Page 21 of The Curse Between Us

Dull pain radiated from the center of Edric’s body, spreading outwards through his limbs like a wildfire. His head throbbed with each pulse, and his muscles ached in protest as he tried to push himself upright. His hands scrabbled uselessly against the jagged ground, seeking purchase on the hard rock beneath him. A sharp slice of pain shot through his palm as his hand brushed against a particularly jagged piece of stone, and he hissed in reaction, quickly drawing back. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to steady himself. The stench of dust and earth filled his nostrils, but it was the silence that made his heart race.

Opening his eyes, Edric managed to rise to his feet, his legs shaky as they struggled to support his weight. His vision was blurry at first, and the surrounding darkness was oppressive. He squinted, trying to make out any shapes in the blackness that enveloped him. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he realized just how deep they had fallen into the heart of the mountain. The vast cavern stretched out before him, a yawning abyss that seemed to go on forever. The air was thick, stagnant with the weight of ages.

"Zephyr?" Edric called, his voice hoarse from the shock of the fall and the heavy air. As the word left his lips, he immediately regretted it. It was foolish to announce his presence so boldly. What if something—someone—was listening?

There was no answer.

The echo of his own voice reverberated around the cavern, swallowed by the oppressive dark. Edric felt a tightness in his chest. He remembered the look of shock on Zephyr’s face as the ledge had crumbled beneath them, the panic in his eyes as they plummeted downward. The last thing Edric had heard before the fall was Zephyr shouting his name, then the sudden jolt that had knocked the wind out of him. They had been so close, both of them, just moments before the ground gave way beneath their feet.

His chest tightened as a new thought gripped him. What if Zephyr had been injured in the fall? What if he couldn’t respond? Panic crawled up his spine, but Edric fought to push it down. He needed to stay focused.

“Zephyr?” he called again, softer this time, trying not to betray the worry in his voice.

Still no response.

Edric cursed under his breath and shook his head, frustration welling inside him. Without wasting any more time, he shrugged off his cloak and let it fall to the ground where he had landed, leaving it in an open spot for Zephyr to find if he came this way. The cloak, though unhelpful in any other way, could serve as a beacon in the vast, featureless darkness.

Somewhere in the distance, Edric could hear the faint, rhythmic sound of water dripping. The steady plink echoed through the cavern, its repetition amplified by the towering stone walls around him. With nothing else to guide him, Edric decided to follow the sound, hoping it might lead him to some source of light, or at the very least, give him some sense of direction.

He moved cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate as he navigated the rough terrain. The ground was uneven and treacherous, jagged rocks protruding from the earth at odd angles. He kept his right hand resting on his belt, reassuring himself with the presence of his sword, which had thankfully remained secured despite the fall. His fingers brushed the hilt, feeling the cool metal beneath his fingers, and it offered him a small measure of comfort in the otherwise suffocating gloom.

Every few feet, Edric stopped to scan his surroundings, his eyes darting back and forth, searching for any sign of Zephyr. His heart raced in his chest, and he could not shake the growing sense of unease that seemed to seep into the very air. The deeper he went, the stronger the scent of ashes and something far darker—anger, perhaps—grew. It was faint at first, like the distant residue of a fire that had long since burned out, but with every step, the smell became more pronounced, more unsettling.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Edric finally found the source of the dripping sound. A twisted column of rock jutted from the ground, reaching high into the darkness above. Water ran down its length in a thin but continuous trickle, falling onto the ground below with the same steady rhythm Edric had heard earlier. It was cold to the touch, icy even, and Edric reached out instinctively to catch a drop on his palm. He let it linger there for a moment before pulling his hand back.

It was cold—unnaturally cold—but there was nothing special about it. Nothing extraordinary. Just water.

“Well,” Edric muttered to himself with a wry smile, “if I am trapped down here, at least I’ll have something to drink.”

He sighed heavily, then turned his attention back to the path ahead. If he were in a more logical state of mind, he might have considered staying here, conserving his energy. But the thought of Zephyr—alone and possibly injured somewhere in this hellish place—kept him moving. Even though he had no idea where he was going, or how he might escape, he couldn’t bear the thought of not trying.

