Pain flared throughout his body. His limbs writhed and wrenched in every which direction, skin scraping against the rough rocky floor. Bleeding, as he rubbed against the jagged surface, new wounds opened, shallow but biting at every limb of his body.

But the pain didn’t matter.

He didn’t understand. He was… alive?

For sure he knew he fell in that fort. “RAAAAAH” he let out a gasp for air, throat trembling, teeth chattering. It was so cold, inside him was so cold. Cold flame seared beneath his skin, his arms, legs. Stretching, pulling burning, but why was it so cold?

Why wasn’t he dead?

He was fighting the nightmares. With his friends, the other knights…

Did Lliadryn’s plan succeed?

Did they cheat the demons?

AAAARGH! He screamed in his mind, the pain overtaking him. He would have done so with his mouth but the blood rising from his stomach choked his scream, replacing it with a horrid gurgling. Through the pain, he righted himself, his position so that he could safely puke out the vile blood.

His movements awkward, was it because he was gone for so long? How long had he slept?

More and more blood he coughed out, pooling beneath his body.

He would have moved his hands away in disgust from the pool if he didn’t fear he would collapse. He was weak, if he moved his arms now he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to prop himself up again.

His eyes opened trying to find out where he was, wanting to call out to his friends. Had anyone else awakened?

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“That vial you drank was not a potion”

Painful, he opened his eyes only to be blinded by a headache, he felt his mind heat up sharpened to indescribable pain. Even the slight light offered from his blurry vision attacked his mind.

The veiled silhouette that stood over him continued to speak in a jovial tone, “That was actually a phylactery, much like what liches use. Now he’s inside you. I’m sure you will be good friends. You just drank his blood hahaha”

‘What?’, Allen couldn’t comprehend what the figure spoke of.

In an attempt to investigate, he willed his tongue to embody his questions, and yet completely different words dribbled from his own mouth, “W-what’s happening... to my body?” It was a boyish voice, much higher than what his own was supposed to be, much younger.

‘A completely different voice’ Allen noted, ‘Those were not my words, not my thoughts, not my voice.’ Although he was curious about what his mouth spoke of, he was only dragged into further confusion as his mouth moved differently to his command.

“I did tell you, I am making you suitable for your mission.” He could feel that the one who stood above him smiled, the voice of a man that he wanted to punch. He didn’t know who this was but he knew that was a face he wanted to cave in.

“I haven’t accepted” His mouth out of his control, growled at the jovial man, ‘What was going on? Why is his body, these words coming out without permission?’ He wracked his brains to find an answer but the pain took over, flashing, a knife through his mind.

“Ahahaha” The man laughed, “Sure, that choice exists. But not really. See, you’ll find that you will taste what you’ve always wanted. To be someone else. And I can give it to you completely. Well not me, but I’m sure that when he finds out that I’ve finished my task he’ll reward you too.”

“Plus, think of all the fun you’ll have!”

“My HUD disappeared… What, what did you do? How am I going to-” Allen’s body stood up on its own, the pain finally, seemingly fading.

“Shhh” The man who stood above him covered his mouth, “You won’t need it. It’ll get in the way. If the Archmage with his Data Magic reports first he might get all the credit, so I’ll need you to disconnect from his system.”

“One last thing” His long fingers reached out, holding Allen’s face. He felt how strong the grip was, vice-like. This wouldn’t be something that Allen could shake-off as he was now.

With the man’s other hand, he pressed down on Allen’s forehead, his voice suddenly becoming serious, “Open your eye.” Allen’s body shivered. He felt that it was a command, a command that he had no chance to resist.

He felt the man’s thumb somehow penetrate smoothly into his skull, bringing with it a wave of nausea. Slowly, Numbness radiating from the man's thumb forced his consciousness to fade. His eyes that that even at the very end was unable to shake the blurry vision regressed into darkness, eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

Fear.

‘Not again. I don’t want to sleep again.’

With the last of his fading consciousness, in the middle of the darkness, he could hear the man’s footsteps growing fainter and fainter, farther and farther.

‘How long would he sleep this time?’