Adrian staggered forward, his vision blurring as the last of the venom coursed through his veins. His entire body ached from the battle, but his thoughts were on Selene. He quickly crossed the chamber, where she lay slumped against the wall, her breaths shallow and her skin glistening with sweat. Dropping to his knees beside her, Adrian gently cradled her, lifting her head onto his arm.

"Selene," he whispered, brushing a damp strand of hair from her forehead. Her skin was hot to the touch, feverish from the manticore's venom.

Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused at first, but when she saw him, a weak smile spread across her lips. "Did… did you kill it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, raspy from exhaustion.

Adrian nodded, his expression softening. "Yes. It's dead."

Selene sighed, the tension easing from her body. "I'm sorry, Lord Adrian. I couldn't—" She winced, her voice fading. "I couldn't help you."

Adrian shook his head, his voice firm but gentle. "Don't apologize, Selene. You were under its control, and now, you've been poisoned. You did what you could."

She tried to sit up, her eyes sharpening with a stubborn glint despite her weakened state. "No, I… I can keep going. We… we need to move on. We're so close."

Adrian pressed his hand lightly against her shoulder, keeping her in place. "You're in no condition to move," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The venom is already taking its toll. Rest, Selene."

She opened her mouth to protest, her pride and determination warring against her fatigue, but she faltered as another wave of dizziness hit her. She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing deeply. "I… I can help," she muttered weakly, her voice strained, but Adrian could see the fight draining from her with each passing second.

"You've done enough," Adrian said, more softly this time. "Let me handle the rest."

Selene's fingers tightened on his sleeve, her grip surprisingly strong despite her weakened state. "Promise me… you'll be careful."

Adrian smiled faintly, cupping her cheek briefly before nodding. "I will. Now rest."

She exhaled a shuddering breath, her eyes closing again as she leaned back against the wall. Adrian watched her for a moment, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be in the cold, damp chamber. He draped his cloak over her, hoping to keep her warm as she fought off the venom's effects.

"I'll be back soon," Adrian murmured, rising to his feet and taking one last glance at her before turning to face the deeper shadows of the temple. The manticore had come from somewhere beyond this chamber, and it had been guarding something—he could feel it.

Adrian moved carefully through the stone passage, his sword still drawn, though his fiery chains were dimmer now, weakened from the toll of the battle. The air was thick with the stench of blood and burning flesh from the manticore's carcass, but beyond that was something else—an oppressive, ancient energy that pressed down on him the closer he got to the rear of the chamber.

At the far end of the room, hidden in the shadows, he spotted it—a doorway carved into the stone, large and ominous, now slightly ajar as if opened by the manticore itself. Beyond the door was only darkness. Adrian's pulse quickened as he approached, his instincts on high alert.

He stepped through the doorway, and the faint flicker of dark fire from his palm illuminated the area ahead. The passage opened into a vast cavern, its ceiling high above and lined with jagged rocks that seemed to reach down like the claws of some unseen beast. But what made Adrian stop in his tracks wasn't the size of the chamber—it was the ground, or rather, the lack of it.

The floor ended abruptly just beyond the entrance, giving way to a vast, yawning abyss. The darkness below stretched endlessly, swallowing everything in its depths. Adrian knelt by the edge, peering down into the void. The cold, stale air rising from the pit carried with it a sense of foreboding, like the breath of a slumbering giant.

Far below, at the very edge of his sight, Adrian thought he saw something—a faint, distant shape. It was massive, and though he could barely make it out, he recognized the outline. A sarcophagus.

*The goddess,* he thought.

Adrian stood, his mind racing. This was what the Shadow Court had been searching for. The imprisoned goddess, buried deep within the temple of obsession, guarded by the manticore. But how would he reach her?

He summoned a small ball of dark fire, tossing it into the abyss. It flew downward, illuminating the cavern as it fell, but no matter how long Adrian watched, the fire never reached the bottom. It simply disappeared into the darkness, swallowed by the void.

"Just like an abyss," Adrian muttered to himself, frustration gnawing at him. He couldn't see the bottom, couldn't gauge how far it went. And yet, somehow, he had to get down there.

He glanced up, noticing the jagged rocks above that stretched across the cavern ceiling like a web of stone. Perhaps they could be used to descend. But it would be dangerous—one wrong move and he'd fall into the endless darkness below.

Adrian's mind raced through his options. His chains would allow him to descend slowly, but he wasn't sure how far he'd have to go, and his strength was already waning from the venom. Still, there was no other choice.

Steeling himself, Adrian approached the edge of the abyss once more. He summoned his chains, sending the fiery links up into the rocks above, securing them as best as he could. The spearheads dug into the stone, creating a secure anchor point. He tested their hold with a quick tug, satisfied when they held firm.

Adrian took a deep breath and glanced back toward the entrance, where Selene rested against the wall. She was still too worn out from the venom of the manticore's tail, and even if she had been in full health, this descent was something only he could attempt.

Without further hesitation, Adrian returned his gaze to the sarcophagus in the distance. He took one final glance down into the darkness, his heart pounding in his chest.

And then took a leap.

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