As Gabriel sprinted through the dense forest, his silhouette darted between the trees. Blood dripped from his wounds, his vision blurring with every step. The pain gnawed at him, growing worse by the second, but he pushed forward, determined to survive.
In his desperation, he didn't notice the large root jutting from the ground. His foot caught on it, sending him tumbling to the ground.
---
BAAANG!!
---
"Huhu... Huhuhuh..." Gabriel's breaths were ragged, his body trembling from exhaustion.
"I'm losing consciousness... Damn it! I can't use [Heal]; I'm out of mana!" His voice was laced with desperation. His strength was fading fast.
Gabriel's chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, each gasp more labored than the last. His vision began to blur, the world around him dissolving into darkness. Tears rolled down his face as he fought against the encroaching oblivion, refusing to accept the fate that awaited him.
A heavy sense of guilt weighed him down, his mind replaying the events of the past few days. Every decision, every mistake, rushed through his thoughts like a haunting reel. But now, despite his resistance, the dark void was pulling him in, dragging him into its endless depths.
...
Gabriel lay motionless on the forest floor, his mind lost in memories. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to notice the rustling sounds around him. Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence, jarring him back to the present.
"Hahahaha! You made it hard for us to find you, boy!"
Gabriel's heart pounded as he looked up to see four figures approaching. Their steps crunched on the fallen leaves, and with each rustle, his fear deepened. He knew who they were.
---
WHOOOSH!
WHOOOSH!
WHOOOSH!
WHOOOSH!
---
Through his fading vision, Gabriel saw the figures looming over him. Among them, one man in a black robe cackled, sending a shiver down Gabriel's spine. He tried to stand, but his body refused to respond. The black-robed figure with a scarf tied around his arm sneered down at him.
"Trying to run away again, are we?" The figure's voice dripped with mockery. Without warning, he kicked Gabriel's frail form with brutal force.
---
BAAAAANG!!
BAAAAANG!!
---
Muffled cries echoed in the night as Gabriel endured the savage beating. Just as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, another figure appeared—a man wearing a skull-shaped mask. Slowly, he drew his sword and taunted Gabriel with a cold, cruel smile. "Blame your luck, boy. You were just in the right place at the wrong time!"
The masked man raised his sword to strike, and Gabriel braced for the final blow. But at the last moment, the sword stopped, hovering just a centimeter from Gabriel's chest. The masked man froze, his gaze shifting around as he felt a sudden pressure in the air. The trees swayed violently, as if reacting to an invisible force.
A low rumble filled the air, and small stones began to float around them, as if caught in the center of a magical vortex. Gabriel, barely conscious, could hardly believe what was happening. Relief washed over him, but the masked figure only grew more fearful, his grip tightening on the sword.
Just as the man with the skull mask prepared to strike again, his eyes widened in shock. Gabriel's limp body was being lifted off the ground by a mysterious vacuum of energy. Enraged, the masked man lunged forward, attempting to slash at Gabriel. But one of his henchmen quickly intervened, stopping him before he could land the blow.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled violently. Shockwaves erupted in all directions, and wind blades sliced through the air, forcing the black-robed figures to scramble for cover.
---
BOOOM!!!
BOOOM!!!
---
The explosion tore through the forest, catching them off guard. The ground shook beneath their feet as the entire forest of towering trees was consumed by a burst of blinding light.
...
**Gabriel Heart's POV**
A few minutes before the light exploded...
Darkness slowly consumed Gabriel as he lay beaten and broken. Before the blackness fully claimed him, he heard the muffled voice of the man in the skull mask.
"Bl... m... y... r l... ck... boy... b... ca... se... y... w... re... in... th... wr... ng... p... l... ce..."
As the darkness closed in, Gabriel felt an overwhelming constriction in his body, as though he was being crushed from all sides. He felt weightless and unmoored, drifting aimlessly through the void. Then, suddenly, excruciating pain wracked his body, as if he was being torn apart into a thousand pieces. The agony was unbearable, and he wanted to scream, but no sound came.
Gabriel found himself floating in a timeless void. His mind was hazy, disoriented, lost. After what felt like an eternity, a faint stream of light appeared in his consciousness. With great effort, Gabriel slowly raised his arm and pointed toward the light. He tried to speak, but his voice was weak, barely a whisper.
"Li... li... light... I... I'm..."
Before he could finish, a strange sensation overtook him. Something was being pulled from his body, but he couldn't comprehend what it was. His consciousness began to slip away, as though he was drifting into a deep, endless sleep. But just as he was about to fade completely, a voice boomed through the void—a system notification.
---
[Detecting two similar soul energies nearby...
...
...
...
...
Initiating soul fusion.]
---
**End of Volume 1**