Nexus Alert:
Balancing in progress…
Nexus Alert:
Odo Balancing in progress…6%
Clinging to his weakened figure, Alexei pressed forward, determined to reach the city entrance. His figure trembled with exhaustion, but his heart remained cautiously hopeful as he gazed ahead at the sprawling city.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he dragged himself towards the entrance of the city. Even though he had never set foot in this place before, Alexei recognized it as Bluewater—the very city where Del'hia and the others were meant to find provisions. In the end, it became clear that it was all a deception. The city, in reality, was nothing more than a checkpoint for them to amass additional forces for her to apprehend and imprison him and her.
With that thought, bitter Alexei bit his lip, clenched his fist in anger, but quickly composed himself, realizing that it no longer mattered. They had been betrayed, set up, and what happened to her had happened; there was simply no undoing it.
Alexei was now standing just a dozen meters away from the city gates, just several steps away from salvation. But just as he arrived he was called out by guards,
“Halt—Hey, you’re okay?”
“Your arm,... where did you get those injuries?”
Being not in the perfect mood and certainly not in shape for being questioned, Alexei, ignoring the guards' question, wordlessly walked past with the clear intent of pursuing into the city.
"Hey, don't ignore us," a guard said, his voice persistent. "Yeah, we asked you a question," another guard chimed in, reaching out to grab Alexei by the shoulder.
In that fleeting moment, a surge of anger and prana surged through Alexei's veins.
Without a second thought, Alexei jerked forward, causing the guard's grip to slip away. Turning around, raising his only one remaining hand, he unleashed his aero-elementalis, sending the guard sprawling several meters away.
The sound of impact echoed through the air, leaving the remaining guard momentarily stunned and uncertain.
"What...? A ma—" the guard managed to utter, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. But before he could even unsheathe it, a powerful force surged forth from Alexei, directed with precision and intent. A gust of wind blasted against the lower part of the guard's body, catching him off guard and sending him crashing to the ground. His jaw met the earth first, the impact stunning him into momentary silence.
Nexus Alert:
Balancing in progress…
Nexus Alert:
Odo Balancing in progress…9%
Not content with his display of power, Alexei channeled his aero-elementalis once more, summoning another potent gale. This time, the wind lifted the fallen guard off the ground, suspending him horizontally in mid-air. He struggled against the invisible force, his body at the mercy of Alexei's unleashed pranakinesis.
"Don't touch me," Alexei belatedly warned, his voice carrying a mix of anger and exhaustion.
Though slightly dazed, the guard continued to hover in the air, his movements restricted by the unseen power that held him. He managed to mutter, "Okay, okay, it's understood. We won't do it anymore."
Beside him, the other guard, who had gathered himself up from where he had been sent rolling, added, "We just wanted to help. We didn't mean any harm."
"I do not need your help," Alexei snapped back, his patience wearing thin.
The other guard quickly interjected, sensing the rising tension. "Okay, we understand. Could you let him go?" he asked, gesturing towards his suspended comrade. "You're a mage, right? We're just city guards. We're just doing our jobs, and from now on, we won't bother you anymore."
The guard who was still hovering in the air nodded vigorously in agreement. "Not anymore—never," he confirmed, desperation evident in his voice and his eyes.
Alexei's eyes narrowed as he considered their words. His grip on the guard weakened, and the force of the winds gradually subsided. But just a mere feets away from the ground Alexei turned around, released from the pranakinesis that held him captive, prompting the guard’s face to abruptly meet the ground.
Alexei heard a faint "ouch" and a muffled shout from the guards behind him, but he paid them no heed. Their presence had become insignificant, mere background noise in his determined pursuit. With each step, he pushed deeper into the heart of the city. To do what? He didn’t know anymore, it was just the direction his subconscious was dragging his husk of a body toward.
Venturing further into the city, Alexei became acutely aware of the stares and whispers that followed his every step. The people he encountered couldn't help but be captivated by his strange appearance—his tattered clothes, the dried blood that clung to his body, and of course the fourth missing limb on him.
But Alexei was beyond caring about their judgment. He was too consumed by his own anguish, too weary to spare any energy for the curiosity or disdain of others. Their gazes and murmurs were like distant echoes, irrelevant to his singular purpose.
As he made his way through the bustling streets, he arrived at the city's mercantile district. The contrast between the vibrant marketplace and his own disheveled state was stark, akin to a grotesque sideshow spectacle that drew the attention of the curious onlookers.
Whispers grew louder, eyes followed his every move, and fingers pointed in hushed conversations. Alexei's presence was an anomaly, a disruption in the harmonious flow of everyday life.
