The world spun violently as Chevie's mind drifted in and out of consciousness.
Voices blurred into indistinct murmurs, punctuated by distant cries and hurried footsteps.
His body felt foreign—every nerve alight with energy, every muscle trembling with uncontainable power.
Darkness closed in, dragging him into a storm of memories.
… ….
Through the haze, Chevie saw fragments of the clone's final moments.
The Gate had shimmered like molten silver as the team stepped through, their weapons ready and their minds focused.
On the other side, a world bathed in endless light stretched before them—unreal, radiant, and suffocatingly silent.
"Jackpot," Leon had muttered, his voice tinged with awe.
The clone felt everything as Chevie would have: the elation of the energy-rich air, the unease of the stillness, and the faint but persistent sense of being watched.
As the team delved deeper, the strangeness grew. Trees towered like ancient sentinels, their bark glowing faintly in the light.
The ground pulsed with warmth, as if alive. And then, of course, there was the energy—an overwhelming, oppressive force that made every breath feel electric.
But even as they celebrated their rapid cultivation breakthroughs, a sense of dread settled over them.
The Gate was gone, and with it, their only way home.
Then came the shadow.
The last image burned into the clone's memory was its overwhelming speed—how it engulfed them in an instant.
No time to fight, no time to think. Just darkness.
… ….
Chevie's eyes shot open, his chest heaving. The sterile white ceiling of a hospital room greeted him, and the faint beeping of a heart monitor filled the air.
He groaned, his body aching with unfamiliar weight.
Slowly, he turned his head, catching sight of a nurse by his bedside.
"You're awake," she said, her voice a mix of relief and disbelief.
"We thought... you wouldn't make it."
Chevie's throat felt dry as sandpaper. "What... happened?"
The nurse hesitated, her eyes darting to the clipboard in her hand. "You've been in a coma for three months. But..." She paused, frowning.
"It's strange. You're healthier than ever. Your vitals are... beyond normal. The doctors think it's some kind of second awakening."
Chevie's mind reeled. Second awakening? No, it wasn't that. It was the clone.
The memories, the power, everything—it had all returned to him in an instant. And it had nearly killed him.
Before he could respond, the door swung open, and a doctor entered, flanked by a stern-looking man in a government uniform.
"Mr. Harley," the man began, his voice clipped.
"We need to talk about what happened to you."
The man introduced himself as Agent Rivers, a representative from the Department of Dimensional Affairs (DDA).
His sharp eyes scanned Chevie like a predator sizing up prey.
"You were found at the cemetery three months ago, screaming in pain. No one could get close to you until you passed out. Witnesses say it wasn't normal pain—you were glowing."
Chevie stiffened, the memories of his collapse fresh in his mind.
He said nothing, and Rivers continued.
"Three months later, you wake up stronger than ever. Care to explain?"
Chevie hesitated.
How could he possibly explain the clone, the Gate, or the shadow without drawing suspicion?
"I don't know," he lied. "I blacked out, and now I'm here."
Rivers leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "You were part of a registered hunter party. The same party that went missing after entering a Gate three months ago. Do you have any idea what happened to them?"
Chevie clenched his fists under the blanket. "No. I wasn't there."
The lie tasted bitter, but the truth wasn't an option—not yet.
He needed to understand what happened to his clone and why its memories had returned in such vivid detail.
Rivers didn't look convinced, but he leaned back. "Fine. But don't think this is over. If you remember anything... we'll be watching."
As the agent left, Chevie exhaled, his mind racing. His team was gone.
He was the only one who knew the truth, and it was a truth no one would believe.
.. ….
That night, Chevie sat by the hospital window, staring at the city lights below.
He felt stronger than ever, his body humming with power. But the weight of his clone's memories hung heavy on his shoulders.
The faces of his teammates haunted him—their laughter, their determination, their final moments.
They had trusted each other, and now they were gone.
"I'll keep my promise," he whispered to himself, clutching the photograph of his mother.
"I'll make sure their families are safe. And I'll find out what that shadow was. No matter what it takes."
As the moonlight streamed into the room, Chevie's eyes burned with a new resolve.
His journey was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning.