2025-02-06 19:53:40
Kaiza"Would Alex choose the light and risk everything he had battled for? Or would he find the shadows at last, where he could let himself fall prey to the shadows that had long haunted his own skin? The choice would make only one journey lead him home. But which one. was the right one?"
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Bargain Infernal Episode 163: Shards of Destiny Part XXXV
The silence that followed was suffocating. The rift, a yawning abyss, seemed to stretch infinitely, and Alex felt the weight of the decision hanging over him like a guillotine. The light from the figure flickered, casting sharp shadows across the desolate landscape, while the tremors of the rift echoed through the very air. In that moment, Alex could feel the very pulse of the universe, beating in time with his own rapidly accelerating heart.The figure before him veiled in light, the one who had intervened to save him stood motionless. Their presence, now more imposing than ever, seemed to pierce through the darkness surrounding them. But even with their power radiating outward, the rift behind them continued to churn with an unsettling hunger, as if it was waiting. Waiting for the final act.Figure: (calm, but with an undertone of urgency) "This is no simple choice, Alex Mercer. The ripples from your decision will echo across worlds, shaping the fate of both the living and the damne
Bargain Infernal Episode 164: Shards of Destiny Part XXXVI
The air in the rift grew heavy, as if reality itself fought back against the chaos that was devouring it. The creature was a personification of the rift's power and grew more monstrous with every passing moment. Its jagged form stretched across the void, consuming light and time itself. Alex could feel his strength failing him, each breath coming harder than the last.Flare of the fires in the hands once now, but a tremble of flame, hellfire growing unstable with the twist of the rift within, unravelling the energy that brews inside him. His mind stumbled over every thought, the weight on which he stood a mountain impossible to climb. The darkness closed around him, a tight, gripping hold around the soul. But it was there by his side, the one who brought him to this place a steadfast person: unyielding.Alex: (gritting his teeth, voice strained) "I can't. I can't do this alone."The figure's eyes glowed with an ancient wisdom, their presence calm in the face of impending doom. They di
Bargain Infernal Episode 165: Shards of Destiny Part XXXVII
The void was unnervingly silent. Alex stood motionless, his breath shallow, the last echoes of the rift still reverberating in his ears. The blinding light had faded, leaving behind nothing but an eerie emptiness. The creature, the embodiment of the rift's power, was gone, but Alex could feel something. lingering in the air. A presence. It was so soft at first, like a whisper brushing against his mind. But it was growing stronger by the second.He turned, scanning the desolate landscape. Nothing. Something was wrong, as if the balance of light and darkness had been forever changed. The figure who had led him stood motionless at his side, eyes fixed on the shifting horizon, as if waiting.Alex: (quiet, unsettled) "What happened? Where are we?The figure's eyes never changed, its expression unreadable as it turned toward Alex.Figure: (relaxed, yet there's something lurking beneath that's darker) "We are still here, Alex. Not in the manner you think.".Alex’s heart raced as the realizat
Bargain Infernal Episode 166: Shards of Destiny Part XXXVIII
The world around Alex seemed to fracture, as if reality itself was splitting at the seams. The creature's claws were inches from his face, its glowing eyes a beacon of unfathomable malevolence. But before the blow could land, the air around him shattered with an explosive burst, a wave of force that rippled outward in every direction.Suddenly, the universe caught its breath. Time itself was arrested as if locked in place, as those beast claws dangled motionless above Alex, suspended in mid-air. The rift hummed ominously low, and the ground groaned like something unseen might have stampeded through the earth.Alex, straining against his paralysis, gritting his teeth: "What? What is this?The figure by his side didn't say a word, his body tensed, eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear. The ground beneath them cracked once more, and the creature's form, once so terrifying and unstoppable, flickered—like a mirage losing its shape. A dark, shadowy veil wrapped around the beast, distorting i
Bargain Infernal Episode 167: Shards of Destiny Part XXXIX
The rift expanded wide, blackness that spread beyond the capacity of the imagination, warping the air about it. A monstrous shadow formed, its form shrouded in a swirling darkness, flickering and unstable, as if it were fashioned from nightmares and lost memories.From within the rift, a massive silhouette started to take form. It was tall towering, with limbs that were unnaturally long, crowned by a head that seemed to defy all logic. Its eyes glowed with unnatural, crimson light, burning through the darkness with a hunger that seemed to devour everything it looked at.Alex: (breathless, voice filled with disbelief) "What… What is that?The ground beneath Alex's feet shuddered as the creature took its first steps forward, each movement sending ripples through the fabric of reality. The very air around them felt thick with an unnatural pressure, like the weight of an entire world was bearing down on them. Alex's instincts screamed at him to move to run but his legs refused to obey. Hi
Bargain Infernal Episode 168: Shards of Destiny Part XL