The ground began to slope downward in front of him, the path growing steeper as he continued onward. Edric shuddered as he imagined just how deep this cave system might stretch, how much farther he could descend into the earth. The thought of being so far from the surface, with so much rock between him and the world above, made him feel claustrophobic. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he was a child, when he used to worry about being buried alive.

Taking a deep breath, Edric tried to calm himself. He closed his eyes briefly, holding the breath for several seconds before releasing it slowly, willing his panic to subside. It helped, just a little, but the tension still gnawed at him. When he opened his eyes again, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him.

There was a faint glimmer of light in the distance—a small pinprick of brightness, as if the darkness were beginning to yield. The hope it offered was both a relief and a warning.

With a steadying breath, Edric began moving toward it, forcing himself to maintain a slow and cautious pace. He didn’t know whether the light was a sign of salvation or another trap set by whatever dark forces lurked beneath the mountain. But the thought of Zephyr—of finding him—was too strong a pull to ignore.

The light grew brighter as he drew closer, a flickering white glow that illuminated the otherwise pitch-black cavern. The ground became rougher here, with small stones and chunks of rock scattered across the path. Edric’s attempts to move quietly were thwarted by the crunch of debris beneath his boots, and he winced with each sound, though no immediate danger presented itself.

Minutes later, he reached the source of the light—a smaller cavern to his left, an arching spire of rock forming an oddly regular doorway. Within it, a shaft of light descended from above, spilling down into the darkness like a spotlight. Edric hesitated at the threshold, unsure whether to enter. His instincts screamed at him to wait, to consider the risks. But before he could fully think through the situation, he stepped forward.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, a high, metallic shriek echoed around him, sharp and jagged. Edric’s hands flew to his ears in an attempt to block out the sound, but it only grew louder, more discordant. The noise rattled his teeth, and his heart raced in response, panic rising in his chest. He couldn’t think, couldn’t act, could only react on instinct.

Without hesitation, he spun on his heel and bolted back into the darkness, his pulse roaring in his ears. He ran deeper into the cave, desperate to escape the unbearable sound. Just as abruptly as it had started, the noise ceased, leaving a hollow, eerie silence in its wake. Edric’s breathing was ragged, his body trembling with adrenaline and shock.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, his mind reeling. This place was steeped in Abyss’s presence. It was clear now—this was no accident. Edric and Zephyr had been brought here for a reason, and that reason was to face whatever horrors Abyss had in store for them.

Despite his shaking hands, Edric drew his sword, the weight of it grounding him as he prepared himself for whatever might come next. The echo of footsteps in the distance caught his attention, drawing him out of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively moved into a defensive position, his sword ready.

The footsteps grew closer, then paused, and the stillness of the cave stretched out between them. Edric’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword as he waited. He held his breath, listening intently.

The footsteps resumed, and Edric stepped out from the shadows, ready to face the threat, whatever it was. But as the figure stepped into the light, Edric froze.

“Zephyr?” he whispered, not trusting his own eyes.

In the spill of light from above, Zephyr stood before him, his hair disheveled, a thin cut on his cheek, but otherwise perfectly unharmed. The shock of seeing him, alive and standing, made Edric’s heart leap in his chest. Zephyr’s gaze was steady, though there was no greeting in his eyes. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken questions and the weight of the journey they had yet to finish.

Edric moved instinctively, arms outstretched, as if to embrace him, to make sure this was real. “Zephyr?” he asked again, his voice thick with emotion. “Are you hurt? I’ve been looking for you.”

At that, a smile broke across Zephyr’s face, but it was not the smile Edric knew, the one that had always held warmth and a certain mischievousness. This smile was sharp, cold, ancient, and full of barely-contained malice. It was a smile that sent an icy shiver down Edric’s spine, a feeling that settled deep into the pit of his stomach, twisting it into something dark and uncertain.

