----------------------------------------
Back behind the waterfall, I settled in with my torch casting a small, warm circle of light around me. Leaning back against the stone wall, I took a bite of the jerky, savoring the smoky saltiness as it mixed with the cold gulp of water I’d just had. I hummed a tune without thinking—some familiar melody I couldn’t place. It’s from my family, I thought, certain about that much. I could almost feel someone close to me humming it once, a gentle sound.
With a small grin, I swayed my head from side to side as I took another bite. The small break felt good. After finishing off my snack, I ran my hand under the water trickling down the stone and washed away the crumbs, marking off three jerky strips in my inventory.
I leaned back, eyes closed, trying to gather my thoughts from my little experiment.
So now a million Drakos question, What have I really learned?
I had to make sense of it all, somehow piece together what Exira was and what it meant.
Exira…where did it even come from? I grabbed my diary and flipped to a fresh page, labeling it “Exira 101.” Something about seeing it there in my handwriting made it feel more real. I tapped the pen against the paper, trying to find the right words.
Memories came, faint and blurry, yet distinct enough that I could feel them. Aunt Nora’s voice, explaining the basics, guiding me to connect with the strange resonance of an item. Every item has its own song, she’d told me, you just have to listen. Mom’s voice was there too, soft but sure, teaching me not to just use Exira, but to wield it wisely, conserving my strength, making it a part of me.
I scribbled down phrases, catching whatever I could from those memories. Each lesson started with finding a thread of energy and building up that thread with focus and intent, guiding it until it responded. And when I was back in that cave, with a monster feasting on me, something in me had latched onto Exira without even knowing my own name. In that moment, when I was desperate, my mind and my resolve had aligned, drawing out that power like a final, raw weapon.
Exira is the manifestation of my will, my desire, and my resolve.
The words felt right as I wrote them down. Not “fancy” or “clever,” but true, and that was what mattered.
Sitting back, I let out a breath, feeling the weight of that truth settle in. Exira is a part of me, something deeper like my essence.
Every time I used it, I had more and more of my will hardened. Like just now I was experimenting on the damn monster, I remember myself when I just woke up her in this damn cave, I was afraid, cowering in fear, reluctant to fight the monster but now…
Snapping out of my thoughts, I leaned forward, focusing on the list I needed to create. If Exira was going to keep me alive down here, I had to know exactly what it could do—and what it would cost me to use it. I quickly started jotting down points, getting straight to the basics.
“Alright… Level 1 or weak strength,” I murmured, underlining it as my thoughts turned back to the previous fights. My pen scratched across the page as I wrote:
1. Effects: At this level, Exira stuns and paralyzes any living entity it’s exerted on. Simple, but effective. The creatures with weaker wills seem to crumble under it instantly, unable to resist even for a moment. “Good,” I noted out loud, satisfaction creeping into my voice. Level 1 had been useful for holding the monsters off while I planned my next moves.
2. Duration: I tested this one enough to know the limits pretty well—at least five minutes if I’m pushing it and if the target doesn’t resist too much. But if other factors come into play, like the creature’s strength or how much energy I have to spare, it could shift. “Five minutes, give or take,” I muttered, adding it next to the line.
3. Resistance: The creatures that lurk here, especially the larger lizards, seem to shake off the Level 1 effect around the one-to-two-minute mark. “They’ll be free sooner if I don’t keep the pressure on,” I wrote. Not exactly reassuring, but at least knowing that timing might save me from being ambushed again.
4. Mental strain: So far, I’d barely felt any strain keeping Level 1 active. I’d gotten used to its weight on my mind—a manageable, familiar weight. The lack of strain let me push it further if I really needed to. Good to know.
Sitting back, I glanced over the list, nodding to myself. “That’s Level 1 sorted,” I murmured, feeling a small twinge of pride. Even if I hadn’t fully regained my memories, I knew Exira. I’d proven I could make it work for me, twist it to my needs.
