Fascination

Escape wasn't a luxury in this Game of Thrones reality; it was the grim difference between surviving and becoming another name etched on destiny's blood-splattered ledger.

Penniless and powerless, a pawn with no queen, he was slated for sacrifice by fate's cruel hand. Whispers of danger slithered around him like vipers in the night: scheming siblings, a looming "protagonist," and the constant threat of becoming just another statistic.

All he craved was the normalcy of soft hues, a life far from the blood-soaked canvas fate had thrust him upon.

But escape, like a well-guarded fortress, demanded a key - a working mana core. For a mana-less nobody like Leo, such a trinket was as elusive as a dragon's hoard.

Despair tugged at him, yet Leo, the ever-optimistic cockroach, clung to a sliver of hope, refusing to be squashed. His plan, audacious bordering on suicidal, was his only shot at scuttling out from under the boot of a cruel destiny.

Fixing plot holes? His ass. He'd already discovered he was an enemy of fate, cursed with the luck of a broken horseshoe. Trying to solve such a colossal mess with his condition would be like begging for a swift demise.

Yet, the end of the world loomed, another complication in this tangled mess. Would refusing the mission damn him eternally? Would fate, who already seemed to despise him, subject him to unimaginable tortures?

Realizing the futility of overthinking, Leo took a gamble, deciding his future self would be better equipped to handle the consequences. He let go, allowing the situation to unfold as it may.

"Mel," he confided in the enigmatic voice whispering in his head, "the Empire might be my only chance. But without a core, it's a suicide mission."

Mel, ever the voice of reason, painted a bleak picture. "Acquiring a significant amount of compressed mana, the essential ingredient, is impossible with your current strength."

Leo, however, wasn't one to back down. "I have an idea," he countered, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "The mana might be a hurdle, but I can handle that. It's the core I'm worried about."

Mel offered a glimmer of hope. "For now, the core isn't crucial. We only need a massive chunk of compressed mana. With that, I might be able to temporarily jumpstart your defunct core."

A spark of excitement ignited within Leo. "If that works, then that's enough," he declared with a determined smirk.

He took to his cloud-like bed, but suddenl, he remembered something.

Without hesitation, he changed his direction and walked towards his wardrobe, his fingers gripping the handles tightly. 

As he pulled the doors open, a faint scent of lavender wafted out. Leo took a moment to appreciate the beautiful fragrance before focusing on his task.

He peered inside, scanning the contents of the shelves with a critical eye. Then, he reached up to the top of the wardrobe and slid the panel upwards. 

With a soft click, a secret compartment was revealed. Leo reached inside and withdrew a wooden box, which he cradled gently in his hands. The box was old and worn, the wood smooth to the touch.

"What's that?" Mel inquired, intrigued.

Leo, unsure himself, could only offer, "I don't know, I just knew it was there."

"Strange," said the voice.

The wooden box, unassuming in its rustic simplicity, hummed with a hidden energy that sent tingles dancing across Leo's fingertips. It was an enigma, devoid of hinges or clasps, its smooth surface as unyielding as polished obsidian. Yet, an almost primal compulsion drew him in, whispering secrets only his subconscious could decipher. The very air in the room, usually vibrant with the faint hum of technology, seemed to hush, the silence thick with anticipation.

With a deep breath, heavy with trepidation and excitement, Leo drew his finger across his teeth, letting a single bead of crimson roll down and land upon the box's surface. It was a small offering, a bridge between his world and the unknown power thrumming within the unassuming wood.

The moment the blood touched the surface, a jolt of energy erupted, crackling through the room like a miniature lightning storm. The box pulsed with an eerie, bloodshot red glow, two intricate magic circles flickering to life on its sides like malevolent eyes opening. The smooth wood began to writhe and twist in an unsettling dance, transforming before Leo's astonished eyes. Within seconds, the box had dissolved entirely, replaced by a breathtaking vision.

In its place hung a sword, its crimson blade reflecting the room's eerie glow with an almost unholy brilliance. It pulsed with an otherworldly power, an aura of raw, untamed potential that sent shivers cascading down Leo's spine like an icy waterfall.

The edge, impossibly sharp, seemed to whisper promises of effortless cuts, its keenness capable of severing the sturdiest oak with a single, fluid motion.

The hilt, crafted from a material unknown yet strangely familiar, fit perfectly into his hand as if molded to his very essence. Four indentations, cool to the touch but radiating an inner warmth, beckoned him, promising a bond not merely physical, but somehow... deeper, more profound. The crimson metal of the blade shimmered with an inner fire, reflecting the magic circles that had moments ago adorned the box.

But unlike the fleeting glyphs, these markings were permanent, etched onto the surface in intricate patterns that seemed to writhe and dance like flames leaping in the wind.

There was an undeniable familiarity to those patterns, a faint echo in the deepest recesses of Leo's mind. He couldn't quite grasp it, yet the feeling persisted, tugging at the edges of his memory like a half-forgotten dream.

The symbols whispered to him in a language older than words, promising power, purpose, and perhaps... danger.

"The memories again?" Mel questioned, sensing his disorientation.

"No," Leo shook his head, bewildered. "This feels different. It's like... I just know what to do with it."

A tense silence descended upon the room, broken only by the voice's chilling words, "This is getting creepy, even for me."

As if responding to the unease, the sword vanished, leaving Leo staring at empty air, his mind reeling.

"Wait!" Mel exclaimed, a hint of urgency in his voice. "Check your status!"

Leo, bewildered, obeyed. A holographic screen materialized, displaying information that sent a jolt of shock through him.

"No fucking way!!" He yelled in rage.