(QUICK INTRO:Finally a Surprising chapter .
Gojo slowly opens his eyes, groggily taking in his surroundings. He's in a hospital room, with Althea lying in the bed next to him. She's still unconscious, her face pale.
A figure enters the room, dressed in a white coat. "Ah, Gojo, you're awake. That's good," the doctor says, smiling. "You've been out for a while. You and Althea both exhausted yourselves, but you're going to be okay."
Gojo tries to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washes over him. The doctor gently pushes him back down. "Not so fast, Gojo. You need to rest."
As Gojo lies back, he notices a strange symbol on the doctor's coat. It looks like a cross between a rune and a hieroglyph. "What's that symbol?" Gojo asks, his voice weak.
The doctor glances down, seeming to realize he's still wearing the symbol. "Oh, this? It's just a...a hospital logo. Don't worry about it."
Gojo's eyes narrow, but he's too tired to press the issue. He looks over at Althea, concerned. "How is she?"
"She's stable," the doctor replies. "But we need to monitor her closely. Whatever happened to you two, it was intense."
Gojo's memories start to return, fragmented but vivid. The curses, the battle, the surge of power... He tries to process it all, but his mind feels foggy.
Suddenly, Althea stirs, her eyes fluttering open. "Gojo?" she whispers, her voice barely audible.
Gojo smiles, relief washing over him. "I'm here, Althea. We're safe."
But as Althea's gaze focuses on him, Gojo sees a flicker of fear in her eyes. And then, she whispers a single word: "Run."
Gojo's eyes widen in confusion. "Run? What do you mean, Althea?"
But Althea's gaze darts around the room, her eyes filled with a growing sense of panic. "We have to get out of here, Gojo. Now."
The doctor steps forward, his expression concerned. "I don't think that's a good idea, Althea. You both need rest and medical attention."
Althea's voice becomes more urgent. "No, you don't understand. We can't trust them. We have to escape."
Gojo's instincts kick in, and he throws off the covers, his heart racing. "What's going on, Althea? What do you know?"
Althea struggles to sit up, her face pale. "I saw something...in my mind. A vision. This hospital...it's not what it seems."
Gojo's eyes scan the room, and he notices strange symbols etched into the walls, similar to the one on the doctor's coat. A chill runs down his spine.
Without hesitation, Gojo leaps out of bed, his Infinity technique surging to life. The air around him distorts, and he feels a familiar rush of power.
Althea gasps, her eyes wide. "Gojo, your power...it's even stronger now."
The doctor takes a step back, his eyes flashing with alarm. "What are you doing? You can't just leave!"
Gojo turns to Althea. "Can you walk?"
Althea nods, and Gojo helps her out of bed. Together, they make a dash for the door, the doctor shouting behind them.
As they burst into the hallway, Gojo's Infinity technique explodes outward, shattering doors and sending medical equipment flying. Althea gasps, clinging to his arm.
They sprint through the hospital, pursued by the sound of alarms and footsteps. Gojo's power propels them forward, but he can feel a dark presence closing in around them.
Suddenly, the hospital doors burst open, and they stumble out into the night air. Gojo's eyes scan the darkness, his heart pounding.
Althea gasps, her voice barely audible. "We have to keep running, Gojo. We can't let them catch us."
Gojo's grip on her hand tightens. "I won't let that happen, Althea. I promise."
Together, they vanish into the night, pursued by the shadows.
Gojo and Althea sprinted through the hospital corridors, their footsteps echoing off the walls. They had been running for what felt like hours, but the building seemed to stretch on forever.
"I thought we'd be out of here by now," Althea panted, her hand clutching Gojo's arm.
Gojo's eyes scanned the endless hallway. "I know, me too. This place is like a maze."
They turned a corner, and the corridor stretched out before them like a never-ending snake. Doors blurred together, each one identical to the last.
"This is impossible," Althea whispered. "We're never going to escape."
Gojo's grip on her hand tightened. "Don't say that. We will get out of here."
But as they ran, the building seemed to shift and twist around them. Corridors looped back on themselves, and staircases led to nowhere.
"It's like the building is changing," Althea said, her voice trembling. "Adapting to keep us trapped."
Gojo's eyes narrowed. "We need to find a way to break the pattern."
They kept running, their breath coming in ragged gasps. But no matter how far they went, the building seemed to stretch on forever, a never-ending labyrinth with no escape.
Suddenly, Gojo stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait," he said, his eyes fixed on a door to their left. "This one's different."
Althea followed his gaze. The door was slightly ajar, and a sliver of light spilled out into the corridor.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Gojo pushed the door open, revealing a narrow stairway that plunged into darkness. "I don't know," he said, "but I think we should find out."
Gojo and Althea burst through the hospital doors, ready to face whatever lay beyond. But they weren't prepared for the horror that awaited them.
A monstrous creature, its body a twisted mass of limbs and eyes, blocked their path. It was as if the hospital itself had spawned this abomination.
"Get back!" Gojo shouted, his Infinity technique surging to life.