“How fitting,” the voice said, and it was Zephyr’s voice—but something was wrong, something terrifyingly wrong. “I’ve been looking for you too.”

Edric stopped abruptly, a chill washing over him. The voice, though familiar, had twisted into something Edric could not place, something not quite Zephyr. He swallowed hard, trying to shake the feeling of dread creeping up his spine. He forced himself to speak, to sound calm, even though his heart was pounding in his chest. “Zephyr?” he asked again, but the word felt foreign in his mouth, as if it had no meaning anymore.

Slowly, Zephyr—or the thing inhabiting his body—shook his head, the motion disturbingly similar to Zephyr’s own but lacking the familiar warmth. “No,” it said. “Only the semblance of him. It is an honor to meet you, King Edric. My name is Abyss.”

The words hit Edric like a punch to the gut. His breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t comprehend it. His mind screamed that this couldn’t be real, that this couldn’t be happening. “What have you done to him?” Edric demanded, his voice sharp, though his hands trembled.

For a moment, there was a cruel, disinterested pause, as if Abyss was considering whether to humor him. Then it spoke with a casualness that only made Edric’s blood run colder. “He is alive,” Abyss said with a shrug, as if the truth was insignificant. “I am, by my very nature, formless. But in the world above, there is much more that can be accomplished with a body.” Abyss extended one hand—Zephyr’s hand, that large, capable palm turned upward for inspection—and shrugged again, almost as if it were a trinket being shown off. “He felt no pain when I took possession of him, if that is your concern.”

Edric’s jaw clenched, his gaze narrowing, though his voice remained taut with control. “My concern,” he said, his words bitter, “is far greater than that.”

Abyss tilted its head, a gesture so Zephyr-like that Edric’s heart skipped a beat. The malice behind the movement was palpable, like a cruel imitation of the one he had come to love. “You humans think you are so bold,” Abyss said, voice dripping with mockery. “What else is your concern, little king? Your crown?” Abyss’s laugh echoed in the cavern, dark and hollow. “Your land only exists because of me. Me, and Plenty.”

Edric’s brows furrowed as his mind raced. He had to stay focused. He had to outwit this entity if he had any hope of saving Zephyr, of freeing him from Abyss’s clutches. Drawing in a deep breath, Edric’s voice came out steady, challenging. “Perhaps. But as you may be aware, new lands now exist. Because of Zephyr and I.”

Abyss’s grin faltered for a split second, the faint scent of ashes suddenly thickening in the air. The malevolent force radiating from it intensified. “Yes,” it snarled, low and filled with distaste. “I am aware. You have woken me with your union, and from deep in my prison, I have observed you, biding my time. Waiting for an opportunity like this.” Abyss’s hand stroked down Zephyr’s side, the motion grotesque and unnatural, and Edric had to fight the urge to step forward and rip the thing’s hand away. “I could only reach you in whispers, in acts I could control through the earth. I knew it would not be long before you came to seek me yourself, foolish as you mortals are.”

The mocking tone, the complete lack of empathy in Abyss’s voice, made Edric’s stomach churn. He wanted to do something—anything—to break this creature’s hold on Zephyr, but each move he considered seemed fraught with danger. Abyss had already shown its power, and Edric was no fool. If he rushed in without a plan, Zephyr would pay the price.

“And then what?” Edric asked, his voice tight. “You have the body you wanted. But you are still trapped here.”

The smile that stretched across Abyss’s face was terrifying. It was far too pleased with itself. “You think you can trick me into telling you that, oh, perhaps there is a tunnel that will lead you back to the surface?” Abyss waved a finger in the air, scolding, like a parent reprimanding a child. “Not so fast, little king. First, I must deal with you.”

Edric felt a cold chill race down his spine. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” Abyss took a step closer, folding its hands behind its back as it began to circle Edric, examining him like a predator considering its prey. “I have three enemies in this world, King Edric. One, I am currently in control of.” It gestured loosely to Zephyr’s body, an almost casual motion that made Edric’s chest tighten with fury. “One, my greatest enemy, I must still locate. And then you.”

