The first thing Dominic felt when he opened his eyes was the light. It wasn't the gentle warmth of sunlight or the soothing fluorescence of sterile bulbs. This was something sharp and merciless, a stabbing radiance that tore through the dim haze of his hospital room. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut, but the brilliance persisted, carving jagged lines into his skull.
The second thing was the noise—low, ominous chimes echoing inside his head, faint at first but growing louder, more insistent, as if someone were tolling a funeral bell deep in his subconscious.
It wasn't the rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring his vitals. No, this sound was different, alien, and alive.
"Vitals stable," the doctor muttered, his voice detached and clinical. The sound came from behind a sleek grey mask, its expressionless surface barely distinguishable in the dim light. His gloved hands moved with mechanical precision, adjusting the wires and leads snaking out from Dominic's bandaged head. "Vision restored. Memory unaltered."
Dominic blinked against the brightness, his vision swimming with afterimages of crimson and gold. The air reeked of antiseptic and oil, the synthetic tang of the sterile environment mingling with something metallic—blood, perhaps, or rust.
"Side effects?" Dominic croaked. His throat was raw, his voice a rasping echo of its former strength.
"You'll feel... unusual," the doctor replied, his tone devoid of empathy. His eyes flicked to a holo-screen floating beside Dominic's bed, its data scrolling in angular, neon-green glyphs. "The neural mesh is calibrated, but some... fluctuations are expected. Be grateful you survived the operation."
Grateful. The words felt like a cruel joke. Dominic clenched his fists, his fingers brushing against the coarse sheets that covered the narrow hospital cot. For six years, he'd been blind, a prisoner of darkness. And now, this? What did they do to me?
The doctor tapped a final note into his tablet and turned on his heel, the hiss of the door punctuating his departure.
Dominic was alone now, save for the relentless chimes in his mind and the faint hum of machinery. The walls of the room were cold and unyielding, lined with sterile white panels that reflected the faint flicker of malfunctioning lights. Yet something felt... wrong.
A flicker of movement caught his eye. At first, he thought it was his imagination—a trick of his newly restored sight. But then it appeared again, a faint shimmer in the air like heat waves rising from asphalt.
And then he saw it.
A jagged, semi-transparent interface snapped into view, hovering in mid-air before his eyes. Its edges were traced in pulsating crimson, faint digital fractures running along its surface like veins.
System Booting...
Welcome to the Nexis Protocol.
Initializing...
The words burned themselves into his vision, no matter where he looked. Dominic raised a trembling hand, trying to swat them away, but his fingers passed through the glowing letters like mist.
"What the hell…"
The chimes in his mind grew louder, more insistent, accompanied now by a low hum that vibrated in his skull.
Dominic Virello Detected. Assigning Player ID: "Ashen_Soul."
Status: Online.
Tutorial: Begin?
Dominic's breath hitched, his pulse hammering in his ears. "No. No, I didn't ask for this. Stop it!"
Tutorial Mandatory.
The words were cold, unyielding, and absolute.
The room around him began to shift. It wasn't immediate—more like a slow unravelling, as though reality itself was being peeled away layer by layer. The walls twisted and crumbled, their sterile panels rotting into jagged slabs of concrete streaked with grime. The ceiling dissolved into a black void, pierced only by the faint glow of distant, flickering neon lights.
The smell of antiseptic faded, replaced by the stench of rust and decay. Blood—fresh and metallic—mixed with the acrid tang of burning wires and charred flesh.
"Help!" Dominic shouted, his voice cracking as the bed beneath him disintegrated into dust.
Objective: Collect Souls.
Method: Your choice.
Warning: Failure to engage will result in immediate forfeiture.
"Forfeiture?" Dominic whispered. "What the hell does that mean?"
The interface shimmered ominously.
Of your soul.
The world around him was endless now, a sprawling wasteland of shattered buildings and flickering neon signs, their glow casting jagged shadows on the cracked asphalt below. The air was heavy with a sickly humidity, each breath tasting of ash and rot.
In the distance, something moved. Footsteps echoed against the concrete, slow and deliberate.
Dominic turned toward the sound, his heart pounding. The figure that emerged from the shadows was humanoid, but barely.
Its torso was an obscene tangle of exposed sinew and bone, wrapped in a latticework of glowing wires. Sparks arced from the connections at its joints, and its face—if it could be called that—was a blank expanse of matte black, broken only by a wide, gaping mouth that exhaled tendrils of steam.
And the light.
It radiated from the creature like a second sun, searing and unrelenting, casting the surrounding ruins in stark relief. Dominic stumbled back, his breath caught in his throat.
Player Detected: "Lucent_Thief."
Souls Held: 34.
Threat Level: High.
"Stay back!" Dominic shouted, his voice trembling. He raised his hands in desperation, though they felt feeble and useless.
The creature tilted its head, as though studying him. Then it lunged.
Dominic barely had time to react. His instincts screamed at him to move, but his legs felt like lead. Just as the creature's clawed hands reached for him, the interface flared to life again.
Defensive Skill Unlocked: Spectral Recoil.
A sudden force exploded outward from Dominic's body, a ripple of invisible energy that sent the creature hurtling backward. It crashed into a wall with a sickening crunch, cracking spider webbing across the concrete.
