The Abyss itself groaned and shifted, walls twisting in impossible angles, floors rippling like water as if the darkness were alive, aware of Mason's obsession threading through Seris. Shadows writhed around them, coiling protectively and aggressively, bending to her will yet simultaneously responding to Mason's tether. Every heartbeat of Seris sent ripples across the black expanse, resonating with molten energy. The silver mark burned, molten-hot, threading power, desire, and fear into her soul.
"You feel it, don't you?" Mason's voice was a low caress, threading into her mind like silk wrapped in iron. His silver eyes glimmered, molten and storm-dark. "Every spark of rebellion, every heartbeat… belongs to me. You cannot escape it. You already crave it."
Her chest tightened. Shadows flared violently from her hands, coiling into whips and blades, each movement amplified by Mason's obsessive presence. She hated him. She feared him. And yet, she could not deny the pull threading through her, the suffocating, intoxicating tether he had forged.
From the depths of the Abyss, a colossal figure emerged, older than time itself. Its molten-gold eyes blazed with hatred and rage that had festered for millennia. Shadows twisted around its limbs, coiling like serpents, while its body pulsed with dark energy that warped the very space around it.
Seris lunged forward, shadows erupting in whips and blades, striking with lethal precision. Mason appeared beside her, shadows intertwining with hers, threading obsessive energy into every strike, amplifying her strength while allowing her control.
"You see?" Mason whispered, brushing a tendril of shadow across her arm. The sensation was both intimate and constraining, a caress and a shackle. "Every act of defiance, every heartbeat, every breath… threads you closer to me. You are mine, Seris. One day… you will crave it completely."
The immortal roared, hurling molten-gold energy that twisted the Abyss violently. Shadows reacted, striking at the god while protecting Seris, coiling around her and Mason like sentient chains. Every heartbeat threaded with Mason's obsession, coiling tighter, threading her power, fear, and desire into a storm she could not resist.
Finally, the immortal fell, collapsing into molten-gold flames and shards of shadow. Seris sank to her knees, trembling, chest heaving from exertion, exhilaration, and the unbearable heat of the mark. Mason knelt beside her, shadows brushing her hairline and neck in intimate, possessive strokes.
"You are mine," he whispered, voice threading into her mind like molten silk. "Even your defiance strengthens the bond. Every spark of independence… every act of rebellion… belongs to me. One day… you will crave it. You cannot resist, Seris."
The Abyss pulsed violently, alive with acknowledgment. Desire had rooted itself where fear had once resided. The chains tightened, coiling around her mind, heart, and soul. Mason leaned closer, eyes molten, storm-dark, daring her to resist, daring her to surrender completely.