“Why didn’t you simply kill me?” Edric demanded, his voice rising in challenge. He couldn’t let Abyss see how terrified he was—he had to keep it talking. There had to be a way out of this. “Why torment me this way?”

Abyss cocked its head to the side, as if considering the question. “Is it a torment?” it asked with mock curiosity. “How interesting. Yes, I suppose it would be difficult, seeing your lover’s face but hearing my words emerge from these lips.” Abyss paused, its gaze shifting as it thought, then added, “If you would prefer, I could take possession of you, and kill him instead?”

Edric’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. He couldn’t bear the thought. His hands trembled as his mind raced. “No!” he exclaimed before he could stop himself, stepping forward as though to protect Zephyr from this unthinkable choice. “Don’t. Please.”

Abyss shrugged indifferently. “It truly does not matter to me. It was easier for me to locate Zephyr once I had you both down here, as I had already spoken to him before. But even that was a matter of convenience more than anything else.” It raised its finger, as if imparting a nugget of knowledge. “Your people were wise enough to never make a path that led to my mountain. It kept you safe from me, for a time.”

Edric’s thoughts were racing. He had heard bits and pieces about the ancient entities—the balance between Plenty and Abyss—but he hadn’t fully understood the extent of their influence, their power, until now. The reason the lands had been divided between the two forces, the reason there was peace at all, was because of their constant struggle. Abyss and Plenty were two sides of the same coin, unable to exist without the other.

“Until our marriage threatened to unite our lands again,” Edric murmured softly. The pieces clicked together, and now he understood the full weight of the prophecy and the forces that had been set in motion by their union. “The war between Rafria and Eskarven was what kept the peace between Plenty and Abyss, and when it ended, so too did their uneasy truce.”

Abyss smiled again, a sinister, knowing grin. “But you cannot defeat Plenty,” Edric continued, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “One without the other cannot exist. The world, all of being, would be ended with your demise.”

“And so?” Abyss lifted one dark eyebrow, clearly unbothered by the weight of Edric’s words. “I will gladly go to my end if it means I will take Plenty with me.” Abyss laughed, bitter and low. “It is possible. But Plenty would not do so, for it loves itself too much. Ending is against its very nature. So it imprisoned me, thereby keeping itself alive, if that is the correct word for what we are.”

Edric swallowed hard, his thoughts spinning. If there was a way to defeat Abyss without destroying the balance, without bringing everything to an end, he had to find it. But it seemed impossible. The two entities were bound together in a way that made their fates inextricably linked.

Unfortunately, Abyss had grown tired of their conversation. It took a step closer, its hands closing into fists at its sides, and Edric could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. “You begin to bore me, little king. I believe it is time I removed you from the field.”

Edric’s hand instinctively flew to the dagger at his waist, but he hesitated. Any injury he inflicted would be on Zephyr, not Abyss. The creature’s smile only widened at Edric’s hesitation, as if it knew exactly what was running through his mind.

It came closer, forcing Edric to take a step back until his back was pressed against the cold, unforgiving stone of the cavern wall.

“Edric,” Abyss whispered, and Edric’s breath caught in his throat. His heart raced, and for a moment, he could barely think. It wasn’t Zephyr’s voice, but it was so close to it, so hauntingly familiar.

He forced himself to try again, though his voice was shaky. “Zephyr. Can you hear me?”

Abyss shook its head slowly, the smile on Zephyr's face stretching wider, sharper, as it looked down at Edric. “A valiant effort, but in vain,” it said, the voice dripping with mocking sweetness. “He can hear you, yes. He can see you, and he will see the light dim from your eyes. But there is nothing he can do to stop it.”

Edric, gritting his teeth, ignored Abyss’s taunts. His heart was hammering, and every instinct told him to act. “Zephyr,” he called, his voice raw with desperation, “I know you can hear me. Please, love, you can fight this.”

Abyss snarled then, a vicious, animalistic sound that sent a shiver down Edric's spine. "Stop this!" it growled, its voice suddenly low and full of venom. Like a striking serpent, it lashed out with its hands, wrapping them tightly around Edric's throat and cutting off his words with a cruel force. The pressure on his windpipe was immediate and suffocating. “You will be lost to the darkness, King Edric, and your glorious destiny will die with you.”

