Leviathan: Rise of the Abyss

"The past has a way of haunting the present, not to remind us of what was, but to test the strength of who we've become."

By the Divine

Leviathan's breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled to his feet, his wings folding awkwardly against his back. The dark realm was suffocating, its air thick with the stench of decay and malice. Shadows writhed around him like living entities, their whispers crawling into his ears, taunting him with fragmented words.

"Leviathan," the sultry voice rang out, cutting through the oppressive gloom.

He turned sharply, his glowing eyes narrowing as a figure emerged from the darkness. Her heels clicked against the unseen ground, her silhouette tall and commanding. The dim light of the dark realm barely illuminated her features, but Leviathan knew her instantly.

"Clarisse" he said, his voice a mix of disbelief and anger.

The woman before him—her form identical to the one he remembered—smirked, her crimson lips curling in amusement. "Oh, Levi," she purred, tilting her head as if mocking his confusion. "You look surprised. Didn't expect me to pay you a visit?"

"What are you doing here?" Leviathan growled, his hands clenching into fists.

Clarisse's laughter echoed around them, cold and sharp. "Here? No, darling, I'm not actually here. This is just a little piece of me, a clone. I have more important things to do than deal with you directly."

"Still hiding behind others, I see," Leviathan retorted, his voice dripping with venom. "You're as cowardly as ever."

Her expression darkened for a brief moment before she regained her composure. "Careful now," she said, her tone warning. "Insults won't get you out of here. Besides, I didn't come to reminisce. I came to deliver a message and apart from that the current you that has been weakened by the half breed"

Leviathan's wings twitched, a faint glow emanating from his body as he prepared for whatever she might throw at him. "What message?"

Clarisse stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Stay away from Sophia."

The mention of Sophia's name made Leviathan's blood run cold, though he kept his expression neutral. "What do you want with her?"

Clarisse chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. "Oh, it's not me who wants her. It's my husband. You remember him, don't you? The demon you humiliated in the depts of hell? He hasn't forgotten. And he's very eager to repay the favor."

"Why can't he come here to say it himself, he wouldn't be touching Sophia except over my dead body" Leviathan snarled, his aura flaring.

Clarisse shrugged nonchalantly. "That can be arranged. But for now, I'm just here to warn you. She's marked, Leviathan. You can't protect her forever."

Before Leviathan could respond, the shadows around him surged, their forms twisting into monstrous shapes. Clarisse began to fade, her smirk the last thing to disappear.

"Enjoy your stay," she said mockingly as the shadows lunged at Leviathan.

He roared, his wings snapping open as he launched himself into battle, the dark realm erupting in chaos.

The shadow beast that Leviathan flung across the void dissolved into black mist, but before he could steady himself, another lunged for his back. Spinning swiftly, Leviathan caught its jagged claws mid-air, crushing the limb with a sickening crunch. His wings flared with a crimson glow, blasting the creature into nothingness.

"Enough of this!" Leviathan growled, his voice rippling with fury. He extended his arms, summoning the raw energy within him, and the shadows writhed in response, momentarily recoiling.

"Still trying to play the hero, Levi?" Clarisse's voice echoed mockingly, her tone laced with venom. "How noble. How predictable."

"You have no idea who I've become, Clarisse," Leviathan snarled, his eyes scanning the endless expanse of darkness. "Whatever game you're playing, you won't win. If you think you can touch Sophia—"

"She's already marked," Clarisse interrupted, her words cutting through him like a blade. "That little human you're so fond of? She won't survive the month. You're too late, as always."

Leviathan's heart thundered in his chest, rage bubbling to the surface. His wings flared wider, their sharp edges humming with energy. "You forget who you're dealing with," he said, his voice low and deadly.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," Clarisse replied smoothly, her voice coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "But I do wonder… have you? The Leviathan I knew would never let himself fall for something as fragile as a human."

