(Saturday. Date: 20-04-2463)

Moving along the eastern wall I walked confidently by, uncaring if anyone saw me. I was still an idiot; that much I knew. But the high from the fight and the levelling had an affect on me. Filled me with a moderate sum of arrogance.

The entrance to the Manse was rather large; at about, 4.5-meters and I pushed it open. The sound of rusted hinges and stone grinding made me wince as my teeth ached. Opening it; I waited, listening for any hint of a sound. But all that came through was the stale warm air from inside.

The actual door to the Manse was actually quite well decorated. Long bands of bronze; shaped and welded to resemble something like that of a portcullis, framed the geography of the door. Massive rings of iron doorknockers centred the piece; though they looked more like a fixtures as they were sealed and welded to the stopper.

I moved within, the only light illuminating the darkness of the interior was that which came with me. All was silent within, and the stale whispered hauntedly.

A once red-carpet line the centre of the stairs opposite where I stood, now stained darkly with blood. Deep gouges cut jagged ridges into the walls and floor. Cracks bled out from several deep impact sights in the ground, just a few feet from the entrance.

“Oh, it’s gonna be big, isn’t it?” I said sourly. “That’ll be why the door is so damn huge and heavy.”

Fatigue: 18% I was well rested, the force I applied at the door only giving me a 3% rise. Moving further in; I crept along till I saw that two hallways were on either side of the stair case at my eleven and one o’clock. They seemed more catered to the smaller variety of ratlings.

I was about move towards the left-hand hallway when a tremendous thump! Shook the floor beneath me, rattled the walls and rocked the ceiling, knocking loose thick layers of dust.

Then a scream of distress, fear and panic chilled me to the bones, followed by more screams of many different voices. All sounding like a concert of screeching and wailing banshee’s.

Darting up the stairs without a second thought, I bounded off to the left side and made my way along the walkway overlooking the entrance chamber I had been in. Then I dashed through a side passage about 3 meters wide.

A horrendous cackling laughter froze me in place, the shear insanity of the maddening laugh made me dry heave. An endless echo of doubt crossed my mind as I swam mentally through a fog of fear. Drenched in sweat as the intensity increased the further, I moved.

I realised my fears meant shit to me as I had a Little sister to take care of, and debts to pay. Not to mention the green gateway on Tuesday. Then I was harkened back to the idea I had begun forming, all fear was washed away under that single cheesy ass hope I had.

A screen notification blocked my vision; reading it over I smiled and then dismissed it with a wave.

Affliction Debuff: Fear.

Passive Skill: Incite has activated: Fear. Affliction Rebuffed. +1 Sense. +1 Intelligence. I stomped my feet forwards moving louder than I’d fully intended to. But the unceasing laughter didn’t die off, in fact it was joined by another more high-pitched and squealing in delight.

I ran as something in that mad laughter felt startlingly insane. Then I was there at a heavy iron door, that looked more like it belonged on a medieval dungeon. I put my ear against it and the sounds of sniffling, crying and a low penetrating groan.

The laughter chittered and tapered off followed by a series of smacking sounds and grunts. The speed of each becoming more audible through the door.

“Rush in, kill the fucker. Take his head find the throne and I’m homeward bound,” I said quickly running through a mental checklist as if I would forget what I was doing here. I knew exactly what I was doing, I was hesitating. “Come on- come on, move.” I hissed and squared my shoulders, then ran at the door. Bounding through and into the room beyond, I skidded and froze at the horrific sight that greeted me.

The room was something akin to a prison and holding area; with multiple cells filled with strange naked women, scales of every colour lining the sides of their body’s brow and jawline. Their eyes were huge, with vertically slits for pupils. The sclera filling their eyes, were a deep yellow or green. They numbered about thirty, dirty and sobbing. Only a few saw me enter, as the rest like I; were staring in disgust and dread at the sight of my first red identified enemy. Or should I say, enemies.