Taking a quick sip of water, I looked down at the next line I’d written: “Level 2 or low strength.” Just thinking about it brought a faint ache to my temples. Flexing my wrist to ease some of the tension, I leaned in again and started writing:
1. Effects: At this stage, Exira restricts any major movements. The creature is beyond just stunned or paralyzed—it’s almost… immobilized. Thinking back to the monster I’d tested on, I could see its claws scraping feebly against the ground, dragging itself. After a few moments under Level 2, even that small amount of movement became impossible. I remembered the look in its eyes–wild and terrified, yet unable to do anything but tremble. I almost laughed, then caught myself. “No point in sympathy,” I muttered, my hand scrawling over the page. “You’d do the same to me in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you?”
2. Mind Effects: There was something else, too, something beyond just physical control. Under Level 2, that beast hadn’t been able to track me, even when I was right in front of it. I could see its confusion as it stared off into the distance, unable to sense me. It was as if Exira reached into its mind, clouding it from within. “You couldn’t even see me,” I whispered, feeling a chill of satisfaction creep up my spine. Good. That’s an edge I need to keep.
3. Mental Strain: This level wasn’t without its price. There’d been a faint, annoying throb at the back of my head while I held it. Not exactly comfortable. But it hadn’t been bad enough to distract me, not yet. I’d have to watch out if I pushed it too hard. I scribbled this down with a frown, tapping the pen against the paper as I mulled it over. If the headache worsened, I’d need to be cautious. I couldn’t afford to waste energy on pain.
4. Duration: Two to two-and-a-half minutes, max. Half of what Level 1 gave me. Any longer, and I’d be courting trouble, pushing myself right to the brink. I stared at the line, feeling a grim satisfaction settle in. If Level 1 was for holding creatures at bay, then Level 2 was for subduing them when I needed them completely still. Shorter, sure, but with that added strength, it was a tradeoff I could work with.
I flexed my hand again, feeling the faint ache. It was nothing compared to what I’d been through, but the reminder was there all the same—a little bit of wear every time I pushed myself further. Still, I could use it. I could control it.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Reading back through my notes, a thought crept in, almost uninvited: Would I have even been able to do this when I first woke up?
I took a breath, letting the sound of the waterfall drown out that nagging thought.
No need to look back. I’d been afraid then, sure, cowering in the dark as those monsters circled around me.
But now…
Taking out another piece of jerky, I took a quick sip of water and chewed slowly, savoring the hint of salt that grounded me for a moment. With a deep breath, I continued, focusing on the page in front of me.
“Level 3 or high strength,” I muttered, underlining it. Just thinking back to this level made me uneasy, but if I wanted to know my limits, I couldn’t shy away from it. I wrote with quick strokes:
1. Effects: At this stage, Exira causes total paralysis of mind and body. It’s like freezing them in time. I remembered the way the creature had slumped, all movement stopping in an instant as it fell victim to this level of force. There hadn’t been a single twitch. No struggling, no snarling—nothing.
It was as if it had given up on the spot, every ounce of willpower drained from its mind. I could still see the creature’s blank stare, frozen in place as the tremors faded. The thing had just… stopped. No other way to put it. “Completely frozen,” I muttered, nodding to myself. I noted, its will, its essence, bled dry. And then, like an empty shell, the monster slumped down, bleeding from its eyes, mouth, even its claws. Its body, nothing more than a husk with its mind obliterated.
1. Mental Strain: This is the worst part. Level 3 Exira feels like someone’s beating on my head with a hammer, and it’s not just a dull ache—it’s enough to blur my focus. I frowned, remembering that splitting pain. It wasn’t the kind of headache that went away with deep breaths. I’d felt it digging into my mind, knocking on the edges of my control, demanding every ounce of my concentration to keep from falling apart.
There was no room for distraction, no margin for error with Level 3. Even the faintest lapse, and I knew it could all come crashing down. “Full focus only,” I wrote, pressing the words hard enough that the pen dug into the paper.
1. Duration: A sigh slipped out as I wrote. Barely a minute. Maybe less. It was all I could manage before the strain clawed at my mind too hard. A single minute to keep something utterly paralyzed, to empty it of thought, of resistance. Useful, yes, but dangerous. My limits were clearer than ever. If I went beyond that minute, there was no telling what kind of toll it would take on my mind.