Dominic stood frozen, his chest heaving. The interface burned brightly before him, its jagged text filling his vision.
Soul Extraction Available. Proceed?
"No," Dominic whispered, his voice shaking. "I didn't—"
Soul Extraction Initiated.
The creature screamed. Its hollow, mechanical wail echoed through the ruins, drowning out all other sounds. A wisp of pale light tore itself free from its chest, spiralling toward Dominic like a dying star. The instant it touched his skin, it burned.
Soul Acquired: +1.
Dominic collapsed to his knees, clutching at his chest as the light faded.
Above him, the neon sky shimmered ominously. A voice, cold and mechanical, spoke directly into his mind:
"Welcome to the game, Ashen_Soul. Try to stay alive."
Dominic's chest heaved as the creature's death scream faded into silence, the acrid taste of burning metal lingering on his tongue. He sat there trembling, his hands clawing at the cracked concrete beneath him, as the pulsating crimson text of the interface floated in his vision.
Soul Acquired: +1
Experience Points Earned: 5 XP.
His stomach churned. The idea of gaining something from what just happened felt grotesque. He looked down at his hands, half-expecting them to be slick with blood, but they were clean—save for the invisible weight of what he'd just stolen.
"Stop," he muttered weakly. "I don't want this."
The interface ignored him, flashing once before morphing into a new configuration.
Daily Missions Unlocked.
The words appeared in bold, glowing letters, accompanied by the faint sound of a chiming bell. Beneath the heading, three tasks materialised, each accompanied by a strange icon:
Drink Water (5 XP)Exercise (10 minutes) (10 XP)Acquire 1 Soul (50 XP)
Dominic stared at the list, his vision blurring as bile rose in his throat. The simplicity of the tasks felt absurd—almost comical—against the backdrop of the ruined world around him.
"Is this some kind of joke?" he whispered. "Drink water? Exercise? And then... kill someone?"
Don't Kill. Acquire.
The voice that answered him wasn't the same as the cold, mechanical tone from earlier. This one was softer, insidious—a whisper that slithered into his mind like an unwanted guest.
Souls may be taken through any means. Persuasion, trade, deception, force... the choice is yours.
Dominic's fingers clenched into fists. "This is insane. I'm not doing this."
The interface flickered, and the air around him grew heavier, as if the very world was pressing down on him.
Failure to complete a daily mission will result in penalties.
Warning: Penalties escalate with repeated noncompliance.
"Penalties? What kind of penalties?" Dominic demanded, his voice rising in panic.
No answer came. The interface dimmed slightly, the missions still hanging in his vision like a digital ghost. The oppressive silence of the world around him crept back in, broken only by the faint hum of the neon lights in the distance.
Dominic forced himself to his feet, his legs unsteady beneath him. The ground beneath his boots was jagged and uneven, littered with shards of broken glass and twisted metal. He staggered toward a faint trickle of water in the distance, the sound of dripping drawing him like a moth to flame.
When he reached the source, he found a rusted pipe jutting out of the ground, leaking a thin stream of murky liquid into a shallow puddle. The water was brackish and faintly metallic, its surface rippling with strange colours under the neon glow.
"Water," he muttered bitterly. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
He cupped his hands beneath the stream, the cold liquid pooling in his palms. The smell was enough to make him gag, but he forced it down, the taste bitter and acrid.
Mission Complete: Drink Water.
Reward: +5 XP.
The faint chime echoed in his mind again, and the interface updated with his progress:
Experience Points: 10/100 (Level 1)
Dominic wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing as the aftertaste lingered. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. "What the hell am I supposed to do next? Jumping jacks?"
The second mission glowed faintly in his vision: Exercise (10 minutes).
Dominic paced back and forth, his boots crunching on the debris-strewn ground. His body felt heavy, sluggish, as if the weight of his newfound reality was dragging him down. But as he began to move, something strange happened.
A faint warmth spread through his limbs, dulling the aches and pains from his earlier struggle. His breathing came easier, his pulse steadying. It wasn't pleasant—nothing about this world was—but it was something.
Mission Complete: Exercise (10 minutes).
Reward: +10 XP.
Experience Points: 20/100 (Level 1)
"Great," Dominic muttered. "Now what? Steal someone's soul for dessert?"
The final mission loomed in his vision, the words pulsing faintly: Acquire 1 Soul.
Dominic wandered through the ruins, his heart pounding with every step. The thought of taking another's soul made his skin crawl, but the words of the system echoed in his mind: Persuasion, trade, deception, force... the choice is yours.
As he turned a corner, he saw movement ahead—a figure huddled in the shadows. It was a man, thin and gaunt, his skin pale and stretched tight over his bones. He wore a tattered coat patched with scraps of neon fabric, his hollow eyes darting nervously as he rummaged through a pile of debris.
Dominic froze, his breath catching in his throat.
The interface responded immediately, identifying the stranger with cold efficiency:
Player Detected: "Rust_Jester."
Souls Held: 0.
Threat Level: Low.
The man hadn't noticed him yet, too focused on scavenging through the trash. Dominic's mind raced. Could he... convince this person to give up their soul? Was that even possible?
"Hey," Dominic called, his voice trembling.
The man flinched, spinning around to face him. His eyes narrowed, and his hands moved to his belt, where a rusted pipe hung like a makeshift weapon.
