The outpost was in chaos.
Lucus stood frozen in horror as the Shredded swarmed over the walls, their claws slicing through wood and flesh with terrifying screams.
The two men who had flanked the leader fell first, their screams cut short by the savage onslaught. Lucus watched, helpless, as their bodies were torn apart, their blood spraying across the dirt.
Even the leader, who fought valiantly, was soon overwhelmed. A horde of twisted beasts dragged him down, and his final cry was lost in the thunderous roar of battle.
Lucus's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing. He had to act, had to do something, but before he could move, a massive Shredded emerged from the shadows.
The creature was a grotesque fusion of muscle and bone, its cracked skin oozing a dark, foul liquid that dripped onto the ground.
Its eyes burned with a malevolent intelligence, and it moved with terrifying speed, swatting aside the remaining defenders as if they were nothing more than insects.
Lucus felt a cold chill of dread as the creature's gaze locked onto him. He knew, in that moment, that he was outmatched. Trembling, he raised his knife, the blade shaking in his grasp.
But it was too late. The Shredded lunged at him, its massive claw slashing through his chest with a force that sent him crashing to the ground.
The pain was blinding, a searing agony that tore through Lucus's body. He gasped for breath, his vision blurring as blood poured from the wound.
The sounds of battle began to fade into a distant voice, replaced by the cold, creeping grip of death. In his hand, the stone pulsed weakly, its light dimming as his strength waned.
This is it, Lucus thought, his mind growing foggy. This is where I die.
But just as darkness was about to consume him, the stone flared to life. Its light surged with a power that was both familiar and alien, a force that pushed back the cold and the pain.
Lucus's eyes snapped open, and he felt the Nexus awaken within him, filling him with a strength so intense that it drove the agony away.
The world around him seemed to slow, the chaotic sounds of battle muffled as the power of the Nexus took hold. Lucus's body began to heal, the gaping wound in his chest closing as the energy go through him.
Above him, the massive Shredded loomed, its claw raised to strike again. But its movements were sluggish, as if it were moving through water.
With a burst of strength, Lucus pushed himself to his feet. The stone in his hand now glowed fiercely, and the runes etched into it burned with a fiery intensity.
He could feel the power of the Nexus ready to be unleashed, a force so vast it made him tremble.
The Shredded hesitated, its eyes narrowing as it sensed the change in Lucus. Before it could react, Lucus extended his hand, releasing a wave of pure, crackling energy.
The Shredded were caught in the blast, their bodies disintegrating as the energy washed over them. The towering creature let out a final, ear-piercing roar before it was reduced to ash and shadow.
Lucus stood amidst the carnage, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the power of the Nexus receded. The outpost, once filled with the sounds of battle, was silent.
The Shredded were gone, completely finished. Lucus looked down at his hand, where the stone had fused with his palm, the mark glowing faintly.
The power was his now, fully awakened. With it came the chilling realization that he was no longer the same man who had arrived at Dustveil. He had died here, but the Nexus had brought him back stronger—more dangerous.
As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, Lucus turned his back on the outpost, ready to step into the dark expanse ahead.
The wasteland were there before him, a desolate landscape bathed in a pale, eerie glow.
"Lucus! Is that you?"
The voice was faint but familiar, pulling Lucus back from the edge. He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he tried to place it.
Out of the shadows stepped Mira, one of the survivors who had fought beside him. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear. She stared at him as if she were seeing a ghost.
"You're alive!!!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling. "How… how did you do that?"
Lucus met her gaze, his eyes still glowing faintly with the Nexus's power. "It wasn't me," he said, his voice steady. "It was the Nexus. It chose me, gave me this power."
Mira's eyes fell to the stone embedded in his palm, her expression turning to one of disbelief. "But what now?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "The others—"
"They're gone," Lucus said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. "We can't change that. But we can move forward. There's something bigger at play here, and I need to find out what."
Mira nodded slowly, her face hardening with determination. "I'll come with you. We'll face whatever's out there together."
Lucus gave her a faint smile, a rare glimmer of warmth in his otherwise cold expression.
Thank you. But be warned, this power… it demands much. And the real fight is just beginning
As they set off together, the Nexus thrummed with a quiet, ominous energy, guiding them toward whatever awaited beyond the wasteland.
The battle at the outpost was over, but the war had just begun. Lucus Graves, reborn through the power of the Nexus, was ready to face it...