Of all the races that walked the planet, humanity was by far the weakest. They possessed no scales to protect them, no gills to breathe underwater, no claws or fangs to hunt, and none of the boundless stamina of the Ferriths. They were ordinary—fragile, breakable, and mortal.
During humanity's first conflicts with the Demi-Humans, they were hopelessly outmatched. Superior in numbers, perhaps, but not in strength or endurance. Their technology gave them an edge for a time, but even that advantage was not enough. The other races were advancing quickly, and humanity's survival was slipping through its fingers.
That was, until the creation of Project Vile-63.
A desperate attempt to level the playing field, Vile-63 was a genetic enhancement procedure designed to push the human body beyond its natural limits. The process, however, was perilous. Only about half of all subjects survived the operation. Surgeons were required to work directly on the patient's spinal cord, and even the slightest miscalculation could result in permanent paralysis—or death.
Those who did survive, however, were forever changed. They exhibited heightened strength, faster reflexes, enhanced stamina, and an uncanny resistance to hunger and thirst. Their endurance rivaled that of entire species born for war.
Because of its extreme cost and risk, the Vile-63 procedure was reserved for only the most promising cadets and high-ranking generals. Yet, among those rare few who underwent it successfully, an even rarer phenomenon was documented.
Some developed the ability to enter a state of pure, hyper-focused consciousness—a heightened condition later named Overdrive. In this mode, they could push their bodies far beyond even their enhanced limits, performing feats that bordered on the impossible. But the price was steep. Overdrive consumed stamina at an alarming rate and placed unbearable strain on the brain, often resulting in crippling migraines—or, with prolonged use, irreversible neurological damage.
Soldiers capable of entering Overdrive were considered living weapons, their presence alone enough to shift the tide of battle. They were given titles, privileges, and wealth far beyond their rank. But above all, they were revered—symbols of humanity's defiance against extinction.
And among the ranks of the Lukros army, none were more revered than Kaelen. Her meteoric rise through the military—achieving the status of a three-star general within a single year of enlistment—was owed entirely to her mastery of Overdrive. Where others struggled merely to sustain it, Kaelen wielded it with frightening precision and control, a perfect blend of discipline and destruction.
'Let's just hope I haven't gotten too rusty with it,' Kaelen thought, steadying herself against the emaciated horror before her. Her pupils dilated sharply, the whites of her eyes flooding crimson as veins bulged across her neck and arms. Every muscle in her body tightened, trembling under the immense strain. She clenched her jaw until she thought her teeth might shatter.
The drawbacks weren't just severe—they were excruciating. Every second within the state felt as though her body were ripping itself apart from the inside. Her muscles screamed, her bones ached, and her veins pulsed with searing pain.
But none of it mattered to Kaelen. To feel pain was to know she was alive—and to endure that pain meant she could continue to live.
The creature and Kaelen began to circle each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Its claws twitched restlessly, eager to tear into fresh prey. Kaelen's breathing steadied, her focus sharpening to a razor's edge. In this state, everything around her became painfully clear—every shift in the mud, every twitch of the creature's muscles, every breath Seren took behind her. Her senses had reached a level of perception that would have overwhelmed an ordinary mind. One of them was bound to lose patience first.
It wasn't her.
The creature let out a piercing shriek and lunged, swinging a horizontal slash aimed straight for Kaelen's neck. She reacted instantly—rather than retreat, she surged forward, closing the distance and slipping inside its reach. Raising her left arm, she caught the strike head-on, the impact reverberating through her bones with shocking force. For something so thin, its strength was unreal.
But Kaelen didn't flinch.
Taking advantage of its surprise, she twisted her body and drove a crushing right hook into its jaw. The blow landed with a crack that shook the branches of the nearby dead trees. The creature's head snapped to the side, black ichor spraying from its mouth as it staggered backward.
'What?' Seren thought, her mind reeling at what she had just seen. 'Not only did she block that thing's attack without even flinching—but she staggered it… with a single punch!? No, I can't get distracted. I need to focus.'
She forced herself to concentrate, scanning for an opening. But finding one was proving harder than expected. Every time the creature staggered, it recovered almost instantly—too fast for her to move in for the killing blow. And every second that passed, her vision dimmed further from blood loss. She didn't have much time left.
The creature quickly recovered from Kaelen's last strike and screeched in fury, its body twitching violently. It swung one arm wide, the blow connecting against Kaelen's forearms as she blocked, the sheer force sending her stumbling back and leaving dark bruises across her skin.
Then the creature lunged again, dragging its claws through the mud before yanking them upward, flinging muck straight into Kaelen's face.
'This son of a—' Kaelen cursed, but she had no time to finish the thought before two scythe-like claws came slashing toward her from both sides.
She dropped low just in time, the blades slicing through the air above her head. The swing left the creature's midsection exposed—and Kaelen didn't waste the chance. She slammed her fist into its stomach, the blow landing with a sickening crunch that made the creature's body jerk forward.
Without hesitation, she grabbed its head and yanked it down, driving her knee into its elongated forehead with a sharp crack. Then, using the momentum, she spun and kicked the creature square in the chest, sending it sprawling into the mud with a heavy, wet thud.
Kaelen understood now what kind of creature she was facing. It was an ambusher—fast, lethal, and vicious with its claws. Its speed and reach were its greatest assets. But the emaciated horror wasn't intelligent, nor was it versatile. It was durable, yes—but predictable.