"Stay back!" the man snarled. "I don't want any trouble."
"I'm not here to hurt you," Dominic said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I just... I need help."
The man's gaze darted to the glowing interface hovering before Dominic's eyes, and his expression darkened. "You're new, huh? Fresh meat."
Dominic's stomach churned. He took a cautious step forward, his mind churning with possibilities. Could he lie? Beg? Offer something in exchange? He didn't know what to say, but one thing was certain: time was running out.
Time Remaining to Complete Daily Missions: 2 Hours.
Dominic's eyes flicked to the man's trembling hands, now gripping the rusted pipe like a lifeline. The hollow look in his eyes was all too familiar—fear, desperation, and just a flicker of malice lurking beneath.
"I'm not your enemy," Dominic said, his voice steadying despite the hammering of his heart. "I just... I need a favour"
The man let out a humourless laugh, a rasping sound that seemed to scrape against the air. "A favour? You've got that glow, don't you? The system's got its hooks in you. I don't need to see your stats to know you're in trouble."
Dominic blinked, confused. "Glow?"
The man pointed a thin, crooked finger at Dominic's chest. "You. Bright. Like a beacon. You've got a soul worth something. Me?" He tapped his own chest with a sharp, metallic thud. "I don't."
Something about the way he said it made Dominic's skin crawl.
"What do you mean you don't?" Dominic asked cautiously.
The man smiled, and Dominic's stomach churned. His teeth were jagged and blackened, as though someone had taken shards of glass and jammed them into his gums. The flesh around his mouth was mottled with scars, some fresh and weeping, others old and gnarled.
"It's gone," the man said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Burned it up. Spent it. Trade it away for... something better."
Dominic took a step back. The man's movements were strange now—jerky, unnatural, like a poorly programmed animatronic.
"Look, I don't want any trouble," Dominic said, his voice faltering. "Just... help me out here. I'm new to this. Tell me what I need to do."
The man tilted his head, and his neck cracked loudly, the sound echoing like snapping twigs. For a moment, his face seemed to shimmer, the features shifting and blurring as though his skin was made of melting wax.
"Trouble?" the man said, his voice now lower and raspier. "You don't want trouble, do you? Then give me what's yours."
Dominic froze, his breath catching in his throat.
"What are you talking about?"
The man's body convulsed violently, his limbs twisting at impossible angles. His tattered coat split apart as his torso expanded grotesquely, revealing flesh that looked like a patchwork quilt of different creatures. Patches of scaly skin jutted up against sections of fur, and sharp bone spurs erupted from his shoulders like jagged wings.
"Your soul," the man hissed, his voice now a guttural growl that resonated deep in Dominic's chest. "Give it to me. I need it."
Dominic stumbled backward, his foot catching on a jagged piece of debris. He fell hard, the impact jarring his vision, but the creature was already advancing, its many limbs moving with a sickening fluidity.
The interface flared to life again, its crimson letters burning in Dominic's mind.
Threat Level Updated: Extreme.
Warning: Survival Chance Below 25%.
"Stay back!" Dominic shouted, his voice shaking. He scrambled to his feet, his fingers brushing against a twisted length of rebar. He grabbed it instinctively, raising it like a weapon.
The creature laughed, a sound that was more like a chorus of voices, each one overlapping the next in a discordant cacophony.
"Fight me? Oh, little soul... you don't stand a chance."
The creature lunged, its many limbs flailing as it closed the distance. Dominic swung the rebar with all his strength, but the creature caught it mid-swing, its grotesque hand twisting the metal like it was paper.
"You're mine now," it snarled, its jaws opening unnaturally wide. Rows of jagged teeth glistened in the dim light, dripping with saliva that sizzled where it hit the ground.
Dominic's mind raced. He could feel the system's presence urging him, feeding him options and possibilities, but they blurred together in the chaos.
Skill Available: Soul Barrier.
Without thinking, Dominic focused on the words, and a surge of energy erupted from his core. A translucent barrier materialised around him, its surface shimmering like fractured glass. The creature slammed into it, and the force reverberated through Dominic's body like a thunderclap.
The creature howled, its limbs thrashing against the barrier, but the translucent shield held firm.
Soul Barrier: Active (10 Seconds).
Dominic's breathing was ragged, his vision swimming as he tried to focus. He needed a plan, but his mind was blank.
Suggestion: Extract Soul. Target: Null.
Alternative Action Required.
"Extract? There's nothing to extract!" Dominic shouted.
The creature laughed again, its distorted voice filling the air. "You're smarter than you look. I don't have a soul for you to take. But you... you're full of life. Full of power."
Dominic's hands clenched into fists, his fear slowly giving way to anger. "Then I'll take you down."
The creature's many eyes narrowed, its grotesque face splitting into a mockery of a grin. "Oh, little soul. You can try."
As the barrier began to flicker, Dominic braced himself, the rebar still clutched tightly in his hands.
Time Remaining on Soul Barrier: 3 Seconds.
Time to Decide: Now.
Dominic's pulse thundered in his ears as the translucent barrier shimmered and began to flicker, its protective glow dimming with every second. The creature pressed against it, its claws scraping at the surface with a sound like nails on glass.
"You can't hide forever," the thing growled, its many voices blending into a horrifying, discordant melody. "When this falls, you're mine."
