Alex woke up with a familiar, heavy weight pressing down on him. The vivid, haunting image of Reynolds lingered in his mind, refusing to fade even as he tried to push it away. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, but the memory of the man—his former comrade, now an enemy—clung to him. Alex didn't want to relive that part of his past life.
The choices he had made, the decisions that cost the lives of so many of his comrades, weighed heavily on him even now. It had been his foolishness, his misguided trust, that had led to humanity's downfall before. He vowed not to make the same mistakes again.
His eyes landed on a letter from Kael, still unopened on his desk, waiting for his return. The Lunatic forces were growing stronger, and while Alexius's memories had given them an advantage—enabling them to ransack several headquarters belonging to the organization—the core of their power remained elusive. The 13 apostles, the key players in the Lunatic's hierarchy, were still hidden. Despite their best efforts, not a single trace of their whereabouts had surfaced.
Alex dragged himself out of bed and opened the letter. As expected, Kael had included updates on the increasing number of children who had gone missing over the last few months. Alex skimmed through the reports, furrowing his brow. At first glance, the kidnappings seemed unrelated to the Lunatic, but the pattern of targeted families raised his suspicions. The children who had been taken were from families with significant inheritances—bloodlines with potential powers or ancient legacies.
His stomach churned at the thought. This was something darker, more insidious. Whoever was behind the kidnappings knew exactly which children to take. There was purpose behind the disappearances, and that fact alone made Alex uneasy. He set the report down and let the pieces of the puzzle turn over in his mind as he stood up and headed for the shower.
The hot water refreshed him, but it did little to wash away the creeping sense of dread. These weren't random abductions; there was something larger at play. And with the Lunatic growing stronger, every new threat felt like a ticking time bomb.
As he dried off and got dressed, Alex could see Alexius stretching out on the windowsill, the feline's sleek body arching as he woke up from his night's rest. The cat, with his ever-watchful eyes, seemed to study Alex carefully, as though gauging his state of mind.
"You alright?" Alexius finally asked, his voice casual but layered with subtle concern.
Alex glanced over, giving a slight nod. "Yeah. Just... thinking."
Alexius flicked his tail, choosing not to pry further. He was curious about Alex's behavior the previous night, but he had learned not to push. If Alex wanted to talk about it, he would. Some things were better left unspoken until the person holding the secret was ready to reveal it. Alexius understood that all too well. Besides, he had his mysteries locked away.
"I hope you're not planning to do something reckless again," Alexius said, hopping down to the floor. "You barely made it back in one piece last time."
Alex smiled faintly. "No promises."
He reached for the list of missing children again, his thoughts once more returning to the chilling pattern he had discovered. Something was coming, and he needed to be ready.
Alexius curled on the windowsill, his eyes narrowing as he watched Alex study the list of missing children with an intensity that bordered on obsession. The room was quiet, except for the occasional rustle of papers as Alex flipped through his notes, connecting dots in his mind. He was piecing together a puzzle, one that neither of them fully understood yet, but the unease radiating from him was palpable.
Breaking the silence, Alexius stretched his feline body before hopping gracefully down to the floor. He trotted over to where Alex sat and, without preamble, spoke.
"There's something you need to know," Alexius began, his tone unusually serious. "In most of my regressions, a certain organization always comes into play when it comes to missing children or forced awakenings."
Alex looked up from the report, meeting Alexius's eyes with a mix of curiosity and wariness. "Forced awakenings?"
"Yes," Alexius replied, hopping onto the table and sitting directly in front of Alex. "It's the Novea—an organization that stands independently from society. They don't answer to civilian authorities, but they operate under the Ministry of Health's direct orders."
"Novea?" Alex frowned, unfamiliar with the name. "What do they do?"
"They experiment," Alexius answered bluntly, his tone dripping with distaste. "They forcefully awaken individuals—mostly children—by making them drink the blood of monsters or aliens, or by feeding them mana stones. It's all done under the guise of 'research' and 'advancement,' but in reality, it's nothing short of torture. The human body isn't built to handle that kind of raw power without preparation or natural compatibility."
Alex leaned back in his chair, his face growing more serious with every word. "And this organization is independent? No checks, no oversight?"