Khrum & Sprall. Ruling Turaisha’Fell. Grey-Abomination. It was a giant 5-meter tall rat and was easily 3-meters broad from shoulder to shoulder. Packed with rippling muscle, it’s hairless, pale, pinkish flesh stood stark within darken room. It’s right arm fit the rest of its body where the left was tiny and deformed, looking gnarled and curled in itself.

Fur dotted the scalp of it’s head in tuffs. At the lower centre of it’s body was a another ratling, this one was of a grunt size and melded within the flesh of the bigger. It’s small under belly and tiny limbs moving constantly, clawing at the air as it squeaked and chittered upwards towards the bigger of the pair.

Beneath them though, was what heralded the smacking sound. One of the scaled women was dead beneath them, her head crushed, dark purple blood leaking between the fragments of bone and gore. The body thrust forward, moving as the abomination’s speed built. It’s humongous arm holding the corpse in place like a doll-toy.

Cold anger burned within my eyes, as Incite unconsciously activated again rebuffing fear debuff’s. As their collective pleasure build, I walked towards them- it, unhurriedly. They cried out in unison spurting their disgusting filth within the corpse.

The bigger head rose up from it’s bliss and I realised the women in their cells had stopped sobbing and were now watching me. I kept moving even as; Khrum, I thought. Stared at me in obvious shock and bewilderment. The smaller Sprall taking a second longer.

I activated Haste. And the world crawled as I stepped upon it.

No sooner had I left the position I had been standing Khrum & Sprall started to withdraw themselves of the dead woman. Within a flickering eye blink, I was besides the body, my hand flicking out, to sever the shafts of their genitals. As I moved the halberd, I’d brought screaming forth I used Disabling Strike just as the axe head parted their flesh easily and explosively. Screaming slowly in pain, Khrum and Sprall tried in vain to stop me and cover their injury.

I had made the first move, now to follow it up. My brain felt hazy with fury.

I struck out again, this time with the spiked tip of the halberd. I rammed the length through the rat-kings throat. Except my halberd skidded off its skin as a slightly reddish tint blossomed against its pale pink flesh.

Is that a skills? I asked, mentally shrugging in replied.

So instead of attempting the same thing again I rammed the spike into the expose wound of Sprall’s smaller severed genitals. Smiling at the pain I was causing the thing.

So caught in what damage I was dealing, I didn’t notice the back hand that sent me sailing through the air to crater into the far wall beside the door. -45Hp. Health: 200/245. I grimaced; falling to my side as I slid down the wall. My back and ribs ached terribly. Then my Haste deactivated as another screen blotted my vision. Showing a display of my body and limb condition. I saw that my torso now read: 75/100%.

I wheezed, scrambling to get to my feet, as the tank sized rat stomped my way. The smaller body still hurling and screaming in agony. Its head rolling back and forth in a pain-filled delirium. Khrum’s giant fist pounding into the floor and cracking the wooden planks that were surprisingly still holding steady as it lumbered after me.

I withdrew my trusty rusted dagger when they were within a meter away from me, and Khrum was raring to pound me bloody and flat like a pancake, I simply added insult to injury. I threw my dagger underhand burying the crude blade up to the hilt in Sprall’s chest.

+1 Agility. I almost laughed manically at the prompt.

Diving out of the way I rolled, springing to my feet, I summoned forth my crude iron spear and waited as the Khrum paused it’s rampage. They spun in place, a drowsy movement. Khrum holding Spralls’ head in it’s hand, the smaller of the two squeaking it’s final goodbye.

It wouldn’t been a sad thing to watch, but the other colder half of myself saw the dead woman still being defiled even after her death. I couldn’t even imagine the horrors these women must’ve seen, those that survived being this things play toy probably ended up either pregnant or horrible disfigured afterwards.

The colder half of myself churned at these thoughts and breathed a kindling breath of righteous anger, as it killed what little sympathy I might’ve felt for the thing.

I became uncaring. No. Not exactly uncaring; more unfeeling for the monstrous child that it was, ruining its’ toys.