Gasping, Edric clawed at the hands around his neck, his body already growing weaker with each passing second. His vision blurred, spots dancing in his eyes as he struggled to breathe. “Zephyr,” he gasped, barely able to manage the word, his voice choking with the effort. “Stop.”

For a brief moment, a flicker of recognition seemed to pass through Zephyr’s eyes. There was a shift, subtle but undeniable, as though a curtain had been drawn back. The warmth, the life he had known in Zephyr's gaze—the intelligence and the spark that was unmistakably his—was there, just for an instant. The change was so brief, so fleeting, but it was enough. Edric could feel it, like a lifeline pulling him back from the edge.

With that glimmer of hope, Edric managed to gather what little strength he had left, pushing against Abyss’s hold, his breath a harsh, desperate rasp. “You are a warrior as much as a king,” Edric gasped, his voice cracking. “Fight this!”

The hands at his throat loosened just slightly, just enough for Edric to take a shuddering breath, the air cold and painful as it filled his lungs.

“Edric?” It was Zephyr's voice—Zephyr’s voice. It wasn’t distorted, not this time. It was weak, filled with exhaustion and pain, but it was undeniably him.

Edric’s heart surged with relief, but it was quickly replaced with a sharp, agonizing worry. He could hear the struggle in Zephyr’s voice—the battle within himself. “I cannot... it is so strong,” Zephyr whispered, his face drawn, the lines of struggle carved deep into his features.

“You can,” Edric said fiercely, his voice low but resolute. “You already are.”

Zephyr shook his head slowly, his eyes clenched shut, as if he were physically fighting against something invisible. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again, his voice strained with pain, and his eyes went dark and shuttered once more, a cold emptiness replacing the brief flicker of life.

“No—!” Edric’s protest was lost in his throat as the hands around his neck tightened again, cutting off any hope that had started to bloom.

The pressure was crushing. Edric could feel himself growing weaker, the edges of his vision darkening with the lack of oxygen. His chest was tight, his body trembling from the effort of resisting the suffocating grip. The world felt distant, like the ground was moving farther away. And yet, the flicker of life in Zephyr’s eyes lingered in his mind, the memory of it like a beacon in the fog of despair.

A dark shadow passed over Zephyr’s face, and Edric could see the coldness return, the presence of Abyss seizing control once more. It was like the creature was settling in again, reclaiming its territory. A sickening sense of dread filled Edric as the hands around his throat tightened even further, crushing his resolve and hope alike.

But then, something shifted in Edric’s mind—a spark, a sudden idea borne of desperation and the dark abyss of his own weakening strength. He didn’t have much time. There had to be something, some way to use the power that surged through him, to use it to his advantage.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Edric allowed himself to surrender to the feeling of gravity pulling him back, pushing him into the rough stone wall behind him. His hands wrapped around Abyss’s wrists with all the remaining strength he could muster, and for the first time, he felt the strange vulnerability of it—like a sudden rush of cold air meeting the warmth of his skin. The bones beneath Abyss’s skin felt fragile, almost brittle in his grip, but still, it didn’t hurt. That was strange.

He wasn’t holding Zephyr. No, he was holding Abyss.

Abyss hissed, and the faint scent of ashes in the air grew stronger, clinging to the cavern like a foul presence. Edric’s hands were burning from the pressure as the inky substance started to crawl up his arms. The black tendrils that had been spreading from Abyss’s wrists began to reach into his own veins, winding through his blood like poison. Edric shivered violently as it crawled up his arms, but he didn’t let go. This was it—the only chance he had. He imagined pulling Abyss out, like drawing poison from a wound, and he could feel it—it was the key.

Abyss hissed again, louder this time, its rage flaring like a beast cornered. And yet, something else stirred within it: fear. Edric could feel it in the tremor that went through Abyss's form. He smiled grimly. Yes, it feared him. And that fear would be its undoing.