Dominic's grip on the twisted rebar tightened. He could feel his options narrowing, the interface's glowing prompts offering no salvation. As the barrier pulsed weaker with every passing second, he took a stumbling step backward, his boot catching on a loose piece of debris.
The creature's grotesque form lurched forward, its patchwork body writhing and squirming as though it was made of living shadows stitched together. Its face—a fusion of animalistic and human features—twisted into a grotesque grin as it prepared for the final strike.
Dominic's heel caught on something solid, and he tripped, falling hard onto the cracked pavement. The impact sent pain shooting through his back, and the rebar slipped from his hand, clattering uselessly to the ground. He scrambled to push himself up, but the creature loomed over him now, its many limbs quivering with predatory anticipation.
Instinctively, Dominic scooted backward, his palms scraping against the rough ground as he dragged himself away. The glow of the barrier finally flickered out, leaving him exposed.
And then it happened.
The faint neon light above them, flickering like a dying ember, suddenly caught the creature's patchwork form. The glow wasn't strong—just a pale, sickly green—but the moment the light touched its twisted skin, the creature let out a bone-chilling scream.
Its limbs jerked backward as if yanked by invisible strings, and its malformed body twisted violently, recoiling into the shadows. The patchwork of fur, scales, and flesh bubbled and hissed where the light had touched it, black smoke curling upward from the scorched patches.
Dominic stared in wide-eyed disbelief as the creature writhed, its grotesque features contorted in what could only be described as pure agony.
"Light!" it shrieked, its many voices blending into a screeching wail. "Get it away from me!"
Dominic's mind raced, and in a flash of desperate clarity, he shoved himself toward the neon sign. He grabbed a jagged piece of glass from the ground, holding it up to reflect the sickly green glow directly at the creature.
The creature hissed and screeched, its entire body trembling as it retreated further into the darkness. Its once-predatory demeanour had been replaced by frantic, jerky movements as it sought refuge from the light.
"You don't like that, do you?" Dominic muttered, his voice shaking but tinged with growing defiance.
He stepped closer to the broken neon sign, angling the shard to direct more light toward the creature. The patchwork monstrosity thrashed violently, its body contorting as it backed into the deepest shadow it could find.
"This isn't over," it growled, its voice a guttural rasp now tinged with desperation. "You'll slip. You'll fade. And when you do, I'll be waiting."
And with that, the creature melted into the darkness, its grotesque form dissolving into the shadows like smoke. The air grew still again, the only sound the faint hum of the neon sign and Dominic's ragged breathing.
He dropped the shard of glass, his trembling hands clutching his knees as he sank to the ground.
The interface flickered back into his vision, cold and unfeeling:
Threat Neutralised. Temporary Safety Restored.
Note: Some entities are vulnerable to environmental factors. Observation is key to survival.
Dominic let out a bitter laugh, his chest heaving with the effort. "Observation," he muttered. "That thing nearly tore me apart."
He leaned back against the crumbling wall, the weight of what had just happened settling over him like a suffocating blanket.
Time Remaining to Complete Daily Missions: 1 Hour 45 Minutes.
The reminder felt like a slap. Despite the danger he'd faced, the system was relentless. It wouldn't let him stop, wouldn't let him rest.
Dominic stared into the flickering neon glow above him, its green hue casting strange shadows on his weary face. The light had saved him this time, but he knew he couldn't rely on luck forever. This game wasn't just survival—it was a nightmare, one where the rules twisted as cruelly as the monsters that played it.
He pulled himself to his feet, his body aching but his resolve hardening.
"I'm not dying here," he whispered to the empty ruins. "Not today."
Dominic steadied himself, leaning against the cracked wall beneath the sputtering neon light. The green glow felt oddly comforting now, its hum an anchor against the chaos he'd just faced.
He scanned the shadows where the creature had retreated, expecting silence. Instead, a rasping voice emerged, echoing faintly from the darkness.
"You think you're safe in that light, don't you?"
Dominic froze, his grip tightening on the shard of glass he still held. "Stay back," he warned, though his voice betrayed his exhaustion.
A low chuckle rippled through the air, dry and brittle like dead leaves in the wind. "Oh, don't worry, little soul. I can't touch you there. Not while that cursed light burns. But that doesn't mean we can't talk."
Dominic squinted into the blackness, his eyes adjusting to faint shapes at the edge of the light's reach. The creature's silhouette lingered just beyond, its grotesque form twitching unnaturally.
"Talk?" Dominic asked warily.
"Talk," the creature rasped, its tone almost amused. "You're new, aren't you? Freshly minted. Dropped into this cesspit with no clue how the game works."
Dominic hesitated. "You seem to know plenty about it."
"Of course I do," the creature said, its voice dripping with disdain. "I've been playing longer than you've been breathing, little soul. I've seen your type before—lost, confused, clinging to hope like a drowning man to driftwood. You're all the same."
"What are you?" Dominic demanded, his voice firming as anger edged out his fear. "What's wrong with you?"
The creature's laughter was low and guttural, echoing through the ruins. "What am I? That's the wrong question. The right question is what will you become?"
Dominic's stomach churned. "Stop talking in riddles and tell me what's going on."
The creature shifted, and for a moment, Dominic caught a glimpse of its face—if it could even be called that. Eyes of mismatched sizes glared at him from a twisted patchwork of flesh, scars crisscrossing its skin like jagged seams. It almost looked... stitched together.