I swept my arm back, simultaneously activating Disabling Strike and Haste. My movements a blur; reminiscent of my first time using the strike. As my arm exploded forwards as the spear in turn exploded from my throw. The wood of the shaft splintering and crunching in every direction; the spearhead remained true though. Spralls’ head was eviscerated in a shower; as it’s tiny brain sprayed across Khrum’s head, arm and chest.

It roared a cry of outrage and anguish.

Something I myself had felt once, when I watched father being brutally murdered. The grief I had felt. Then it was cut short, and I blinked. Khrum had vanished, and I was left dumbly staring at the spot it had been previously. A shadow of haze glimpsed at my side, then my arm wrenching out of it’s socket as I was tossed up and about, thrown like a ragdoll into the ceiling. My face and chest rebounded of the hard wood and rusted iron nails. My head swam, vision blurring as I became weightless once again.

Torso: 45/100%

Right-arm: 25/100%

-100Hp.

Right-arm critically wounded!

“Rhysy,” my mother’s voice, spoken in a haunted parody of her usual warm soothing tones.

It rose like a vaporous serpent, up and out from the depth of my memories to strike at me.

I stared at my parents half a second before it happened. I have forgotten what we had been arguing about that day. I just remember staring at mom as she paused in her cooking to turn her stern eyes on me. I heard the front door of our house click open, dad calling out that he was back from work. My parent’s greeting one another with love and tenderness. My father asking where Kayla was and my mom replying to him.

Then just as my dad moved to talk to me, the ground shook. The whole house rattled as a loud booming horn blast shattered the windows. We all gasped in surprise, my mom then screaming as the pot on the cooking stove spilled and splashed the burning hot water onto her arm and neck. My dad screaming and cursing, moving to help my mom as I did the same.

A wave of red light blossomed all around us, my dad then yelled for me to get my mom up as he moved to the front door to go get my sister. Kayla was playing over at her friends house; directly opposite ours. I turned to see him fling open the door to step outside when a great wave of force destroyed everything.

I remember standing there frozen what felt like a lifetime, my eyes drifting to my mothers’ face as she screamed for dad. Then it was as if everything was thrown to the right, the whole house decimated and flattened as we were. Then tossed to the left, juggled, and then being sucked into; towards a giant vortex of red light. Car alarms blurred, animals and pets screeching and barking. Great monstrous roars and the sounds of plasma-like weapons firing. People were screaming and crying everywhere. But I was trapped within our house, my hand still holding my moms, though I couldn’t see her.

The water spilled from the cooking pot dripping through all the debris piled on top of me to splash onto the side of my chest. Then red tinted my vision, and I became paralyzed as I awakened. While suffering from the pain of being continuously scolded and burnt.

I came too in a different room. The thundering of the floor beneath me told me I needed to move, to get up and run. Fatigue: 68% I shook my head dizzily as I tried to shake the cobwebs free from my mind. I went to roll over but the pain from attempting so; told me to do otherwise.

Popping open my Inventory and downing two vials of healing potions, I did a quick check of my status. +50Hp. Health: 150/245. Mana:225/225. Fatigue: 66% Internal bleed healed. Critical wounds done to limbs cannot be healed till mended. I grimaced; expecting something like this, but not liking it all the same. “At least my torso now reads 75/100% My arm is fucked though,” I said sourly glancing down at it hanging limply at my side. I moved, swinging my body carefully as I climbed to my feet.

I hissed through the dull constant ache but was glad to see that my health didn’t go down. Moving to the far side of the room; I stumbled and stopped as I nearly tripped and fell down a hole in the floor. Through the dim light of the interior of the Manse; I saw the holding room below.

It was a solid 7- or 8-meter drop. Frowning; I felt the violent racking of my being as the pounding of what could only be Khrum lumbering up through the Manse in search of me.

I searched about for options, opposite me was the door to this attic room I was in. It was a dark vacant thing of a room, completely devoid of anything other than dusty cobwebs.

I shuffled my way over towards the door, but instead of opening and stepping through, I scurried and hid in the corner on this side of the room. Crouching low, I waited and was immediately surprised and cowered when the wall beside me exploded forth in a hail of debris as Khrum smashed through and skidded to a stop.

