The days rolled by, and Alex continued his rigorous training with Alexius, the talking cat. Despite the grueling regimen, Alex seemed to adapt to his new routine. He no longer flinched at the odd looks he received from passersby as he performed his daily quests. His focus was unwavering, and the once-distant tension in his posture began to ease.
One afternoon, Kael walked through the park where Alex was doing his usual exercises. He observed the boy running laps with a curious, gray cat perched around his neck. Kael's brows furrowed in confusion. He had heard about Alex's unusual training but had never seen it firsthand.
"Is that... a cat?" Kael muttered to himself, watching Alex complete another lap around the park.
He approached closer, but the cat appeared to be just a normal one, albeit with an exceptionally calm demeanor. The boy, on the other hand, was focused and determined, his earlier apprehension replaced with a newfound ease.
Kael noted how Alex had begun to walk more confidently, ignoring the curious glances of those around him. It was a stark contrast to the boy's previous reticence. The change was subtle but significant. Kael couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity and concern.
"Alex," Kael called out as he approached the boy.
Alex paused, wiping sweat from his forehead, and looked up. "Kael. What brings you here?"
Kael smiled faintly. "Just checking on you. I heard about your new routine and wanted to see how it's going."
Alex shrugged. "It's going fine. Just getting used to it."
Kael's gaze flickered to Alexius, who was now lounging comfortably around Alex's neck. "And the cat? What's its story?"
Alex's expression softened, and he hesitated before answering. "His name is Alexius. You can call it Al. I found him a while back. He's been with me during my training."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Just a cat?"
Alex chuckled softly. "Yeah, just a cat. He's been a good companion."
Kael studied Alex for a moment. He had expected the boy to be withdrawn, but the change in Alex's demeanor was evident. He seemed more relaxed, his previous tension dissipating. Kael realized that despite his serious nature and intense training, Alex was opening up, finding comfort and perhaps even solace in his new routine and his feline companion.
"Well, it's good to see you're adapting," Kael said. "But remember, you still have a choice. You don't have to follow a path you don't want."
Alex nodded. "I know. For now, this is what I need to do. It helps me clear my mind and stay focused."
Kael was struck by the boy's determination and the subtle shift in his demeanor. It was clear that Alex was finding a balance, a way to cope with the heavy expectations placed upon him. Kael's initial confusion began to wane as he saw the resilience and strength in Alex's character.
As Kael watched Alex resume his training, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. The boy was evolving, not just physically but emotionally. And though Kael didn't fully understand the nature of Alexius, he could see that the bond between the two was significant.
With a thoughtful nod, Kael turned to leave. "Keep it up, Alex. You're doing well."
Alex watched Kael walk away, feeling a sense of reassurance. As he continued his routine, he glanced at Alexius, who gave a contented purr. The cat's presence had become more than just a distraction—it was a comforting constant in his chaotic life.
*****
[Name: Alexius Harrison ( Alexander Von Archaime)
[Age: 10 (24)
[Contractor: The Brightest Star, (Restricted)
[Strength: 22 Speed: 28 Stamina: 30 Intelligence: 50 Divinity: 10]
The room was dimly lit, the glow from the streetlights outside casting a faint light across the walls. Alex lay on his bed, his hands tucked behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. The soft rustle of paper filled the silence—Alexius, in his cat form, was casually flipping through a newspaper, one paw carefully turning the pages while the other held it open. The absurdity of it almost made Alex laugh, but tonight, his mind was elsewhere.
"Hey, Al," Alex said softly, breaking the quiet. "In one of your timelines, you mentioned serving a god of evil."
Alexius flicked an ear, still pretending to be engrossed in whatever article he was reading. "Yes, I did," he replied nonchalantly, not looking up from the paper. "That timeline was... complicated."
"Complicated?" Alex echoed. "How does one end up serving a god of evil?"
Alexius sighed, finally folding the newspaper with his paw and setting it down beside him. His emerald eyes glinted in the low light as he regarded Alex thoughtfully. "I never knew who that god was. It's like... a blank spot in my memory. But I remember their influence. The whispers. It wasn't like serving the gods of Olympus—no grand proclamations, no divine laws to uphold. Just chaos, creeping into everything."
Alex turned his head slightly to look at the small feline figure perched on the armrest of a nearby chair. "But why serve them at all? What were you trying to achieve?"
Alexius shifted slightly, curling his tail around his body. "Survival, mostly. When the world is crumbling around you, sometimes you cling to whatever gives you a chance to fight back. That god... they promised power, the kind of power that could end wars, stop the chaos."
"But the cost?" Alex asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"The cost," Alexius said with a grim smile, "was the world itself. What's the point of winning if there's nothing left to save?"
A shiver ran down Alex's spine as he considered those words. He rolled over onto his side, propping his head up with his arm. "So, what about now? You keep talking about the gates and the monsters, but there's something else, isn't there?"
