I felt the flood of his power seep into me as I took the first step on to the metal structure beam, placing one foot in front of the next to avoid tumbling right off the edge and falling 500,000 feet to my death. On either side of me, I could hear screams of others who had fallen from their bridges and the clash of daggers and weapons from those still fighting but I could see nothing through the thick fog that obscured my vision of everything except for about 5 feet in front of my face.
I turned in Kaleigh's direction when I heard a girl scream. Before I could anticipate what was going to occur next, my foot slipped, causing me to lose my balance.
"Abraxis, now would be a good time to start with that power!" I shot out through the bond, panic surging through me as the precipice loomed ominously below. Focus, I reminded myself, trying to stabilize my footing. I had to regain balance, The bond shimmered with his energy, and I concentrated, reaching out with my mind, willing the chaotic surge within me to settle.
I reached through the bond to the spiritual plane, grounding myself as I allowed my thoughts to intertwine with Abraxis'. The connection flowed like electricity, fueling my determination as I steadied my breath. With arms extended for balance, I took one careful step at a time across the metal death bridge, every movement deliberate and aware.
The sound of footsteps thundered toward me, growing louder, reverberating off the metal structure. I didn’t need to see them to know my opponent was coming—an instinctual pull flared within me, urging me to remain vigilant. The air crackled with tension as anticipation surged.
As he appeared in my line of sight, his body coiled like a spring ready to unleash its energy. He was flying fast, confidence radiating from him as he darted towards me, weapon drawn and poised for attack.
I anchored myself further into that spiritual bond, feeling the essence of Abraxis coursing through me, readying every fiber of my being for what was to come. My heart raced, and I visualized the space between us, calculating my options. This wasn’t just a battle of strength;it was also a test of skill.
With his approach swift and merciless, I braced myself, centering my gravity and drawing on the energy that connected me with abraxes. It was time to act. I focused on my opponent, the world around me narrowing into clarity. With a deep breath, I prepared to meet him, ready to blend instinct with the teachings I had embraced. Each step, every ounce of balance, would count.
In that instance, I realized how weak and fragile I really was. My breathing quickened as I attempted to step back, only for my foot to slip and cause me to wobble slightly in my attempt to regain my balance. Panic surged through me, and I caught myself awkwardly, my heart racing as the commotion around me seemed to amplify.
It was no secret that I had been a frail and sickly child. The legacy of a Darksbane came with its own set of burdens, and the one bestowed upon me was particularly heavy. In our bloodline, each heir is granted a demon at birth, an ancient bond that intertwines our fates. But it is the demon who chooses the perfect host, and Arbraxes, the prince of hell, had selected me. With the strength and power imbued in him, my health became the collateral. The energy he brought is intoxicating, a raw force that courses through me, yet it constantly siphoned my vitality as a child causing high fevers and brittle bones.
As I grew, it became evident that the price for such royal lineage was far greater than any common exchange. Where others flourished, I withered, overshadowed by the very power that was meant to enhance my life. my mind would often echo tales of my family's legacy, stories of great assassins who wielded power without hesitation or fear..
When merged, Abraxas held almost complete control over my actions. It was a precarious balance; he led while I watched, a silent observer in my own life. We were meant to function as a unit, to operate seamlessly as teammates—but the reality of our bond was far more complex. In moments of danger, he would surge forward, guiding my limbs with an assertiveness that felt foreign, yet familiar. There were times when I felt empowered by his strength, yet the loss of autonomy always felt so out of place and wrong.
With each encounter, it became clearer that our connection wasn’t rooted in mutual respect but rather in dominance. Abraxas wielded his influence over me like a master over an apprentice, irking my spirit even as I benefited from his might. I longed for true collaboration, for a partnership where both of our wills could intertwine and create something beautiful.
This rift in our relationship colored everything I faced. It made me question every decision, every instinct. As I stood on that metal bridge, the demon pressing against the walls of my mind. It wasn’t merely about defeating the boy in front of me. It was about everything i needed to be. I was a darksbane and that meant i was powerful and to be feared and yet also honored.
