It was that dream again. He hated when it happened. He didn't understand anything about it, only a suffocating darkness stretching out endlessly. No light, no warmth, no hope. Just a vast, empty nothingness pressing down on him until he felt himself fading away.David woke up with a pounding headache, as usual. Those strange dreams always left his mornings dizzy and heavy. Come to think of it, his mornings were always miserable: the pungent stench of animal dung, the constant, coarse noise of the quarters… but he was used to it now.He forced himself up early, moving before the plantation instructor could find him and deliver a morning beating. Stepping out of the cramped animal shelter, the biting cold of the morning wind slapped his skin, bringing a brief, fresh sensation. Too bad everything waiting ahead would turn good into bad. In his world, nothing good ever lasted.Suddenly, the heavy iron bells began to toll across the compound—the daily command for all the slaves to report fo

The sun rose with a strange blend of joy and calamity, spilling golden light over a world that felt both beautifully alive and precariously waiting. David stirred as the first pale rays touched his skin, their warmth heavily tinged by the biting chill of the morning wind. He forced himself up, each step heavy and deliberate, until his eyes found Lazarus in the distance. Lazarus sat upon a freshly chopped tree trunk, his posture perfectly calm and steady against the backdrop of the breaking day. "Good morning, David," he said, a soft smile cutting through the cold air. "Our training starts now." "Already?" David’s voice betrayed a deep mix of fatigue and hard-learned caution. "Yes," Lazarus replied simply. "Take a seat." David settled onto an adjacent fallen trunk. Folding his legs tightly, he mirrored Lazarus’s cross-legged position, doing his best to match the older man's absolute stillness. "Do you still remember what I told you about spiritual energy?" Lazarus asked, his shar

( ONE MONTH LATER) The morning sun cast a brilliant, piercing light over the silent forest clearing. Standing at opposite sides, David and Lazarus faced each other once more. Three full months of nonstop, grueling training had completely transformed the young man. The gaunt, broken frame of the slave was entirely gone, replaced by hard, defined muscle and a gaze that held a dangerous, unwavering focus. "Ready for another fight, David?" Lazarus asked, loosening his shoulders. "I won't be going easy on you this time." David dropped into his stance, his fists clenched tight. "Let's get started." "Loving the energy today," Lazarus smiled. "Let's see if it carries you to the end." David charged. He launched a vicious right hook, but Lazarus leaned smoothly to the side, letting the punch whistle harmlessly past. David immediately followed through with a heavy kick aimed at the ribs. Lazarus blocked it with his forearm, instantly grabbing David's leg and tossing him through the air

Midnight came, and the village was entirely dead silent. The only sound echoing through the empty, darkened streets was the rhythmic crunch of Peter and Hiron’s boots beating against the packed dirt."Why did you change the plan back at the house?" Peter asked in a low whisper, his eyes scanning the pitch-black alleyways."I wanted to check something out first," Hiron replied, his hand resting casually on the handle of his massive double-edged axe. "If the villagers went missing, it must have happened when they were completely alone. Whatever came over them captured them without raising an alarm.""So, what does that mean?" Peter asked, his posture tensing."It means the creature has a deliberate method of knowing whenever someone is isolated. To put it simply... we might be stepping directly onto the enemy's trap right now. And it likely already knows we are here.""Hmm... great point," Peter muttered, a sharp grin cutting through his caution. "But how do we find it?""We don't need

Both men lay flat on the ground as the morning sun slowly rose, its golden rays bringing a much needed warmth to the fractured, battle-torn streets of the village."Wake up, Peter," Hiron said, his voice raspy as he strained to sit up. "Our work isn't over yet."Hiron turned his head to look at his partner, but Peter was dead to the world, snoring softly."You have to be kidding me," Hiron muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "How can someone sleep so soundly right after a brutal battle with an Abyssal demon?"Hiron crawled over and aggressively tapped Peter on the shoulder, but the younger warrior didn't budge."Wake up!" Hiron shouted, giving him a firm shove."I'm up! I'm up!" Peter startled awake, stumbling to his feet as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes."How can you sleep at a time like this?" Hiron asked, picking up his double-edged axe."My body gets incredibly exhausted whenever I use too much spiritual energy," Peter replied defensively, stretching his sore arms.