Sitting back, I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the tension in my jaw. I hadn’t expected Level 3 to be so intense. I’d experimented cautiously, yet the effects still rattled me. In a way, knowing just how strong it was gave me confidence. But there was a fine line between confidence and recklessness. If I was going to survive, I needed to tread carefully.
I have limits, I reminded myself. This power is mine to wield, but only if I keep control.
With that thought, I jotted down one last note under the list:
Experimentation Summary: “That’s all I could get out of the monster,” I wrote. The creature had lost any value as a test subject the moment its mind was wiped clean. There was no will left in it, no essence to resist or struggle. Just a hollow, bleeding body. And I couldn’t risk drawing in more of those creatures, not while I was still figuring things out.
Sighing, I leaned back against the stone wall, rolling the stiffness from my shoulders. The weight of exhaustion settled over me, but there was a sense of satisfaction, too—a knowledge of where my power could take me if I used it wisely.
As I closed the book, I felt the need for one last note, something to capture the most important aspect of what I’d learned so far.
“IMPORTANT NOTE,” I wrote at the bottom of the page in bold letters, underlining it twice for emphasis:
1. Anyone with a weaker will cannot evade Exira’s effects–they’re trapped under its hold, without question. The stronger an entity’s will, the easier it is to resist and even break out. It’s like a test, a “Will check,” I mused, tapping the end of my pen. I chuckled dryly, the analogy somehow grounding me. Like a twisted little game of endurance.
2. True Skill: Exira is not just a weapon. It’s a true skill. Once it manifests, it’s not something that can be brushed aside. Once I exert it, there’s no reversing it. The duration, the control–that’s all down to my will.
Looking over my notes, I felt a strange sense of calm settle in. Exira wasn’t some mystery hanging over me anymore. It was mine, a part of me I was beginning to understand, to harness.
A faint chuckle slipped out of me as I looked over my notes one last time, savoring that sense of direction. “At least now I’ve got some purpose with Exira, not just swinging it around like a club.”
Unga bunga magic, I mused, laughing quietly at my own joke. Brilliant.
With a sigh, I flicked my pen closed and tucked everything away, sparing a glance at my inventory sheet.
“Right, jerkies… I really need to stop going through these so quickly,” I muttered, knocking three off the list and making a mental note to ration them more carefully. They were a comfort, sure, but comfort was a rare commodity down here, and I’d already felt the pinch of hunger creeping in once. I shook my head, shoving the bag shut.
“Get it together, Lexi,” I muttered, knowing this place would eat me alive if I didn’t start thinking ahead.
Hopping up, I stretched, feeling the satisfying pull in my stiff muscles. The thought of those monstrous claws, those bone-like blades I’d left on the creature’s corpse earlier tugged at me. I had to get those–anything sharp and tough enough to wound was a weapon worth scavenging. “Let’s see if I can’t salvage something useful,” I said to myself, slinging my pack over my shoulder.
The rush of the waterfall faded as I stepped out from behind it, torchlight bouncing off the damp, rocky walls. But the sight that met me was… off.
I blinked, then rubbed my eyes, the torchlight flickering around the empty space.
The monster’s corpse was gone.
“Da Fuck…”
I rubbed my eyes, half-expecting my mind to be playing tricks on me, but when I shone the torch again, I saw nothing. No hulking, defeated body slumped where I left it. Just emptiness.
Frowning, I stepped closer, the torch casting long shadows over the cold stone. A dark smear of blood marked where the body should’ve been, dried and heavy against the ground. My gaze trailed over the blood, my pulse quickening as I noticed something else–a thick, smeared trail stretching away from the spot, leading deeper into the shadows.
Blood streaks. Drag marks.
A chill washed over me, sending an uneasy prickle up my spine. Who… or what could’ve dragged that thing away? And when?
I forced myself to breathe slowly, steadying the shaking in my hands. The blood trail stretched forward, winding into the darkness, disappearing around the bend of the narrow stone corridor. Did something come while I wasn’t looking? While I was right there? The thought made my skin crawl.
I swallowed, feeling the cold, creeping weight of dread settle in my stomach. The shadows seemed darker somehow, the silence thicker, pressing in around me. Whatever took that body, it wasn’t done yet.
And now it was on me.
----------------------------------------