His grip tightened, and with all the remaining energy in his body, Edric pulled. The tendrils of blackness thickened, running up his arms, crawling under his skin, pulling on his body like they wanted to drag him down into the abyss itself. His entire body shook from the force of it, the sensation both searing and freezing all at once.

“Are you with me, Zephyr?” Edric asked, his voice barely a whisper, but loud enough for Abyss to hear. The words were an act of defiance, of belief that he could still reach him.

A shudder ran through the dark figure of Zephyr’s body, and then, a voice that was unmistakably Zephyr’s but laced with a raw, determined power broke through the clouded barrier of Abyss’s influence. “I am with you.”

A surge of warmth broke through the freezing cold in Edric’s chest. He held on, even as the black tendrils grew thicker, tightening their grip on his veins. Zephyr’s voice rang in his ears, an anchor in the storm of chaos.

The light returned to Zephyr’s eyes, burning fiercely as they turned to meet Edric’s gaze. Zephyr’s hands, still caught in Abyss’s grip, twisted in Edric’s hold. The black tendrils seemed to retreat just slightly, but Edric knew they weren’t done. Not yet.

“Do not take too much of it,” Zephyr said urgently, his voice a strained whisper through clenched teeth. “We must strike the correct balance, so we can both share its presence equally.”

Edric nodded, his body shaking as his hands gripped Zephyr’s wrists with everything he had left. “Tell me when to let go.”

Zephyr grimaced, his face contorting in pain. “Soon. I can feel it, coiled in my mind, its claws dug deep. But it is losing ground.” His eyes opened again, and this time the light within them was fierce, unyielding. “Now, Edric!”

With all the force he could gather, Edric released Zephyr’s wrists, collapsing back against the wall in exhaustion. The last remnants of the black tendrils retreated into his body, slipping under his sleeves, and though the energy drained from him, it felt like a victory.

Zephyr’s eyes were still shining with life as he took a long, deep breath. Edric reached a shaking hand up to his brow, wiping the sweat that had gathered there as his heart slowed.

“I can hear it inside me,” Edric said softly, his voice ragged. The sound was faint, but still there—the distant sound of screams, gnashing teeth, and wordless, frustrated babbling. The distant sound of Abyss's fury still rang in Edric's ears, but now it was nothing more than a dull thrum, a distant murmur in the back of his mind. Zephyr's presence beside him was a solid comfort, though both of them felt the lingering pressure of Abyss’s essence. It was contained, for now, but the weight of it pressed down on them, filling the space with an unsettling heaviness.

“Do you still hear it?” Edric asked.

Zephyr nodded slowly, his eyes distant, still shadowed with the remnants of Abyss’s grasp, but also something else—determination. “Yes. But not so loud as before.” He exhaled slowly, the breath shaky, as if the effort of holding onto control had nearly been too much. He took a step toward Edric, his legs still unsteady, and the flicker of exhaustion caught in his features. “I believe I can keep it caged, for now.”

But his legs gave way beneath him, and Edric reacted instinctively, reaching out to steady him. Together, they slumped to the floor, too tired to care for anything but the fact that they were alive. Edric tilted his head back, resting it on the cool rock, letting the relief flood through him in waves. The danger wasn’t over, but for the moment, it felt like they had somehow won a battle.

Zephyr settled beside him, close but not touching. The quiet space between them felt like a comfort, an unspoken understanding that neither needed to bridge just yet. Then, Edric felt it—a faint pressure on the back of his hand. Zephyr’s touch, light but there. It hurt, just slightly, but not nearly as much as he might have expected after the strain they’d both endured.

“How did you know?” Zephyr’s voice was quiet, tinged with the rawness of the struggle they had just survived. It wasn’t a question of blame; it was a genuine inquiry, a search for understanding.

Edric rolled his head to the side, offering him a rueful smile, his lips curved in exhaustion and weariness. He had done something reckless, something that had nearly cost them both. But it had worked. "I didn’t," he admitted, the weight of his decision catching up with him as he spoke. “I only knew I couldn’t let you go without a fight.”