"You don't know me and I didn't fall for any mortal" Leviathan spat, his muscles tensing as he braced for the next wave of attacks.

"I don't think so?" she teased.

Before Leviathan could respond, the ground beneath him began to shift. The void quaked, and monstrous tendrils of shadow erupted from below, spiraling toward him. He leaped into the air, his wings propelling him upward, but the tendrils pursued him relentlessly, their tips sharp and deadly.

In one swift motion, Leviathan twisted in midair and slashed downward with his wings, severing several of the tendrils. They hissed and recoiled, but more replaced them instantly.

"You think shadows can bind me?" Leviathan roared, his voice booming. "I am the Leviathan—the beast of pride! Your tricks won't stop me!"

The tendrils froze mid-attack, and for the first time, Clarisse's mocking tone faltered. "You are not the old you Levi" she repeated softly, almost amused. "You are weak and I can feel it "

The tendrils retracted, and the darkness around Leviathan began to swirl. The void seemed to collapse inward, forcing him to land hard on the shifting ground. As he steadied himself, a figure stepped out of the swirling shadows.

Clarisse.

She looked exactly as he remembered—beautiful, deadly, and utterly infuriating. Her crimson lips curled into a smug smile as she surveyed him, her sharp features bathed in the eerie glow of the void.

"Welcome home, Levi," she said, spreading her arms as if to embrace him. "It's been far too long."

Leviathan's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. "Whatever you're planning, it ends here."

Clarisse tilted her head, a mock pout on her lips. "Oh, Levi, you really think you can stop me? With your current strength I can probably eliminate you with ease"

Leviathan smirked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Try me."

Without warning, he launched himself forward, his wings slicing through the air like blades. Clarisse sidestepped his attack effortlessly, her laughter ringing out as she disappeared into the shadows.

"Catch me if you can," her voice taunted, fading into the distance.

Leviathan skidded to a halt, his breath heavy, his mind racing. He had to get out of this void and back to Sophia—but first, he had to deal with Clarisse.

"Game on," he muttered under his breath, his wings flaring once more as he took off into the darkness, determined to end this once and for all.

As Leviathan flew through the darkness he began to transform. His skin became hard as claws came out of his hands, fangs also erupted from his mouth as his eyes turned red as two horns erupted from his head. With a reverberating roar all the shadow creatures was destroyed by a wave of pure red destruction energy

Leviathan suddenly disappeared from Clarisse view shocking her "What are you trying to do here Leviathan?" Clarisse said trying to cover her fear by mocking Leviathan "I can't believe the beast will actually hide, the beast is now a coward who fears fights" Clarisse said and suddenly a hand held her neck choking her

"I admit that I've gotten weaker but you are not capable enough to challenge me and I'm surely not a coward" Leviathan said in a distorted voice before snapping the neck of the clone and he tossed the body away like thrashand the body burned before it touched the ground

******Deep in New Orleans******

Clarisse screamed in anger in her room and the whole house trembled and a man who was lying on the bed opened his eyes evidently annoyed. "Do not disturb my sleep waste" the man said with a low growl and Clarisse turned quiet from fear

******Back to the dark realm******

*How will I get out of here* Leviathan thought to himself as he looked around. If it was in the paste where he had is ability to move through realms this would have been easy for him to do

"I guess I'll have to tear the realm open" Leviathan said to himself as his body grew bigger and he then gripped the air in front of him as immerse red destruction energy gathered in front of him and then an explosion occurred and the next thing that happened was that a rift appeared in the air and Leviathan flew through it quickly and disappeared

*****The Penthouse Rooftop*****

Lotan was thinking about where Leviathan could have gone and suddenly Leviathan appeared from the empty air. Leviathan folded his wings as he touched down on the rooftop, the last traces of his battle fading from his mind. Lotan was already on his feet, his expression a mix of frustration amd irritation.

"Where on earth did you go?" Lotan demanded, his voice sharp as he closed the distance between them.

