The Abyss

Chapter 16: The Return Of Legends

When the celestial lightning finally faded, the war was over. The suffocating purple sky turned back to normal, bathed in a peaceful morning light. Across the academy grounds, the survivors began to scream and shout with joy. They were alive. Although the surrounding landscape was heavily damaged and scarred by craters, not a single human had been harmed, and not a single life had been lost.

Sebastian walked slowly toward his stunned family. Looking at their tear-stained faces, his tone shifted to one of deep sorrow and regret. "I'm sorry for not coming back sooner." He paused, a heavy weight hanging in his voice. "It’s been twenty years for you, yet you still fought for this country, unable to forget the past you carry. Mother, Father, Valencia, Lucas... I’m so sorry that I was weak back then. I couldn't protect myself, and because of that, you all had to carry the suffocating burden of regret, believing you failed to save me."

The Eldrion family broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably. For two decades, they had mourned their youngest son and brother, believing he was dead.

Valencia stepped forward, her eyes bloodshot, her voice cracking through her tears. "H–how did you survive? We truly thought you were gone. We lived every single day with the regret of failing you. You were kidn*pped because we were too weak... we couldn't even leave a single scratch on the person who took you! We were so weak!"

"It’s not your fault," Sebastian said softly, stepping closer. "It's mine. Back then, I simply wasn't strong enough to protect myself."

Dominic shook his head, his voice heavy with emotion. "In the past, we saved the world, but we couldn't even save our own son from the hands of the Abyss. That failure has haunted us. We tried everything to increase our power, desperate to ensure that if another war came, we would be strong enough to protect everyone. We swore no one would ever be kidn*pped again... but today, we realized our limit." Dominic paused, looking at his hands in confusion. "But how are we even alive? Did the princes not kill us?"

Sebastian looked at them. "Do you remember the necklaces I gave you back in the meeting room?"

The Eldrion family, along with Professor Selene and Instructor Ronan, nodded in unison. "Yes."

"That was my power," Sebastian explained. "I used my own blood and mixed it with my mana to ensure that if the worst happened, your revival process wouldn't be delayed or stopped. That is why the moment you woke up, you felt a massive surge of mana rushing through your bodies it was mine. And the necklace Edward gave you acted as a battery for our combined power. If anything happened to you, those artifacts bought us time and amplified my mana to fuel the resurrection."

The professors, the instructor, and the Eldrion family stood frozen, completely shocked. It was their first time hearing of such god-like magic. "H-how do you even know a method like that?" Lucas asked, his voice trembling.

"I will tell you everything," Sebastian replied, looking around at the cracked earth. "But first, let's fix this mess."

Using their combined abilities, they quickly cleared the debris and stabilized the academy grounds. Once the immediate aftermath was handled, the group retreated to the secure meeting hall inside the Eldrion Mansion. The tension in the room was thick as everyone gathered around the large obsidian table, waiting for answers.

"Now," Dominic said, leaning forward. "Tell us the truth. How do you know all of this?"

Before Sebastian could speak, Edward stepped forward. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. It is entirely my fault that you have carried this terrible burden for twenty years. Because the truth is... I am the one who kidn*pped your son."

Instantly, the room exploded into a fury. Dominic’s aura flared, Lucas slammed his fists onto the table, and the professors instinctively reached for their weapons, ready to attack Edward on the spot.

"Why?!" Lucas roared, his face contorted in anger as Sebastian stepped between his family and his friend. "He is the person who stole you from us! Why are you protecting him?!"

"Because he is the reason I survived, obtained my powers, and learned the dark truth about the Abyss," Sebastian announced, his voice ringing with absolute authority, forcing the room to fall silent.

Luke furrowed his brows. "What do you mean by that?"

"We always believed our enemy consisted of ordinary, albeit strong, Abyssal warriors and demons," Sebastian said, looking at his father. "But we were entirely wrong."

"Wrong? How?" Dominic asked, his grip tightening on his chair.

"Maybe it's time you learned the origin of my magic," Sebastian said flatly.

"Where did it come from?" Valencia whispered.

