Nigel fought the current with everything he had, thrashing against the torrent as though sheer will could overcome nature's force. His arms ached, his lungs burned, and his vision blurred from exhaustion. Finally, his strength gave way, and he let the current pull him under.
As he surrendered, the realization of death crept in. Images flashed before his eyes—memories of childhood, fleeting moments of laughter, regrets of choices he wished he could undo. I had more life to live, he thought desperately. This can't be the end. Darkness swallowed him, and he drifted into unconsciousness.
He awoke—or thought he did—walking alone through a pitch-black void. The silence was suffocating until a faint glow appeared ahead. A door, radiating warm golden light, seemed to beckon him. Drawn to it, Nigel reached out and opened it.
On the other side stood his mother, her smile soft and full of love, hand raised in welcome.
"Mom? Is that you?"
"Shhh, my son," she whispered gently. "Your story is not finished."
Confusion clouded his face. "What do you mean? I'm pretty sure I'm dead."
"No, you're not. We're inside your mind. You passed out, and the current carried you into a cave."
Nigel's heart raced. "I made it? I can't believe it."
"Yes, but your journey has only just begun. Your story is far from finished."
Her image flickered like smoke in the wind, fading from view.
"No—Mom, come back! I want to talk to you more. And once I leave that cave, the Silencers will kill me on sight!"
Her voice lingered, tender and resolute. "My precious boy, God has given you a blessing of life and destiny. You will be the one to change the world forever."
Tears welled in his eyes. "What do you mean? Mom—wait!"
"It'll be okay, Nigel. I will always be with you. You've grown so much. Never forget, I will always love you…"
And then she was gone. The vision dissolved into darkness, and Nigel awoke on cold stone.
He found himself in a hidden cave unlike any he had seen before. The walls shimmered faintly with dampness, and silence pressed heavily in the air. He wandered deeper, searching for an exit. The further he went, the darker it became, until a strange light appeared in the distance.
"I hope this is the way out," he muttered. "I need to get back to Zack."
The glow intensified, leading him to the source—a tablet embedded in a stone altar. It bore the carved face of a demon, its eyes glowing crimson, ancient text etched around it in a language he couldn't understand. A sinister aura radiated from it, heavy and oppressive, as though the tablet itself were watching him.
Drawn against his better judgment, Nigel stepped closer. Whispers clawed at his mind, growing louder with every step. When he finally touched the surface, a vision consumed him.
The world around him shattered into chaos. Fire raged, people screamed, and blood stained the earth. Out of black smoke emerged a demon with a chilling grin, eyes burning with malice.
Nigel ran. Streets twisted around him, and he ducked into an abandoned building, heart pounding. But the demon's presence was inescapable. It materialized before him, towering and merciless.
Fear paralyzed him, but desperation sparked a flicker of courage. He lunged, striking with everything he had. Blow after blow landed, but the demon remained unfazed. With a final, futile attack, Nigel's weapon was caught mid-swing. The demon's hand pierced through his chest with effortless cruelty.
Blood filled his mouth as he collapsed. The demon began chanting in a guttural tongue, its voice resonating with ancient power. Smoke enveloped Nigel's body as the creature merged with him. He screamed in agony—
—and jolted awake back in the cave.
"What the hell just happened?" he gasped. His hands trembled as he looked around. The tablet lay shattered in pieces at his feet.
An excruciating pain tore through his left arm, forcing him to his knees. The cave rumbled violently, rocks cracking and dust raining from the ceiling. His screams twisted into something darker, deeper, almost inhuman.
Far away, in a sleek corporate tower, a man in a black suit stared out his window at the trembling city below. A faint smile curled his lips.
"So… you've finally awakened, Kuran."
Nigel's pain subsided, leaving a dreadful stillness. He looked down and recoiled. His left arm was no longer his own—twisted and monstrous, a demonic limb pulsing with sinister energy. Echoing laughter filled the cave. From the shadows stepped the very demon he had seen in the vision.
Nigel's voice shook. "What are you? Who are you? What's happening to me?"
The demon grinned, sharp teeth glinting. "If I told you everything now, it would spoil the fun. But my name… it has echoed through time, warped by human tongues. You may call me Kuran. And you, human, are my new vessel."
"Vessel? I don't understand—I need answers!"
"All in due time. For now, know this: your life will never be the same." Kuran's form began to fade, leaving only his voice. "Push the stand where the tablet once rested, and you'll find a hidden passage to the city's sewage system. Consider it my gift."
Then he was gone.
Nigel stared at the altar, conflicted. He pressed against it with his right arm, but it wouldn't budge. Hesitantly, he placed his corrupted left arm on it—and the stone shifted easily, revealing a dark passageway.
Staring at his arm, both horrified and awed, he whispered, "Super strength…?" Even more shocking, his wounds were gone, healed as if they had never existed.
With no choice but forward, he followed the tunnel into the city's sewage system. The familiar stench hit him, but oddly, it felt like home. He had used these tunnels countless times as a thief, navigating unseen beneath the city. Emerging from a manhole near the abandoned amusement park, he steadied himself.
"Alright," Nigel muttered, determination in his eyes. "Time to meet up with Zack. But I need to know more about this demon—Kuran. My life just got a whole lot more complicated."