Jax stirred awake, feeling the chill of something against his face. As his eyelids flickered open, he saw Jane's fuzzy outline hovering above him, her short black hair tumbling into her eyes. She was pressing a damp cloth to his forehead, her face a blend of concern and irritation.
"Time to wake up, hero," she said, her tone sharp yet gentle. "You trying to give me a heart attack?"
Jax groaned, his head throbbing like a drum. He lay on a rickety cot in a dimly lit room that smelled thickly of rust and oil. Shelves loaded with gadgets surrounded him—Jane's workshop hidden in the Freefolk's slums. Safe, for the moment.
"Feels like I'm already dead," he rasped, attempting to sit up. A jolt of pain shot through his chest, forcing him to flop back down with a wince. "What... what happened?"
Jane tossed the cloth into a bucket and crossed her arms. "You tell me. I found you out cold in that creepy lab, surrounded by ash and claw marks. It was a mess. Care to explain?"
Jax's mind raced, piecing the fragments together. The lab. The orb. The wolves. The Necromancer. That voice—the Endgame Construct. It hadn't been a dream. His hands tingled, as if a spark lingered beneath his skin. He looked at them, half-expecting to see fire or shadows. Nothing.
"Jax?" Jane's voice snapped him back. She leaned closer, searching his brown eyes. "You're freaking me out. What's going on?"
He hesitated. Jane was his best friend, the one who'd stood by him through thick and thin. But this? A system in his head giving him Mage Energy? It sounded insane. Yet he couldn't lie to her—not after all she'd done to pull him from that wreckage.
"I… found something," he said quietly. "In the lab. Some kind of… device. It did something to me."
Jane's eyebrows shot up. "A device? Like one of mine?"
"No, not like yours." Jax rubbed his temples, struggling to wrap his head around it. "It's called the Endgame Construct. I think it's magic. It gave me powers."
She stared in disbelief before snorting a laugh. "Powers? You? No offense, Jax, but you're the least magical person I know."
"Thanks, that means a lot," he mumbled, a grin creeping onto his face. Jane's bluntness was a comfort, even in this chaos. "I'm serious, though. I fought undead wolves. Burned them to ash. With this." He raised his hands, willing them to glow. They remained dull.
Jane's laughter dwindled. She grabbed his wrist, inspecting his palm as if it were a broken gadget. "You're not joking, are you?"
Before he could respond, a sharp chime rang in his head, causing Jax to flinch. The Construct's voice was icy and precise: "Host stabilized. Energy reserves: 10%. Recovery incomplete. Tutorial mode initiated."
"Tutorial?" Jax exclaimed, catching Jane's puzzled expression. "Uh, it's talking again."
"It?" Jane's voice rose in panic. "Jax, you're scaring me. What's talking?"
He took a deep breath and shared everything—the orb, the wolves, the Necromancer, the voice. Jane listened, her expression morphing from skepticism to shock. When he finished, she leaned back, running a hand through her hair.
"Okay," she said slowly. "If I believe you. This… Construct is giving you Mage Energy? Like, real magic?"
"Yeah." Jax sat up, ignoring the discomfort in his ribs. "It said I can use all four types—Elemental, Arcane, Divine, Shadow. I tried Elemental and Shadow in the lab. It worked until I passed out."
Jane whistled. "Four energies? That's unheard of. Mages usually get one, maybe two if they're truly gifted. You mean you've got them all?"
"Guess so." Jax shrugged, but unease twisted in his stomach. He was nobody—a scavenger, a punching bag. Now, he had power? It felt overwhelming.
"Tutorial: Basic energy management," the Construct chimed in. "Objective: Cast a level-0 spell without collapse. Reward: 50 XP, energy reserve boost."
Jax blinked. "It's giving me a quest. It wants me to cast a spell."
Jane's eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she'd just discovered a new toy. "Then do it! Let's see your magic!"
He hesitated, remembering how close he'd come to death last time. But Jane's enthusiasm was infectious; he needed to understand what he was dealing with. "Alright. But if I blow up your workshop, it's on you."
"Deal." She grinned, jumping off the cot and grabbing a fireproof tarp. "Just aim away from my stuff."
Jax stood, his legs quaking but steady. He closed his eyes, focusing on the Construct's hum in his chest. "Elemental," he whispered, envisioning fire. A weak spark flared in his mind. He raised his hand, and a flickering flame no bigger than a candle appeared.
"Whoa!" Jane clapped, almost dropping the tarp. "You're a mage, Jax! A real mage!"
The flame sputtered out, and Jax's knees buckled. He caught himself on the cot, breathless. "Energy reserves: 5%. Objective complete. Reward granted. Level 1 achieved. Energy capacity increased."
"Level 1," Jax said, a weary smile spreading. "I guess I'm not completely useless."
"Never were," Jane said, but her expression turned serious. "This is big, Jax. Really big. If you can do this, people are going to want you—Mages, Necromancers, maybe even the Freefolk."
Jax's smile faded. The Necromancer's words echoed in his mind: "Something my master wants." He hadn't shared that part with Jane yet. The thought of being hunted sent shivers down his spine.
Before he could respond, a loud bang shook the workshop door. Jane jumped, her stun gauntlet powering up. "Stay here," she whispered, inching toward the door.
Ignoring her, Jax grabbed a wrench from a nearby table, unwilling to let her face danger alone. His legs felt unsteady, but he pushed himself to move. "Energy reserves: 7%. Caution advised."
"Shut up," he muttered to the Construct.
Jane eased the door open, peering into the alley. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. "It's just kids. They knocked over some crates." She shut the door, locking it behind her. "But we're not safe here. Not with Necromancers sniffing around."
Jax tightened his grip on the wrench. "You think they followed me?"
"Maybe." Jane's tone was grim. "The outskirts aren't far, and undead wolves don't just wander into labs. Someone sent them."
He swallowed hard. The Construct was his opportunity to become more than a scavenger, but it also painted a target on his back. "What do we do now?"
Jane paced, her boots scuffing the floor. "First, you need to get stronger. Figure out this Construct. If Necromancers want it, you can't be passing out every time you use it."
"Easier said than done," Jax said, rubbing his chest. It still ached, as if the Construct were digging in. "It's got quests, levels, all that. But I don't even know what it is."
"Then we learn." Jane stopped pacing, determination in her eyes. "Together. I won't let you do this alone."
Jax's throat tightened. Jane had always been there, no matter how tough it got. "Thanks," he murmured, his voice thick. "But if this gets dangerous—"
"It's already dangerous," she interrupted, poking his chest. "Deal with it."
He chuckled despite the gravity of the situation. "Bossy as ever."
"New quest: Locate Kuro's journal," the Construct announced, startling Jax. "Objective: Find clues to the Construct's origin. Reward: 100 XP, unlock skill tree."
"A journal?" Jax said aloud. "Kuro's?"
Jane frowned. "What now?"
"It says there's another quest. Something about a journal in the lab. It might explain what this thing even is."
"Then we go back," Jane said, already gathering her gear—a backpack stuffed with gadgets. "But not tonight. You're half-dead, and I'm not carrying you again."
Jax wanted to argue, but exhaustion hit him like a wave. He sank back onto the cot. "Tomorrow, then."
Jane nodded, though her eyes darted to the door, wary of trouble. "Get some rest. I'll keep watch."
He lay back and stared at the cracked ceiling. The Construct hummed softly, a constant reminder of the power—and danger—within him. He was no longer just a scavenger. But who was he now?
As his eyes began to close, a faint noise disrupted the silence. Not kids this time. A low, guttural growl came from just outside the workshop. Jane froze, her gauntlet glowing. Jax sat up, heart pounding.
"Jane?" he whispered.
She lifted a hand, silencing him. The growls grew louder, joined by another. Red eyes glinted through the window's cracks, staring at them.
"Threat detected," the Construct said. "Energy reserves insufficient. Flee or fight?"
Jax gripped the wrench tighter, blood racing in his veins. They were trapped.