"From the System," Sebastian revealed. "Twenty years ago, I was actually killed in the Abyss. Edward had been trying to help me unlock my latent power, but a group of high-tier Abyssal entities ambushed us. They killed me on the spot and captured Edward. But in that moment of death, the System chose me as its contractor. I was resurrected, and I obtained the legendary power of Darkness."

His family gasped, the breath catching in Celestine’s throat. "You... you experienced death?"

"Yes," Sebastian answered quietly.

Tears spilled over Celestine’s lashes as the family wept silently, horrified by the pain their youngest son had endured alone in the dark.

"Perhaps Edward can give you a clearer clarification of what truly resides within the Abyss," Sebastian added, stepping back to let his friend speak.

Dominic frowned, trying to comprehend the scale. "What do you mean by a clarification? We already know how dangerous they are. We know there is a singular, massive power ruling the Abyss."

Edward let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "You're completely wrong."

The entire room fell into a stunned silence. "Wrong?" Dominic repeated.

"You all think there is only one supreme entity ruling that realm," Edward explained, his eyes darkening as he recalled his past. "But your perception is flawed. Surely some of you remember the ancient disaster that almost wiped out humanity decades ago?"

"Yes," Dominic nodded grimly. "We fought through it."

"That catastrophic invasion was commanded solely by the 1st Supreme Lord of the Abyssal Demons," Edward revealed. "He is the monster who wiped out my entire clan. I am the only one left alive, all because of a choice my father made."

Dominic’s eyes widened. "What did your father do to cause the annihilation of your entire bloodline?"

Edward let out a long, heavy breath, his shoulders tense. "Because my father wanted to save humanity. He betrayed the dark laws of our realm to help your world. But the 1st Supreme Lord tracked him down. They labeled us traitors, executed my father, and slaughtered my entire clan. I am the sole survivor of a murdered lineage." Edward leaned against the table, his gaze piercing. "And you need to understand something—there isn't just one ruler. There are twelve Supreme Lords currently ruling the Abyssal Kingdom."

A suffocating, terrified silence blanketed the room. The air felt heavy, almost impossible to breathe.

Dominic broke the silence, his voice shaking with genuine fear. "Twelve... Twelve Supreme Lords?"

"Yes," Edward confirmed. "Twelve. Technically, there were thirteen in the past, but the 1st Supreme Lord executed my father, who held the title of the 13th Supreme Lord. That is why only twelve remain."

Dominic swallowed hard, looking at his hands. "If the 1st Supreme Lord alone possessed enough power to nearly eradicate humanity in the past... how strong are the others? How powerful are his companions?"

"They are monsters beyond your comprehension," Edward stated bluntly. "Do you remember the secret letter you found inside the ancient chest?"

Isolde's eyes widened. "Yes... the one mentioning the destruction of a royal capital."

"The 'mere humans and rogue demons' mentioned in that letter were Sebastian and me," Edward said with a faint, grim smirk. "We are the ones who completely destroyed the Kingdom of Morvane when Sebastian breached the royal cells to help me escape. But during our breakout, we ran directly into the 2nd Supreme Lord."

The Eldrion family and the professors trembled, a cold sweat breaking out across their skin. "The 2nd Supreme Lord... How strong is he?"

Edward turned his head slowly, looking at Sebastian. "Maybe Sebastian should be the one to tell you how terrifying he is. After all, he’s the one who fought him face-to-face."

Every eye in the room shifted to Sebastian, waiting in breathless suspense. "How strong is he, Sebastian?" Dominic asked.

"Immensely strong," Sebastian answered, his voice deadpan. "The 2nd Supreme Lord commands absolute Gravity Manipulation. His mastery over that element is so advanced that he can manifest and control multiple black holes simultaneously without breaking a sweat."

Luke stared at him in disbelief. "If the entities guarding that realm are truly that cataclysmic... how did you two manage to escape? How did you return to the human world alive?"

Sebastian looked over at Instructor Ronan and Professor Selene, a knowing look in his eyes. "Do you remember the mysterious man who intervened and saved us from the depths of the Abyss?"

Ronan and Selene exchanged a wide-eyed glance. "Yes, we remember."

"He is the sole reason we are standing here today," Sebastian revealed, his eyes flashing with a deep, cosmic reverence. "He isn't a mortal, and he isn't a demon. He is a God. And he is the one who granted us our lives and brought us back to the human world."