THE ABYSSAL PATH

THE FIRST BREATH

Kael woke to silence.

For several seconds, he didn't move.

The memory of the sealed door was still fresh in his mind.

The chains.

The darkness.

The sound of something knocking from the other side.

Knock.

Kael's eyes opened.

His heart was beating normally.

He listened carefully.

Nothing.

He slowly sat up.

His ribs still hurt, but the pain had become bearable.

The ancient black book floated several feet away.

Kael stared at it.

"Veyron."

No response.

"Veyron."

The golden symbols on the cover flickered.

"I'm here."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"What was that thing?"

Silence.

"You saw it."

"I saw something."

"Something inside me."

Veyron didn't answer.

Kael's expression hardened.

"You were afraid."

The book became completely still.

For the first time, Kael realized how dangerous that question was.

After several seconds, Veyron finally spoke.

"There are questions you aren't ready to ask."

"And when will I be ready?"

"When you can survive the answer."

Kael didn't like the response.

But he understood something.

Veyron wasn't hiding the truth because he wanted to deceive him.

He was hiding it because he genuinely didn't know what was behind that door.

Kael looked down at his hands.

"Then I'll find out myself."

A faint laugh came from the book.

"Good."

Kael slowly stood.

"What do I do now?"

"Before you learn anything from me, cultivate."

Kael nodded.

"Show me how."

A golden light appeared in front of him.

Ancient characters formed in the air.

Kael studied them carefully.

"This is the Spirit Gathering Method."

He recognized it immediately.

It was one of the most basic cultivation techniques taught throughout the continent.

He had tried it countless times.

"That won't work."

Veyron's voice remained calm.

"Try."

Kael sat down.

He crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

He followed the breathing pattern.

Slow inhale.

Slow exhale.

His consciousness gradually expanded.

He sensed the spiritual energy surrounding him.

There wasn't much.

But there was enough.

Kael guided a small strand toward himself.

The moment it entered his body—

It disappeared.

Kael frowned.

Again.

Another strand.

Gone.

He continued.

One hour passed.

Then two.

Then four.

The cave remained silent.

Kael's forehead became covered in sweat.

His breathing grew heavier.

But he refused to stop.

He had spent seventeen years being told that he was useless.

He wasn't going to give up after one night.

The moon disappeared beyond the horizon.

Darkness slowly gave way to morning.

Kael opened his eyes.

His entire body was exhausted.

He looked inward.

His meridians were empty.

Not a single strand of spiritual energy remained.

Kael stared at the ground.

"So this is my Voidborne Body."

Veyron spoke.

"No."

Kael looked up.

"You still don't understand."

Veyron's tone became serious.

"Your body isn't rejecting spiritual energy."

"It's consuming it."

Kael clenched his fist.

"Then how am I supposed to cultivate?"

The ancient book slowly floated toward him.

"You don't cultivate like ordinary humans."

The pages opened.

Golden characters appeared.

Kael stared at the technique.

"What is that?"

"Something from my era."

The characters continued appearing.

"It was considered a failed technique."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"A failed technique?"

"Yes."

"Then why teach it to me?"

Veyron laughed quietly.

"Because what the world considers useless..."

The golden characters formed a complete title.

The Abyssal Breathing Scripture

"...may simply have been waiting for the wrong person."

Kael studied the name.

"What does it do?"

"It doesn't force spiritual energy into your meridians."

Veyron paused.

"It teaches your body to accept the energy naturally."

Kael frowned.

"That's all?"

"That's enough."

Kael began reading.

The technique looked strangely simple.

There were no complicated hand seals.

No violent circulation of energy.

Only breathing.

But the breathing pattern was unlike anything Kael had ever seen.

Inhale.

Hold.

Exhale.

Pause.

Repeat.

Kael followed the first cycle.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

He frowned.

"You said this would work."

"Continue."

Kael obeyed.

Ten cycles.

Twenty.

Fifty.

His breathing gradually became slower.

The cave seemed to grow quieter.

Then Kael felt it.

A single strand of spiritual energy.

It entered his body.

But this time...

It didn't disappear.

Kael's eyes widened.

The energy traveled through his meridians.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Then it reached his chest.

Instead of forming a small pool of energy like normal cultivators...

It sank deeper.

Far deeper.

Kael's breathing stopped.

Something moved inside him.