"You want answers, little soul?" it growled. "Fine. But they'll cost you."
"I don't have anything to trade," Dominic snapped.
"Not yet," the creature hissed. "But you will. Oh, you will."
Dominic's jaw clenched. He had no intention of bartering with this monstrosity, but if it had answers, he'd take what he could. "Start talking. What's this game? Why am I here?"
The creature tilted its head, its neck cracking loudly. "This isn't a game. Not really. It's a prison. A slaughterhouse. A playground for those who profit from misery."
"And the souls?" Dominic asked, his stomach tightening.
"Currency," the creature said simply. "Power. The more you have, the more you can do. But you already know that, don't you? You've felt it. The system feeds you skills, abilities... strength. It's not free, little soul. It's never free."
Dominic's mind raced. "Who made this? Who's running it?"
"Who made the rain?" the creature replied mockingly. "Who built the stars? Does it matter? You're here, and you're playing, whether you like it or not. The only question is how long you'll last."
Dominic gritted his teeth. "How do I get out?"
The creature's laughter was louder this time, harsher. "Out? There's no out. Only up. You survive, you level up, you climb the ranks. Maybe, if you're clever enough, you'll find the answer you're looking for. But most don't. Most just... fade."
The words hit Dominic like a punch to the gut, but he pushed past the despair threatening to take hold. "Fine," he said. "Then tell me where to start. Where do I go?"
The creature shifted closer to the edge of the light, its form flickering like a mirage. "Head east," it rasped. "There's a town. You'll find others like you there. Players. Traders. Hunters."
"Hunters?"
"Not all players are as... forgiving as I am," the creature said, its jagged grin glinting in the faint light. "They see your glow, and they'll come for you. They want what you have, little soul. And they'll take it. By force, if necessary."
Dominic's grip on the glass shard tightened. "Why are you helping me?"
The creature's laughter was softer now, almost pitying. "Helping? No. I'm just amused. Watching you struggle, watching you cling to scraps of hope—it's... entertaining."
Dominic took a step back, the weight of the creature's words settling over him like a heavy shroud. "East, you said?"
The creature inclined its grotesque head. "East. But remember this, little soul: the brighter you burn, the more shadows you cast. And there are plenty of monsters lurking in those shadows."
With that, the creature melted further into the darkness, its form dissolving like smoke.
Dominic stood there for a moment, the green glow of the neon light casting long shadows across the desolate landscape. He didn't trust the creature, but it was the only lead he had.
He turned toward the horizon, where faint streaks of neon lit the distant skyline.
"East," he muttered to himself. "Let's see what this town has to offer."
And with that, he stepped away from the safety of the light, his heart pounding as the shadows closed in around him once more.
The ruins stretched endlessly before Dominic as he trudged east, guided only by the faint glow of neon streaks on the horizon. The cityscape loomed like jagged teeth in the distance, a crumbling silhouette against the bruised sky. The air was thick with the scent of decay and ozone, and every sound—the crunch of his boots on debris, the distant hum of the neon lights—felt amplified in the oppressive silence.
Dominic's thoughts churned with unease. The creature's warning echoed in his mind: "The brighter you burn, the more shadows you cast." He hadn't yet seen these so-called "hunters," but he didn't doubt they were out there, watching, waiting.
The town wasn't far now. The distant neon lights had coalesced into the faint outline of ramshackle buildings and flickering signs. Dominic quickened his pace, eager to reach shelter, when a sudden noise froze him in place.
A muffled sob.
Dominic turned sharply, scanning the darkness. It came again—soft, choked, and close. Slowly, he crept toward the sound, his eyes darting between the shadows. He passed a pile of collapsed metal beams, their edges rusted and jagged, until he saw her.
She was crouched behind the remnants of a shattered wall, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Even in the dim light, Dominic could see her trembling. Her clothes were tattered but still retained a strange elegance—dark fabric with faint, intricate patterns that shimmered faintly under the neon's glow.
But what struck him most was her face.
She was stunning, impossibly so. Her features were delicate yet striking, her skin glowing faintly as if kissed by moonlight. Long, dark hair framed her face, curling gently over her shoulders, and her eyes—large, luminous, and rimmed with fear—caught the faint light like twin mirrors.
Dominic felt his breath hitch. In a world of jagged ruins and grotesque creatures, she was an anomaly, a beacon of beauty and fragility.
"Hey," he called softly, his voice low to avoid startling her.
She flinched, her head snapping up to look at him. For a moment, her fear seemed to deepen, her body tensing as though preparing to flee.
"It's okay," Dominic said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Her gaze darted to the faintly glowing interface hovering near Dominic's shoulder, and her expression shifted. Suspicion mingled with her fear as she regarded him warily.
"You're one of them," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"One of who?" Dominic asked, taking a cautious step closer.
"Players," she said, her voice trembling. "Like the villagers. They'll do anything to take what's left of me."
Dominic crouched to her level, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. "I'm not like them," he said firmly. "I don't know what's going on with the villagers, but I'm not here to take anything from you."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, mistrust flickering in their depths. "Then what do you want?"
Dominic hesitated, weighing his words carefully. "To help," he said finally. "You're out here, alone. You're scared. Let me protect you."
