The Boy That Lives In The Abyss

In an endless darkness stood a small island and on that island there was a box like building and in that building lay a single bed. A boy was sleeping soundly, he had black hair and roughly looked fifteen.

His sleep was peaceful until he woke up, his glowing blue eyes illuminated the slight darkness in the room, he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. Tod couldn't remember something. "It's probably nothing"

He got down from the bed and went towards the door, when he opened the door he saw an ever so consuming pitch black abyss. "Strange"

Tod silently said, even though it was pitch black it isn't. It was like looking at a blank paper only to find out there are hidden words on it. "It's dark but it's also bright"

He walked to the edges of the islands and then sat there.

[Hello], A message with a slight cursive handwriting wrote itself in front of him.

"Oh hi" Tod waved his hand, confused on what he was supposed to do.

[Are you ok]

"I don't know...I don't really feel anything"

[Oh ok are you hungry though?]

"No but I wouldn't mind tasting something sweet" Then a soft, ethereal mist began to form before him, slowly swirling until it took the shape of a small, delicate fruit. It looked like a glowing berry, shining faintly against the dark abyss surrounding him.

Tod hesitated for a moment, then picked it up. The moment it touched his lips, an overwhelming sweetness flooded his senses, filling him with warmth. It was as though the fruit was nourishing something deep within him that he couldn't quite identify.

[Does it taste good?] The message appeared again, its cursive handwriting flowing elegantly.

"Yeah," Tod answered with a soft smile. "It's… strange. But in a good way." He paused, feeling an odd sense of calm. "I don't understand this place, though. It doesn't feel real. And… I still don't know why I'm here."

[That's okay.] The message appeared again. [Not everything needs to make sense.]

Tod stared at the words for a while, unsure if that was meant to be comforting or unsettling.

"Okay," he muttered, his voice distant. "But I still want to know more about this place."

[Soon,but not now, for now do what you want]

"I don't know...can I play a game?" He asked curiously.

[Sure but after this I would have to leave you alone for a while, don't worry I'd be back in a week and I hope you get adjusted by then]

"Oh ok" And after he said that, a board appeared in front of him, it looked like a chess board but instead of chess pieces they seem to be monsters and humanoid creatures?.

{Uhm hello?, I was just playing a game alone and now I am playing with you while I am in my labyrinth}

"Oh uhm who are you?"

{...Hmm I'll tell you if you beat me in one game}

"You have a soft and cute voice So I will assume you're a girl" Tod said.

{You shouldn't assume things so easily,} the voice responded with a hint of amusement. {But I'll let that slide for now. Let's see how good you are at this game.}

Tod looked down at the strange board. The pieces were alive, shifting slightly in place as if awaiting his command. Each one had unique features—some looked like fearsome beasts, while others resembled knights and mages.

"How do I even play this?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

{It's simple, really,} the voice replied. {You command your pieces, and I command mine. The goal is to outsmart me and capture my core piece.}

"Core piece?" Tod scanned the board and noticed a single glowing figure on each side, radiating a soft light. "That one, right?"

{Exactly. But beware, each move you make affects the board in unexpected ways. This is no ordinary game of strategy. Think carefully before you act.}

Tod nodded, still a bit unsure. "Alright, let's try this. I move… this one?" He pointed to a small, fox-like creature on his side of the board. As he did, the piece came to life, dashing forward a few spaces with surprising agility.

{Bold choice,} the voice said, sounding impressed. {But not without consequences.}

As the fox-like creature moved forward, the board shifted. The space where it had been standing glowed faintly, and a crackling sound echoed across the abyss. A patch of the board twisted and reshaped itself, turning into a dark swampy terrain.

"What just happened?" Tod asked, his glowing blue eyes widening.

{Every piece on this board has a connection to the environment,} the voice explained. {Your little fox awakened the swamp. Now, any creature that steps into it will be slowed down. Except for mine, of course.}

"Great," Tod muttered, scratching his head. "I didn't know I'd be playing a game of magical chess where the board fights back."

{Don't worry if you win I'll give you a reward that's worth it~]

"Yeah...the way you said that scares me" Tod said hesitantly.

{Hehehehhehe, a cute girl like me is innocent, now let's continue}

A tall knight with a strange sword stood at the other side of the board. It moved in a straight line towards Tod's tile, as it moved the tiles it stepped on became dark.

{Void Trap, this is an ability of the Abysd dwelling knight that usually stay in my labyrinth, wherever they step on a deadly trqp that sucks people in appears} The girl explained the scene.

"Oh cool" Tod replied and continuef watching with curiousity. The night stopped right in front of a tile where his Fox stood in its tile.

The tile the knight was standing on suddenly burst into flames and surrounded the other three tiles beside it.

{...Well, this seems disadvantaged}

Tod stayed silent, it was his turn the Fox which was in the swamp seemed to have found interest in those flames. "Attack the knight"

As he said that, the Fox opened its mouth and a small fireball came out of its mouth and hit the knight. The knight dissolved into ash and appeared outside of the board near Tod's side. "This is fun"

{Hmph, you just took one of my pieces that's nothing, also by the way you can move your piece}

"Ok" Tod replied, the Fox moved towards the tile where the fire landscape was and then it stopped, Tod was slightly confused to what was happening.

