Authors note: For those of you who have read my other work, I thank you for your support. I regret to say that I will not be finishing my story Violence Is The Only Answer. It was a valuable writing experience, but through it and many things that have happened in my life since I stopped writing it, I have realized that it is simply not me. While it had some slightly dark undertones on the whole, it was a cheerful, hope-filled affair…and I cannot relate to that at all, let alone write it. And so dawned The Abyss. A project that would allow me to keep exploiting my love of writing, but would fulfill my need to expose the dark nature of life. That is not to say that this entire story will be violent and vicious. Darkness could not exist without the light. Rather, I will take this time to explore the duality of the world and the balance it so delicately hangs in. It is the Kingdom Hearts series seeming understanding of this concept that makes me love the games so much. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I will undoubtedly enjoy writing it. And, as always, the best way to get me to write is to review. As much as people seem to hate it when an author asks them to do so, it is honestly my biggest motivator. So, sit back and enjoy this foray into parts better left alone. Also I need a new editor as I'm sure will quickly become apparent so PM me if you want to volunteer.

P.S.

I would like to offer a special thanks to MavsGirl my old editor. Her life seems to have taken her beyond but she kept me writing for a lot longer than expected to be able to a few years back and was endlessly supportive. Wherever you are Mavs, I hope you're happy and that life has given you all the riches you deserve.

Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

Prologue

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

A bolt of lightning split through the night sky mirroring the twisted smile splitting the face of the eldritch witch as she sat within her tower. Twice the fools had believed her dead, and twice she had risen again. Many lesser beings would have been irritated by the constant inconvenience of death, and would have rushed mindlessly toward their vengeance, but not her. She was as patient as she was insidious and before long the twisted tree of her connivance would bare its fruit. Her tongue darted out licking her lips lasciviously in anticipation. The wait had been long and her trials had been many, but soon the time would be right. Focusing her terrible power, she quickly spoke the incantation she needed and an image began to take shape in the pool of water before her. The basin was filled with the tears of innocents, tears that she had harvested herself; slowly, lovingly, she had coaxed out what she needed from human vessel after human vessel and left the empty husks behind. The screams that had wrenched from their chests during what they knew would be their final moments were…delicious. She shivered in ecstasy as she remembered the harvest from one child in particular, but there was plenty of time to reminisce later. Right now she had a job to do.

Gazing down at the scrying bowl, she closely watched the image that had appeared. The boy was walking the beach hand in hand with his princess…good. The girl was serving her purpose as well, both of them so tangled in her web and utterly oblivious to it at the same time. The thought brought a smile to her lips. They were so sure of themselves, so foolish, so young. As their elder it was certainly her duty to educate them on the ways of the world lest some terrible harm come to them. The irony of the thought brought back the crooked smile. Waving her hand over the water, the view changed slightly, revealing to her the state of their souls. She screamed as a burst of light met with her unsuspecting eyes. That damned girl! She fought the rising rage, wrestling herself back under the control that would bring her victory. Every blade cut both ways and soon the light that had brought them victory would serve to be their downfall.

Obscuring the girl's image, she peered more closely at that of the boy. His soul was a warzone that she had never seen the likes of. One half raged against the other, a swirling mass of energy so powerful and wholly unique it was as beautiful as it was terrible. Her hand began to tremble. Soon, oh so soon, everything would set into place. Not only would she have her revenge, but the means with which to conquer all worlds as well. She began laughing, the harsh cackle as empty as the stone walls it echoed off of. The frightened whimper from the other end of the chamber brought her back to reality. Oh yes, her latest toy was still here waiting so patiently for her to return. She dipped a finger into the water and the image swirled, obscuring the scene it had held, spiky brown locks of hair the last to go. She crossed the room slowly, eager, but always patient.

With every step the whimpering grew louder, her excitement rising with the prisoner's desperation. She stopped within arm's reach of her quarry, reaching out to grip the terror-stricken face with her bony, pale fingers. She increased her grip until her dark nails began cutting into the flesh of the woman in her grasp. Blood trickled down and she relished in the feeling of it on her skin, the deep scarlet standing out harshly against her stark white flesh. The toy began making noises of desperation, but never spoke; it knew better than to say anything without first being asked a question. It was time to bring this little dance to its climax; a trained dog was a broken one, and a broken toy was just no fun at all.

"Would you like to go home, child?" she questioned the emaciated figure before her and the pitiful creature nodded eagerly. "Before I can release you, you have to please me," she spoke in clear dulcet tones, lulling her prey magically into complacence.

"How, mistress?" the shattered soul asked her, trying desperately to keep the hope out of her voice, but failing miserably.

"When I ask you to, simply say my name, and you may go free," the witch stated with a knowing smile.

"That's all?" the girl asked tentatively.

"That's all," the witch agreed, nodding once to drive the point home. "Are you ready?" The girl nodded, screwing her face into a mask of concentration.

"Good," the witch whispered drawing her left arm up, "then let us began. Say my name, my dear."

"Melific-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The end of the word cut off as the witch drove her left index finger into her victim's eye with a sickening squelch.

"Again!" the maniacal sorceress urged with desire.

"Ma-" the girl started but choked on a sob.

"Louder, dear," the witch prompted while licking the bloody ichor off her hand.

"Maliffff-FFFFFFFAAAAAAAGH!" the prisoner screamed once more as a knife flashed and three of her toes fell softly to the ground.

The game continued and the wicked mistress of the tower won every round. Once finished, she returned to her throne and motioned to her crow that she was finished. Idly she watched the carrion bird pick at what remained of her plaything. The wet tear of flesh reverberated in her mind and sung her into a sleeplike state.

"Soon…" she thought to herself before dozing off. The night sky and the loyal scavenger the only witnesses to the acts she had committed within her fortress. And neither was likely to speak.

-/\- /\- /\- /\- / \- /\- /\- /\- /\- Chapter End -/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\-

Music Listened To while Writing this Chapter:

Brothers by The Black Keys

And

Illuminaudio by Chiodos