The Abyss whispered. It had become a living extension of Seris's heartbeat, stretching, pulsing, and curling around her as if it, too, craved Mason's obsession as much as he did. Shadows writhed along the walls, whispering in voices older than memory, calling her name in cadence with her fear and desire. Every step she took resonated through the black corridors, echoing against the walls of stone like a drumbeat that matched the rhythm of her tethered heartbeat.
Mason's presence came first as sensation before form, brushing against the edges of her mind like a storm gathering on the horizon. He had not touched her yet, but she could feel the obsession coiling around her like fire and ice at once. His silver eyes appeared in the darkness, molten and storm-dark, threaded with desire that was impossible to resist.
"You feel it, don't you?" His voice was silk and steel, threading into her mind and curling around her thoughts. "The pull of me, the tether that cannot be undone… every spark of defiance, every act of will, only threads you closer. You cannot fight it, Seris. And I know you crave it."
Her chest tightened, the heat from the mark flaring, flooding her veins with fire. "I am not yours," she whispered, but her voice trembled under the weight of both fear and an undeniable thrill.
"You are already mine," Mason replied, stepping closer. Shadows coiled around him protectively, yet possessively, merging and twisting with hers in a dangerous ballet. "Even now, with every heartbeat of resistance, every spark of independence… you belong to me. And soon, you will understand what it is to want me as desperately as I want you."
Before she could answer, a ripple in the Abyss announced the arrival of another immortal—a rival god of ancient lineage. Its presence warped the shadows, creating jagged spikes that lashed at her, their molten-gold eyes blazing hatred. Seris's pulse spiked, but she did not hesitate. Shadows coiled, twisted, and struck, guided by Mason's obsessive presence. He did not control her—but every movement was intensified, every strike threaded with the magnetic pull of his desire.
"You are unstoppable," Mason whispered, stepping closer, his shadow brushing against her skin like a caress. "Every act of rebellion, every flicker of power… it belongs to me. Every heartbeat… every thought… you are mine. And you will crave it."
Her shadows twisted violently, striking the rival god with precision, ripping apart energy that had existed since time immemorial. The Abyss shuddered under the power of their combined presence, alive with recognition of the bond that tied them together—obsession, defiance, power, and desire all intertwined in a web as inescapable as it was intoxicating.
When the last rival fell, Seris collapsed to the floor, trembling from exertion and the heat of Mason's tethered obsession. He knelt beside her, silver eyes glinting, the intensity of his gaze suffocating yet thrilling. "You are mine," he whispered, brushing a shadowed tendril along her cheek, lingering at the nape of her neck. "Even your resistance… feeds my desire. Every spark of defiance only strengthens the bond. And eventually… you will want it. You will want me."
She pressed her hands to the mark, gasping as waves of heat and tethered obsession radiated through her. Fear, exhilaration, and desire twisted together in a dizzying storm. She hated him. She feared him. And yet… in some dark, hidden corner of herself, she wanted him.
The Abyss itself seemed alive with acknowledgment, shadows curling protectively yet possessively around them, recognizing the obsessive bond that had been forged in darkness and fire.