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Kaelen could feel the cold sweat trickling down his back, his limbs heavy as if weighed down by the enormity of what he had just been told. The sterile walls of the room seemed to close in on him, the metallic hum of the machines intensifying with every breath he took. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the surreal situation, but every thought collided with the next, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
A test. A simulation.
None of it had been real.
His fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white with the effort to keep his anger in check. *It was all a lie. Every single thing I fought for... everything I suffered through...*
"*Why?*" he rasped, his voice hoarse from the weight of the realization. "*Why would you do this? Why put me through all that?*"
The figure behind the glass—the one who had spoken to him—tilted its head, the emotionless tone unbroken. "*It was for your own development, Kaelen. The trial was designed to test the limits of your emotions, your mind, your will. We needed to see how you would handle extreme situations. Anger, fear, hopelessness… You were a prime candidate.*"
Kaelen took a step forward, his heart pounding in his chest. "*A prime candidate for what?*" he demanded. His voice was rising, the frustration and confusion spilling over. "*For what sick experiment?*"
The figure gave a slight shrug, as if the answer was of little consequence. "*The Nexus requires subjects like you—individuals with untapped potential. You've been trained to face your deepest fears, to overcome emotions that could have held you back in the real world. And now, you're ready.*"
"*Ready for what?*" Kaelen repeated, feeling his pulse spike. "*Ready for what?!*"
The figure remained silent for a moment before speaking again, the tone still calm and detached. "*You are part of a larger plan, Kaelen. A plan to change the course of history. To unlock the potential of those who have been... overlooked. You've been prepared for what comes next.*"
Kaelen felt his stomach churn. *Prepared for what?* He didn't care about any of that. All he wanted was answers. Real answers. "*This was all a dream. A lie. And you want me to believe I've been... prepared?*"
The figure's expression didn't change, but Kaelen could feel something shifting in the air. The tension in the room had grown palpable, almost suffocating.
"*The truth, Kaelen,*" the voice said softly, "*is that you've always been part of the Nexus. Everything you experienced—the labyrinth, the battles, the people you met—it was all part of your awakening. You've seen the world through the lens of your own emotions, your anger, your power. And now, you're free to shape it.*"
Kaelen staggered back, his mind spinning. *Awakening?*
"You were never truly alone, Kaelen," the voice continued, the tone now almost pitying. "*You were always connected to the Nexus. But now you're ready to leave it behind, to enter the real world. Your journey is only just beginning.*"
Kaelen's breath came in shallow gasps as the weight of the words hit him like a physical blow. He had thought the labyrinth was the end. He had thought he had faced the worst of it. But the truth was worse than he could have imagined. He was just a pawn, a subject in some experiment. And now, the world he had fought so hard to protect—the world that had seemed so real—was nothing more than a simulation, a stepping stone in a much larger game.
"*No.*" Kaelen whispered. The word felt foreign on his tongue, but it was all he could say.
"*I understand your frustration,*" the voice replied. "*But you'll see soon enough. This is not the end. It's only the beginning.*"
The room seemed to blur once more, and Kaelen stumbled forward, his mind a chaotic storm of thoughts. The machinery around him flickered, the lights dimming and brightening in rapid succession.
And then, without warning, the floor beneath him shifted, as though it were alive. Kaelen's body jerked forward, his legs giving out from under him. The world spun, the walls bending and warping, before he felt a sharp pain in his chest, like an invisible force was ripping him apart.
His heart raced as the sensation intensified, a deep, gnawing feeling of loss and powerlessness flooding his mind. He gasped for air, but it felt like his lungs were filled with concrete.
And then, everything went dark.
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Kaelen awoke with a sharp intake of breath, his body jerking upright as if he had been thrown from the deepest pit of sleep. He gasped, feeling the cold, damp air around him. His head pounded, and his hands trembled.
He looked around, expecting to see the sterile environment of the Nexus. But instead, he was surrounded by nothing but darkness. The air was thick, heavy, and smelled of damp earth. The faintest glimmers of light shone through the blackness, but they were weak, barely visible.
Kaelen swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing. What had just happened? Where was he? His mind was foggy, his body sore, but he forced himself to stand.
He could feel something stirring inside him, a strange power, as if his very being was connected to something far greater than himself. And then it hit him—*the system*. The one he had used to level up, to grow, to fight. It was there, still within him.
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**Wrath Points: 150 / 20.**
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He could feel them. His Wrath Points. The familiar surge of energy coursed through his veins, but this time, it felt different. It was stronger, more refined. As if the very essence of his power had been transformed.
A distant, familiar voice echoed in his mind—*a dream. All of it was a dream.*
"No…" Kaelen muttered to himself, his fists clenched. He refused to believe it. The labyrinth, the battles, the journey—it had to have been real. But then why was he here? Why did it all feel so wrong?
A low, sinister laugh rang out from the shadows, and Kaelen spun, his senses alert.
"*So, you've finally awakened,*" the voice said. It was unmistakably familiar. The same mocking, dark tone from the figure in the Nexus. "*You've been through your trials, Kaelen. But now, you face the final test.*"
Kaelen's heart skipped a beat. "*You… you're still here?*" he demanded, his voice trembling with rage. "*I don't care what you say. I will break free from whatever this is.*"
The shadows shifted, and before him, the figure emerged, its form shrouded in darkness.
"*This isn't a dream, Kaelen. It's your rebirth.*"
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