The Abyss was no longer just a place; it was a living, breathing entity, aware of every heartbeat, every flicker of power, every whisper of thought. Shadows curled along the jagged walls, twisting like serpents that could feel, smell, and anticipate danger. They clung to Seris's every movement as she stepped through the black corridors, every step resonating like a drumbeat with the tether that Mason had forged into her soul.
The silver mark on her collarbone burned with a heat that threatened to consume her, threading obsession, desire, and power together in a way she could neither resist nor escape. Mason's presence pressed at the edges of her mind, storm-dark and molten, coiling around her thoughts with an intensity that made her pulse thunder.
"You cannot escape me," Mason whispered, his voice a combination of silk and steel, threading into her mind, curling around her fears and desires alike. "Every heartbeat, every spark of defiance… belongs to me. You feel it, don't you, Seris? You will crave it. You already do."
Her chest constricted. She hated him. She feared him. And yet, as shadows coiled around her fingers, twisting into blades of living darkness, she realized she already was his. His obsession had threaded into her every motion, amplifying her power while suffocating her independence.
Before she could steady herself, a shiver ran through the Abyss. From the black depths emerged a new threat: an immortal older than time itself. Its molten-gold eyes radiated hatred that had persisted for centuries, its body wrapped in black energy that twisted and coiled like living fire. The very air seemed to ripple with its presence.
Seris lunged, shadows flaring, coiling violently around the immortal as her goddess-blood power erupted. Mason appeared beside her almost silently, shadows intertwining with hers, threading his obsessive energy into every strike without overtaking her control.
"You see?" he murmured, brushing a tendril of shadow across her arm, a caress and a shackle at once. "Every spark of defiance, every heartbeat of resistance… threads you closer. Every strike… every thought… every breath… you are mine, Seris. And one day, you will understand what it is to crave me."
The immortal roared, hurling a storm of dark energy, yet her attacks, amplified by Mason's obsessive presence, cut through its defenses like wildfire. The Abyss itself reacted violently, walls pulsing, floors rippling, shadows striking with both precision and hunger. Each heartbeat threaded with Mason's obsession, coiling tightly around her, threading power, fear, and desire into a storm that left her gasping for air.
Her breaths came ragged as she struck again and again, every strike a mixture of defiance, power, and tethered obsession. The Abyss roared around them, alive with recognition, responding to the intensity of their bond. Shadows curled protectively around Mason and Seris while striking mercilessly at their enemies.
Finally, when the immortal fell in a cascade of molten-gold energy and darkness, Seris collapsed to her knees, trembling from exhaustion and the overwhelming heat of the mark. Mason knelt beside her, shadow tendrils brushing along her hairline and neck in intimate, possessive strokes.
"You are mine," he whispered, silver eyes molten and storm-dark. "Even your defiance strengthens the bond. Every act of independence… every flicker of rebellion… belongs to me. One day, you will crave it. You will want me. You cannot resist, Seris."
Her hands pressed to the mark, coiling heat threading through her veins like molten silver, igniting her goddess-blood power further. Shadows wrapped protectively yet hungrily around her, reacting to her awakening energy and Mason's obsessive tether.
The Abyss pulsed violently, alive with acknowledgment, twisting around them both. Resistance was futile. Desire was inevitable. The chains of obsession tightened, coiling around her heart, mind, and soul. Mason leaned closer, silver eyes storm-dark, molten with possessive intensity, as if daring her to resist, daring her to surrender completely.
Her awakening had begun—not just to her goddess-blood powers, but to the suffocating, intoxicating bond that tethered her utterly to Mason. The Abyss seemed to lean closer, breathing with them, alive with anticipation for the next surge of power, the next escalation of obsession and dark des