath… belongs to me. You are mine, Seris. Already. And you will crave it. I promise you that."
The Abyss reacted violently to their combined power, walls twisting, shadows writhing like living creatures, coiling around the pair protectively, yet threateningly to any who dared come close. Seris's chest heaved as she summoned the final wave of her energy, a burst of dark light infused with Mason's obsessive tether. The immortal screeched, body disintegrating into shadow before it could reach them.
When the last of the enemies fell, Seris sank to the floor, trembling. The Abyss pulsed softly around them, alive and aware, as if acknowledging the bond that had been forged in fire, obsession, and darkness. Mason knelt beside her, silver eyes softening for a fleeting moment—just enough to make her shiver, but still sharp with possessive intensity.
"You are mine," he murmured, brushing a tendril of shadow through her hair, lingering at the nape of her neck. "Every spark of defiance, every act of power… belongs to me. And one day… you will crave it. You will want it. And you will not be able to deny it."
Seris pressed her hands to the mark, trembling violently. Heat radiated through her, coiling into fire and shadow. Fear, desire, exhilaration—it all twisted together inside her, suffocating and intoxicating. She hated him. She feared him. And yet… she wanted him.
The Abyss itself seemed to breathe around them, alive and sentient, as if acknowledging their bond. Shadows curled protectively, yet eagerly, around Mason and Seris, recognizing the power, the obsession, and the dangerous, consuming love that tethered them.
She realized fully, with a shiver of terror and thrill, that she was no longer just surviving. She was awakening. And Mason's obsession was inescapable, threading through her soul, her power, and the Abyss itself. Resistance was futile. Desire was inevitable. And the chains that bound them both were as infinite and eternal as the darkness surrounding them.