Zephyr let out a shaky laugh, the sound tentative but genuine, and despite the grimness of their situation, it was the most comforting thing Edric had heard in a long while. "Thank you," Zephyr whispered, his eyes still heavy with the remnants of their shared struggle. Even in the dim light, his face looked so much like himself, though tinged with exhaustion. The shadow that had loomed over his features before had finally gone, replaced with something softer, more human.

“As much as I hate to ask—" Zephyr’s voice was hesitant but steady. "Now what?"

Edric sighed deeply, the effort of the last several moments draining him of his remaining strength. He tilted his head to the side, letting it rest on Zephyr’s shoulder. It was the simplest of comforts, and it felt like everything he needed in that moment. The touch was warm, familiar, and it grounded him, even as the uncertainty of what came next weighed heavily on both of them. After a few moments, he felt a careful hand thread through his hair, brushing the tips of his damp strands with a tenderness that took his breath away.

“Give me a moment,” Edric murmured, his voice low and raw. He let himself lean into Zephyr’s touch, the soft comfort of it a balm to his troubled mind. “And then we can see about finding a way out of here.”

Zephyr’s hand stilled for a second, the faintest hesitation, and Edric could feel the weight of his thoughts behind that pause. Then Zephyr nudged him lightly with his shoulder, a soft jostle to bring Edric back to the present. “As a matter of fact, I do have the solution to that most immediate of our problems.”

Edric raised his head slowly, frowning at him in mild confusion. “You do?”

Zephyr smiled then, a small but triumphant thing, as though the very fact of it gave him strength. It was a smile full of hope, and it gave Edric a glimmer of something more than exhaustion. “Yes,” Zephyr said, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Abyss was boasting about the tunnel out of here. I saw it in my mind as it spoke of it.” He gestured back through the archway, pointing toward the main section of the cavern. “The way out is further down, not up. We journey under the mountains and emerge at the base of the waterfall.”

Edric’s frown deepened, but the thought of escape sent a surge of relief through him, if only for a moment. “Likely, that is how it was able to damage it,” Zephyr added, his face tightening at the thought. Edric’s heart squeezed at the implication, and instinctively, he leaned against Zephyr, offering him the silent comfort that they both needed.

“If it could do all that just from here—” Edric trailed off, his mind swirling with the possibilities. His gaze met Zephyr’s, and in that brief, silent exchange, they both understood the weight of the question.

“Do we dare bring it out into the world, even contained within us?” Edric finally asked, the uncertainty gnawing at him. The thought of stepping out of this dark abyss with Abyss still lingering between them was a dangerous proposition.

Zephyr’s expression softened with resolve, the same strength Edric had come to rely on shining through. “We must,” Zephyr replied, his voice steady, unwavering. “We must find Plenty. That is the only thing Abyss wants, the constant pattern of its thoughts. Whether they defeat one another, or one is imprisoned again, we have to bring those circumstances about. That is our role in all of this.”

The mention of Plenty made a shiver run through Edric. He felt the presence of Abyss within him, restless and unwilling to stay dormant for long. The thought of standing between two such immensely powerful forces was a chilling one, and yet, there was no escaping it now. They had already set things into motion, whether they were ready or not.

Edric swallowed, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what was at stake. His hand found Zephyr’s again, their fingers intertwining without thought, the comfort of that simple connection a lifeline.

It was their destiny to unite what once was sundered. And no matter how terrifying that idea had become, Edric could not run from it.

With a weary groan, Edric climbed carefully to his feet, his body protesting the movement, but his determination stronger than the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. He reached down, offering his hand to Zephyr. With a faint wince, Zephyr took it, and Edric helped him up, his own body shuddering with the effort. A flash of pain ran through him—sharp and brief—but it was bearable, strangely manageable, as if the presence of Abyss inside him was somehow cushioning the blow.

“Come on, then,” Edric said, his voice hoarse but resolute. He helped Zephyr steady himself, his grip firm. “We have a prophecy to fulfill.”