{This is an environment suitable for the Fire Fox that lives in the fire continent outside the Abyss, You can Advance it to a two tailed fire Fox}

Tod blinked in surprise, leaning forward to inspect the glowing board as the tile under the Fox emitted a vibrant red glow.

"Advance it?" he asked. "How do I do that?"

{Simple,} the voice replied playfully. {You just need to sacrifice some of your other pieces. Think of it as channeling their energy into your Fox.}

Tod glanced at his remaining pieces. They all looked alive, even sentient, shifting nervously under his gaze. "Wait, so… I have to give up my pieces for the Fox to evolve?"

{Exactly,} the voice said with a giggle. {It's a trade-off. But if you make the right sacrifices, your Fox will become powerful enough to change the game.}

Tod hesitated. The pieces didn't speak, but something about the way they moved made him feel uneasy. "They don't look too thrilled about being sacrifices."

{They understand their purpose,} the girl's voice reassured him. {It's all part of the game. Now, what will you do?}

After a moment of consideration, Tod selected a small, fragile-looking creature from his lineup. It resembled a shimmering wisp of light, flickering like a candle in the wind. The moment he chose it, the wisp floated toward the Fox, merging into its body with a flash of light.

The Fox began to change. Its fur turned a deeper, fiery red, and a second tail sprouted from its back, waving like a flame. The glow around it intensified, and a low growl echoed across the board.

"Whoa," Tod breathed, amazed by the transformation. "It looks so much stronger now."

{Impressive,} the voice admitted, though there was a hint of annoyance. {But don't think you've won just because of that. I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve.}

The girl moved one of her pieces—a dark, shadowy figure with wings like a bat. As it hovered above the board, the tiles beneath it turned to black mist, spreading slowly toward Tod's side.

{This is my Shadow Harbinger,} she said smugly. {It doesn't just corrupt the board; it also weakens any piece within its range. Let's see how your fancy two-tailed Fox handles that.}

Tod frowned, feeling the pressure. The Shadow Harbinger's influence was creeping closer, and he could see his other pieces starting to tremble. "Alright, Fox, let's test your new power. Attack the Shadow Harbinger!"

The Fox howled, its two tails whipping through the air as a massive burst of fire erupted from its mouth. The flames shot toward the Shadow Harbinger, illuminating the darkened tiles in a brilliant blaze.

But instead of being destroyed, the Shadow Harbinger absorbed the flames, its wings growing larger and darker.

{Ah, didn't I mention?} the girl teased. {My Shadow Harbinger feeds on fire.}

Tod groaned. "You didn't mention that! How is this fair?"

{It is fair, I move one of my pieces to one tile}

A spider with red eyes moved to the tile in front of it.

"Fine, I move this piece close to my Fox" The piece was a blue bird that flashed with lightning.

The moment the bird moved closer to the Fox, a faint spark of energy crackled between them. The board seemed to hum with anticipation as the lightning bird perched near the fiery creature.

{Oh? Interesting choice,} the voice mused. {Are you planning to combine their powers somehow?}

Tod blinked. "Wait… I can do that?"

{Of course,} she said with a giggle. {But it's not as simple as placing them next to each other. If you want to fuse them, there's a risk. They might succeed and become something far greater—or fail and be destroyed entirely.}

Tod hesitated. The Fox and the bird seemed to acknowledge each other, their glowing eyes locked in a silent understanding. The idea of fusing them intrigued him, but the thought of losing one or both made him uneasy.

"I'm going for it," he decided, steeling his nerves. "Let's see what happens."

As he made the decision, the board reacted immediately. The tiles beneath the Fox and the bird pulsed with light, the fiery red of the Fox merging with the crackling blue of the bird. A vortex of energy swirled around them, growing brighter and more chaotic with each passing second.

Tod shielded his eyes from the intensity, and for a moment, there was only blinding light and silence. Then, with a thunderous crack, the fusion was complete.

Standing in the center of the glowing tiles was a new creature—a majestic, two-tailed Firestorm Phoenix. Its feathers shimmered with flames and lightning, and its piercing eyes seemed to radiate raw power. Every step it took left behind a trail of scorched and electrified tiles.

"Whoa…" Tod whispered, awe-struck. "This… is amazing."

{I'll admit,} the girl said, her tone less playful now. {That's an impressive piece. But don't think it's invincible. I still have my Shadow Harbinger.}

The Phoenix let out a deafening cry, spreading its wings as the dark mist from the Shadow Harbinger encroached upon it. The tiles around the Phoenix ignited in fiery sparks, pushing back the darkness.

"I think I just found your counter," Tod said, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Phoenix, attack the Shadow Harbinger!"

The Phoenix launched itself into the air, its body enveloped in a fiery storm of lightning. It dived toward the Shadow Harbinger, colliding with it in a spectacular explosion of light and shadow. For a moment, the board was obscured by the clash of energies.

When the light faded, the Shadow Harbinger was gone, and the Phoenix stood triumphant, its flames burning brighter than ever.

{…Not bad,} the girl admitted, though her voice was quieter now. {But this game isn't over yet.}

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Tod said, his glowing blue eyes gleaming with excitement. "What's your next move?"