The forest had gone completely silent.
No wind.
No insects.
No movement.
It felt as if the world itself had stopped breathing.
Arata stared at the dark rift floating between the trees. The pale hand gripping its edge slowly tightened as something on the other side forced its way closer to their world.
Ren's voice broke the silence.
"…Tell me that thing isn't actually coming through."
Lyra didn't answer.
Her golden threads of energy were already forming around her fingers, glowing brighter than before.
"Prepare yourselves," she said quietly. "That energy… it's far beyond normal cursed creatures."
Arata could feel it too.
The pressure coming from the rift was suffocating.
It felt ancient.
Hungry.
And worst of all—
It felt **aware**.
Inside the darkness beyond the rift, the glowing eye slowly focused on Arata.
"…so it's true."
The voice that followed sounded distorted, like several voices speaking at once.
"The vessel exists."
Ren stepped forward, frost gathering around his arm.
"I don't know what you are," he said coldly, "but you're not stepping into this world."
The creature laughed softly.
A chilling sound.
"Little human…"
"…you cannot stop something that belongs to the Abyss."
Then the hand pulled harder.
The rift widened.
Reality cracked like broken glass.
And suddenly—
The creature's upper body forced itself through.
It was tall… far taller than a human.
Its body looked almost humanoid, but twisted and elongated. Dark smoke constantly leaked from its skin, and its bones glowed faintly beneath the surface like burning coal.
But the most disturbing thing was its face.
Or rather—
The **lack of one**.
Only a single glowing eye floated in the center of its head.
Lyra whispered under her breath.
"…Abyssal Warden."
Ren frowned.
"You know what that is?"
Lyra nodded slowly.
"My clan's records mention them. Guardians of the Abyss gates."
Ren's expression hardened.
"So basically… a boss monster."
The Abyssal Warden tilted its head.
"I heard that."
Then it moved.
In a single instant—
It vanished.
Ren barely reacted in time.
"Frost Barrier!"
A wall of ice erupted in front of him.
The Warden's claw smashed into it—
**BOOM.**
The entire barrier shattered like glass.
Ren was thrown backward across the ground.
"Damn it!"
Lyra immediately raised her hand.
"Light Bind!"
Golden chains exploded outward, wrapping around the creature's torso and arms.
For a moment—
It actually worked.
The Warden stopped moving.
Ren wiped blood from his lip and stood up again.
"Nice timing."
Lyra's voice was tense.
"…It won't hold long."
Arata stepped forward.
His eyes never left the creature.
Something about its presence felt strangely familiar.
The Abyssal Warden slowly turned its glowing eye toward him.
"…so this is the one."
Its voice became quieter.
Almost curious.
"You carry the scent of the ancient prisoner."
Arata's chest tightened.
Inside his mind, the Ancient Entity's voice echoed again.
*Do not let it fully emerge.*
*If it crosses the gate… the balance will break.*
Arata clenched his fist.
"Ren."
Ren glanced at him.
"…Yeah?"
"We need to push it back through the rift."
Ren stared at the creature.
Then smirked slightly.
"That sounds incredibly dangerous."
Arata nodded.
"It is."
Lyra tightened the glowing chains.
"I'll restrain it as long as I can."
The Warden suddenly chuckled.
"You believe you can stop me?"
Its muscles flexed.
The golden chains began to crack.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"…Now!"
Ren slammed both hands against the ground.
"**Frozen Domain – Absolute Zero!**"
Ice exploded outward across the forest floor.
The temperature dropped instantly.
The Warden's legs froze solid, locking it in place.
Arata took a deep breath.
His palm began glowing with that familiar golden-black light.
The energy inside him surged violently.
"Resonance…"
The ground trembled beneath his feet.
"…Third Pulse."
The air began vibrating.
The Warden turned its eye toward him again.
"…interesting."
Arata's voice became steady.
"…Break."
The shockwave exploded forward.
The force slammed directly into the Abyssal Warden's chest.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
Then the creature's body was blasted backward toward the rift.
But just before it crossed the threshold—
The Warden grabbed the edge of the gate again.
Its eye burned brighter.
"…impressive, vessel."
Its claw extended toward Arata.
The space between them distorted.
Arata suddenly felt his body freeze.
He couldn't move.
The creature leaned closer from the rift.
"But this meeting ends here."
Its voice became darker.
"We will meet again."
The Abyssal Warden released the gate.
The rift began collapsing.
But before it vanished completely—
The creature spoke one final sentence.
"Tell the ancient prisoner…"
"…the Abyss remembers."
Then the gate snapped shut.
The forest returned to silence.
Ren exhaled heavily.
"…Okay."
He sat down on the ground.
"That was definitely not a normal mission."
Lyra looked at Arata.
"That creature recognized you."
Arata didn't answer.
Because he was still hearing the whisper inside his mind.
The Ancient Entity spoke quietly.
*The Abyss has noticed you now.*
*And that changes everything.*
---
### Far Away – The Abyss
Deep inside an endless dark realm…
The Abyssal Warden landed on the black stone floor.
A massive shadow sat upon a distant throne.
The creature bowed its head.
"I have seen the vessel."
The shadow leaned forward slightly.
"…and?"
The Warden's eye glowed.
"He is awakening."
The shadow smiled.
A terrifying smile.
"Good."
"Then the war… can finally begin."
⚡ To be continued…