The haunting quiet of the devastated city seemed to go on forever, interrupted only by the crunch of Rael's boots on the shattered stone. The burden of what he had just witnessed weighed him down like a crushing shroud. His body stiII throbbed from the battle, but it was the odd feeling inside him that disturbed him the most. His veins thrummed with an unfamiliar power—raw, untamed, and alien.
He clamped his hands into fists, attempting to shake off the feeIing, but it only seemed to intensify, reacting to his mood. His eyesight cleared unnaturally, the far away ruins suddenly standing out as if his senses had been enhanced. He sensed..... different.
A rustling sound emanated from the wreckage close by, and Rael automatically turned toward it, his reflexes now quicker than they used to be. His breathing caught. He wasn't alone.
From the darkness of a crumbling alleyway, a pair of golden eyes stared back at him. A figure stepped forward—tall, cloaked, and carrying an air of mystery. The man's face was obscured by a hood, but Rael could feel an oppressive aura radiating from him.
"You're late," the stranger's voice was smooth yet filled with an odd mixture of amusement and authority.
Rael tensed. "Who are you?"
The man smiled. "Names don't matter right now. What does is that you're alive." His eyes stayed on Rael's hands. "You're coming back to life, aren't you?"
Rael's fingers jerked. "What did you do to me?"
"I did nothing." The man's voice remained impassive. "You did it to yourself the second you crossed through the gate.
Rael's mind spun. The gate… He did not recall going through one. He recalled the ruins, the fight, the utter desperation—but the crossing had been uneventful. Had he actually passed over without noticing?
The man stepped closer. "You feel it, don't you? The change inside you. Your body has started to adjust to this world's laws."
Rael's heart raced. He had heard stories of warriors from two thousand years ago who could warp the very fabric of nature, but such tales were always explained away as myths. And yet, here he was, feeling something unexplainable.
"What do you want from me?" Rael barked.
The stranger cocked his head. "Want? That is up to you. You've entered a world where strength determines whether you live or perish. Whether you rise or fall is up to you. But if you're looking for answers… then come along."
Rael hesitated. AII of his instincts cried out to be careful. And y4t there was a primal attraction to the unknown. lf he was going to uncover the secrets of what had happened to him he had no option but to press on.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward.