After a while, Axel calmed from the euphoria he was feeling and was back in the room, relishing the fact that his body had truly healed.
With the help of Gizmo, Axel had achieved a lot during the past five years, but his paralyzed body had been a constant source of sadness and helplessness. Now, he could finally be free.
[Although I would recommend you feign your disability for some time to get to know your enemies within the household better, I don't think that's going to happen, is it?] asked Gizmo, looking at the big smile plastered on Axel's face.
'I could pretend for maybe a week or so, not more than that. But before you start making strategies for the future, do you have any idea what happened to me back there? I could feel the strong pulse of light over my body, and then suddenly everything was blank. When I woke up, I was already cured. So tell me, Gizmo—what happened?' Axel was truly surprised by the eventful night he was having.
[Don't you remember anything regarding the trance? You were out for hours before you came to your senses. I was mostly sure that you had somehow gained the skill you'd been working on, but for that, you must be able to remember what happened during that trance.]
'Not really. All of that is a blank for me. I think I must have lost consciousness during that time. I do feel invigorated, but other than that, nothing. Didn't you tell me that from the moment someone acquires a skill, they can tell how to use it and everything? So why is all I'm drawing a blank? Are you sure I have a skill now?' asked the confused Axel.
[Well, I'm not too sure now. What you've described is completely different from what all skill users have experienced upon acquiring their skill for the first time. If what you're saying is true, then we have to re-evaluate the phenomenon entirely.]
But before Gizmo could go on any further with its deductions, it sensed someone's presence moving toward their room.
[Axel, be ready—someone is approaching.] said Gizmo.
'Yeah, I can sense him too. It's most probably Silas. But what does he want from me in the middle of the night? Should I just knock him out and show him his place? I'm definitely positive that I can do that now. What do you say—should we teach this bastard a lesson?' asked Axel, while the fire of revenge burned deep within him.
[If you let him know that you've recovered, we won't be able to uncover his plans or who he's working for. I don't think he's acting alone—he must have something else planned. Just bide your time for now. He can't truly hurt you even if he tried. You've already formed a core—sorry, two cores, hehe.] Gizmo explained, laughing like a villain at the end.
Axel was not too shocked by Gizmo's behaviour. Over the years, he had felt that Gizmo was slowly developing a personality of its own. Whether that personality would be helpful toward his goals was a different question—one Axel had left for his future self to handle.
The door to the room opened, and a middle-aged man entered, closing it gently to ensure no sound was heard. The man was gaunt, his frame almost skeletal. His pale, wrinkled skin stretched taut over his bones, and his deep-set, hollow eyes held a world-weary look.
A wispy grey beard framed his face, and his thinning hair was patchy. Despite his frail appearance, there was a sharpness in his movements and a flicker of intelligence in his gaze.
Silas slowly approached Axel's bed. On Axel's command, Gizmo had already simulated his right side to appear paralyzed, making it impossible for anyone to discern that he was now healthy.
"Oh, my dear, sweet Axel," Silas said in an eerie voice. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long, but not anymore. Soon, you'll be a pawn on the chessboard for me to use—just like your siblings. So, do you have anything to say before I hand you over to the wolves?"
"Oh, wait—you can't speak, right? How could I forget? HAHA. You dumb fu****, if only you'd never been born. But don't worry. Soon, you'll wish you never were. HAHA!" Silas laughed in an otherworldly voice.
Axel had a bad premonition about what Silas was planning, but Gizmo had suggested he go along with the flow. So, he simply waited for events to take their course.
Silas took out a smooth, reddish-brown stone pulsating with a faint inner light, exuding a sense of ancient power. Seeing that stone, Axel's gut feeling grew stronger, and he was about to take action—but before he could, a dark black portal opened beside him and sucked him in.
[Fuck! How did the likes of him get an artifact—and a space-attributed one at that?!] These were the last words Gizmo spoke to Axel before they were swallowed by the portal.