Echoes of the Abyss A Mythic Vanguard Spin-Off

Echoes of The Abyss

Prologue – The Abyss Stirs

Beneath the surface of the mortal realm, past the roots of the great mountains and the deepest ocean trenches, lay a prison long thought to be eternal. The Abyss, a place of shadows and forgotten horrors, pulsed with an unnatural energy.

A lone figure stood on the edge of the abyssal chasm, hood drawn over their face, murmuring incantations in a language lost to time. The ground trembled. The darkness shifted. Something—someone—was waking up.

Chapter 1 – A Message from the Depths

Alex awoke with a start, sweat beading on her forehead. The dream had been vivid: a voice whispering her name, an overwhelming sense of dread, and a symbol burning in the air before her—a spiraling abyss.

She hurried to the temple, where the gods still watched over the Vanguard’s actions. Athena met her gaze with a knowing frown. “You felt it, didn’t you?” the goddess asked.

Alex nodded. “Something is stirring. Something old.”

Athena’s expression darkened. “Then you must gather your team. The Abyss does not release its prisoners without consequence.”

Chapter 2 – The Gathering Storm

The Vanguard regrouped at the edge of the Olympian fields. Kayla, Ethan, and Mira listened as Alex explained what she had seen. Leo, standing slightly apart, clenched his fists, deep in thought.

“If this is what I think it is,” Leo muttered, “then we’re all in trouble.”

Kayla crossed her arms. “Care to elaborate?”

“There was a war before Olympus,” Leo said. “Before even the Titans ruled. The gods imprisoned something beneath the earth, a force so dangerous it had to be forgotten.”

Mira shuddered. “And now it’s waking up?”

“Looks like it,” Alex said grimly. “And we’re the only ones who can stop it.”

Chapter 3 – Descent into Darkness

Following cryptic clues given by Athena, the Vanguard journeyed to the lost ruins of Karthos, an ancient city swallowed by time. Legends spoke of a gateway beneath its ruins—one leading directly into the Abyss.

They found the entrance beneath the shattered remains of a temple, a massive stone archway lined with runes that pulsed faintly. Leo placed a hand on the stone. “It’s active.”

The moment his fingers touched the runes, the gateway burst open. Darkness swirled, and the team was pulled into the void.

Chapter 4 – The Prison of Souls

They landed in a realm unlike any they had ever seen. The sky—if it could be called that—was an endless expanse of swirling black mist. The ground beneath their feet shifted like liquid yet held firm.

Whispers filled the air, voices clawing at their minds. Ethan winced. “I hate this place already.”

Mira pointed ahead. “We’re not alone.”

Shadowy figures emerged from the mist—prisoners of the Abyss, twisted beyond recognition. And leading them was a creature more nightmare than man, its form shifting like smoke.

“Welcome,” it rasped. “You’ve come so far just to fail.”

Chapter 5 – The Forgotten Enemy

The creature introduced itself as Xelthos, the Warden of the Abyss. “For centuries, I have watched the gods’ prisoners fester in this place. But the gods grow weak, and now the Abyss shall rise.”

Alex tightened her grip on her blade. “Not if we stop you.”

Xelthos laughed, a hollow sound. “Brave words. Let’s see if you can back them up.”

The shadow creatures attacked, moving with impossible speed. Kayla cut through one with her sword, but it reformed instantly. “This isn’t working!” she shouted.

Leo closed his eyes, calling on the strange power that had been growing within him. Darkness met darkness as he unleashed a wave of energy, scattering the creatures. But Xelthos only smiled.

“You are more like us than you know.”

Chapter 6 – The Truth Revealed

After a hard-fought battle, the Vanguard pushed deeper into the Abyss, finding themselves at a massive obsidian gate. Runes similar to those on the entrance pulsed weakly.

“This is the final seal,” Mira said. “If Xelthos breaks this, the Abyss will consume the world.”

Leo hesitated. The runes called to him, whispering in a voice only he could hear. “I can stop it,” he murmured.

Alex turned to him. “How?”

Leo met her gaze. “By using the Abyss against itself.”

Chapter 7 – The Price of Power

Leo stepped forward, pressing his hands against the obsidian gate. Darkness coiled around him, recognizing one of its own.

Xelthos appeared, laughing. “You think you can wield our power?”

Leo grit his teeth. “I don’t think. I know.”

He channeled the darkness, turning it back against Xelthos. The Warden howled as the Abyss rejected him, pulling him into its depths. The obsidian gate sealed shut, its runes flaring brightly before fading to silence.

Leo collapsed, gasping for breath. The darkness receded, leaving only the Vanguard standing victorious.

Epilogue – Shadows Remain

Back in the mortal world, the gods praised the Vanguard’s victory. But as Leo looked at his hands, still tinged with darkness, he knew the battle wasn’t over.

The Abyss had not released him entirely.

And deep within the void, something still watched.

Waiting.