Chapter 15 - XV

Alex approaches the castle, trying to explore the details around him. "What is this place?" he asks the guiding entity but receives no response. "Why have you brought me here?"

He tries to communicate with the other entities hovering around him, but he gets no reaction. "Can you tell me about the castle? Is there something important I need to know?"

The entities remain silent, as if indifferent to his questions. Alex continues to gaze at the ancient castle, feeling growing curiosity and anxiety from the lack of response. "Why the silence? Am I here just to explore?"

As he watches the ancient castle, Alex feels the depth of the mystery surrounding this place and wonders about the true reason for his presence and the significance of the castle before him.

The entities open the door of the old castle and gently push Alex inside. He finds himself in a narrow corridor leading to an old staircase, its walls covered with the marks of time. Along the staircase, a collection of green and pink torches are scattered, casting a faint glow that creates a magical and terrifying atmosphere simultaneously.

He begins to climb the stairs cautiously, each step echoing softly in the profound silence. The eerie light of the torches dances on the walls, making the staircase seem to extend into an endless depth.

When he reaches the top of the stairs, he finds an open door leading to a dark room. Alex enters and discovers the room with its simple furniture, which seems unfamiliar. In the center of the room stands a large, old chair, but there is nothing to indicate who might be sitting on it. The chair rests on the strange ground Alex has walked on, covered with leaf-like stardust.

The atmosphere in the room is heavy, and the darkness adds to the tension. The chair, with its high back and worn upholstery, seems to embody a deep mystery. The faint whispers filling the room increase Alex's feeling of anxiety.

Alex stands there, examining the chair and the surrounding darkness, and the semi-human figure sitting on it, wondering about the purpose of this strange scene. He feels a rising tension inside, as if the room is transmitting invisible signals, urging him to explore beyond just the mysterious chair.

"Who's here…?" Alex whispers to himself, slowly approaching the chair, trying to understand the nature of this place and what awaits him.

The entity that was sitting in the chair rises, appearing to be of the ethereal type, but with colors ranging between black and green. It becomes visible in the dim light of the stair torches, glowing with a strange brilliance that harmonizes with its mysterious nature.

The entity approaches Alex and gestures for him to come closer, saying in a voice that matches its peculiar appearance, "There's no need to worry, I'm another Alex after all. You can relax."

Alex, clearly tense, continues to ask questions. "Why have you brought me here? What is the purpose of this meeting?" He quickly shifts between questions, wondering about everything around him.

The entity responds calmly, "I'll answer all your questions, but be patient. You can sit down first."

Alex hesitates for a moment but then sits on the edge of the large chair, watching the entity with anxious eyes. "Alright, then tell me, why am I here? And what do you intend?"

The atmosphere in the room remains filled with anticipation as Alex prepares to hear answers that might explain this strange meeting and alleviate some of his confusion.

The entity, with its shifting colors between black and green, speaks in a calm voice, "First, what abilities have you gained, Alex?"

Alex responds, provoked and rudely, "I don't think it's your business. Do you think I'll just spill my secrets to you?"

The entity remains calm but seems slightly strained. "Understanding your abilities might be the key for this meeting success…"

Alex raises his eyebrows defiantly, "Or maybe you think I'll serve up all the information on a silver platter? Don't you have something better to do than trying to spy on my abilities? Like telling me why I'm here!?"

The room's atmosphere remains charged with tension as Alex looks at the entity with challenging eyes. The entity maintains its composure but suddenly moves closer, slowly but in a way that makes Alex feel apprehensive. The entity's colors shift more wildly in the dim light, increasing the sense of threat.

Alex, gripped by fear, quickly jumps to the side of the room, backing away from the entity. "Stay away!!!,.. why are you getting closer!!" Alex shouts, pressing against the wall. "What do you want!!?"

The entity halts its movement, but its gaze remains fixed and unsettling. "I just wanted to understand your abilities, but it seems like it doesn't works this way ," it says in a calm voice, though with a hint of mystery.

Alex, breathing heavily, remains apprehensive, bracing himself to find out what will happen next in this strange and frightening encounter.

Suddenly, the entity disappears from its spot and reappears behind Alex. Alex freezes for a moment, then quickly turns around, attempting to counter what he believes is an attack with a powerful punch. But the punch passes through the entity as if it were nonexistent, striking the wall with a loud impact.

Alex yells in pain from his hand hitting the wall, but the entity makes no sound of shock. "Stop now!" the entity commands in a deep, powerful voice, but Alex, filled with anger and fear, continues to throw punches. Each strike passes through the entity as if it were air, increasing Alex's despair.

Suddenly, the entity grabs Alex's arm tightly, causing sharp pain as if life itself were being pulled from him. Alex screams in agony, trying to pull his arm away, but the grip doesn't relent.

