The silence was quietly creeping into the conversation as both sides were both thinking of ways to achieve their goals.Alex finally broke the silence and asked “So,why is my friend here? You know everything about me, you have my mother, I can't get my head around why she's here”.The voice on the other side laughed before responding " Oh, for that matter, let's say I'm a man who loves to have insurance on every bet. I've calculated that in the incident you lose your mum, I would need another motivation to keep you going and our beautiful friend here falls perfectly into that category. Going through your history, I've observed that she has been the closest to you aside your mum"Alex shook with rage realizing the Seekers' cruelty knew no bounds. Not content with just leveraging his dying mother's last days to control him, they also imprisoned his cherished childhood friend Emma too.It cut Alex deeply knowing these heartless hackers held the two most important women in his life captiv
Alex sank down onto the edge of his battered bed, the broken slats creaking under his weight. He dropped his head into his hands, grabbing fistfuls of his own hair as if to physically hold himself together against the whirling storm inside threatening to tear his psyche apart.His mother's face swam before him—her warm smile fading into pallid sickness, machines beeping all around. Then a harsh blindfold tightened across her eyes as shadowy figures dragged her frail body from her hospital room. Alex squeezed his eyes shut but still saw her reaching weakly towards him before the door slammed shut, cutting off her cries.The image shifted to Emma’s frightened eyes peering over the duct tape covering her mouth, hands bound cruelly behind her back. Rage and anguish warred within Alex until he thought his heart would explode.A gentle knock at the bedroom door startled Alex from his spiraling distress. “Alex? Can I come in?” Emma’s muffled voice penetrated through his misery.Alex raised h
There was a brief pause in the room before Emma countered Alex.“Alex, that's quite a big assumption, the possibility of Nexus reaching out to them is less than 0.01 percent and it's almost impossible to get them to accept who they are because I'm sure that are probably running away from Vyus as we speak”" Em, let him speak” Alex cautioned Emma " So Nexus, mind answering?”." Well, concerning the 0.01 percent, it can happen in a myriad of ways. If 0.01 percent of this planet is given then imagine the same for every universe out there, it becomes an even bigger possibility” Nexus fumbled around." Doesn't answer my question,” Alex said in a cold voice. “Oh, yes there is still your question. Remember the time we tried finding a cure for your mother's sickness? And we were attacked by Vyus? Remember I told you I got to access different systems from across the universe, so I was able to come across some strange things but I wasn't able to understand until we listened to the message left
Nexus successfully explained the area known as the No Zone to Alex and Emma.“Currently, they are on the verge of entering the inner zone, once they are there, we would lose every form of communication with them" Nexus pointed to a red dot on the screen that was edging the border of the outer area. “This is insane," Emma shouted "This is the same place you actually expect us to go? What are the chances that the Codex hasn't been destroyed by the unstable environment within the No Zone? I'm least concerned about that, if we eventually get there how are we even going to survive once the pulling force brings us deep into the Core area? Alex this is a very bad idea, the thought of it already sends centipedes crawling up my skin”." I understand Em, but we haven't listened to Nexus' proposal nor the reason why he has been in contact with the followers of Kaia. Why don't we give him a chance to explain?” Alex tried pacifying Emma." Good point, actually, we can only send a few words daily
Calling out his sleek sports car in EQ. Alex drove at its highest speed in the direction of the Shadows Meadow.Alex's arrival at the Shadows Syndicate guild building was expected and he had Venom waiting patiently for him.“You made it faster than I expected. Well deserved from someone of your caliber.” Inviting him to come in with her hand "Please this way, the guild leader awaits your arrival".Saying nothing since he arrived, Alex quietly followed Venom. He had it at the back of his mind that if any harm was done to Emma and if she looked distressed in any way he would instantly retaliate.He had already made up his mind that he was set to lose a level here. He wasn't concerned about that, what he had more in mind was the damages he was going to dish out before going down.Arriving at the guild leader's office, he was ushered in by the two guards stationed at the door. Walking into the office, Alex instantly felt assaulted by the endless shadows. It felt suffocating and extremely
Her name suddenly manifested unbidden into Alex's mind, whispered from realms beyond - Kalthia, she who enters dreams and echoes in darkness absolute. Layered ebon hair cascaded down Kalthia's back adorned only by a crown of obsidian horns swept back from her temples. Pupil-less violet eyes smoldered beneath long lashes, burning with ancient starfire.Her plush blood red lips parted slightly in a hint of fang as Kalthia studied the transfixed young adventurer. She drifted closer, gliding on coils of umbral mist for feet until mere inches from the thunderstruck Alex. Slowly, one sharp-nailed hand reached out to graze along his jawline while Alex shivered at her arctic caress.“Kalthia, why does it sound so familiar?" Alex wondered.Suddenly ,the temperature in the shadowy room plummeted abruptly to below freezing. Glittering frost formed in intricate patterns up the obsidian walls as crackling ice crystals manifested out of thin air. Kalthia recoiled with a hiss, her form wavering at
“Are you trying to destroy him?" Kelthia almost exploded from anger "It was foolish of me to stay back and listen to your rubbish, stay away from, I would kill you this time if anything happens to him." You never learn sister, you would never learn" Kalthia suddenly unleashed her power in full force. Without warning Kelthia recoiled as if struck, a surprised growl twisting into a shriek of agony. Gleaming ice erupted outward from the guardian dragon's hide, racing to reinforce a barrier against attack. But it was too late - oily umbral tendrils entwined the defensive permafrost, wrenching it into unnatural contortions.Kalthia's laugh rang out, rich and cruel. "Did you believe you could stop me from doing what I wanted, dear sister? I wanted to negotiate with you but you left me no choice" The umbral manifestation coiled tighter around Kelthia. She bucked and snapped but could not tear free of bonds formed of corrupted midnight stuff from the void beneath creation.Alex instantly cal
Alex wavered, feeling strengthened umbral tendrils threading deeper through his being now that Kalthia's overpowering presence no longer suppressed their infiltration. Whispers danced at the edge of perception, hinting at the shadow arts' terrifying potential were he to fully embrace rather than resist the transformations writhing inside him.Steeling himself, Alex reached out a mental "hand" towards the notification panel. This legacy may grant the power to grow another step further in this world where power was everything. He could not afford to show weakness now. Eyes blazing violet temporarily, Alex selected [Yes] to accept all the liberties and grave accountable duties accompanying the full bloom of ancient dragon majicks.The system chimed acknowledgment. Integrations accelerated. Gritting his teeth against the rising cacophony of mental architects restructuring his thoughts and cells, Alex yielded control to whatever hybrid entity might emerge intact on the other side of this p