The Abyss had changed. It no longer merely swallowed sound and shadow—it watched. The walls pulsed with a subtle heartbeat, a rhythm that matched Seris's own, yet also seemed to echo Mason's obsession threading through her mark. Every shadow flickered as she stepped forward, slithering along the jagged stone floor as if alive.
Her chest burned—not from exertion alone, but from the tether that connected her to Mason. The mark on her collarbone, faintly glowing silver, throbbed in tandem with her pulse, reminding her with every heartbeat that resistance was futile. She could try to defy him, try to act on her own, but every surge of her power was already entwined with his presence, obsessive and possessive.
"You cannot hide from me," Mason whispered, voice threading into her mind with silk and steel. "Every heartbeat, every thought, every shadow you summon… belongs to me. Even your defiance only strengthens the bond."
"I… I am not yours," Seris hissed, struggling to maintain her autonomy. Shadows coiled around her arms, responding to her commands, yet bending subtly toward Mason's influence. The Abyss itself seemed aware of this, reacting violently to the tension threading through the air.
"You already are," he countered softly, stepping out from the darkness. His silver eyes glimmered like molten ice, a storm contained in a human form. Shadows clung to him, coiling protectively and possessively. "Every spark of defiance, every heartbeat of resistance… strengthens the tether. You are mine, Seris. Already, fully. And you will crave it."
The first challenge arrived before she could respond. From the depths of the Abyss, twisted forms of rival immortals emerged. Their eyes glowed molten gold, hatred older than centuries burning through them. Seris didn't hesitate. Shadows twisted around her fingers, whipping forward like serpents, slashing and piercing with deadly precision. Mason's presence flared, amplifying her power, threading obsessive intent into her strikes while allowing her to remain in control.
"You see?" he murmured, leaning close. Shadows wrapped around her body protectively yet possessively, the heat of his obsession pressing into her skin. "You are unstoppable with me. You are alive. Dangerous. Beautiful. And mine. Every act of power… every flicker of defiance… belongs to me."
She wanted to recoil. She hated him. She feared him. And yet, the intensity of his tether, the heat of the mark, the way his presence amplified her own power… she felt something darker than fear stir inside her. Something that thrilled, that tempted, that excited. She could not resist.
Another immortal charged from the shadows, faster, stronger, wielding energy older than any she had faced. Seris struck first, her shadows slicing through the Abyss with precision. Mason's presence intensified, threading obsession into her every move. The immortal screamed, staggered, and disintegrated into shadow before reaching them.
The battle left the Abyss trembling. Seris sank to her knees, exhausted, trembling from exertion and the overwhelming heat of the mark. Mason knelt beside her, brushing a shadowy tendril through her hair. "You are mine," he whispered, low and intimate. "Every heartbeat, every spark of defiance… all of it is mine. And one day… you will crave it. You will want it."
Her chest heaved, trembling, and she pressed her hands to the mark. The heat coiled like fire, threading through her veins. Fear, exhilaration, and desire collided violently, leaving her gasping. She hated him. She feared him. And yet… she wanted him.
The Abyss itself seemed to sigh around them, alive, recognizing the bond forged in obsession, power, and dark desire. Seris realized fully, for the first time, that she was awakening—not just to her powers, but to the inescapable tether that bound her to Mason.
No longer could she resist. No longer could she escape. She was his. And she would learn to crave it.