The earth beneath Alex's feet shook, an ancient wound torn open. Shadows poured from it, thick waves of oil rolling in to take everything in their path. Now a mass of writhing shadows, the creature towered above them, its eyes bright with malice.Alex felt the weight of the world on his back and the rift opening up. How the very air was full of some bad energy. The creature laughed in his mind, a twisted sound that distorted reality.Creature: (voice dripping with menace) "Foolish mortals. Did you think you could stand against me? I am the rift. I am the void that will consume your world.The figure beside Alex, already strained from holding the creature's onslaught at bay, let out a ragged breath. Their hands were trembling, but they didn't falter. They raised them once more, calling upon the last of their strength.Figure: (gritting teeth, strained) "I can't hold it much longer. You need to finish it."Alex's mind was racing. Finish it? He didn't know how. The creature was unlike an
Bargain Infernal Episode 169: Shards of Destiny Part XLI
The emptiness surrounding Alex reached into infinity, an endless blackness that consumed his soul. His limbs weighed leadenly on him; every movement grew more labored with each step. He could not breathe. He could not think. The energy of the rift had swept him from the battlefield, and now, he felt as though trapped in some sort of waking nightmare.The cold laughter of the creature echoed through the emptiness. Its voice is mocking, cruel.Creature: low, mocking, "You thought you could stop me, mortal? How quaint. You have only given me more power. Now, I will finish what I started.Alex's heart pounded as the weight of words settled into his chest. The creature. It wasn't killed. It hadn't been destroyed. The rift was still alive, pulsing with dark energy, and Alex was powerless to stop it.Alex: (gritting his teeth, strained voice) "I won't. let you win."His voice is weak, his body a prison of exhaustion and pain, but deep inside of him he refuses to give up. There has to be a wa
Bargain Infernal Episode 170: Fragments of Fate Part XLII
The world around Alex churned and writhed as the very ground cracked open as if reality was being ripped in two. The tear had unraveled, but the energy within was not quite dead. At the distance, there were remains of the creature's form flared like embers, but a scream howled in the air to tell everyone that the battle is yet not done.Alex's breathing came in sharp gasps as he stood his ground, his body trembling from the strain of the battle. His hellfire flickered weakly in his hands, but it was all he had left. The rift was still pulsing, its energy growing unstable by the second. He had to close it. Now.Alex: (gritting his teeth, determined) "I won't let it win."His voice was a rasp, but it lacked hesitation. He had already traveled too far to go back. The crack had already consumed much of his energy, and if he wasn't going to put an end to it now, there was nothing left for him to lose.The sky above him swirled with violent flashes of light and dark, as though the heavens t
Latest Chapter
Episode 200: The Day of Redemption
The earth had been rent asunder. The heavens had cracked open. But now, in the aftermath of the battle, there was a stillness. A calm that seemed almost unnatural, as though the world itself had been holding its breath, waiting for this moment.Helena stood alone at the edge of the ruins, her hand pressed to the cool stone of what had once been a great wall, now reduced to rubble. Her fingers traced the cracks, as if seeking some sign that the world she once knew was still there, beneath the destruction. She closed her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath, and the weight of everything they had lost pressed down on her chest.She thought of the faces they had seen fall, the countless souls who had given their lives to this war. Friends. Strangers. Heroes. She thought of the world that had been swallowed by darkness, of the innocence that had been torn away. The battle had taken everything. And yet…A whisper of wind brushed her cheek, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she s
Episode 199: Final Descent
The fight had been on for hours, but Alex and Helena were not done. They were drained of their last drops of energy; every punch was a swat of finishing blows. The sky above was split apart by the crash of calamity, the earth below their feet cracked and blood-soaked, the battleground. They were a relentless force of abyssal creatures, clawing their way up from the very depths of hell itself. And above them, the dark creature they had been battling the twisted, monstrous being of molten rock and shadow—did not back down.Alex's eyes were wild with fury, his entire being charged with the hellfire he had summoned. Every breath burned like the underworld's flames. His body had become a vessel of destruction, and he was fighting this battle for what seemed like a lifetime. It was not just the creature in front of him but the darkness within himself, the abyssal power that threatened to consume him with every passing moment.Helena fought at his side, her blade slicing through dark creatur
Episode 198: The Horizon
The light had changed the battle scene, returning what was lost. The earth cracks had closed, and the lifeless land was now dotted with the first green shoots. Yet with all this peace, Alex couldn't shake the unease growing in his chest. The light was pure, potent, and alive, and it had pushed the void back. However, with its presence came something darker, something ancient, which had awakened from its slumber. The battle was far from over.As the warmth of the sphere ebbed away, the air shifted around them. The air, once still and inert, had become dense and heavy; it seemed almost as though it were waiting to break into the daylight, out of the shadows. There was a humming, pulsating vibration through the ground that lay in the pit of Alex's stomach. Like a heartbeat almost, but life's not this: that was deeper, much, much older.Alex: (on point, grave) "It's coming now."Helena: (eyes scanning the horizon) “What is it? The darkness… It’s not gone, is it?”Alex: (tightening his gri
Episode 197: The Spark of Hope