Shocked; I shook my head quickly to clear away the fog, Khrums’ skin was no longer tinted red, so I figured it’s skill or whatever it used was now on cool-down. I got up to a jog from my crouch and braced myself, ramming forward’s I crashed into the back lower half of Khrum. I was like a Gnat smacking into a brick wall. The only thing that crumbled and fell flat was me. I caught the flash of a fatigue alert but didn’t pay it any mind.

Instead I summoned forth one of the remaining seven Bronze Halberds, half crawling forward to jam and to drive the spike into its lower back.

Khrum squeaked in pain and tried to flail backwards at me, to swat me off. I pushed further; leaning bodily into my weapon and stood on achy legs to send us both tumbling through the hole and back into the room filled with cells.

As we fell; I caught sight of the mush that had once been Spralls’ head on the floor at the side of the room. I hung onto the shaft of my halberd, driving it down even harder as we fell. Khrum smacked down face and body first into the floor below, it shook and creaked under the weight and suddenness of the impact.

I flopped down an instant later landing squarely onto Khrum’s back; crying out in pain as the end of my halberds shaft scrape along my side as I fell. Landing roughly onto my dislocated arm.

The pain jarred me to clutch at the offending shoulder and thrash about. Clenching my teeth shut with an audible clack I groaned as Khrum began to shift beneath me. I looked up and saw the stunned expressions of the scaled women watching us fight. They all seemed fine, which was a blessing as I now considered that Khrum could’ve easily taken his frustrations and anger out on any them before pursuing me.

-25Hp. Right-arm CND: 20/100% Fatigue: 76%

Standing from my knees and groaning, I summoned a second Halberd. “Take,” I growled out; spitting some blood off to the side, spinning the halberd in hand and punching the spike down into Khrum’s back just beside the other one. “The fucking hint and die already,” growling, I got ready to summon another; when Khrums fist formed at it’s side and slammed down into the floor; wrecking and shattering, pitching us out and into another fall.

I hung to one of the two halberds protruding like lightning rods out it’s back. Then I was falling; my legs trailing and flapping out behind me as we plummeted down. I summoned that third Halberd and threw it before me while activating Disabling Strike.

The weapon flashed forward penetrating and driving down to the first band around the forward grip of the Halberd. Khrum howled a squealing moan that chittered off in a cry as we rebounded off the floor of the throne room. I bounced off of Khrum’s broad shoulder and tumbled to the ground rolling in a blinding heap of misery. As the bones with my shoulder, snapped and crunch, worsening even further.

I did the only thing I could. x1 Instant Recovery: Max Status.

There were no vials or potion, just the mental press and instantly I gasped with relief as the entirety of my focus and being were drowned out in what could be only be described as weightlessness.

I was now whole and fully restored.

“This shit is soo… broken,” I sighed; climbing to my feet. Khrum was about 10 meters away from me, unmoving. I saw no death signifier by its name, so I brought out another halberd and threw it across the distance. Like I was casually playing target practice with my buddies—of which there are none, I mentally noted. But Khrum didn’t need to know about my introverted lifestyle.

The spike of the halberd sunk deep into the side of the abomination, +1 Agility. I heard a grunt but no other signs of movement or distress. Was Khrum playing possum?

I got closer and then spectacularly, expectantly, it roared in triumph as it pounded the spot where I had been. Haste activated as I blurred up in a jump and slammed my own fist into the side of it’s head. +1 Strength.

The blow was strong enough to snap Khrums’ head off the side as its body rocked unsteadily in a sudden daze. Khrum fell back down onto it’s side, tongue lulling through its gasping mouth. Overly large yellow stained teeth welcomed a disgustingly foul breath that would’ve made me gag had I not moved away.

Haste still in affect I popped up beneath the open lower jaw. Reaching in, I curled my hands around the back on its lower gums. My grip becoming slimy and wet. Then I proceeded to pull as I jammed my foot against the upper jaw for all I was worth. A single thought driving me to cruelty, to make this monster experience pain, so it suffered slowly for the things it had done to them women and those before them.