I lowered myself onto the metal bridge beneath my feet, grounding myself as I took a deep breath. With each inhale, I let the dark, chaotic energy of Abraxas rush into my veins, awakening something within me that had long been subdued. The rush coursed through me, a bittersweet elixir that ignited my senses my sight and hearing became infinitely better. I could feel every snowflake that seemed to melt instantly as it touched my skin, I could feel my hair begin to change Strands transformed into a brilliant white, save for the blood-red tips that cascaded like flames unlike my normal tone of raven black that almost reflected a blue hue in the sunlight—an unmistakable mark of my bond to Abraxas, a telltale sign of my blood line and our abilities that lay beneath the surface
my gaze locked onto the boy charging toward me. My glaring red eyes shone with an intensity that was not my own; they were eyes that belonged to the demon within me, an unsettling reminder of the fierce power that ran through my veins. The air around us shifted with tension, and I felt Abraxas stir inside me; his essence flickered with playful menace, as if taunting me to take hold of the power he sent bubbling through my veins.
In an instant, Abraxas’ influence twisted our connection, and I could feel his tongue slip between my lips, brushing against them in a teasing caress, in this form it was always him that did the speaking. He was able to make others pause as he commanded the attention of everyone in a room when he started to speak. The sensation made my heart race, a strange blend of strength and vulnerability.
As the boy closed in, I could see the cuff in his ear that marked him, just like Kaleigh's and lukas's. I could almost feel bad if it weren't for my emotions burning deep beneath a layer of Abraxas own steely reserve . It signified his own lineage, his own torment that he had to live with thanks to my parents tyranny, I could sense the determination radiating off him the palpable need to end my life right here on this bridge. The clash of destinies felt imminent, a collision of our paths that had been set in motion long before today. Before i was even born in to this life before either of us had even a sliver of a chance.
as I faced the approaching boy, I made my choice. I would embrace both—my connection to Abraxas and the strength I had nurtured in my own way. With my heart pounding and my body alight with energy, I prepared to confront this new chapter of my journey through fire, blood and shadows.
My tongue flicked over my sharpened teeth, the latent power I had yet to fully embrace. This partial transformation felt like a peek into the darker depths of what I could become, a reflection of the other side that lived within me. I could feel his energy draining my own because of my own stubbornness to not complete this bond sooner.
The boy seemed taken aback for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise, perhaps even fear although I think a big part of myself believed that to be wishful thinking. I reveled in the shift of his demeanor, my head tilting to the side studying every move he made, drawing strength from the power coursing through my veins. I possessed something no one could ever take away or harness for themselves. The power of a demon.
I took a step closer, the air around us thick with tension. This wasn’t just about being an assassin; it was about embracing the shadows instead of running from them embracing who I wanted to be and who I was born to be. The very essence of who I was felt potent, an exhilarating mix of danger and allure. And yet every part of myself screamed at me to run, go the other way. As my body moved without my command and raised a dagger to meet the boy's swords as he swung them at my head. He looked stunned almost as if he didn't expect my frail stature to be able to completely block him but there it was the clang and sparks of his weapon being stilled by the dagger in my hand. The vibration of the halt must have reached his hands as he dropped one of his swords into the abyss below.
“Do you like what you see?” I asked, my voice low, laced with an edge that matched the transformation within me as I grinned at him with sharpened teeth that could rip through his flesh in an instant. He swallowed hard, and for a heartbeat, I could sense his uncertainty. It felt good—powerful—to hold someone’s fascination in my hands.
my focus sharpens on him. The flicker of fear in his eyes fueled the fire within, urging me to explore this unfamiliar territory, to embrace the darkness rather than fear it. I laughed. This was my initiation, after all, though not just into the world of assassins, but into the feelings my father must have felt when he first bonded with Acheron.
Our gaze met for a minute before the boy composed himself and placed a well-aimed kick at my head. Instincts kicked in, and I bent backward just in time sliding back a bit, the swift breeze of his shoelaces brushing against my cheek. A surge of adrenaline coursed through me, igniting the latent power within.