Althea raised her hands, unleashing a blast of energy that sent the creature stumbling. But it recovered quickly, its eyes fixed on them with an unspeakable hunger.
Gojo charged forward, his fists flying in a blur of motion. The creature swiped at him with razor-sharp claws, but Gojo dodged with ease, his movements fueled by his Infinity power.
Althea joined the fray, her magic swirling around her like a vortex. She sent the creature stumbling back with a series of swift kicks, but it refused to fall.
The battle raged on, the three combatants exchanging blows in a whirlwind of movement. Gojo's Infinity technique clashed with Althea's magic, creating a maelstrom of energy that sent the creature stumbling.
But it adapted, its body contorting in ways that defied human anatomy. It unleashed a wave of tendrils that snaked around Gojo's arms, trying to restrain him.
Althea saw her chance. With a swift gesture, she summoned a blast of energy that incinerated the tendrils and sent the creature stumbling back.
Gojo took advantage of the opening, unleashing a devastating kick that sent the creature crashing into the hospital doors.
The doors shattered, splintering into a thousand pieces as the creature dissipated into nothingness.
Gojo and Althea stood panting, their chests heaving with exhaustion. They exchanged a glance, a nod of respect passing between them.
"That was just the beginning," Gojo said, his eyes scanning the horizon.
Althea nodded, her hand on his arm. "We're in this together, Gojo."
Together, they stepped out into the unknown, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
Althea and Gojo sat down on a bench, catching their breath after their intense battle. Althea turned to Gojo, her eyes curious.
"Gojo, can I ask you something?" she said, her voice gentle.
Gojo nodded, his eyes still scanning the horizon.
"What's the source of your power?" Althea asked, her brow furrowed. "You're so strong, Gojo. I've never seen anything like it."
Gojo's gaze dropped, his eyes clouding over. He tried to remember, to recall the origins of his Infinity technique. But his memories were hazy, fragmented.
"I...I don't know," he admitted, frustration etched on his face. "I've always had this power, as far back as I can remember. But the details...they're fuzzy."
Althea's eyes widened. "You don't remember how you got your powers?"
Gojo shook his head. "No. It's like my memories just...stop. There's a wall, a barrier that I can't pass."
Althea's expression turned thoughtful. "I think I know what might be happening," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've studied ancient magic, Gojo. I think your powers might be connected to an ancient artifact, one that's been lost for centuries."
Gojo's eyes snapped back to hers, interest piqued. "What artifact?"
But Althea's gaze drifted off, her eyes clouding over. "I'm not sure. My memories are fuzzy too. But I think we need to dig deeper, uncover the truth behind your powers."
Gojo nodded, determination burning within him. "Let's do it. Let's uncover the truth."
Just as Althea and Gojo were about to embark on their quest for answers, a figure emerged from the shadows. The doctor, his eyes gleaming with a sinister intensity, blocked their path.
"Ah-ah, I don't think so," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You're not going anywhere."
Gojo's instincts kicked in, his Infinity technique humming to life. Althea's eyes flashed with warning, her magic at the ready.
"What do you want, doctor?" Gojo growled, his fists clenched.
The doctor sneered. "You two are quite the curious pair. But curiosity can be a deadly sin. You're getting too close to the truth."
Althea stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "What truth? What are you hiding?"
The doctor's smile grew wider. "Oh, my dear Althea. You'll find out soon enough. But for now...let's just say you're not going anywhere."
With a flick of his wrist, the doctor summoned a wave of dark energy. Gojo and Althea leapt apart, avoiding the attack by mere inches.
"It's time to put an end to this," Gojo snarled, his Infinity technique surging to new heights.
Althea nodded, her magic swirling around her. "Let's finish this."
The battle was far from over. The doctor's true power was only just beginning to reveal itself.
The doctor's eyes gleamed with an otherworldly intensity as he revealed his true form. His body began to twist and contort, his limbs elongating like a dark, living shadow.
"I am no doctor," he hissed, his voice like a snake slithering through the grass. "I am a devourer, a creature of the darkness. And I have been waiting for you, Gojo."
Gojo's eyes widened in shock as the creature's true form emerged. Althea stumbled back, her eyes fixed on the horror before them.
"You...you're the one who's been draining my powers," Gojo growled, his Infinity technique faltering.
The creature nodded, its presence seeming to fill the room. "This hospital...it's a prison, a place where your kind is kept weak. And I am the one who ensures that you never escape."
Althea's eyes drooped, her body swaying. "Gojo...I'm sorry...I'm too weak..."
Gojo's heart sank as Althea faded into unconsciousness, her body crumpling to the ground.
"No!" he shouted, his Infinity technique surging in rage.
But the creature was too powerful. It raised a hand, and Gojo felt his powers being ripped away, torn from his very soul.
"You will never leave this place," the creature hissed, its eyes burning with malevolence. "You will never be free."
And with that, everything went black.
Althea's eyes fluttered open, her gaze blurry. She was met with the beeping of machines and the sterile smell of a hospital. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her head, forcing her back onto the pillow.
"Easy there, miss," a gentle voice said. "You've been through a lot."
-TO BE CONTINUED