Khrum came back around to full awareness just as I was tearing and dislocating its lower jaw. Thin threads of flesh and tendons stringing between and across the grotesque tear I’d made.

+2 Strength.

Blood gushed forth and I decided to leave it partially torn as I backed away. It screamed a monstrous wail, desperately clutching its hanging lower jaw, and for several seconds I watched as Khrum piteously try to move it’s jaw back into place. Like a big stupid animal, wondering why the wound wouldn’t just fix itself. Blood flowed freely through its fingers and down it’s chest onto the ground.

Incite Activated. Buff: Bloodlust. My bloodlust pulsed out from me in a visible wave of black mist enclosing everything within a radius of 10 meters from me. I saw Khrum’s eyes slowly climb fearfully up my body, past my head and then beyond. I smiled villainously. “Khrum...” I spoke softly. My tone chilling and yet impartial. “You’re an abomination, a creature, a monster,” I told it. I knew it didn’t understand any of the words I spoke, but the sentence was being past all the same. “For your actions, for you mere existence I render sentence upon you,” I recited like some reaper of judgement. “Your death will never appease those no longer living, it will not even smudge the stains you’ve left upon this world. But with your end; those above may just sleep a little easier.”

Your words have resonated with the will of Sal’re’al. Enact your right, Reaper of Judgement.

I blinked at the unexpected prompt and the implications it held. The inky pool of dark mist made manifest by my bloodlust came together into an obsidian physical strand about a foot long.

It floated before me, beckoning me to take hold and claim my title. From that strand a scythe formed, it sucked at the life and spirit of all living beings. It held no discerning blade, but it seemed as if the dullness of the shadowy tool would steal the life of those judged unjustly and cruel all the same.

I tried to analyse the scythe, but nothing came of it. Without hesitating I swept the scythe through Khrum’s head but instead of parting flesh or decapitating its head from its shoulders. My dull shadowy scythe came through out the other side of Khrum with a dark red mist trailing behind.

I heard a distant wailing and haunted cry. It sucked the breath out from me and invigorated me all at the same time. The instant my scythe past through it evaporated into mist and that mist sunk into my skin.

+1 Deep-Soul claimed. Title claimed: Reaper of Judgement. Khrum & Sprall. Ruling Turaisha’Fell. Grey-Abomination. [Dead]

I looked up to the ceilings as level ups a-washed my vision. I ignored them for now. Leaning forward I looted Khrum; surprisingly Sprall had to be separately looted even-though they shared the same tag for their name’s. Saving all of my prompts for when I was home, I called up my Quest Objectives, seeing 1/1 for killing the abomination. “All that’s left is to desecrate the throne. But before that,” I looked upwards again to the ceiling we had broken through. Several heads peek through the bars of their cells looking down at me, I smiled and waved up at them.

They ducked back and hid from sight. Sighing I retrieved the halberd’s impaling Khrums’ corpse and proceeded to make my way back through the Manse and up to the holding cells. There were several pits of broken flooring and uneasy passages that rocked beneath my weight the entire way there. I walked inside, as the scaled women were conversing with one another in hushed hissing tones that tapered off quickly when I entered.

I knew their worry. They didn’t know me. Didn’t know I was going to free them. To them I could just be here to replace Khrum and Sprall in their daily sessions of torment. I grabbed my dagger, which had been thrown aside by Khrum, after I nailed Sprall in the chest with it. I crouched to retrieve my spear but saw that it was utterly destroyed. I let out a small groan at the loss and kicked it away from me. I move to the cell door’s and one by one I ripped them open, snapping the lock and hinges of several doors as I went by.

Soon all thirty or so women were outside their cells stretching and hugging one another tightly.

A few stood off to the side with hard eyes staring at me, watching and calculating. I waved one of them over, all of them beautiful women. But these one’s had a side to them that seemed martial in comparison to those hugging and weeping opening.