The light ahead flickered like a dying ember, casting a pale glow over the shattered landscape. It was faint, but there was a small, stubborn defiance against the darkness that had nearly consumed the world. Alex and Helena moved toward it, their footsteps echoing in the hollow silence left behind by the chaos.The air was still, heavy with the remnants of the abyss. Each breath felt weighted, as though even the atmosphere had been scarred by what had passed. The ground beneath them was cracked and barren, but there was something about the way the light shone through the haze that made Alex believe just for a moment that there was still something worth saving.Helena: (quietly, observing) "It feels like, like everything is waiting. Like the world is holding its breath."Alex: (gravelly, focused) "It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot."They pressed on, the journey heavy with the weight of the battle they had just fought. The path was uncertain, littered with debris, but Alex’s eyes we
Episode 196: Aftermath
The explosion had stopped. The sound was deafeningly silent. Helena's ground crumbled as the remnants of the abyss dissipated, but it wasn't a relief. There was no victory. Just emptiness that engulfed her.Helena: (whispering frantically) "Alex. Alex, where are you?"She scanned the devastation around her, her heart pounding in her chest. The rift was gone, its tendrils retracting into the ground like the remnants of some nightmarish creature. The air was still thick with the lingering residue of darkness, and yet, there was no sign of Alex.The sky above them, once twisted with shadow, was now eerily calm, the storm having passed. But this calm felt wrong like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something more.Helena: (shaking, speaking to herself) "He has to be here. He can’t be. gone."She ran through the rubble, calling out his name, but only the wind answered. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her blade, the weight of the weapon a hollow comfort in her grasp. She
Episode 195: The Final Hour
The air stank of smoke and rot, heavy with an acrid flavor. What used to be a city lay strewn before Alex and Helena as if it were a graveyard: buildings shattered, broken, rising like tombstones in the deserted land, all skeletal and speaking of the desperate fight they went through. Now, the world felt colder—as if the air had been hollowed out.Helena: (soft, grim) "How much longer can this go on, Alex?"Alex: (determined) "As long as it takes. The abyss isn’t done with us yet. And we won’t stop until it is."They had just finished dealing with the last of the creature's tendrils. The rift had closed, but there was no peace. The storm had calmed, but the tension was palpable, as if the calm before the storm held something far worse yet to come. It was clear now: the abyss had a plan. It wasn’t merely an enemy to be defeated. It was a force, a presence, an ancient evil that had only begun to reveal its true form.Helena: (with a sigh) "This place. It's like nothing is real anymore.
Episode 194: Descent Into Madness
The world had become a battleground. The city lay in ruins behind them, a monument to the chaos that had overtaken their lives. Alex and Helena, standing amidst the devastation, could feel the weight of what they had just accomplished. The creature, an embodiment of the abyss, was gone, but its shadow still lingered in the air. The ground was cracked, the sky darkened, and the very fabric of reality seemed to pulse in unnatural rhythms.Helena: (low, somber) "What are we even fighting for now? This place. It's a graveyard."Alex: (gritting his teeth) "We're fighting for the world that's left. We don't stop until it's all gone, until it's finished."Alex's voice was heavy with the weight of their struggle, hours of fighting, endless battles, and the constant, gnawing pressure of the abyss clawing at his mind. They had come so far, yet there was still so much to do. The world, what was left of it, was a fractured reflection of its former self. And Alex knew that, deep down, the abyss wa
Episode 193: The Reaper’s Reckoning
The remnants of the city loomed behind them, twisted steel and concrete jutting out of the ground like skeletal remains. The air still smelled of charred flesh, burnt remnants of a world that had nearly been consumed. Alex and Helena stood in the shadow of the destruction, their faces grim as they stared into the horizon, where the first signs of the coming storm appeared dark clouds swirling ominously in the distance.Alex: (gritting his teeth) “I thought we had more time. I thought we could end this.”Helena: (softly) “We can still try. But whatever we’re facing, it’s not just demons or the abyss anymore. We’re up against something older, something more dangerous than we can even comprehend.”The ground beneath them trembled ever so slightly, sending a shiver down Alex’s spine. He could feel it the pull of the abyss, as if it had sensed their uncertainty. The darkness was alive. It responded to their fears, feeding on it, growing stronger.Alex glanced at Helena, her sword still gri
Episode 192: The Storm of Violence
The air was heavy with the acrid scent of burnt flesh and smoke, and hellfire still hung faintly in the air. Alex and Helena stood together amidst the ruins of what had once been a city. The battle was over, but its aftermath clung to every corner: destruction, chaos, and the silence that follows the storm of violence.Their breaths were heavy, the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through their veins. Helena wiped the blood from her face, her sword still in hand, its edge now darkened with the stain of the battle. Alex could feel the weight of the abyssal energy within him, like a constant hum in the back of his mind, a reminder that the war was far from over.He looked over at Helena. Her eyes, which had been bright with determination, were dulled now with fatigue. She was standing yet still fighting, but Alex could see the cost of the fight, endless as it was. To both of them.Alex: (softly) "We did it… but it's not over, is it?"Helena: (shaking her head) "No. It's only just
