The shadow boy watched James cautiously, noticing how the black cracks that had woven across Collins' body slowly faded, and how relief washed over James' face. He had been in the alleyway since being sent on a worldwide mission with his faction, performing his duties diligently. That was until he had felt a heavy energy pressing on him, a force so dense it demanded his full attention. When he emerged from the shadows, he saw three people standing in the alley.
Not knowing the origin of the energy, he had instinctively attacked from the shadows using his ability. But the power James radiated was different, calmer, and weaker, nothing like the oppressive force he had felt before. Curiosity won over caution, and he stepped into the open to face them.
James moved carefully, carrying Collins with Amara's help and placing him on his back. Laide instinctively wanted to attack, but he realized James and Amara pretends as if he wasn't even there. It was as if he had become invisible an entirely new sensation. He had been used to drawing attention, but now he was ignored. For the first time since the apocalypse began, he didn't feel like the center of everyone's eyes.
Laide had once been ordinary, just another junior secondary school student, overlooked in his daily life. He had never been the best in class, rarely stood out, and people would even forget he existed. But the apocalypse had changed everything. When he awakened the Shadow Attribute, he felt like a protagonist from an anime, gifted with unique powers while others struggled to survive on their basic stats.
His ego inflated further when a very strong woman recruited him into her faction. He imagined he could have anything he desired, but reality soon corrected him. That same woman had beaten him repeatedly in combat, leaving him to realize he was not as exceptional as he had believed. He kept his pride in check, but the admiration of his faction members still fed his confidence.
Recently, he had been assigned to protect a group of faction members who had not completed the world quest. Initially, he had complained about the task, but he followed orders diligently. He trained them patiently, sometimes forcefully and even helped them to kill some monsters that are way too dangerous for them, until they could fend for themselves. It was while returning them to the faction base that he first felt the strange pressure. His teammates felt nothing. Curious and unsettled, he had left them to investigate and found three people in the alley.
Observing Collins' black cracks and the evident pain, Laide hesitated. How could he let his guard down when nothing seemed normal? Who knew if this was some kind of trap? Criminal factions had grown ruthless, using deceitful methods to prey on the weak. Yet the more he observed James, the more he felt sincerity. These people weren't part of some rogue faction, they genuinely cared for their injured companion.
"Tch, I don't like you guys," Laide said, the shadow tendrils around him disappearing, "but do you have somewhere to stay?"
James, noticing Laide's cautious expression, thought,
'He's way too careful for his age'.
"No, we don't," he replied.
Laide's smirk suggested he was amused rather than hostile. "Then follow me back to my faction base. They have everything you'll need to take care of yourselves."
James hesitated for a moment. Despite Laide's initial hostility, the offer was practical. Collins' condition required attention, and he could not risk doing this alone.
Amara, noticing James' hesitation, broke the silence. "You're probably thinking of accepting, aren't you?"
"I think it's a good offer," James said, reaching a decision.
"That's dumb. Just dumb," Amara scolded. "You're agreeing to something without even knowing him or his faction. Just like that?"
James understood her concerns, but he also understood the stakes. Collins needed immediate care, and this faction could maybe provide it.
"Collins' condition needs treatment immediately," James said. "We'll need their help to make sure he recovers. That's all that matters right now."
Laide raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "And you think my faction will just provide that without expecting something in return?"
Amara shot James a triumphant glance, clearly proving her point. Nothing is free, even the world before the apocalypse.
James remained silent, weighing his options. They were at a crossroads, and he knew he couldn't afford to refuse.
Laide continued, clarifying while also mocking them. "Rest assured, unlike some evil factions that see human lives as a game, my faction will provide everything you need according to your contributions. As you are factionless people, we offer both our invitation and our help."
James and Amara both disliked the smug look on Laide's face. Amara, weaker than the boy in front of her, restrained herself, knowing that a confrontation would be unwise.
Though annoyed, James appreciated the arrangement. It meant that once Collins recovered, they could leave without owing the faction anything. It also motivated him, he would grow stronger, using the faction's resources strategically while proving his worth.
"Damn it, James," Amara muttered under her breath. "You don't understand how dangerous faction politics can be. If you think it's going to be that simple, you're going to get burned instead."
James merely smiled, silently confident. He hadn't encountered politics before, but he trusted Collins' potential. Once Collins fully recovered, James would strengthen himself further, preparing for the challenges ahead and with him becoming a Warbrand of a Hindu God of War, he believed anything is possible.
Laide nodded, sensing James' resolve. "Well, if you're ready, let's go."
Amara, ever curious, asked, "Wait, what's the name of your faction?"
"Eleso Faction," Laide replied simply.
"Eleso Faction," Amara muttered, testing the name.
Laide glanced back. "Let's move before it gets late. You all know what happens when night falls."
James, carrying Collins on his back, followed closely behind Laide. Amara walked them, her eyes sharp and observant. She knew James understood the stakes, but he wouldn't reveal everything, so she had to watch carefully, what made her even more curious was how Collins was able to get her and James from the encirclement of the monsters in the forest.
And as for Laide, he was busy thinking about the rewards he would get for recruiting potential Ascendants, he couldn't stop himself from smiling as he leads them to Eleso faction base.
The alleyway shadows stretched long against crumbling walls, flickering with the light of the setting sun. The night ahead was uncertain, filled with danger, but for the first time in days, James felt hope. With the Eleso Faction's guidance and his own determination, he would protect Collins and prepare for the challenges the apocalypse would throw at them.