I gripped the bridge beneath my feet, the damp stone cool against my palms as I raised my feet up and landed with perfection one foot in front of the other. The 500,000-foot drop through fog and silence caused my breath to hitch in my throat. Swallowing hard, I rose to my full height as I caught my balance and raised my daggers, the shimmering blades reflecting a sliver of the bright grey light around us.
The boy chuckled, a mocking sound that echoed ominously over the foggy abyss beneath us. "So this is the so-called legacy the great shadow Orin Darksbane and the bitch Nyreah shadow scale left behind? A weak little girl!" He laughed again, the sound grating against my focus. “It’s almost laughable. They made this incredibly easy for me.”
His derision stung, igniting a fire within me. I narrowed my eyes, tightening my grip on the daggers as a rush of defiance surged through my veins. Yes, I was small in stature and I may be frail and easy to break, and perhaps I lacked the experience he assumed would render me helpless, but Abraxas was determined to get us across this bridge and he wouldn't stop until he accomplished it..
“Say what you will about my mother bastard,” I shot back, my voice steady words that spilled forth had been in my mind but it was Abraxes allowing them to glide off our tongue..
As he lunged forward, a smug smirk still plastered on his face, I prepared myself to strike with every ounce of Abraxis’s power coursing through my blood -I would not back down not now not even if the heavens crashed down around us.
I could feel Abraxas joy as he made use of one of his many special abilities, the Dance of a Thousand Blades, and executed a series of kicks, spins, and cartwheels, slicing him in the upper arm, cheeks, wrists, chest, and ribs. “But despite your vile insults, my daddy was a good man! He loved me. It was him who begged my mother for the mercy that saved your sorry soul. My mother would have killed me in an instant if it meant my dad would lose control the way he did to carry out that mission. How ironic it was that my father’s mercy saved you, only to die by the shadow’s daughter.”
With my final move, I landed a strike at his neck careful not to cut him as he was already bleeding enough. I giggled, moving my dagger aside, gripping the collar of his uniform, and holding him over the edge of the crevice. Horror filled his eyes as he shook his head and clawed at my hands “Bye bye,” I whispered, kissing his cheek before sending him tumbling into the fog bank below.
That ability may have just saved my life, but the price... Just as I thought it, I coughed, splattering my hand with a bright red liquid that could only be one thing: blood. My heart raced as I realized the toll it took on me. The energy coursing through my veins was a double-edged sword, and now I felt its bitter bite. I had put everything on the line to gain the upper hand in this, but at what cost? The echoes of my own desperation mingled with the thrill of victory, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had crossed a line I could never uncross.
As I caught my breath and turned to walk the rest of the way, my foot slipped unexpectedly, and I went tumbling over the edge. In a split second, I found myself dangling, catching myself by my fingertips. My heart raced as I stared down into the abyss below, the fog swirling ominously. Panic surged through me mixed with pain from my shoulder that threatened to dislocate, but instinct kicked in. I steadied my breath, searching for a grip, a ledge—anything to pull myself back up. Every second felt like an eternity as I focused on the strength in my hands, determined not to fall.
I felt my hand slide over the smooth ledge of the nine-inch-wide bridge that held me precariously in place, and that's when I felt it—a small rise of uneven metal. It wasn't much, but it was enough! Summoning every ounce of strength I had left I gripped it with my fingers, I swung my leg upward, managing to hook it over the edge of the bridge. With a determined push, I situated myself to find my footing once more. The relief washed over me like a wave as I steadied myself, my heart still racing from the close call. I took a moment to catch my breath, grateful for the small victory, knowing I had to keep moving forward.
The cold stung my skin, while my lungs burned with every ragged breath I took. My legs felt heavy, each step a monumental struggle, and my body screamed at me to stop, to turn back. But I couldn’t. I had to keep going; I had to make it to the other side. I felt Abraxas receding back into the spiritual plane his role in this death trap finished
My foot slipped a bit but I was lucky this time catching myself just in time; there it was, the other side—the doorway to safety—just 15 feet away from where I now stood. My heart raced as I steadied myself, the warmth of hope igniting a flicker of energy deep within. Each step felt like a victory against the elements, anything to get off this beam.
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