She shook her head, her hair catching the light in a way that made it shimmer like liquid obsidian. "No one protects anyone for free," she said bitterly.
Dominic's stomach twisted. She wasn't wrong. In this world, survival was a transaction—every act of kindness came with a price. And he couldn't deny the thought that had crept into his mind the moment he saw her.
Her soul.
Dominic took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "You're right," he said slowly. "Nothing's free. But I can protect you. I can keep you safe from the villagers, the hunters, whatever else is out here. In exchange…" He hesitated, the weight of his words sinking in. "In exchange for your soul."
Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked as though she might scream. But instead, she stayed silent, her gaze locked on his.
"You're serious," she said finally, her voice trembling.
"I am," Dominic replied. He felt sick saying it, but he pushed through the guilt. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to survive. And this…" He gestured to the glowing interface. "This is the only way."
She stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she stood slowly, her movements graceful despite her tattered state.
"Do you even know what you're asking for?" she said quietly.
Dominic shook his head. "Not really. I don't have a choice."
Sincerity stepped closer, her luminous eyes piercing into his. "My name is Sincerity," she said softly. "I'm not some helpless girl. I've survived out here longer than you've been playing this game."
Dominic swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. "Then why are you hiding?"
Her gaze dropped, her expression clouding with pain. "Because they found out what I am. What I have. The villagers want to tear me apart for it."
"What are you?" Dominic asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sincerity's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, she seemed to war with herself. Finally, she looked up, her expression hardening.
"You want my soul?" she said, her voice steady now. "Then you'd better be ready to fight for it. Because if you can't protect me from them, you don't deserve it."
Dominic nodded, a strange mix of determination and unease settling over him. "Deal."
Sincerity extended her hand, and Dominic took it. Her touch was warm, a stark contrast to the cold, desolate world around them.
"Let's go," she said, her voice firm. "The town isn't far. But we won't be safe once we get there."
Dominic glanced toward the distant lights of the town, a sense of foreboding curling in his chest. He didn't know what awaited them, but one thing was certain—his choices were about to get a lot harder.
The road to the town was a crumbled mess of jagged asphalt and encroaching weeds, the faint neon glow on the horizon their only guide. Dominic walked beside Sincerity, his mind a tangled mess of questions. Despite her ragged appearance, she moved with confidence, her luminous eyes scanning their surroundings like a wary predator.
Every so often, Dominic caught himself glancing at her. There was something magnetic about her presence, a mixture of fragility and strength that made her seem both vulnerable and untouchable.
"We should stop for a moment," Sincerity said suddenly, her voice breaking the tense silence.
Dominic frowned, glancing around. "Here? Why? We're still exposed."
Sincerity crouched near the edge of the path, her dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "Because there's something you need to understand. If we reach that town without you knowing this, you're going to get yourself killed."
Dominic hesitated, then reluctantly crouched beside her. "What is it?"
Sincerity didn't answer right away. Instead, she pointed to the ground. At first, Dominic didn't see what she was gesturing toward, but then his gaze caught the faint movement of tiny bodies scuttling across the dirt.
Ants.
They swarmed in intricate patterns, their small forms weaving a tapestry of motion as they worked to repair their colony.
"Ants?" Dominic asked incredulously. "What about them?"
Sincerity didn't look at him. "Everything in this world has a soul," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Everything that lives, no matter how small or insignificant, carries a spark of life."
Dominic stared at the colony, his brow furrowing. "You're saying they have souls?"
Sincerity nodded. "Exactly. The system doesn't care how big or powerful something is. All it cares about is that spark. You could take one soul from a human... or thousands from these ants. The system treats them the same."
Dominic felt his stomach twist. "That's... that's insane."
"It's survival," Sincerity said bluntly. She turned her sharp gaze on him. "The question isn't whether you can take souls. It's whether you're willing to. If you're not, this world will eat you alive."
Dominic looked back at the ants, his chest tightening. The thought of taking their souls felt absurd—pointless, even—but he couldn't deny the temptation. He still felt the weight of the creature's attack earlier, the helplessness of standing on the brink of death with no real power to fight back.
"Fine," he muttered, his voice low. "How do I do it?"
Sincerity smiled faintly, though there was no joy in it. "Focus on them. Picture their spark. The system will do the rest."
Dominic hesitated, then closed his eyes, centring his thoughts on the writhing mass of ants before him. The interface responded immediately, glowing faintly in his vision.
Target Detected: Ant Colony. Approximate Soul Count: 10,000.
Extract Souls?
Dominic's breath caught. "10,000?"
Sincerity nodded. "I told you—every life has a soul. Even the smallest ones add up."
Dominic swallowed hard, his fingers curling into fists. The idea of holding that much power was dizzying. "Do it," he whispered.
The interface pulsed.
Soul Extraction Initiated.
The air around him shifted, growing heavy and electric. The colony erupted into chaos as tiny wisps of pale light rose from the ants, swirling together in a shimmering vortex. Dominic watched, wide-eyed, as the swarm of light spiralled toward him, sinking into his chest with a faint warmth.
The process lasted only seconds, but when it was over, Dominic felt... different. Lighter. Stronger.
Souls Acquired: +10,000.
New Feature Unlocked: Nexis Shop.
