The five men heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the dark alley, their raucous laughter abruptly halting as they turned their attention to the figure approaching. As the shadows parted, they caught sight of Alexander walking calmly toward them, his expression tranquil and composed.
The lady, trembling on the ground, looked up in surprise, fear evident in her wide eyes as the men released their grip on her. She scrambled back, pressing against the cold wall of the alley.
One of the men stepped forward, a creepy smile stretching across his face as he squared his shoulders. "What are you doing, idiot? Can't you see we're enjoying ourselves?" His voice dripped with mockery, each word laced with menace. The others chuckled, amusement flickering across their faces as they encircled Alexander. Yet he remained unfazed, his gaze steady and unblinking.
"Just passing through," Alexander replied, his tone even, almost bored—as if the chaos surrounding him were little more than an inconvenience.
Tension hung in the air, crackling like static before a storm. In a flash, the first thug lunged at Alexander, swinging a fist aimed at his jaw. Alexander sidestepped effortlessly, retaliating with a quick jab that sent the man sprawling to the ground, his creepy smile replaced by shock.
The remaining four hesitated for a heartbeat before charging in unison, but Alexander was already moving. He ducked under a wild punch and countered with a knee to the attacker's gut, knocking the wind out of him as he crumpled to the ground.
As the fight unfolded, an unsettling sensation washed over Alexander, like a haze clouding his mind. The thugs felt unreal—more like shadows or illusions than tangible threats. Their movements were exaggerated, their expressions overly theatrical, everything disjointed, as if he were caught in a bizarre dream.
Another man rushed at him, swinging a steel pipe. Alexander easily sidestepped and twisted, using the man's momentum against him, sending him crashing into the wall with a dull thud. The sound echoed strangely, only heightening the sense of unreality that enveloped him.
The remaining two men exchanged glances, uncertainty creeping into their expressions as their bravado faltered. In a flash, Alexander closed the distance, delivering a series of calculated strikes. Each blow landed with uncanny precision, yet the encounter felt oddly hollow—a cruel game played for no discernible reason.
One of the men stumbled backward, eyes wide with fear, but before he could retreat, Alexander caught him by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "You should have thought twice," he said, his voice steady, mocking the very fabric of this bizarre illusion.
With a final series of decisive moves, he dispatched the last thug, who fell to the ground, breathing heavily and defeated. The alley fell eerily silent, the distant sounds of the city fading into the background.
Stepping back, Alexander surveyed the scene, his brow furrowing in thought. Something still felt off, like a film glitching in and out of focus. The atmosphere thickened, a flicker of unease settling in his gut, mingling with the remnants of surreal detachment.
His gaze shifted to the lady, who remained trembling against the wall, wide eyes reflecting a mix of fear and astonishment. In that moment, he realized there was more to this night than just a simple confrontation. The shadows felt heavier now, as if a darkness lurked just beyond the edges of his perception.
With calm that contrasted sharply with the chaos of the scene, he locked eyes with her. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady and serious, breaking the silence that enveloped them.
The tension in the air shifted as the lady, who had been trembling moments before, suddenly straightened up. Her wide eyes sparkled with surprise, a stark contrast to the fear that had gripped her earlier. It was as if a veil had lifted, revealing something profound beneath.
As she stepped closer to Alexander, an unusual phenomenon unfolded before him. The five bodies of the men he had just defeated shimmered and dissolved, fading into the shadows as if they had never existed at all. The alley, once filled with remnants of chaos, now stood eerily empty.
Alexander's brow furrowed in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure, the shock passing like a fleeting breeze. This unexpected turn of events only seemed to pique the lady's interest further.
"You're not like the others, are you?" she said, her voice low, laced with amusement. Her tone was curious, as if she were studying a fascinating specimen rather than addressing a person.
Alexander arched an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "I'm just a guy who happened to walk by," he replied, his calm demeanor unwavering, though a slight edge of caution lingered in his tone.
She stepped closer again, and with each step, the lingering traces of violence faded, replaced by an almost serene atmosphere. "No," she said, a smile creeping onto her lips. "You're something much more interesting. Most would've run or tried to hide, but you stood your ground. You fought them without flinching."
Alexander studied her for a moment, his curiosity piqued. "And you? What were you doing here?" he asked.
Her smile widened, a glimmer of mischief in her blue eyes. "I was waiting for someone. I didn't expect my night to take such a turn, but you… you've made it rather entertaining."
The night air felt charged between them, the earlier chaos fading into the background as an unexpected connection formed. Alexander couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this encounter than mere chance.
"Well, I'm glad I could provide some entertainment," he replied, his voice steady but now carrying a hint of intrigue. "But I think I'd prefer a quieter evening, if you don't mind."
"Where's the fun in that?" she teased, her playful tone echoing against the alley walls. "You're the kind of person who enjoys a bit of chaos, aren't you?"
Alexander couldn't help but smile faintly at her relentless spirit, the fear she had once exhibited now a distant memory. "Chaos is overrated," he replied with a shrug, though he felt a flicker of interest kindling within him. "But if it finds me, I suppose I'll just have to deal with it."
The lady's playful smile widened as she gazed at Alexander. "Do you want to go?" she asked suddenly, her voice carrying an air of mystery.
Alexander's calm expression shifted slightly, confusion flickering in his dark eyes. "Go? Where?"
Seeing his confusion, her smile deepened. Without another word, she snapped her fingers.
In an instant, the world around them dissolved. The dimly lit alley, the street sounds, the neon city—all of it vanished. Alexander blinked, and when his eyes opened again, he found himself standing under a vast, starry sky. The ground beneath his feet shimmered like a black void, and the cosmos stretched infinitely around him.
The sudden shift left him speechless, his mind racing to comprehend the drastic change. He stared up at the stars, their distant light flickering as if watching him from afar.
The lady, now standing beside him, observed his reaction with amusement. "Welcome to a world where the strong have everything," she said, her voice echoing through the boundless space. "Here, strength determines your worth. Power is the only currency that matters. You can have anything you desire, as long as you are strong enough to take it."
Alexander's gaze shifted from the stars to the woman. The vastness of the scene was overwhelming, but his expression remained calm, only a faint trace of surprise betraying his usual composure.
She had expected excitement, perhaps awe at the grandness of it all, but instead, he turned to her and asked, "And what do you get out of this?"
For a moment, her playful demeanor faltered, a flicker of surprise flashing across her face. She hadn't expected such a measured response. Her eyes narrowed slightly before she regained her composure, her smile returning but with a sharper edge.
"Nothing," she replied coolly, though a glint of amusement lingered in her eyes. "Because right now, you're too weak to offer me anything."
Alexander's expression didn't change, though her answer told him everything he needed to know. This was a game of power—a game where people like her could pull the strings, and only the strong could hope to play. He understood now that he was being tested or perhaps toyed with by someone who was far beyond his current reach.
Still, his calm remained unshaken. "So, this is just about power, then?" he asked, his voice neutral, though his mind was already working through the implications.
The lady chuckled softly, stepping closer to him. "Isn't everything?" she said, her eyes glinting with intrigue. She had expected him to be rattled, but his composure only piqued her interest more. "Power decides your fate here. And if you want to survive, you'll need to get stronger. Much stronger."
She turned her gaze back to the stars, her smile returning. "But don't worry. You'll have your chance to prove yourself."
Alexander stood silently, the weight of her words settling on him. The vastness of the cosmos stretched endlessly before him, but his thoughts were focused on the path ahead. He was no stranger to power games, but this was something different. And as always, he would adapt.
The lady turned to Alexander, her expression shifting as she prepared to reveal more. "You see, this body of yours was born in the mortal world, devoid of any Special Energy," she explained, her tone laced with a mixture of curiosity and seriousness. "To step into this realm, you will need to be reborn. I will send you back, but you must first shed this fragile form."
Before Alexander could respond, she waved her hand with an elegant flick, and a wave of energy rippled through the space around them. In an instant, his body began to disintegrate, the very essence of his being crumbling into nothingness. There was no pain, no struggle—only the cold realization that he was losing everything he had known.
As his corporeal form faded, all that remained was his soul, now free yet vulnerable, suspended in the void of the starry sky. He felt an odd sense of clarity amidst the chaos, as if the burdens of his previous life were lifting away. But just as he began to grasp the enormity of what was happening, he sensed something unusual.
The lady, momentarily stunned by the sudden destruction of his body, felt a wave of anxiety ripple through her. She had intended to obliterate his essence completely, yet she was shocked to discover that his blood remained untouched, still pulsing with a life force she had not anticipated surviving. Her focus snapped back to the shimmering particles that had once been Alexander, but when she tried to capture his soul, something unexpected occurred.
A strange, radiant light flared to life in the distance, a brilliant flash that lit up the cosmos. It surged toward Alexander, intertwining with his soul and blood, pulling them away as if drawn by an irresistible force. The very fabric of reality around them trembled, vibrating with a resonance that had not been felt in eons.
The lady's eyes widened in disbelief, her heart racing as she realized what was happening. This was beyond her control. She reached out instinctively, her fingers grasping at the fading light, but it was too late. The essence of Alexander vanished, swept away into the unknown.
The world around them quaked for the third time since its inception, the tremors resonating through the starry expanse. Celestial bodies flickered ominously, the once-still sky now swirling with energy and anticipation. It felt as if the universe itself was responding to the profound event that had just unfolded.
In the aftermath, the lady stood alone in the void, confusion swirling within her. She had initiated the rebirth of a being far more significant than she had realized, and the implications of her actions weighed heavily on her mind. The ripples of this moment would echo throughout the realms, shaping destinies in ways she could only begin to comprehend.