They conversed amongst themselves quickly then nodded in unison. One of them step forth and bowed low towards me, as did those behind her. All of the other women seemed startled at the display. The one who stepped forward hissed at the collective of weepers.

I made out one word through it all that seemed to stick with me. “Duala ’dais,” the woman said gesturing at me. She then gave me a small apologetic smile. I was honestly so caught up what was going-on that I had forgotten why I had waved for someone to speak to. The cast of women went lower onto their knees pressing their forehead on to the backs of their hands.

“Seriously you don’t need to do that,” I said softly gesturing for them stand up. “Uh- ah, you can’t understand me huh?” I asked tilting my head at the representative. She just continued to stare right through me. “Hmm. How to get this across if I can’t...” I started but a new prompt chimed in the recess of my skull. Congratulations: You’ve learned the language of the Cawraith’Phdu.

Closing the prompt; I shook my head. “Huh. That’s - uh... Not actually that surprising, do you understand me now,” I said looking to the woman. It was hard to tell the difference between each of the women, as they were all identical except for different colour scaling of their brow, cheeks, jawline and on the sides of their body’s.

“Yes. we hear you Unat ’Duala ’dais,” the woman replied, the fact her address for me didn’t translate must’ve meant it was more of a title. “What do you command of us?” She asked respectfully. Her voice a slow hiss like that of a deflating balloon. I pulled out the halberds from my inventory and planted each except for one which I was kept for myself. A nice little souvenir from my first dungeon.

“Take these and escape from here. If we’re at the eastern side of this rat-city. You need to head south and stay close to the wall of the dome, they’re less patrols as far I could tell. Keep heading along and scan the surface of the wall, looked out for a lip of stone jutting out several feet up. There’s a ledge and a crawl space, and through there you’ll be able to escape,” I finished, and then adding I hope, to myself afterwards.

I could only imagine there to be some form of passage or entrance there before my gateway had opened through to Fellbait Dungeon. “Unat ’Duala ’dais is not to accompany us back? We would award you Crana’devchek and spend the nights of dust in endless bliss,” she said.

is she propositioning me? I shook away the thought and desire it could’ve led to. They were incredibly beautiful, but I hadn’t freed them; just to fuck them. “No. I’ve yet more to do. Now off with you and stay safe. Hate to free you, only for you all to die afterwards,” I said waving at them dismissively.

The leader stepped towards me as the other’s parted; moving at a sedate pace. “I am Deere Hilop,” she said tapping between her breast’s, which I had been doing such a good of not gawking at. As she said her name, the identifier for her title blurred from a grey Cawraith’Phdu to an orange Deere Hilop.

I grinned and tapped my own chest. “Well, Dee my name is Rhys Xavier Trent. What’s this world called by the way?” I greeted and added with a smile.

“Hmm... Dee? I like it. Rhysis,” she frowned testing my name. It rolled off her tongue oddly; sounding more like ‘racist’ than Rhys. “We are in far eastern ranges of Kashira. The greys took everything west and north of here, If, we should meet again Rhysis Scavier Trent. I will have that night of bliss,” she hiss-purred at me. Turned around and then jogged off to catch up with her people.

“Well conscience, it’s just me and you now. Damn they’re gorgeous though,” I muttered to myself. I spent the next ten minutes scouring the interior of the Manse from top to bottom and then back up again. Till I found what I was looking for: bags upon bags of gold coins and even a nifty looking knife about the length of my forearm. It had a smooth ivory handle with an odd gold glowing script running along the make up of the handle and then onto the blade itself.

The flat of the blade was a charcoal black and the lines of writing became silvery once upon the flat. The single edge was incredibly sharp and a dull grey about half an inch thick into the flat. The Knife tapered to a wickedly narrow point. It was a mean-looking thing, used for precise hits and puncturing organs, I guessed.

Rotating the knife in my palm I found its weight completely comfortable. Almost like it had been made for me. Moving through some quick stances and concealment’s. I lashed out suddenly with the knife, it’s dull grey edge leaving a visible line of mist in its wake.