THUMP.

His eyes snapped open.

"What was that?"

Veyron didn't answer.

THUMP.

Another heartbeat.

But this one wasn't coming from Kael's chest.

It was coming from somewhere beneath it.

The entire cave trembled.

Veyron's voice suddenly became sharp.

"Stop the technique."

Kael tried.

He couldn't.

The spiritual energy around him began rushing toward his body.

"What is happening?!"

"Stop!"

"I can't!"

Golden symbols erupted across the ancient book.

Veyron's voice became almost a roar.

"BREAK THE CIRCULATION!"

Kael desperately tried to follow his instructions.

But the energy wouldn't stop.

It was being pulled into him.

His skin began glowing faintly.

His veins became visible beneath his skin.

Then—

BOOM!

A wave of energy exploded from Kael.

The cave walls shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Kael slammed onto his back.

His eyes rolled upward.

For a moment, he couldn't see.

Then the darkness returned.

Not the cave.

Something else.

Kael found himself standing in an endless black space.

There was no ground beneath his feet.

No sky above him.

Only darkness.

Far ahead stood the enormous sealed door.

The same door.

The chains covering it were trembling.

Kael slowly approached.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

He took another step.

The door was enormous.

Ancient symbols covered its surface.

Some were completely unfamiliar.

Others somehow felt familiar.

Then—

Knock.

Kael froze.

The sound came from the other side.

Knock.

A c***k appeared between the chains.

Kael's heart began pounding.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

Then something happened.

One of the chains moved.

Just slightly.

Kael stepped backward.

A faint pressure filled the darkness.

It wasn't killing intent.

It wasn't anger.

It was something much worse.

Awareness.

Whatever was behind that door...

knew he was there.

Then a voice whispered.

Not Veyron's.

Not human.

So quiet that Kael almost wondered if he'd imagined it.

"...finally..."

Kael's eyes widened.

The darkness shattered.

He woke with a violent gasp.

His body was covered in sweat.

The cave had returned.

The ancient book floated before him.

But Veyron was silent.

Kael stared at it.

"Did you hear that?"

No answer.

"Veyron."

The book slowly closed.

"I heard nothing."

Kael knew immediately that he was lying.

Before he could question him, Veyron spoke again.

"Your first cultivation session is over."

Kael looked down.

A faint strand of spiritual energy was moving through his meridians.

For the first time in seventeen years...

something remained inside him.

Kael slowly smiled.

"Finally."

Veyron didn't respond.

Because deep within his consciousness, one thought refused to leave him.

The Abyssal Breathing Scripture should not have awakened that thing.

It shouldn't even know how to respond.

Veyron looked at Kael.

The boy was smiling at the tiny amount of power inside his body.

He didn't understand.

He couldn't understand.

And Veyron wasn't sure whether he wanted him to.

The Azure River Clan

The sun was already high when Lina returned to the clan.

She hadn't slept properly.

Her mind kept returning to the river.

Kael had promised to meet her.

He never came.

Ren walked beside her.

"You should rest."

"I'm fine."

"You've said that three times."

Lina stopped.

"Ren."

"Hm?"

"Kael doesn't break promises."

Ren's expression softened.

"I know."

Before either of them could say more, hurried footsteps approached.

A clan guard stopped in front of them.

"Lina."

She turned.

"The elders are looking for you."

"Why?"

"They want to ask you about Kael."

Lina's heart tightened.

"What about him?"

The guard hesitated.

"He's missing."

Lina stared at him.

"We know."

"No."

The guard shook his head.

"The elders searched his room."

He lowered his voice.

"His belongings are gone."

Lina's fingers tightened around her pendant.

"Did they find any trace of him?"

"Only one."

The guard looked toward the northern side of the clan.

"His footprints leading into the forest."

Lina went silent.

The Blackwood Forest.

Even experienced cultivators avoided traveling deep inside it.

Kael had gone there alone.

Ren looked at Lina.

"Don't do anything reckless."

Lina slowly looked toward the forest.

Her eyes were filled with worry.

But beneath that worry was something else.

Determination.

"If Kael went into that forest..."

She clenched her fist.

"...then I need to know why."

Far away, beneath the Blackwood Forest, Kael took his first step onto a path that would change his fate forever.

And somewhere deep inside his body—

behind the sealed door—

something was still awake.

To be continued...