Eighty-Two

The ground underneath Clara and Ethan part wide open, but rather than being gulped by the abyss, they were tossed over the collapsing chamber. The darkness around them turned and surged, but Ethan's light burned brightly, pushing back against the infringing shadows. Clara landed hard, her vision obscuring for a minute as she battled to recapture her balance. When she looked up, her blood ran cold.

The entity that had developed from the smashed monolith stood at the center of the destruction, its shape towering and ill defined, a moving mass of darkness with gleaming eyes that punctured through the despair. It exuded a pernicious power, the air around it vibrating with the drive of its nearness. This was the source of the abyss, the ultimate adversary they had to destroy.

Ethan staggered to his feet, his golden light flickering as he faced the entity. "We end this now," he said, his voice filled with grim determination. He glanced at Clara, and despite the terror of the moment, there w