[Item: Heava’liku: Mist Fang of the Kasha Dust-plains. Type: Small Arms. Class: D-rank. Mod:+45 Attack. 10% Confusion. +5 Active Skills.] It was a fucking Blue. I almost threw-up. The world was fucking with me, I just didn’t yet know how. I mean how could anyone be this lucky. Blues items were rare and magical and only the lucky few found one in a dungeon. No one ever, as far as I knew, found a blue item on their first dungeon dive. First in the sense that I was now gifted. I found several scrolls, though many were blank, and a few runic stones.

I stuffed everything that wasn’t nailed down into my inventory. Even a few rings though none had a magical enchantment. I left the now bare loot-room with a damn skip in my step and found myself back at the throne room, then proceeded with the gritty task of removing Khrums’ head.

The throne was a simple large high-back chair. Dark blotches of blood tinted the geography of the wood. I set Khrums’ head down on the chair and stepped back. Nothing happened. Frowning; I looked about as if the answers were somehow around me and I just couldn’t quite see them.

“Leave a mark maybe...” I trailed off looking down at my trusty companion of the last few hours or so. “You do have a blue now though,” muttering I stepped up to throne and planted the rusted dagger straight into Khrums forehead. As I stepped away this time, a loud chime rung through my skull vibrating it to the point of discomfort and making me wince and jump from the suddenness.

Then I was stepping through the gateway.

My first dungeon completed and the rewards to claim once I was home. It was night-time, the time dilation of gateways seemed to effect even the key summoned ones. I was outside the arch of the foundation building of the brothel/strip-club. I frowned at the surrounding crowd that began to gather around me.

They were all dress in yellow and dark-green gang colours, their tattoos lit with a vibrant blue glow, though I couldn’t make out what any of them meant. “What’re you doing down here boy?” one of them asked, his eye colour a vibrant green, were contact lenses.

Awakened and gifted could mostly tell the difference on some instinctive level, like there was present we all recognised in each other. Marcus Benedict, his name bloomed grey above his head. “Well Marcus. It just so happens I was in neighbourhood. You know, perusing the streets in search of filth,” I said coolly. My use of his given name startling him and a few others. Incite Activated. My cold fury and untamed bloodlust spread forth in a crashing wave sinking the gang members and thugs to their knees. I pulled my hoody up around me as a chill wind swept through the dilapidated streets filled with hustlers and drug dealers alike. I patted Marcus on the shoulder, “I do believe I found what I was looking for. Goodnight to you all,” I said with a wave and walked off to call a taxi home.

+1 Sense.

An hour or so later I climbed out of the cab after paying my automated bill. I stepped onto the path of my parent’s apartment level and quickly moved to the front-door to press the thumb pad, but it was already unlocked. “What the?” I wondered slowly. Sudden worry crept into my mind. Had something happened to Kayla? Did she mean to leave the door unlocked. No, she was always consistent and meticulous when it came to these things. My thoughts a blur as I entered quietly.

The lights in the living room were still on, is she still awake, I wondered internally. Which is odd considering I had checked the time on the way over and it read: 11.25pm.

Had she stayed up worried for me? With a sheepish expression I took off my shoes and made my way into the living-room. Sat on the couch was Matilda, her purple hair tied back behind her head, her light cream skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat. It got really warm in the apartment block at nights, something to do the building behind us generating a palpable amount of heat.

She hadn’t noticed me yet, for which I was thankful. She was wearing dark navy leggings and a white tank top, her legs folded beneath her on the couch as she read something from the glass holo-tablet she owned. Kayla draped in a blanket was asleep besides her, her head resting on Matilda’s thigh. I kept my head low and walked inside. I tried the best I could to keep my eyes concealed. Tomorrow; I would have to return to that Farias shop and try to purchase some glasses that could hide my unique eye colour.

“-Rhys your back,” Matilda said startling at my sight of my approach.

“Yeah... Hey Matilda,” I replied quietly.

“Mother...” she started her voice trailing off. “What’ve you done to your clothes?” Then it was my turn to startle, I gave an imperceptible glance down and realised I was covered in dirt and blood, with numerous wide cuts slashing across my clothing.

