The darkness was absolute. No light, no sound, no sign of life—only the crushing emptiness that threatened to swallow Han Seo Joon whole. His body ached, every bone screaming, and yet… he was alive. Somehow.
He opened his eyes and saw nothing but black, swirling shadows that seemed almost alive. The Abyss had accepted him. Or maybe it had chosen him.
A voice—ancient, echoing—whispered in his mind:
"You were discarded. You were broken. But now… you will rise."
Seo Joon's heart pounded. He didn't understand the voice, but he felt its power surge through him. His shattered spirit vessel, once a curse, now shimmered faintly with a dark light. Pain transformed into heat, heat into strength, and strength into… resolve.
He struggled to his feet. Around him, the shadows writhed like serpents. Monstrous shapes appeared, their eyes glowing red, their claws slicing through the black air.
He didn't have weapons. He didn't have allies. He didn't even have hope.
And yet, he smiled.
"If the world abandoned me… then I will devour it in return."
Seo Joon extended his hand instinctively. His shattered vessel flared, releasing a pulse of dark, violet energy. It surged outward, hitting the closest shadow-beast. The creature shrieked and disintegrated, leaving nothing but a trace of smoke.
He had done it. Somehow, he had survived.
Hours passed—or was it days? Time seemed meaningless here. The Abyss tested him relentlessly: monsters, deadly traps, hunger, exhaustion. Every time he was about to collapse, his new power awoke, stabilizing him, evolving him, teaching him.
And then… he heard something unexpected.
A soft cry, faint but unmistakable, echoed through the darkness.
"H-hello? Anyone there?"
Seo Joon froze. Another human? In the Abyss? Impossible.
Cautiously, he followed the sound, moving silently through the shadows. Soon, he saw her: a girl, about his age, her white hair glowing faintly in the black void. She was trapped beneath a falling rock, struggling to free herself.
Her eyes met his, wide with fear—but also… relief.
"Please… help me," she whispered.
Seo Joon didn't hesitate. He surged forward, summoning a blade of Abyssal energy with his newfound power. The rock shattered, the shards disintegrating before they could touch her.
The girl collapsed into his arms, trembling.
"Thank you… I'm Kang Seol Ah," she said softly.
Seo Joon's chest tightened. Somehow, he knew this encounter was more than chance.
"Han Seo Joon," he replied, his voice steady despite the pounding of his heart.
"Stay close. The Abyss… isn't done with us yet."
From that moment, Seo Joon realized that survival wasn't enough. He had to grow. He had to protect. And maybe… just maybe, the Abyss wasn't only a place of death.
It was the crucible where he would become a sovereign.