Darkness.
It stretched endlessly, a void without form, without sound. Alexis floated through it, weightless and broken, his mind slipping between pain and nothingness. The whispers came first — faint, distorted, like voices calling from beneath deep water. They tugged at his thoughts, words just out of reach.
Then the fire returned.
It wasn't the fierce inferno he'd felt in the clearing — this was colder, more ancient. It coiled through his veins like a living thing, patient and slow, waiting. Watching.
> System recovery in progress…
Vital functions stabilized…
Power level: 3 (Debuffed)
The system's voice was distant, barely a thread against the void. Alexis tried to reach for it — but the whispers grew louder.
"Blood of two worlds… an abomination… or a savior?"
The words scraped through his mind, jagged and cold. A thousand voices speaking as one.
"Will you rise… or will you fall?"
He tried to speak, but the void swallowed his words.
"Show us."
And then the darkness cracked.
---
Pain surged through him like a tide. Alexis woke with a ragged gasp, his lungs burning as if he hadn't breathed in days. The world around him was a blur of motion and sound — horses' hooves thundering on hard ground, the jolt of a cart beneath him. The scent of blood and smoke filled his nostrils.
He tried to move, but his body refused to obey. His limbs were leaden, every muscle trembling with exhaustion. His vision swam, and when it finally cleared, he saw iron bars.
A cage.
Panic flared, but he pushed it down. Focus. Assess.
The cart jostled violently over uneven ground. Through the bars, he glimpsed a forest flashing past — dark trees and cold mist, the distant glow of fire on the horizon. Duskmoor. Or what was left of it.
"You're awake."
The voice was low and gravelly. Alexis turned his head with effort, his vision locking onto the figure in the opposite corner of the cage — a man, lean and scarred, his wrists bound in iron chains. His eyes gleamed in the dim light, watching Alexis with cold curiosity.
"Not many survive an encounter with Inquisitors," the man said. "Even fewer leave a trail of bodies behind." He tilted his head. "What are you?"
Alexis didn't answer. His throat felt like sandpaper, and his mind was still sluggish.
The man shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You're a prize now." He nodded toward the front of the cart. "They'll sell you to the highest bidder — or hand you over to the Church. Either way, you won't see daylight again."
> System reboot: 72% complete.
Current power level: 5 (Severe debuff applied)
Strength: 18 (Reduced)
Agility: 22 (Reduced)
Endurance: 15 (Critical)
He was weakened — far more than he'd realized. Every part of him ached, his muscles stiff and heavy. The power inside him felt distant, a flicker where there had once been fire.
"How long…?" Alexis's voice was barely a whisper.
"Two days," the man replied. "They patched you up just enough to keep you alive."
Two days. Alexis's stomach turned. Elara and the others — had they escaped? Had the Church already caught them? He forced himself to sit up, every movement agony. The iron bars rattled as he gripped them, his knuckles white.
"Where… are they taking us?" he rasped.
"North," the man said. "To Blackridge." His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "Slavers' den. We'll fetch a fine price there — especially you."
The cart jolted to a stop. Voices rose outside, sharp and angry. Alexis strained to hear.
"…dead. All of them."
"The Inquisitors?" a second voice demanded. "Impossible. One boy couldn't—"
"Then explain the bodies!" the first hissed. "He killed them. All five."
A heavy silence followed. Then: "We're not taking him to Blackridge. He's too dangerous."
"What do we do, then?"
"Take him to the Church."
Alexis's blood went cold.
The man in the cage whistled low. "Seems you've made some powerful enemies."
The system's voice returned, stronger now.
> System reboot: 90% complete.
Mana levels stabilizing…
Current power level: 6 (Partial recovery)
He was still weak — but not for long. Alexis closed his eyes, focusing inward, feeling the slow surge of power beginning to return. He didn't have much time.
Outside, the conversation continued.
"Move him to the reinforced cage. We can't risk—"
The attack came without warning.
Screams split the air. The horses whinnied in terror. The cart lurched violently, and Alexis slammed into the bars, his vision exploding with stars. Through the haze, he heard the unmistakable sound of steel on steel — a battle.
"Raiders," the scarred man spat.
The forest erupted into chaos. Shadows danced beyond the bars, figures clashing in the firelight. The air filled with the scent of blood and burning wood.
The cart tilted suddenly — and then it was falling. Alexis had just enough time to brace before it hit the ground with a bone-rattling crash. The iron cage shattered on impact.
He rolled free, coughing against the dust and pain. His body screamed in protest — but he pushed it aside. Survival came first.
The system's voice cut through the noise.
> System reboot complete.
All functions restored.
Current power level: 12 (Recovered)
Power flooded him. The weakness fell away like a broken chain.
Alexis rose.
The clearing was a battlefield. Mercenaries and raiders clashed, their weapons flashing in the firelight. The slavers were outnumbered — but they fought viciously, their desperation clear.
> Enemy assessment:
Slavers: Average power level 8-10
Raiders: Average power level 7-9
A figure charged toward him — a raider, his axe raised high. Alexis didn't think. He moved.
Shing!
The axe fell — but Alexis was already inside the man's guard. His fist lashed out, striking with the force of a hammer. The raider crumpled.
> Power level disparity: Victory assured.
Another came. Alexis spun low, sweeping the man's legs out from under him. Before the raider hit the ground, Alexis's elbow slammed into his chest. The sickening crack of ribs followed.
He didn't stop. The system guided him, every motion efficient and deadly. The fire in his blood burned brighter.
A slaver stumbled toward him, eyes wide. "You—stay back!"
Alexis didn't.
In moments, the battlefield belonged to him.
When the last enemy fell, silence returned. The flames crackled softly. The air was thick with the scent of death.
The scarred man emerged from the wreckage of the cart, his eyes filled with wary respect. "Remind me never to cross you."
Alexis ignored him. He turned toward the forest, his thoughts already ahead. He had to find Elara. Had to warn them. The Church wouldn't stop.
And neither would he.
But before he could take a step, the whispers returned.
"Blood of two worlds…"
His vision swam. The fire inside him roared. The darkness at its edges stirred, and this time it didn't wait.
It swallowed him whole.