"Exactly," Alexius confirmed. "They operate in secret, but with the government's full backing. They claim it's all for the 'greater good'—to strengthen humanity's defense against the aliens and monsters that threaten our world. But their methods…"
Alexius trailed off, his gaze darkening. "Their methods are brutal. Most of their subjects don't survive the process. The few who do—well, they're never the same. Their minds are shattered, their bodies deformed. But every once in a while, one of them becomes a success—a true awakened, albeit one born from unimaginable suffering."
Alex gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. "And the Ministry of Health allows this? Under their direct orders?"
"Not just allows it—they sponsor it," Alexius said, his voice dripping with contempt. "The Ministry believes that by artificially awakening more children, they can create an army strong enough to fight off the invasion. But what they don't understand—or perhaps don't care about—is the cost. These children… they're nothing more than disposable weapons to the Novea. Tools to be used and discarded."
Alex felt a chill run down his spine. The idea of an organization deliberately experimenting on children to force awakenings was horrifying. And the fact that it was sanctioned by the government only made it worse. It was a cruel reminder of the lengths some would go to in the name of survival and power.
"How long has this been going on?" Alex asked, his voice low.
"Decades," Alexius answered. "In every regression, they surface sooner or later. Always hidden, always lurking in the shadows. Their methods have evolved, but the core of their operations remains the same. They target children because they're more adaptable—more likely to survive the process. Adults, on the other hand, rarely do. Their bodies reject the foreign mana or monster blood, and they die agonizing deaths."
Alex rubbed his temples, trying to process the information. "Why children, though? Why go after them specifically?"
"Because children's bodies are still developing," Alexius explained. "Their mana circuits aren't fully formed yet, so they're more malleable. The Novea believe they can shape these circuits into something stronger by exposing them to the mana found in monsters and aliens. It's dangerous, unpredictable, and inhumane—but to them, it's worth the risk."
The pieces started falling into place in Alex's mind. The pattern of missing children, the specific targets with inheritances or latent powers—it all pointed back to this. The kidnappers weren't just after any children; they were after those with potential, those who might survive the Novea's brutal awakening process.
"And the Ministry just turns a blind eye?" Alex asked, his voice laced with anger. "They let this happen, knowing what it does to these kids?"
Alexius shook his head. "They don't turn a blind eye, Alex. They encourage it. To them, this is just another form of warfare—a necessary evil. As long as the result is more awakened warriors, they don't care about the cost."
Alex stood abruptly, pacing the room. His thoughts were racing, his emotions churning. "This is insane. How can they justify this?"
"They don't have to justify it," Alexius said simply. "They hold all the power. And when you hold that much power, morality becomes optional."
Alex stopped pacing, staring out the window into the cold, snow-covered landscape beyond. His breath fogged the glass as he exhaled, trying to calm the rage building inside him. This was worse than he had imagined. The missing children weren't just casualties of some random group of kidnappers—they were being targeted, taken, and experimented on by an organization backed by the very government meant to protect them.
"What can we do about it?" Alex asked after a long silence.
Alexius gave a small shrug, his feline body stretching lazily. "We don't have many options. Novea is deeply entrenched. They have the backing of powerful people—people who don't care about the ethical implications of what they're doing. If we want to take them down, we'll need to do it from the shadows, just like they operate."
Alex clenched his fists, his jaw tight. "We can't just sit back and let them keep doing this."
"We won't," Alexius said calmly. "But we need to be smart about it. The Novea isn't like the Lunatic or other organizations we've fought before. They're subtle and careful. And they have resources that far exceed what we can muster right now."
Alex sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I hate this. The thought of children being used like that—it's wrong on so many levels."
"I know," Alexius said softly, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. "But rushing in blindly won't help anyone. We'll need to gather more information, and find a way to expose them without getting ourselves killed in the process."
Alex nodded, his resolve hardening. He wouldn't let the Novea get away with this. Not if he could help it.
"Alright," Alex said, his voice firm. "We'll do this your way—for now. But mark my words, Alexius: I won't let them continue this madness. Not if I can stop it."
Alexius gave a small, approving nod. "Good. Just remember, patience is key. We'll take them down—when the time is right."
After processing the information about Novea, Alex sat back down, his thoughts still heavy, but now his curiosity piqued about another pressing issue that had been lingering at the back of his mind—the gods' contracts.
