As the sun began to fade, a vaguely familiar man with blonde hair and a well-groomed mustache navigated a small, rickety vehicle down a winding cliffside road. The car-like machine, its outer shell completely stripped away, exposed its motor, wiring, and its rider to the open air. It wasn’t particularly fast or slow, but it held strong against every shake and bump along the rugged path. The little vehicle held strong, descending steadily down the road that overlooked the eerie glow of the Abyssal Forest below.

  Dusk crept in, shadows stretching long and deep as darkness bled through the jagged cracks of the fractured sky. The distant crimson glow cast the landscape in a shade of bloody gloom. The once-refreshing winds had turned biting cold, and the once soothing hum of the wind now felt hollow—forlorn.

  Weary and tense, the man glanced up at the fractured sky, his little round glasses reflecting the fracture in the sky as its jagged lines were swallowed by dark clouds. The gloom of nightfall swallowed the road ahead, leaving only the faint glow of the abyss as guide.

  His foot hovered over the brakes before pressing down, easing the vehicle to a halt. For a moment, he lingered in the dark. Letting his eyes adjust to the low red flow from above. He looked around but was met only by dark shadows. Letting out a deep exhale, he hesitantly moved his hand to the blinker switch. The soft click felt deafening in the stillness as weak, amber beams spilled forward, cutting narrow paths of light through the winding chaos of rocks and debris. Where shadow once settled, there was only a void. His fingers tensed on the wheel as he stared ahead—a mild dread tugging at his chest after he’d sacrificed the comfort of obscurity for the uneasy clarity of sight.

  He was careful to avoid the rougher patches in the dark amidst his slow descent. Scanning ahead, he found himself in a particularly wide bend that overlooked the forest below. His eyes wandered off the road as he came to a brief stop. Drawn to the faint, pulsating glow of the Abyssal forest, he watched the shifting colors. The forest shimmered in an eerie, low light, hues of glowing pinks and purples flickered in fading intervals against massive bubbles of water floating above the Kyyr-dense landscape. He watched in silence, mesmerized by the beautiful display of luminescence. He took a deep breath; the rhythmic glow mirrored on his lenses like the fading heartbeat of a giant. With a sigh, he eased his foot off the brake, letting the rickety car continue its descent into the abyss below.

  How stupid of me... he thought bitterly, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. The tight corners and jagged cliffs kept him on edge, his grip tight on the wheel. He stole a quick glance at the old collection of books, gadgets, and dried plants that shifted with every bump in the road. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, he let off the break more, letting gravity drag the rickety little vehicle down the hill faster.

  The cold night air began to cut through him, biting into his skin as the humidity thickened around him. A shiver crawled up his spine, the chill seeping deep into his bones. Condensation gathered on the cracked windshield in a hazy film, clouding his view. The wipers groaned weakly, stuttering across the glass in futile resistance, failing to dissuade the haze.

  “Oh heavens…” he muttered under his breath, slowing the car as he ever-diligently signaled—despite there being no one around—that he was pulling over to the side of the road.

  Once parked, he fumbled in the dark until his fingers found a small, sleek device that shimmered faintly in the dim light. It was flat and crystalline, with a smooth display. He tapped the screen until it hummed softly, then pressed it to his ears. He waited—no answer.

  “Oh please...” he whimpered softly. Desperately, he tinkered with the device, fumbling over its smooth surface until he pressed it back against his ears.

  It rang.

  Holding his breath, he waited, the faint ring of the device echoing in his ears, each chime dragging time into an unbearable crawl. Beside him, the forest’s canopy lay hauntingly still, unmoving against the breeze, its alien glow pulsing faintly. He stared into the beating color, the rhythmic colors seemingly in sync with his rising anxiety.

  Finally, a female voice broke the silence. “Hello?”

  “Lena! I—I need your help!” The man called out in a hushed tone, his eyes darting around the encroaching darkness.

  “What’s wrong, Dad?” Lena replied, confused by urgency in his tone.

  “There were Rak’da near St. Able’s Pass.” he began, speaking quickly. “I couldn’t make it through on time so I tried passing through the Cau cliff pass. And—”

  “Wait, dad, where exactly are you right now?!” Lena interrupted, her voice rising with concern.

  “As I was saying, I’m on the road that passes by the Primodía Forest... but the abyssal condensation—it’s about as thick as when the Translates were active!” he whispered urgently into the device, his lips trembling as the reality of the situation sank in.

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  “What?! What’s the forest’s state?” Lena’s voice wavered, the panic clear as sounds of movement crackled through the line.

  “The forest was glowing like normal, but dear…now that I’m down here, the abyssal condensation is far worse than I expected,” her father whimpered, fear gripping his voice. “What should I do?”