Dominic's interface flared with new options, a series of glowing icons filling his vision. Weapons, armour, consumables, enhancements—they all floated before him, each one displaying a soul cost in sharp red text.
"Congratulations," Sincerity said, her tone flat. "You're officially a player now."
Dominic stared at the shop, his mind racing. "I can buy anything with these?"
"Anything the system offers," Sincerity replied. "But don't waste them. Those souls won't last long, and if you're carrying that many, you'll burn bright enough to draw every hunter in the region."
Dominic felt a pang of unease. "What do you mean, burn bright?"
Sincerity's expression darkened. "Souls aren't just currency. They're power. The more you hold, the stronger you are—but the more visible you become to others. Hunters, predators... anyone looking to take what's yours."
Dominic clenched his fists. "So this is a trap."
"It's survival," Sincerity repeated. She stood, brushing dirt from her hands. "Now, are you ready to move? Because I guarantee the hunters already know where we are."
Dominic nodded, his resolve hardening. He didn't like the system, didn't trust it—but for now, it was his only lifeline.
"Let's go," he said, stepping forward. The neon lights of the town flickered brighter on the horizon, but Dominic couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking straight into the lion's den.
Dominic walked alongside Sincerity, his steps slightly lighter now, though the weight of the interface in his vision was ever-present. The shop icons shimmered enticingly, displaying a dizzying array of items and upgrades. He could feel the power thrumming in his chest—the 10,000 souls he'd just acquired seemed to hum with a life of their own.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the Stats screen.
Player Status: Ashen_Soul Level: 16Experience Points: 0/20,000Souls Held: 9,700 (after shop fees)Attributes: Strength: 5Agility: 5Vitality: 4Intelligence: 6Charisma: 3Luck: 2Unspent Attribute Points: 40
Dominic's eyes widened as he stared at the level indicator. "Level 16?" he muttered, half to himself.
Sincerity glanced at him, one eyebrow arched. "You burned through 10,000 souls. Of course, you levelled up. But don't get cocky. Levels are just numbers if you don't know what to do with them."
Dominic frowned. "What does level 16 mean? Is that... good?"
Sincerity smirked faintly, though her eyes remained sharp and calculating. "For you? Yeah, it's good. For most people? It's unheard of. A normal human, unconnected to the system, tops out around level 10 in terms of raw potential. That's their apex. You know, the world's strongest man, the guy who can solve quantum problems in his sleep, or the competitive eater who devours thirty hot dogs without breaking a sweat."
Dominic chuckled despite himself. "Competitive eater? Really?"
Sincerity's expression didn't shift. "Don't underestimate them. Glutton builds are terrifying when optimised"
Dominic shook his head, focusing back on the interface. The Unspent Attribute Points glowed faintly, urging him to invest them. He glanced at the list of stats, his mind racing.
"What should I prioritise?" he asked.
Sincerity crossed her arms, watching him closely. "Depends. Do you want to fight? Run? Talk your way out of situations? Each stat shapes how you survive. Strength to hit things. Agility for dodging. Intelligence is for figuring things out or using system-related abilities. Vitality keeps you alive. Charisma might save your life when raw force can't. And Luck..." She hesitated, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Well, Luck's a gamble. Sometimes it makes you unstoppable. Sometimes it gets you killed faster."
Dominic chewed his lip, thinking. He began allocating points, distributing them carefully across his attributes.
Updated Player Status: Ashen_Soul Attributes: Strength: 10 (+5)Agility: 12 (+7)Vitality: 10 (+6)Intelligence: 12 (+6)Charisma: 5 (+2)Luck: 5 (+3)
As he finished, he felt a subtle shift in his body. His muscles tightened, his movements felt sharper, and his thoughts seemed clearer.
"That's... weird," he muttered, flexing his hands.
"Get used to it," Sincerity said. "The system rewires you every time you improve. Just don't let it go to your head. At level 16, you're bright enough to draw attention, but you're still a walking corpse if you pick a fight with the wrong person."
They continued walking, the neon lights of the town growing brighter with every step. Dominic was so focused on the interface that he almost didn't notice when the broken wasteland gave way to cracked pavement and rusted metal fences.
The town sprawled before them—a chaotic blend of crumbling buildings and jury-rigged structures bathed in a sickly neon glow. Flickering signs advertised everything from weapons to cybernetic implants, their garish colours casting strange shadows on the worn streets.
Dominic looked down at himself and groaned. "I can't walk in there wearing this."
Sincerity glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "You've been wandering the wasteland in a hospital gown, and now you're embarrassed?"
Dominic rolled his eyes and opened the shop. His eyes scanned the items, settling on a simple yet sturdy outfit—black boots, reinforced cargo pants, and a fitted jacket with faint glowing threads that matched the neon aesthetic of the town.
Item Purchased: Reinforced Streetwear.
Cost: 200 Souls.
He felt the system's warmth again as the hospital gown dissolved into data, replaced by the new clothes. He flexed his fingers, pleased with the snug fit of the gloves.
"Better?" Sincerity asked dryly.
"Much," Dominic replied.
He turned his attention back to the shop, his gaze lingering on the Weapons tab. He scrolled through the options, his eyes widening at the variety—blades, pistols, energy rifles, even things labelled as organic weapons.