"Alexius," Alex began cautiously, looking up from his notes, "I need to ask you something about the gods' contracts."
Alexius, who had been watching him with a calculating expression, hopped onto the table again, his tail swishing. "What about them?"
"I want to know if gods can attack or harm each other's contractors directly," Alex said, frowning. "With everything happening—the invasions, the gods backing certain organizations, and the fact that I've encountered both divine blessings and curses—it feels like there's more to this than I understand."
Alexius's sharp green eyes glinted with amusement, though there was also a hint of something darker beneath the surface. He stretched out, his body moving in that languid, catlike way, before responding.
"Unfortunately, no," Alexius said with a slight tilt of his head. "Gods can't attack or harm another god's contractor directly. It's part of the divine contract system—a set of laws agreed upon by the gods to prevent all-out chaos in the mortal world. If gods were allowed to target each other's chosen directly, it would throw the entire balance into disarray."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "But that doesn't mean they can't manipulate things indirectly, right?"
"Exactly," Alexius confirmed. "While they can't strike each other's contractors personally, they can meddle through more subtle means. They can influence events, set up traps, manipulate mortal factions, or use monsters and other creatures as proxies to attack. They can also sow discord between different contractors and make them fight among themselves, which is the most common method used."
Alex's mind started racing as he thought about the implications. The gods couldn't directly intervene, but they could twist the circumstances around their contractors, making it so they were forced to fight their battles for them. He realized how dangerous that made his position. He had no idea who might be pulling strings behind the scenes.
"Which gods are responsible for some of the recent messes I've found myself in?" Alex asked, his voice edged with suspicion. "I feel like I've been used more than once."
Alexius's expression turned darker, his usual playful demeanor replaced by something more serious. "There are two gods in particular who have a reputation for manipulating their contractors and setting them up for failure: Moros and Apate."
"Moros?" Alex asked, recalling the name faintly from mythology. "The god of doom and destiny?"
"Yes," Alexius replied with a nod. "Moros is the embodiment of inevitable fate—he delights in pushing mortals towards ruin, and he often does it in ways that feel… inescapable. Once you're caught in his web, it's hard to break free. He thrives on despair and inevitability, guiding people down paths they can't seem to avoid."
Alex felt a chill run down his spine. "And Apate?"
"The goddess of deceit," Alexius said grimly. "Apate loves trickery and manipulation. She enjoys creating elaborate lies and illusions, making people question what's real and what's not. Her contractors often find themselves in situations where they can't trust anyone—not even themselves. She's responsible for more betrayals and double-crosses than you can imagine."
"So, they're working together?" Alex asked, piecing the puzzle together.
Alexius nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me. Moros and Apate have always had a twisted alliance. While they can't physically harm you, they can create situations where it feels like fate is crushing you, all while spinning webs of deception around you. In your case, they might be trying to manipulate events to make you feel trapped or hopeless."
Alex's thoughts spiraled. He remembered all the recent strange occurrences—the feelings of helplessness, the sense that something was always lurking just beyond his control. It was as though fate itself was conspiring against him, and now, it seemed like Moros and Apate were the ones pulling the strings.
"Is there any way to fight back against them?" Alex asked, his jaw set. "If they're behind this, I'm not just going to sit back and let them ruin everything."
"It's difficult," Alexius admitted. "The gods operate on a different level of reality than mortals do. They're bound by their own rules and limitations, but those rules also make them nearly impossible to confront directly. Your best bet is to navigate around their traps—understand the game they're playing and avoid falling into their snares."
"But you've been through this before," Alex said, his eyes narrowing. "In your previous regressions, were Moros and Apate involved?"
Alexius hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "They've interfered before. Sometimes more openly, sometimes more subtly. But in every regression where they were involved, they used indirect methods to try to crush me or my contractors. They never showed their hand fully, but their influence was always there—pushing things towards doom and deception."
Alex clenched his fists. It was starting to make sense. The gods were playing a game with him, one that felt like it was designed to break him. But he refused to be a pawn in their schemes.
"Alright," Alex said, his voice firm. "I'll keep that in mind. But I won't let them win. If they want me to fall into despair or get tangled in lies, they'll have to try harder than that."