What lies beyond death? Is it darkness? Light? Or something in between? I couldn't tell.
I stirred, my body heavy and my mind clouded. When I opened my eyes—or what felt like opening them—I found myself in an expanse of darkness. No light. No shapes. Just an endless, suffocating void.
Yet, I could see my own hands and body, faintly illuminated as though by an internal glow. The silence pressed down on me, making me acutely aware of every ragged breath. The only sound was the tremble in my voice when I whispered, "Where… am I?"
No answer came. Is this it? Is this forever?
I began to walk, slowly at first, unsure if the ground beneath me even existed. Each step echoed in the void, an empty, hollow sound that only deepened my unease. Flashes of memory returned: Lucy's terrified face, the monstrous blade descending, the sharp pain that tore through me as I shielded her. My steps faltered as the realization finally sank in.
"I died…" I murmured, my voice cracking. "I must've…"
My thoughts turned to my friends. Were Lucas and Nova okay? Was Lucy safe? My chest tightened with a sudden surge of fear and regret. I failed them. I'm useless.
"Useless," a voice echoed suddenly, sharp and cold, cutting through the silence like a blade. "You are weak."
I froze, my heart pounding against my ribs. Where is that coming from?
"You couldn't save them. You couldn't save yourself. But… you need me," the voice continued. It was deep and resonant, yet strangely intimate, as if it were speaking from inside my own head.
"Who… who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"I am what you've always lacked. Strength. Power. Purpose. I will lend you my eyes. My power."
I took a step back, my mind racing. "What do you mean?"
The voice's tone grew darker, almost amused. "My eyes are unlike any others. They are what you humans like to call, Calamity Class."
My breath hitched. Calamity Class. I knew exactly what that meant. Powers from this class were nothing like the others. While most powers depended on magical energy, stamina, or physical strength, Calamity Class powers broke every rule. They operated without limits, unfettered by human constraints. Only one person in tens of thousands of years was ever bestowed such a gift—or such a curse.
"Why… why would you give me something like that?" I demanded.
"To make you more than you are. To make you worthy of survival. Now… accept it."
Before I could react, an invisible force seized me. I screamed as a searing, white-hot pain erupted in my eyes. I clutched at my face, my fingers trembling as I felt my own eyes being plucked out, leaving only an agonizing, raw emptiness behind. It feels like my skull is being torn apart!
But despite the pain, I could still see. I could see the void, I could see myself... I could see everything. Then, a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the darkness, burning with an eerie, otherworldly light. They moved toward me, closing the distance until they settled into the empty sockets where my eyes had once been. The pain subsided instantly, replaced by a strange clarity and a heightened awareness of the space around me.
I gasped, trying to make sense of the shift, but the world around me began to dissolve. I awoke with a violent gasp, my chest heaving as air flooded my lungs.
The battlefield stretched before me, blood and rubble littering the ground. I could hear distant sobs, and when I turned my head, I saw Lucas and Nova rushing toward me.
"Adrian!" Lucas shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.
Nova dropped to her knees beside me, tears streaming down her face. "You're alive! How—? We thought—"
I tried to speak, but I stopped short when I noticed their expressions shift from relief to pure confusion and concern.
"Your… your eyes," Nova whispered, pointing with a shaking hand.
I reached up and touched my face, my fingers coming away wet. When I looked at them, they were stained with blood. Tears of crimson were streaking down my cheeks, staining the dirt beneath me.
"I…" I stammered, my mind reeling.
This wasn't a dream. The void, the voice, the pain—it was all real. I could still feel the presence of those eyes, powerful and unrelenting, burning within me. But what had I become?