The Abyss Within

    By nr bigkirbo

    The Abyss Within cover image

    08 Apr, 2024

    a woman in a wet suit standing in front of a pool of water with gold fish in it's mouth, fantasy art, cyberpunk art, Artgerm, cgstudio

    Alice was the girl next door, her obsession with diving gear and wetsuits was known to all. Her attire was unconventional, she wore her black diving suit all the time.

    a woman in a black suit standing in front of a coral reef with fish and corals on it, fantasy art, cyberpunk art, Artgerm, rossdraws global illumination

    Her friends thought it was peculiar, yet they never questioned her. But, Alice's obsession was growing, it was more than a fascination, it was an addiction.

    a woman in a diving suit and helmet standing in front of a coral reef with fish swimming around her, space art, a character portrait, Eizan Kikukawa, official art

    Alice would carry her gas tanks and full-face diving mask everywhere. Her obsession became her identity, her body became a vessel for the black neoprene suit.

    a woman in a diving suit and goggles standing in front of a coral reef with scuba equipment on her head, fantasy art, cyberpunk art, Ayami Kojima, game art

    She began to experiment, inhaling the gas from her tanks constantly. The effects were strange, she felt a growing urge to never remove her gear.

    a woman in a black suit standing in front of a fish tank with a halo above her head and a fish in the water, fantasy art, cyberpunk art, Artgerm, stanley artgerm lau

    One day, she injected liquid black neoprene into her body. This was a point of no return, her gear and body started merging into one.

    a woman in a scuba suit standing in front of a coral reef with fish in the background and a scuba suit on, fantasy art, cyberpunk art, Artgerm, stanley artgerm lau

    Alice was no longer just Alice, she was a creature of the abyss, her being was consumed by the black neoprene. She was becoming something otherworldly.

    a woman in a black uniform is sitting at a desk with a pair of headphones on her head, serial art, cyberpunk art, Artgerm, official art

    She began to create a full-face mask that could hypnotize people. Her goal was to make everyone like her, consumed by the black neoprene.

    a woman in a wet suit standing in the ocean with a scuba suit on and a helmet on her head, sots art, poster art, Artgerm, official art

    Alice was successful. The world around her was changing, people were becoming like her. The world was being consumed by the black neoprene.

    a woman in a black suit standing in a tunnel with a gun in her hand and a helmet on, space art, cyberpunk art, Alice Prin, official art

    The world was no longer colorful, it was dark and filled with the black neoprene. Alice had created a world of her own, a world of eternal abyss.

    a man in a blue shirt and brown pants holding a gun in a dark alley with a glowing circle in the background, rayonism, poster art, Cedric Seaut (Keos Masons), anime key visual

    But amidst the darkness, there was a glimmer of hope. Alice's boyfriend, Jack, was unaffected by her hypnotic mask. He was determined to rescue her.

    a man and a woman standing in a doorway with their arms around each other, looking at the camera, sots art, a poster, Aya Goda, official art

    Jack loved Alice, he couldn't bear to see her lost in her obsession. He was determined to bring her back, to free her from her self-created abyss.

    a man sitting at a table with a book and pen in his hand and a bookcase full of books behind him, remodernism, a character portrait, Armin Hansen, official art

    He began to study her condition, trying to find a way to separate Alice from the black neoprene. He spent days and nights trying to find a solution.

    a man in a futuristic city with a backpack on his shoulder and a yellow eye patch on his chest, sots art, a character portrait, Cedric Seaut (Keos Masons), rossdraws global illumination

    Jack was desperate, but he didn't lose hope. He believed in Alice, he knew that she was still there, somewhere beneath the black neoprene.

    a man holding a jar of liquid in a laboratory area with bottles of liquid in the background and a clock on the wall, remodernism, a stock photo, Alvan Fisher, official art

    After weeks of relentless effort, Jack found a way. He created a serum that could potentially reverse the effects of the black neoprene.

    a couple of people standing on top of a cliff next to a cliff face in the sky with a giant robot, rayonism, concept art, Cedric Seaut (Keos Masons), official art

    With a heavy heart and high hopes, Jack approached Alice. He was ready to risk everything to bring her back, to rescue her from the abyss.

    a man and a woman in a sci - fi fi fi suit standing next to each other in a room, sots art, a character portrait, Eve Ryder, official art

    Jack injected Alice with the serum, holding her close as her body began to react. The black neoprene started to separate from her body, it was working.

    a woman in a sci - fi fi outfit standing in a hallway with a gun in her hand and a helmet on, space art, cyberpunk art, Eizan Kikukawa, anime key visual

    Alice writhed in pain, her body convulsing as the black neoprene was expelled. It was a painful process, but necessary for her salvation.

    a couple of anime characters standing next to each other in front of a blue sky with clouds and a body of water, sots art, concept art, Ai-Mitsu, official art

    Slowly, the black neoprene was leaving her body, revealing the Alice that was lost beneath. Jack could see her, the girl he loved was coming back.