Leviathan exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "It's a long story," he said, his voice cold

Lotan crossed his arms. "We are immortals Leviathan time is all we have"

Leviathan began recounting everything: the sudden pull into the dark realm, his confrontation with the shadow beasts, and his tense exchange with Clarisse. He described her smirk, her taunts, and how she'd sent only a clone of herself to deliver her husband's threat.

When he mentioned Clarisse, Lotan's brow shot up. "Wait. so Clarisse is an old flame?"

Leviathan nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it's her. She's married to a demon I humiliated ages ago. Now they've set their sights on Sophia."

Lotan blinked, processing this. "You have an old flame? I'm struggling to picture you being romantic with anyone."

Leviathan shot him a glare. "It was a lifetime ago. Don't make this into something it isn't."

Lotan smirked but quickly sobered. "So, she marked Sophia? That's serious, Levi. And you've been gone a whole week. Sophia and Alice have been worried sick."

Leviathan frowned. "A week? That can't be right. It felt like hours in that void."

"Time shifts in those realms," Lotan said. "I thought you knew that."

Before Leviathan could respond, the rooftop door swung open, and Sophia and Alice stepped out, their voices carrying over as they talked. The moment they saw Leviathan, they froze.

"Leviathan!" Sophia cried, rushing toward him.

Alice followed, her expression a mix of relief and irritation. "You had us worried sick!"

Sophia threw her arms around him without hesitation, surprising Leviathan. Alice joined in a second later, albeit with less enthusiasm.

"You're alive," Sophia said, her voice muffled against his chest. "What happened?"

Leviathan hesitated, glancing at Lotan for help. Without missing a beat, Lotan cleared his throat. "He ran into an old flame," he said, his tone casual but teasing.

Sophia and Alice stepped back in unison, their eyes wide with curiosity.

"An old flame?" Sophia asked, her voice tinged with something she couldn't quite place—annoyance?

"Clarisse," Leviathan admitted, keeping his tone neutral.

Sophia's brow furrowed. "Who is she?"

"Nobody important," Leviathan said quickly, trying to charge subject.

Sophia's chest tightened, though she didn't understand why. *Why do I feel… jealous?* she thought to herself, shaking her head. *That's ridiculous.*

"Anyway," Lotan interjected, breaking the tension, "the dwarf delivered what you asked for while you were gone."

Leviathan's face brightened slightly. "Perfect timing."

He quickly went to the room to get a small, ornate box, its surface was etched with intricate patterns. He handed it to Sophia.

"For you," he said simply.

Sophia's eyes widened in surprise. "What is it?"

"A gift," Leviathan said. "A token of friendship."

Sophia opened the box slowly, revealing a delicate pendant with a glowing blue gem at its center. It shimmered faintly, its light calming and mesmerizing.

"It's beautiful," Sophia whispered, her fingers brushing over the gem.

"Made from a feather of mine and was crafted by the finest dwarf smith in the underworld," Leviathan explained.

Sophia's heart fluttered, though she quickly reminded herself it was just a gesture of friendship. She glanced at him, unsure of what to say.

Before the moment could linger, Alice's voice cut through. "Wait, did you say feathers and dwarfs?"

"Yes," Lotan confirmed, as he stared at Alice playfully "I want one too" Alice said and Leviathan ignored her

Leviathan's gaze shifted to the horizon, his mind racing. If he had lost an entire week, what else had he missed? What other plans had Clarisse and her husband set into motion during his absence?

As if on cue, a sharp crack echoed in the distance. All heads turned toward the sound, and the sky over the city began to darken unnaturally, streaks of crimson cutting through the clouds like jagged wounds.

Leviathan's fists clenched, his wings unfurling instinctively. "Can't this idiots let me take a time out" he muttered, his voice filled with a murderous intent

"What does that mean?" Sophia asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"It means I am angry" Leviathan said, his glowing eyes locking onto the horizon as his canine began to elongate