THE HEIRESS VOW - Chapter 198

Chapter 198: The Weight of Shadows
Ava stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping through her hair like the fingers of the Abyss itself. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she gazed down at the churning darkness below, the fragment of the Abyss glowing ominously in her trembling hand. The shard pulsated, alive and breathing, reacting to her fear, her anger—her very soul. She could feel its pull, a familiar yet terrifying whisper calling her back into the depths, telling her she would never truly escape.

And perhaps, she believed it.

“You don’t belong here,” the shadows murmured, curling around her like smoke. “You never did. You are part of us. You are the Abyss.”

Ava’s heart raced as the words seeped into her mind, each one a dagger carving away at her resolve. Her body shook, the fragment humming with a low, insidious vibration that matched the rhythm of her quickening pulse. Her knees threatened to give way beneath her, her hands cold as she stared into the abyss below. Could she jump? Would it be easier to fall than to fight?

“Ava!”

Leo’s voice cut through the wind, slicing through the darkness threatening to swallow her whole. She turned slowly, her eyes wide, seeing him standing just a few feet away. His hand was outstretched, his face etched with worry and determination, but there was something more—a hint of fear. Not fear of the Abyss, but fear for her. For what she might do.

“Come back,” he urged, his voice steady, though it wavered at the edges. “Come back to me.”

Ava’s grip tightened around the fragment, its edges biting into her skin, drawing blood that dripped slowly onto the ground below. The pain was grounding, real, reminding her that she was still here, still herself. But for how long? How long before the Abyss claimed her fully, before the shadows consumed every last piece of her? She wanted to believe in Leo, wanted to trust in the strength of his love, but the Abyss—it whispered things too powerful to ignore.

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. “It’s inside me, Leo. It never left. It’s always been there.”

Leo stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “Then we fight it. Together.”

Together. He had said that before. He had promised they would face this together. But the truth was, Ava wasn’t sure if this was a fight she could win. Not this time. The Abyss was too strong, too deep-rooted in her heart, in her soul. And the fragment—it pulsed with a power she couldn’t control, a power that terrified her.

“You don’t understand!” she cried, her voice breaking as the tears finally spilled over. “It’s not something we can just fight. It’s a part of me now, Leo. It’s who I am!”

Leo flinched at her words but didn’t retreat. He stood firm, his gaze locked onto hers, unwavering in its resolve. “No, Ava. It’s not who you are. It’s what happened to you. There’s a difference.”

She shook her head, her tears mixing with the blood from her wounded palm. “You don’t know what it’s like,” she whispered, her voice laced with pain. “You don’t know the things I saw. The things it showed me. I’m not the same person. I’ll never be that person again.”

“And I don’t care,” Leo said, his voice suddenly fierce. “I don’t care if you’ve changed. I don’t care if you’re different. I love you. The you standing right here, right now. The you that survived the Abyss, the you that fights every day just to keep going. That’s the person I care about.”

Ava looked down at the fragment in her hand, the pulsing light casting eerie shadows on her face. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that his love could be enough to pull her back from the brink. But the Abyss—it wasn’t just a place. It wasn’t just a memory. It was alive. It was part of her now, coursing through her veins like poison, twisting her thoughts, warping her reality.

“You’re lying to yourself,” the Abyss whispered, its voice cold and sharp. “He’ll never understand. He’ll never accept you once he knows the truth.”

“What truth?” Ava demanded, her voice rising in desperation. “What is it you want from me?”

The shadows curled tighter, wrapping around her like a suffocating embrace. “You know what you are. You felt it. Deep down, you’ve always known.”

Ava shook her head, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought against the suffocating darkness. “No,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “No, that’s not true. I’m not like you.”

The Abyss laughed, a cold, hollow sound that sent a chill down her spine. “You are exactly like me. You are the darkness. You are the void. You cannot escape what you are.”

Leo reached out, his hand grazing her arm, pulling her attention away from the voices. “Ava, listen to me. Whatever it’s telling you, it’s lying. You’re not the Abyss. You’re not some monster. You’re Ava. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. And you don’t have to face this alone.”

Her heart ached at his words, at the sincerity in his voice. She wanted so badly to believe him, to trust in his strength, in their love. But the weight of the Abyss, the fragment in her hand—it was too much. Too real. How could he fight something that lived inside her? How could he love someone who was, in part, darkness itself?

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Leo’s hand tightened around hers, his grip firm, unwavering. “You can. You’ve already survived the Abyss, Ava. You’ve already won the hardest fight. You came back. And that means you can keep fighting. We can keep fighting.”

The shadows hissed, angry at his defiance. “He’s a fool. He doesn’t understand. He never will.”

Ava clenched her fists, the fragment pulsing with an ominous light. “Shut up!” she screamed, her voice echoing across the cliffside. “Just shut up!”

The wind howled around her, the shadows retreating for a moment, but she could still feel them, lurking at the edges of her mind, waiting for their chance to strike. And they would. She knew they would.

But for now, Leo was here. For now, she wasn’t alone.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, her voice cracking with the weight of her fear, her uncertainty.

Leo’s hand cupped her face, his touch gentle despite the fierce determination in his eyes. “You don’t have to know. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

The word lingered in the air between them, a lifeline she desperately wanted to grab onto, but the Abyss—it was still there, inside her, waiting, watching.

“Promise me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Promise me you won’t leave. No matter what happens.”

Leo’s gaze softened, and for the first time, she saw the depth of his love, the unwavering devotion he had for her. “I promise,” he said, his voice steady. “I’m not going anywhere, Ava. Not ever.”

For a moment, Ava allowed herself to believe him. To believe that maybe, just maybe, they could face this together. But as she looked down at the fragment glowing in her hand, she knew the fight was far from over.

The Abyss was still with her. And it wasn’t done yet.

Later that night, long after the sun had dipped below the horizon, Ava lay awake, her body tense, her mind racing. Leo slept beside her, his arm draped protectively over her waist, as if he could shield her from the darkness that lurked within her. But the shadows—they never slept.

She could feel the fragment pulsing beneath her skin, a constant, nagging reminder of what still lay inside her. The Abyss had followed her out. It had never truly let her go.

Her breath hitched as the whispering began again, soft at first, barely audible, but growing louder with each passing second.

“You cannot escape me,” it hissed, its voice wrapping around her like a noose. “I am part of you. You are part of me.”

Ava squeezed her eyes shut, willing the voices to go away, to leave her in peace. But there was no peace, not with the Abyss still inside her.

“I’ll fight you,” she whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. “I’ll fight you with everything I have.”

The Abyss laughed, a low, mocking sound. “You’ll try. But in the end, you’ll come back to me. You always do.”

Ava’s fists clenched in the darkness, her body trembling with the effort to hold back the tide of fear, of anger, of despair. She couldn’t let it win. She couldn’t let the Abyss take her again.

But deep down, she knew the truth.

The fight was only just beginning.

And this time, the Abyss wasn’t going to let her go without a battle.

The shadows curled around her, tightening their grip, and Ava knew, with a sinking feeling in her chest, that the road ahead was going to be long, dark, and dangerous.

But she wasn’t alone.

4oChatGPT bilang:ChatGPT

Not as long as Leo was with her.

As she lay there in the darkness, the Abyss whispering its threats and promises, Ava took a deep breath, her mind focusing on Leo’s steady presence beside her, the warmth of his hand on her waist, his promise to stay by her side.

It was a small comfort, but in the face of the Abyss, it was everything she had.

And she would hold on to it.

No matter what.