Alexei paid no mind to their gawking, for his focus remained fixed on moving forward, he didn’t know where but somewhere. That until, amidst the sea of bustling activity, something colorful on the side caught his attention—an array of vivid fruits displayed on a nearby stand.
His stomach gawking and his tongue thirsting at the sight, he approached, standing a couple of steps, he looked down at his waist to see no purse, and therefore nothing to buy any of the displayed fruits.
Alexei looked at the stall-owner who looked at him with a weary, uncomfortable and concerned expression.
Alexei locked eyes with the weary and uncomfortable stall owner, a man who stood behind the stand. Without breaking their gaze, he reached out and swiftly grabbed one of the fruit bunches, taking an immediate bite out of it.
“Hey that’s—” The stall owner protested before being cut short mid-sentence as his voice trailed off, replaced by a stunned silence, as before he could utter another word, Alexei conjured his electro-elementalis with no regard for discretion.
Sparks of lightning crackled around him, startling even the nearby bystanders, but causing no harm to anyone.
The stall owner's expression transformed from anger to terror, his eyes widening in fear.
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Alexei held his gaze, unyielding, waiting to see how the stall owner would react. The seconds ticked by, pregnant with tension, until finally, the merchant's voice quivered as he offered a compromise.
"Fine, take as much as you want. Gift. It’s a gift," the stall owner stammered, his voice filled with both resignation and fear and yet with just enough courage to still remain behind his counter.
Taking the man to his words, In light of the man's words, Alexei extended his hand towards yet another fruit on the counter, then another one. However, he soon realized that that was something he could not do— not with "that" missing.
Grasping one fruit with his hand and biting into it to secure the other, Alexei wordlessly departed, under the onlooking gaze of everyone around him, but that at this point he couldn't care less. As he reached a corner of the mercantile district, a commotion caught his attention. Turning to face it, he saw several guards and people vigorously pointing at him.
At that sight, Alexei sighed.
***
Nexus Alert:
Balancing in progress…
Nexus Alert:
Odo Balancing in progress…13%
Finally reaching a haven: a rooftop, his body trembling with exhaustion, Alexei collapsed onto its hard surface. The journey had taken a toll on him, leaving his breath ragged and his muscles aching. In this brief moment of respite, he found solace in the quiet solitude that enveloped him.
Lying on the rooftop, Alexei allowed himself a moment to catch his breath and regain his strength. The stolen fruits, still clutched tightly in his hand, beckoned to him, offering a temporary respite from his hunger. Sitting up, he took a large, vigorous bite into one of the fruits he had acquired earlier.
With the last remnants of the fruit consumed, Alexei gazed into the distance, his eyes fixated on the sprawling cityscape before him. The bustling streets and distant skyline seemed to hold both promise and uncertainty, like an uncharted territory awaiting his next move. Alexei's been in many cities, and never he’d been in one like he was today: without a clear purpose or goa;.
A heaviness settled in his heart, accompanied by a sense of loneliness and emptiness that seemed to echo through his being.
"What am I gonna do?" The words escaped his lips, carried away by the wind. But there was no response. No one and nothing answered that question for him. There was only the resounding silence that enveloped him. For as long as he could remember, never had the silence, so heavy for Alexei.
In the midst of his solitude, a sudden and intense headache struck Alexei, causing him to wince in pain. It felt as if a lightning bolt had pierced through his mind, jolting his senses. His vision blurred momentarily, and he instinctively brought his hand to his temple, trying to alleviate the throbbing ache.
But as the pain subsided, a peculiar phenomenon unfolded before him.
Nexus Alert:
Balancing in progress…
Nexus Alert:
Odo Balancing in progress…15%
Nexus Alert:
Etablishing Odo channels….
Though not his inaugural encounter with the screen through the nexus, the abrupt headache was an unprecedented occurrence.
"What is this again?" Alexei grumbled as the headache subsided, dissipating almost as swiftly as it had emerged.
Once again Alexei’s question was met with no answer.
"So you're really planning on not answering any of my questions, not even to that one question? Very well, keep your silence—I will figure this out myself. I don’t need your help," he snapped defiantly. Yet again, no response came forth.
A few minutes of silence ensued after these words were uttered. From his sitting position, he dragged himself to a corner of the rooftop, away from the sun's glare. Although it was not yet the usual time for rest, he was exhausted—more than ever before—and longed for a moment of respite. Thus, he made his way to the small shaded corner and huddled himself in a manner that wouldn't cause discomfort and of course pain.
What am I going to do now all alone? He thought too proud and thus unable to have these words come out into sound.
