The Abyss had changed overnight. Shadows writhed, coiling along walls and floor like living serpents. Seris could feel every ripple, every movement, every pulse of Mason's obsession threading through her. The mark glowed silver-hot, tethering her to him in ways she could neither resist nor escape.
"You cannot escape me," Mason whispered, stepping close. Shadows coiled around him, protective yet possessive, brushing against her with heat and weight that made her shiver. "Every spark of defiance… every heartbeat… belongs to me. And soon… you will crave it."
She tried to focus on the shadows she commanded, twisting them into blades. Another ancient immortal appeared, molten-gold eyes blazing. Seris lunged forward, shadows coiling around her strike, flaring with the tethered obsession Mason threaded into her power.
"You see?" Mason murmured, leaning closer. His shadow brushed her arm, a caress and a shackle at once. "Every act of rebellion, every spark of power… it belongs to me. Every heartbeat… every breath… you are mine."
The Abyss itself responded violently. Shadows reacted, walls shifted, floor rippled. Her attacks became a storm, every strike amplified, deadly, perfect. When the last rival fell, she collapsed, trembling. Mason knelt beside her, brushing a shadow tendril along her cheek. "You are mine," he whispered. "And one day… you will want me. You cannot resist."