  “Dad, listen to me,” Lena said, her tone firm despite the panic laced underneath. “You need to focus on raising your Kyyr and start ascending the cliff. Now!”

  Through the line, he could hear the distant roar of her motorcycle coming to life, the sound crackling over her steady voice. “Stay on the line with me, alright?”

  “Y-yes, of course,” Mr. Russo stammered, his voice shaking as beads of sweat dribbled down his face, clinging to his mustache. The abyss seemed to wrap around him, its oppressive presence crawling all over him.

  Hands shaking, he adjusted the vehicle, carefully maneuvering it to face the incline of the cliff. “Lena,” he muttered, anxiety creeping into his words, “I must admit, I’m having a hard time seeing ahead.”

  “What’s wrong?” Lena asked, her voice edged with concern.

  “The windshield wipers aren’t working! I…I cannot see a thing.” he answered anxiously.

  There was a brief silence over the line before Lena’s voice cut through, blunt and firm. “Break it.”

  “What?!”

  “Smash the windshield and get out!” Lena growled over the line.

  “B-but the noise...” Mr. Russo mumbled, his right hand trembling as he rested it on the foggy windshield.

  “Fuck the noise, Dad! Smash it!” Lena’s voice cracked, panic rising as she heard the fear in his voice.

  His hand hovered over the windshield, Kyyr coalescing in his hand—but then he froze.

  An ancient, primal instinct—one that had survived the millions of years separating him from the first humans—blared in his mind. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as the unmistakable feeling of being watched filled him with animalistic dread. He trembled as he scanned the darkness around him.

  He saw it.

  In the blurry reflection of his rearview mirror, faintly illuminated by the dim red glow of his car’s taillights, the crimson sky, and the faint pink shimmer of the forest, a gaunt figure stood motionless.

  “Dad?! Dad, are you there?” Lena’s voice cracked through the device.“Dad, answer me!” she screamed, her voice hoarse with desperation.

  Mr. Russo's trembling hand slowly wiped the condensation from the rearview mirror. His breath catching as he locked eyes with his own reflection. But in the gloom of his peripheral, there stood the thing. He tried not to look, but the pull of the abyss was far greater than the timid man’s will. His eyes drifted drawn to the creature’s visage, and in that moment—when their gazes locked—his instincts to survive took over.

  Without a second thought, he concentrated Kyyr into his hand and one swift motion smashed the windshield with a loud, shattering crash.

  The once timid Mr. Russo floored the pedal, the rickety vehicle roaring up the cliffside with all the strength it could muster. The engine groaned under the strain, but he didn’t let up, his focus locked on the road ahead.

  Adrenaline surged through him, his breaths sharp and uneven. He refused to glance at the rearview mirror, his grip on the wheel tightened, his knuckles turning bone-white as the little vehicle climbed higher, faster, every bump and jolt, edging the little vehicle against the beating void beyond the cliff’s edge.

  “Dad? Are yo—” Lena’s voice was abruptly cut off as the small crystal device bounced to the floor of the vehicle.

  The abyss beyond the cliff’s edge seemed to violently react, as the glow from below was now rhythmically flashing in and out. Like an erratic strobe light that existed only to blind the poor man as he tried to keep his eye on the road. A ghastly screech echoed from behind, rising and falling in rhythm with the chaotic flashes of the forest’s light.

  Mr. Russo’s heart slammed into his ribcage as the predatory gaze of the unknown bore into his back, the sensation almost physical as it urged him to push the vehicle to its limits.

  Nearing the top of the cliff, the road turned into a jagged, unforgiving maze, crowned with treacherous, winding paths. Each twist and turn came sharp and sudden, the narrow way barely drivable. Mt. Russo fought to navigate each turn as the tires bounced so fiercely they threatened to send him crashing into the rocky jaws surrounding him.

  Blood splattered against the shattered edges of his windshield. A rock had struck him from behind but he didn’t dare slow down, his entire being locked on the desire to survive.

  The ascent steepened, and with it came a new terror—the guttural cackling of Rak’da echoing from the summit above. His brain surged with possibilities, granting him a fleeting moment of clarity beyond pure survival.

  He risked a glance at the rearview mirror—a shadowy blur, loomed at the edge of the darkness, but not for long for it was gaining on him.

  The creature's head was unnaturally elongated like a hounds, its grotesquely unhinged jaw hung slack, swaying with the powerful movement of its shadowed body. Jagged teeth jutted out at unnatural angles, glinting faintly in the dim, erratic light of the brewing abyssal storm above.

  With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Mr. Russo made his choice. He’d rather face the Rak’da ahead, because whatever was following him was far worse—something he couldn’t afford to face. An unknown.