Alexei would have no answer to that.
The silence enveloped him like a shroud, broken only by the distant sounds of the bustling city below. He closed his eyes, hoping that slumber would quickly come and claim him. It did not, instead all it did was rekindle fresh memories of what happened there in nowhere.
In the solitude of that corner, fatigue slowly claimed him. Thoughts faded into a distant murmur as weariness took precedence. His eyelids grew heavy, and he surrendered to the beckoning embrace of sleep, allowing his body to heal and rejuvenate.
Time slipped away as he rested, oblivious to the passage of minutes and hours. Soon came the next morning, and yet it was not the first ray of sunlight that woke Alexei up but rather pokings.
Upon awakening, Alexei opened his eyes to behold the presence of several individuals: a man clutching a broom, a woman, and a boy approximately the same age as Alexei.
“See Dad, I told you he was still alive.”
"Yeah, I can see that," the man with the broom replied, his tone reflecting a blend of curiosity and concern. Directing his attention towards Alexei, he asked, "Hey, who are you? How did you end up on our rooftop, and what happened to you… those injuries?"
Alexei blinked, momentarily taken aback by their unexpected presence. Gathering his thoughts, he slowly sat up, his gaze shifting from one face to another.
"Don't ignore me, I asked you a question," the man demanded, his voice far too soft for Alexei to consider threatening.
"Hmph," Alexei scoffed, standing up. He had no intention of wasting his time on idle conversation.
"Hey, wait," the man called out, but Alexei was in no mood to entertain anyone—certainly not in such an early morning.
With a swift leap, summoning his aero-elementalis, he propelled from the rooftop, gracefully landing on the street below.
He continued on his journey, leaving behind the curious onlookers and the rooftop that briefly offered him respite.
As Alexei walked through the city, with not much of a destination in mind, a heavy sense of aimlessness settled upon him, weighing down his every step. The bustling streets which not so long ago felt filled with vibrant energy, now appeared dull and lifeless to his despondent gaze.
The echoing footsteps of passersby resonated like distant echoes in his ears. There had been a time when he would reminisce about the sight of so many people bustling around, exhilarating moments, especially when she was present, doing her thing. However, today all it did was emphasize the overwhelming emptiness that consumed him.
He wandered aimlessly, his heart burdened with a profound sense of isolation. The buildings and shops around him seemed to blend together in a monotonous blur, their colorful facades devoid of any true meaning. Faces of the people he passed by became mere fleeting shadows, their gazes indifferent and oblivious to his internal struggle.
Walking aimlessly Alexei arrived at an intersection from which he saw in the distance, the same stallowner from the day before still selling fruits. At the sight Alexei grumbled, but it did nothing of it. Remembering what happened the day before, Alexei turned around and spared the man the fate of having to once again forfeit two others of his fruits.
Changing direction, Alexei left the confines of the mercantile district behind, venturing into the unfamiliar streets of the city. His steps led him to a quieter area, where the sounds of bustling commerce gave way to the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves against cobblestone.
He found himself on a flank of cobbleway, a pathway heavy with traffic, primarily used by horse riders and carriages of all sorts.
As Alexei stood at the edge of the cobbleway, his attention was momentarily diverted by the delightful aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. It stirred a memory deep within him, evoking images of stolen loaves and the painful yet somewhat comforting warmth they usually came with in her hands.
The scent wafted from a shop across the street, captivating Alexei's senses and luring him towards its enticing aroma. However, a weariness weighed upon him, restraining his impulse to dart across the road like others might have done. With steadfast patience, he bided his time, waiting for a suitable opportunity to traverse to the other side safely.
Finally, an opening presented itself, and Alexei seized the opportunity. He stepped onto the cobbleway, successfully crossing the first lane. However, just as he entered the second lane, he noticed a carriage hurtling towards him at an alarming speed. Despite his initial belief that it wouldn't reach him, a surge of annoyance coursed through him as the carriage driver unexpectedly accelerated.
Forcing his muscles and aero-elementalis into action, Alexei hurriedly made his way to the opposite flank of the cobbleway. As the carriage thundered past him, he caught a glimpse of the driver, and mostly of the other one seated at the helm. He wore a hood, its fabric blown back by the wind, revealing a fleeting glimpse of the man's face.
In that brief moment, a sense of familiarity washed over Alexei. It was as if he had encountered that face before, though he couldn't quite place where. Their eyes met, locking for an instant, before the carriage walked past Alexei.
In that fleeting moment, before Alexei could even begin to ponder about where the familiarity came from, a sudden revelation washed over him through the nexus.
Name
H.P
P.P
Karl
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