Alexius's eyes darkened, and for a moment, the playful demeanor of the cat vanished, replaced by something much older and more serious. "Yes," he admitted, his voice a low purr. "The gates are dangerous, but they are just the beginning. There's something far worse—something lurking behind all of it. We called it the Chaos Incarnation."
"The Lunatic," Alex whispered. "You mentioned that before."
Alexius nodded, his fur bristling slightly as he spoke. "It's more than just a creature or a being—it's chaos itself, taking form. It corrupts and spreads madness, and once it starts, it doesn't stop until everything is swallowed by disorder. It's already been released once, in one of my timelines. And trust me when I say that stopping it is far more important than closing gates."
Alex's stomach twisted at the thought. "So, this Incarnation… it's behind everything?"
"Not exactly," Alexius said. "But it's connected to it. Every time a gate opens, every time a monster spills out of it, the Incarnation grows stronger. It thrives on destruction. And if it ever reaches full power again, even the gods won't be able to stop it."
"So," Alex said, sinking deeper into his pillow, "in one of your timelines, you served a god of evil, and in another, you fought this Incarnation. I'm just trying to live my life here, Al. But it seems like... I don't have a choice, do I?"
Alexius let out a small chuckle. "I suppose you don't. You might be ten years old, Alex, but you're not just some ordinary kid. You're stronger than you think. And whether you like it or not, you've been chosen for something much bigger."
Alex groaned and covered his face with his arm. "I just wanted a normal life, you know. After everything…"
"I know," Alexius said softly. "But if you want to survive and protect the people you care about, you need to be ready for what's coming. Chaos doesn't wait for anyone."
Alex sighed heavily. "Great. So I have to deal with gates, monsters, gods, and now this Incarnation thing."
"Exactly," Alexius said, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes as he hopped down from the chair. "But hey, at least you've got me. The best companion a reincarnated soldier trapped in a ten-year-old's body could ask for."
Alex couldn't help but laugh at that, despite the heavy conversation. "Yeah, a talking cat who served a god of evil and now acts as my trainer. What more could I want?"
Alexius padded over to the bed and jumped up, settling beside Alex's pillow. "I prefer the term 'mentor,' but sure, let's go with that."
As the silence returned, Alex lay back, staring at the ceiling again. His mind whirled with thoughts of chaos, gods, and the Incarnation that threatened everything. But for now, with Alexius at his side, he felt just a little bit more prepared for whatever the future might bring.
"Thanks, Al," Alex whispered, just before drifting off to sleep.
Alexius, now fully settled and purring softly, simply closed his eyes. "Anytime, kid. Anytime."
*****
The room was still. Alex lay awake on his bed, his gaze drifting from the ceiling to the small form of Alexius, curled up like any ordinary house cat at the foot of the bed, quietly breathing in his sleep. For a moment, Alex allowed himself to relax, to take in the peacefulness of the moment. But his mind wouldn't let him rest.
As he stared at the sleeping cat—who was once a regressor, a warrior of countless lifetimes—his thoughts wandered back to his own strange, fractured existence.
He remembered his previous life as Alexander Von Archaime. The memories felt distant now, like watching a faded old movie. He could still feel the weight of the battles he had fought, the loneliness of standing alone on blood-soaked battlefields. Back then, all he ever wanted was peace. A normal life, far from the constant fighting, far from the endless war against enemies and fate.
But even in this new life, peace remained elusive.
It had taken him a while to realize it, but now it was painfully clear—he had always acted like someone outside of this world. He had been trying so hard to maintain a calm exterior, to blend in, to make his way through life as if none of the chaos truly touched him. Kael was one of the few who treated him like any other kid, someone to trust, someone who could find his path without pressure. But even then, there was a distance. It wasn't Kael's fault; it was Alex's.
He had walled himself off, pretending that the gods, the alien threats, and even the strange world around him were just another battleground, another challenge to face and conquer. And yet, in doing so, he had kept himself apart, an outsider to his existence.
The gods certainly didn't help. They had constantly blamed him for his choices and pressured him with the weight of the future. The burden of destiny felt crushing at times. He had to keep his collected façade, had to maintain that outer calm even as they criticized him, expecting him to be something more than he was ready to be.
But now, with Alexius here—a former regressor, turned into this quirky talking cat—things felt different. Somehow, meeting Al and seeing the future had made him feel more... connected. He wasn't just a passive observer anymore, pretending to exist outside of everything. Alexius treated him as an equal, a colleague in this strange fight for the future. It was a small but meaningful shift.
He wasn't alone anymore. And even if Al's methods were odd, even if the cat sometimes exasperated him with his constant prodding and strange training, Alex couldn't deny how helpful it had been. Al made the burden of knowing the future a little less heavy and made the fight feel a little more manageable.
Alex closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. He had always acted like an outsider, but maybe it was time to stop. He was a part of this world now, no matter how strange and chaotic it was. And for the first time, he felt a small flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to live in it—not just survive, but live.
With that thought, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, Alexius softly purring beside him like a small but steadfast reminder that he didn't have to carry this burden alone anymore.