Love In The Abyss

chapter 15: Alternate Climax: The Wrath of the Abyss

As Evelyn prepares to say goodbye to Lucien forever, standing on the cliffs above Blackmoor, she feels a sudden, chilling pull from the water below. Before she can react, an immense wave crashes against the rocks, and she’s thrown to the ground. She hears a voice—a voice that’s neither Lucien’s nor Estelle’s but something older, darker, and filled with rage.

“None shall break the pact,” the voice booms, reverberating through the air. “The lovers belong to me.”

In horror, Evelyn realizes that the curse binding Lucien was created by something far more powerful than Estelle. It is the very spirit of the ocean itself—a dark, ancient force that feeds on the souls it claims, unwilling to release those it’s bound in its depths.

As Evelyn scrambles to her feet, a spectral figure rises from the water, a being made of shadows and swirling sea mist, its eyes glinting like cold steel. It’s the Guardian of the Abyss, a creature born of centuries of shipwrecks, drowned hopes, and broken vows, feeding on the despair of those lost at sea.

The Guardian’s voice echoes through Evelyn’s mind, filling her with dread. “If you would break my curse, then you must offer something in return. Only a life can restore what I have taken.”

Knowing the ocean will demand a sacrifice, Evelyn is torn between her own life and Lucien’s. But before she can speak, Lucien appears beside her, his expression resolute.

“No,” Lucien says, stepping forward. “This ends now.” He looks at Evelyn with a fierce, undying love. “I will not let you give your life for me. I’ve lived in darkness too long. Let me be the one to set you free.”

Desperate, Evelyn clings to him, but Lucien gently releases her hands, his eyes filled with sorrow and peace. He turns toward the Guardian, prepared to offer himself. Just as he steps forward, Evelyn cries out, reaching for him one last time.

“Lucien, wait!” She suddenly recalls a spell she discovered, a hidden incantation meant to bind forces older than life itself. With the locket Lucien left her clenched tightly in her hand, she chants the spell, her voice strong and unwavering, invoking a power she barely understands.

As her words fill the air, the Guardian roars, writhing in agony as it struggles against her spell. The ocean churns violently, its waves towering, yet slowly, the spirit begins to weaken, its form dissipating, unraveling back into the water from which it came.

In a final surge of power, Evelyn’s spell binds the Guardian, breaking the curse once and for all. The waters fall still, the ancient presence receding into the depths, its anger silenced. Lucien, free at last, looks at Evelyn in wonder, their hands joined.

The cost of the spell has taken its toll, leaving Evelyn drained and barely able to stand. Lucien holds her close, a look of relief and gratitude in his eyes, knowing he’s finally free—but at a price he had never expected her to pay.

As dawn breaks, they stand on the cliffside, the first light casting a warm glow over the sea that has claimed so many. Together, they gaze into the horizon, finally released from the shadows of the abyss, their love bound not by darkness, but by light.