At that moment, the dagger tattoo on Alex's hand glows with various frightening colors, shimmering with vibrant hues that change continuously, adding to the tension and mystery in the room.

Alex screams, "Stop! Please stop!" as he writhes in pain and panic. But the entity remains silent, indifferent to Alex's pleas, making the situation even more dramatic and terrifying.

After a moment, the entity releases Alex's arm, which drops as he gasps and writhes on the ground. The pain is evident on his face, and his breathing is rapid and irregular. He is in a state of shock, sitting against the wall as he tries to regain his composure.

In a calm and ambiguous voice, the entity speaks, "So, Alex, you've unlocked the supernatural senses, as well as control over probabilities and legacy transfer. Your progress is still rapid but insufficient. Your stats are weak, and you've only transferred the legacy to one person. It's really a waste of potential, isn't it?"

Alex is taken aback by the details the entity knows, and confusion and tension are clear on his face. "What did you do? How did you know my abilities? And what do you plan to do?" Alex asks, struggling to control his fear and anxiety.

The entity remains calm and indifferent, its tone showing no concern for Alex's feelings. "This information isn't hard to verify, and you weren't in a state of absolute secrecy. The things you thought were hidden are merely details. As for what I plan to do, that will reveal itself in due time."

Alex continues to look at the entity with anxious eyes, trying to understand the reason behind all this and the plans the entity has in store for him. But he feels that the entity is indifferent to his feelings or experiences, which only increases his sense of weakness and insecurity.

The entity turns its back to Alex with an unsettling calm, raising its hand slowly. Suddenly, a table and two chairs materialize from a strange substance, resembling dancing stardust in colors shifting between black and purple, as if a mix of shadows and light.

The entity turns towards Alex, its eyes gleaming with a cold intensity, and says in a calm yet powerful voice, "It's time to talk."

Alex, angry and confused, defiantly shouts, "I won't sit with you! I won't be a part of this game!"

The entity's expression changes rapidly, and its colors blaze violently, flickering like malicious flames. It approaches slowly but appears larger and more threatening with each step. Its voice erupts like thunder, echoing through the room, "I'm tired of your stubbornness. You don't understand who you're dealing with. Remember, I can take what I want from you by force if necessary."

Alex's heart races, and a wave of uncontrollable fear overwhelms him. He feels trapped, the power filling the room pressing down on him harshly. Despite his mind resisting, his body responds to the fear, and he finds himself moving toward the table.

Alex hesitates at the chair, trying to show some defiance. But the entity, without any mercy, shouts in a terrifying voice that shakes the walls, "I SAID SIT DOWN NOW!!"

Under the terrifying voice, Alex feels as though the ground is shaking beneath him. Absolute fear compels him to sit quickly, trying to suppress the increasing tension within him. He sits facing the horrifying entity, knowing that everything about to happen will not be in his favor.

The atmosphere in the room is charged with tension and dread as Alex faces the menacing entity, struggling to maintain his composure. It feels as though every part of his body is pleading for him to escape, but the aura of power and threat surrounding the entity prevents him from doing so.

Alex sits in awe before the entity, which speaks in a calm yet threatening tone:

"You've left me no choice, Alex. You need to understand what I'm about to tell you."

Then it adds, "As you know, all the ethereal entities here are echoes of you from ancient timelines. Some of us resemble you greatly, but the reason these timelines were destroyed is always a tremendous threat. I won't tell you the nature of this threat, as we ourselves don't know. We all bear the same dagger tattoo as the one on your arm, but each of us found it in a different way and gained unique abilities. We don't remember every detail of the events, but we understand their implications. How we arrived here is also mysterious, but we know we are Alex... not exactly like you, but from multiple timelines. Each one of us has his own story, but you, among all of us here, are the only one who has not yet perished ... at least, not yet,or maybe there's others alex we haven't meet yet.."

Alex, confused, shouts, "What do you mean? What is this threat? What does it have to do with me?!"

"...."

But the entity remains silent, indifferent to Alex's questions. Suddenly, the space around Alex begins to fragment, as if the world is collapsing into a vortex of colors and shadows. Alex feels as though his body is breaking into small pieces, while reality around him fades away.

At this moment, the entity looks at Alex and says in a calm but threatening voice, "Until our next meeting, Alex... keep advancing, but do it faster."

With these final words, the scene dissolves into darkness, and Alex begins to awaken gradually. He opens his eyes, takes a deep breath, and tries to return to reality while the mysterious scene around him fades.

Alex, still conscious of what's happening, suddenly feels an intense itch on his forearm. He turns quickly to find the tattoo on his arm moving unnaturally, as if it were alive. The tattoo begins to vibrate and then glows with a bright green color, adding to the tense atmosphere around him.

As the green light intensifies, a notification appears before Alex's eyes, which he reads clearly:

"You have received a special mission."

Alex stares at the notification, overwhelmed by shock and anxiety.

 

To be continued...