Dominic settled on a sleek, combat-ready machete. The blade gleamed faintly, its edge lined with faint crimson etchings that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Item Purchased: Crimson Machete.
Cost: 500 Souls.
Dominic grasped the weapon as it materialised in his hand, its weight perfectly balanced. He gave it a tentative swing, the air hissing faintly as the blade sliced through it.
"Not bad," Sincerity remarked. "You'll at least look the part."
Dominic smirked, sliding the machete into the scabbard on his hip. "Let's just hope I don't have to use it."
Sincerity snorted. "In this place? Hope's for suckers."
They stepped into the town, the noise and chaos swallowing them whole. Dominic's grip on the machete tightened. This was a new kind of jungle, and he could feel the eyes of predators watching.
The neon skyline stretched endlessly before them, a dazzling cacophony of light and shadow that swallowed the horizon. Towers of glass and steel rose like jagged spires, their surfaces crawling with holographic advertisements and flickering glyphs. The streets below teemed with life—a dense, chaotic river of people moving beneath the neon haze, their faces bathed in the eerie glow.
Dominic and Sincerity stepped into the heart of the megalopolis, the hum of conversation and the distant roar of engines enveloping them. The air was heavy with the mingled scents of sweat, fried food, and machine oil, and everywhere Dominic looked, there were more people—more players.
Some were ordinary, blending into the crowd with mundane clothing and wary eyes. Others burned with the glow of collected souls, their silhouettes radiating faint auras of light. These players were the dangerous ones, their movements sharp and deliberate as they navigated the crowd like wolves among sheep.
"Keep your head down," Sincerity murmured, her voice low but firm. "This isn't the wasteland. Everyone here's looking for an angle, and a bright-eyed newbie like you might as well have a target on his back."
Dominic nodded, gripping the hilt of his machete tightly as he followed her through the crowded streets.
They eventually reached a narrow alley bathed in flickering blue light from a nearby sign. A wooden door, incongruous against the sleek, cyberpunk backdrop, stood at the end of the passage. Above it hung a simple sign etched with glowing text:
The Hollow Haven Inn.
Sincerity pushed the door open, and Dominic followed her inside. The inn's interior was dim and smoky, with worn furniture and faint music playing from an old jukebox in the corner. A handful of players sat at scattered tables, their faces obscured by shadows or helmets.
Behind the counter stood a stout woman with cybernetic arms, her expression impassive as she polished a glass. She glanced up as they approached, her mechanical eyes glowing faintly.
"Room?" she asked, her voice clipped.
Sincerity nodded. "For a week."
The woman's gaze flicked to Dominic, her eyes narrowing slightly. "One soul," she said flatly.
Dominic hesitated, the weight of the demand pressing against his chest. It was just one soul, a drop in the ocean of what he'd collected, but the idea of parting with it still gnawed at him.
"Pay her," Sincerity said quietly, nudging him with her elbow.
Dominic sighed and opened the interface. The transaction was quick, and the moment he confirmed it, he felt a faint, hollow tug in his chest as one of the souls slipped away.
Souls Held: 9,699.
The woman handed over a tarnished key. "Room 7. Top floor."
The room was small and spartan, with cracked walls and a single flickering light above the bed. A narrow window overlooked the neon-soaked cityscape, casting shifting colors across the floor.
"There's only one bed," Dominic noted awkwardly, glancing at Sincerity.
She shrugged, dropping her bag near the corner. "We'll manage. It's better than the ground."
Dominic sat on the edge of the bed, his body suddenly heavy with exhaustion. The adrenaline from the day's events was wearing off, leaving him feeling raw and exposed.
Sincerity slipped off her boots and lay down, her back to him. "Get some rest," she said softly. "You'll need it."
Dominic hesitated before lying down beside her, keeping a careful distance. The bed was small, and he could feel the faint warmth of her presence beside him, but he forced himself to ignore it.
As his eyes closed, his mind began to drift.
Sleep pulled him into a strange, fragmented dream. At first, it was his past—a whirlwind of images and emotions that felt both familiar and distant. He saw his childhood home, a small suburban house with peeling paint and overgrown grass. He remembered laughter and arguments, the faces of people he knew but couldn't name.
Then the memories twisted, bleeding into something else.
He was in the wasteland again, running from monsters with eyes like burning coals and claws that glinted in the darkness. He stumbled, falling to his knees as the creatures closed in.
A blinding light erupted above him, and he looked up to see her.
Sincerity hovered in the air, her body wrapped in radiant light. Enormous wings, shimmering and iridescent, stretched out behind her, their feathers glowing with a celestial brilliance. She raised her arms, and a shield of golden light formed around Dominic, repelling the creatures with its brilliance.
"You're safe," she said, her voice soft but powerful, echoing like a chorus of angels. "I'll protect you."
Dominic reached for her, but the vision shattered, and he was plunged into darkness.
He woke with a start, his breath ragged. The room was quiet, the faint hum of the neon city the only sound. Beside him, Sincerity stirred slightly but didn't wake.
Dominic stared at the ceiling, his heart pounding. The dream felt too vivid, too real to dismiss as just his imagination. The image of Sincerity with angelic wings lingered in his mind, her shield of light as clear as if he'd seen it with his own eyes.
He glanced at her sleeping form, questions burning in his mind.
Who are you, Sincerity? And why do I feel like I've seen you before?