Sighing I gave her a noncommittal shrug. Still not looking at her fully. I trusted Matilda, or at least I did when we were together. But now, it was different. I was something with the potential to be monstrous. I didn’t know if I could thrust that burden of knowledge upon her, or how she would react to such.

“Got into a few scrapes on the lower levels,” I supplied untruthfully. Her name flashed up at in the corner of my vision. Matilda Simmons. Knight. She was strong enough to pose a challenge to me, but I knew that didn’t fully mean anything. Surprise attacks and preparation could kill anyone.

Am I really thinking about this? I thought in shock. “Thanks for coming by Tilda,” I told her, wanting her gone after the morbid thought I had considered.

“Yeah... I came by to see you both. But Kay said you were out running after having worked out this morning,” her voice faded, and I could hear both the smile and the slight worry in her tone.

“I just started today. It’s… something to help clear my head,” I said, bending down to smooth away some non-existent hair from my sister’s forehead. I went to pick her up and carry her off to her room, when Matilda’s hand stopped me, “let me do that. You go get cleaned up and throw those clothes away,” she suggested.

But I shook my hooded head at her, the underlining meaning of her words. She was strong enough to pick up Kayla without waking her and struggling. She had watched me try as much quite a few times.

Now I was different though. “I got her,” I replied shaking off her hand. I didn’t mean or want to be distant and callus with Matilda, but my thoughts just kept spiralling down a funnel of what if scenarios.

I had to prove that I was indeed worthy of my gift. That I wasn’t as weak as others made me out to be. At least not anymore, I’m not.

It had been the reason we’d broken up after-all, nothing malicious like jealousy- okay maybe a little. Human’s and Awakened mix together easily, but human’s and gifted didn’t niche well together at all. Different lifespans and the fact that gifted spent almost every week fighting for their lives, to become strong, make money and safeguard Terra.

When I had Awakened from the Red-gate two years ago, I had become distant. Locked in an internal vice of sorrow, pity and anger. All aimed at myself. “Rhys?” she asked, and I realised I had been lost in thought.

“Sorry- was away there for a moment,” I gathered Kayla up easily and stood back up straightening. Kayla didn’t stir, her head resting in the crook of my chest and shoulder. I carried her to her room, once in bed I set her alarm on her wrist phone and exited, closing the door behind me.

Matilda stood at the end of the hall, her shoes in one hand, bag and jacket draped over her shoulder. “I’m gonna go,” she said apologetically.

“Alright- I’ll see you Tuesday at the gate,” I replied.

She frowned in the dim light cascading out from the living room. “You aren’t in work tomorrow?” she asked me.

“No. I’ve got tomorrow off, to grieve and what not,” she nodded.

“Kayla said that Abbey’s funeral was nice…” she trailed off as if grasping for a subject, a way to communicate with me. But I was more than mentally drained than I thought.

“Nice?” I asked her quietly. My voice coming across sharper than I had intended, but I couldn’t stop the bitter tones I felt from burying my long dead mother. “Yeah. Burying her could be considered nice. She would’ve liked to have had you--” I forcibly shut my mouth with a snap and shook my head. Cutting myself off from the deep pit of regret and jealousy I was tumbling through.

Was she seeing Drake as I buried my mother? Or had she just not attended as a way to distance herself from us Human’s and Awakened. I saw Matilda freeze as my words hit her, “goodnight Matilda,” I said, quietly offering her the way out. Feeling angry at myself, I turned away and headed for my bedroom door. Matilda’s goodbye following me, sounding emotional, and yet hollow to my own ears.

“Goodnight, Rhys.”

The damned flood of prompts spilled out in front of me the second I led down. Each one demanding my attention. With a groan I went about reading them all, distributing my points, selling and equipping items and finally, learning some Magic.

This novel is the work of Rhys Thomas. If you are reading this and it has not been published by Rhys Thomas, then this work has been stolen. Please report this to Amazon and me at email: [email protected]