Nightborn Evolution

The tunnels stretched endlessly before them, but Kairo and Lena moved with urgency. The encounter with the Abyssborn had left an unsettling chill in the air. Whatever that thing was, it recognized Kairo's power—and it didn't fear him.

Lena walked beside him, her grip tight on her blade. "That thing could've killed us, but it didn't."

Kairo nodded. "It was testing me."

Lena glanced at him. "And?"

Kairo's jaw tightened. "And I don't think we've seen the last of it."

His system had remained silent, but he could feel something lingering in the back of his mind—a presence, watching.

Then, the system chimed.

[Abyssborn Data Analyzed.]

[New Information Unlocked.]

Kairo paused. "That was fast."

Lena frowned. "What does it say?"

He checked the details.

[Abyssborn: Corrupted Nightborn who have fallen into the abyss of void energy. Their bodies become unstable, existing between dimensions. Unlike the Forsaken, they retain intelligence—but their minds are fractured, bound to the will of something greater.]

Kairo's grip tightened. "They're not just mindless monsters."

Lena exhaled. "Great. Smart monsters are always worse."

Kairo didn't argue. If the Abyssborn weren't acting on their own, then something else was pulling the strings.

Something deeper in the abyss.

They kept moving, following the tunnel until they reached a massive doorway. The metal was rusted, covered in ancient symbols that pulsed faintly.

Lena ran a hand over the markings. "This… isn't human."

Kairo agreed. The symbols felt wrong, like they weren't meant to be understood.

His system flickered again.

[Unknown Relic Detected.]

[Warning: Possible Dimensional Disturbance.]

Kairo exhaled. "Of course. Because normal underground ruins weren't enough."

Lena smirked. "We could turn back."

Kairo gave her a look.

She sighed. "Yeah, I figured."

Together, they pushed open the door.

Beyond it was a vast chamber—walls lined with dark metal, the floor covered in cracked stone. But what stood at the center of the room stole Kairo's breath.

A monolithic structure pulsed with void energy. Black veins ran along its surface, shifting and moving as if alive. The air hummed with unnatural power.

Lena took a step back. "Kairo… I don't like this."

His system activated.

[Void Relic Identified: The Abyssal Core.]

[Status: Dormant… for now.]

Kairo's heart pounded. This wasn't just some random artifact.

This was a gate.

A doorway to something far worse.

Kairo approached the core, feeling its energy resonate with his own. He could feel the pull—the temptation.

Lena's voice was sharp. "Kairo, don't."

He hesitated. The system was silent, waiting for his next move.

If he touched it, he might gain knowledge, power—but at what cost?

If he left it alone, they might never understand what the Abyssborn were planning.

His fingers hovered over the surface. The energy pulsed, reacting to his presence.

And then—

The room shook.

The core flared with light, and a deep, inhuman voice whispered through the chamber.

"You cannot resist the call forever."

Kairo yanked his hand back, heart hammering.

The core's light faded, but the whisper remained in his mind.

Lena grabbed his arm. "We need to go. Now."

Kairo took one last look at the Abyssal Core before nodding.

They turned and ran.

As they made their way back through the tunnels, Kairo's system updated.

[New Objective: Investigate the Abyssal Core.]

[Threat Level: Unknown.]

Lena glanced at him. "You gonna tell me what that thing said?"

Kairo exhaled. "It knows me."

Lena didn't respond, but the tension in her shoulders said enough.

They had uncovered something dangerous—something ancient.

And now, it was watching him.

The Abyss wasn't done with him yet.