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Into the Abyss

Into the Abyss

The planet’s eerie glow cast long shadows on the rocky terrain, the sharp edges of the alien landscape illuminated by the strange blue light that seemed to pulse from the ground. Lyra stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest, as she met the intense gaze of the being before her. Thalor—if that was even his real name—didn’t move, his glowing eyes fixed on her like a predator studying its prey.

Lyra swallowed, her throat dry. “Brought here by fate?” She kept her voice steady, despite the way her pulse quickened. “I’m not exactly a believer in destiny.”

Thalor’s expression remained unreadable, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Belief is irrelevant. The forces that guide this world operate beyond your understanding.”

Lyra shifted her stance, gripping the plasma torch at her side. She had survived the crash, the alien wilderness, and now stood face-to-face with a creature straight out of a nightmare—yet, her mind refused to surrender to fear. She had to stay focused, analytical. Survival depended on it.

“You said I shouldn’t be here,” Lyra said, narrowing her eyes. “But here I am. And my crew… I need to find them.”

Thalor’s gaze softened, just a fraction. “Your crew is lost. Scattered, if they live at all.”

The words hit her like a physical blow, knocking the breath from her lungs. She clenched her jaw, refusing to let the panic show. “How do you know that?”

“I felt their arrival,” he said, his voice distant, as if recalling something far away. “This planet… it does not welcome intruders.”

Lyra took a step forward, her body instinctively leaning into the pull she felt from him, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. “Are you saying the planet is alive? That it’s… doing this?”

Thalor tilted his head, regarding her with an almost imperceptible interest. “Not alive in the way you understand life. But it is… aware.”

An unsettling chill ran down Lyra’s spine, but she pressed on. “Then why are you here?”

A flicker of something passed through Thalor’s eyes—an emotion she couldn’t quite place. “I am bound to this world, as you now are.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes. His cryptic responses were starting to wear thin. “I didn’t ask for this,” she snapped, the exhaustion and fear finally catching up with her. “I was on a mission. My ship crashed. I didn’t ask to be stranded on some… cursed planet with a—” she gestured at him, “—glowing alien.”

For a moment, Thalor said nothing, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. Then, to her surprise, he spoke with a trace of amusement. “And yet, here you stand, human. Your will is… impressive.”

The compliment caught her off guard, but she wasn’t about to be swayed. “Enough with the cryptic answers. If I’m bound to this planet, what does that mean for me? How do I get off?”

Thalor’s expression darkened, the faint amusement vanishing. “Escape is not possible. Not in the way you wish.”

Lyra clenched her fists. “So I’m just supposed to accept that? To live here and die on this rock?”

A faint breeze stirred the air around them, the blue flora shifting slightly with the movement. Thalor’s gaze never wavered, and for the first time, Lyra sensed something behind those glowing eyes—something ancient, something burdened by time and knowledge beyond her comprehension.

“You misunderstand,” Thalor said quietly, his voice low, almost regretful. “The forces that brought you here will not allow you to leave. You were chosen, as was I. We are bound.”

“Bound?” The word echoed in her mind, laced with dread. “What are you talking about?”

Thalor stepped closer, his presence overwhelming as he towered over her. The energy between them crackled, an unseen force drawing her toward him, though she fought against it. “You feel it, do you not?” he said softly. “The pull. The connection.”

Lyra’s breath caught in her throat. She did feel it—a strange, unexplainable pull, as if something deep within her recognized him. But she couldn’t admit it, not yet. Not when everything around her was screaming that this was impossible.

“You’re wrong,” she said, her voice shaking only slightly. “I don’t feel anything.”

Thalor’s eyes gleamed with something akin to sadness. “You will. In time.”

He turned away from her, his long strides carrying him effortlessly over the jagged rocks. Lyra watched him, torn between fear and curiosity. Every rational part of her screamed to go back to the ship, to try and find some way to signal for help. But the logical part of her—the one that had gotten her this far—knew it was pointless. The ship’s communications had been obliterated in the crash. There was no help coming.

And Thalor, as infuriating as he was, seemed to be her only chance at survival.

Reluctantly, she followed him.


The path was treacherous, and every step threatened to send her tumbling over the edge of the rocky cliffs that rose around them. The glowing plants lit their way, but the eerie light only made the landscape feel more alien, more hostile. Lyra kept her gaze fixed on Thalor’s back, his graceful movements in stark contrast to the terrain.

He moved like he was part of the planet itself, completely in tune with the strange rhythm that pulsed beneath the surface. Lyra stumbled more than once, cursing under her breath as she struggled to keep up.

“You walk like you are fighting the earth beneath you,” Thalor said without turning around.

Lyra shot him a glare, though he couldn’t see it. “I’m not exactly used to walking on alien planets.”

A soft sound—almost a laugh—escaped him. “No. You are not.”

They continued in silence for a while, the only sound the distant rumble of the planet’s core and the occasional rustle of wind through the rocks. Lyra’s thoughts spun in a hundred directions at once. She had so many questions, but she didn’t know where to start. Thalor’s vague answers and cryptic remarks only left her more confused, and the longer she spent on this planet, the more unsettled she became.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “You said I’m bound to this planet. What does that mean, exactly?”

Thalor stopped at the edge of a cliff, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The sky had darkened, deep violet clouds swirling above like a storm waiting to break. He didn’t look at her when he answered.

“This planet exists on the edge of many worlds,” he said quietly. “It is a place where realities intersect, where time and space do not follow the rules you know. Those who are brought here are… chosen.”

Lyra frowned. “Chosen for what?”

Thalor’s eyes met hers, and for a moment, she saw something behind them—something ancient and haunted. “To become part of the cycle. To carry the weight of this world’s secrets.”

Lyra’s stomach twisted. “I don’t want to be part of any cycle. I just want to go home.”

Thalor’s expression softened, though his voice remained firm. “There is no going home. Not for you. Not for me.”

The finality of his words hit her like a punch to the gut. She staggered back a step, the weight of it all crashing down on her. No going home. No rescue. No escape.

“Why me?” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “Why was I chosen?”

Thalor’s gaze remained steady, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, perhaps. “I do not know. But I do know this: we are bound, you and I. And whether you accept it or not, the fate of this world now rests in your hands.”

Lyra’s mind reeled, the enormity of his words threatening to crush her. She had survived the crash. She had made it this far. But now, standing on the precipice of a fate she didn’t understand, she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to face what lay ahead.

And yet, deep down, she knew there was no turning back.

The pull between them was growing stronger, like a thread winding tighter with every second. And though she didn’t want to admit it, a part of her was beginning to wonder if Thalor was right—if she had been brought here for a reason.

As they stood together on the edge of the alien world, Lyra realized that whatever this planet had in store for her, there was no escaping it.

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