A thin streak of blood slid down Kaelen's nose.
'Dammit,' she cursed internally, wiping it with the back of her hand. 'I haven't used Overdrive in so long—it's already taking its toll. And Seren… I can hear her breathing from here. She's fading fast. We need to end this now.'
The creature rose again, its elongated face twisting into an expression of unrestrained fury. Perfect. That was exactly what Kaelen wanted. The angrier it became, the less it would think—the more reckless it would get. All she needed was one opening. Just one.
"Come on then," Kaelen taunted, her stance firm despite the ache in her body. "I can do this all damn day!"
'That's a lie—please, just take the damn bait,' she begged silently.
And as if it had read her mind, the creature lunged.
It swung wildly, claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Each strike tore through the mist, the wind pressure alone sharp enough to split skin. Kaelen weaved between the blows as best she could—ducking, twisting, sidestepping—but not without consequence. A claw grazed her arm, another slashed across her thigh, one tore into her cheek. Shallow cuts bled freely, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.
The creature's assault was relentless—every strike faster, heavier, more desperate. It wanted her dead.
Then, with a piercing shriek, it leapt high into the air. Before Kaelen could react, it came crashing down on top of her, slamming her into the mud. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs.
She barely managed to catch its wrists, holding the scythe-like claws inches from her chest. The creature pressed down with all its strength, its bony frame trembling as it forced its blades closer and closer to her heart.
Kaelen's muscles screamed under the strain. The claws were almost touching skin now.
The creature's mouth split into that same grotesque grin from before, black fluid dripping from its sockets as a guttural, bubbling laugh echoed from deep within its hollow chest—mocking, gleeful.
It knew she was seconds away from death.
However, before the claws could pierce her chest, the pressure suddenly eased. A wet splatter followed—black ichor sprayed across Kaelen's face.
She blinked through the haze, eyes widening in disbelief.
Five golden claws jutted out from the creature's skull, glinting in the blood-red light. In the palm that held them, a black orb pulsed faintly—like a dying heartbeat.
Then, with one sharp motion, the claws clenched.
The orb shattered.
The creature went still. Its body twitched once… then began to dissolve, its form breaking apart into ash and dust that scattered in the fetid wind.
"Bastard," Seren muttered, her voice hoarse. "Not so damn funny now, is it?"
Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the ground, exhausted and pale. Kaelen immediately crawled to her side, tearing off what remained of her own sleeve and wrapping it around Seren's arm. The makeshift bandage darkened instantly, the blood seeping through faster than she could tighten it.
"Dammit, you better not die on me!" Kaelen shouted, her voice cracking. "Please tell me you can, like—breathe fire or something! So we can cauterize it!?"
Seren let out a weak laugh that turned into a cough. "First of all… that's offensive," she said faintly. "And second… no, I can't."
Kaelen froze, her hands trembling as she pressed harder on the wound. She scanned the forest, desperate for an answer—anything. But there was nothing. No shelter. No help. No hope.
Seren's breathing was fading. And Kaelen… Kaelen wasn't far behind.
Her head throbbed violently, blood streaming from her nose and tears of crimson welling in her eyes. The pain was blinding. Overdrive had taken its toll—her body could no longer withstand it.
Her strength failed her. She collapsed beside Seren, the cold mud swallowing her weight. She couldn't move. Not an inch.
'No,' she thought weakly, her vision blurring at the edges. 'After all of that—it can't end like this. We killed the damn thing… so why does she still have to die!? Screw this fucking world!'
Her fists clenched weakly in the dirt, fury bleeding into despair. She cursed the world. The dead beast. Herself.
Her consciousness slipped, the red haze giving way to darkness.
'Damn this place to hell…' she muttered in her final thought, before everything went silent—except for the sound of whistling wind, creaking dead branches, and the slow, deliberate steps of something moving through the mud.
---
Kaelen stirred awake—but what she awoke to was not the rotting forest, nor the ruined bell tower, nor the grotesque fungal overgrowth that had haunted her every step.
It was nothing.
No light. No sound. No air. Only endless darkness stretching in every direction.
'What… what the—where am I?' she thought, panic rising in her chest. 'Oh no. Is this actually hell this time? Just eternal darkness forever!? Perfect. Fucking perfect.'
"CALM YOUR THOUGHTS, CHILD."
The voice struck like thunder—feminine, commanding, and impossibly loud. It echoed through the void, shaking whatever reality surrounded her.
Kaelen flinched, eyes darting wildly though there was nothing to see. "Who's there!? Where am I!?" she shouted, her voice swallowed by the void.
For a moment, silence. Then the voice returned—calmer now, but still vast.
"I AM THE VOICE OF THE SACRED ONE, CHILD. AND YOU… YOU ARE DEAD."
"…Again?" Kaelen's voice trembled.
"AGAIN."
Kaelen groaned, rubbing her temples. "Of course. So what now? What do you want from me?"
There was a pause—a deep, resonant stillness before the voice spoke again.
"CHILD, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU HERE TO CONGRATULATE YOU. YOU HAVE DONE WHAT FEW EVER COULD. YOU ERADICATED A FALLEN."
"A… Fallen?" Kaelen blinked into the darkness. "You mean those monsters?"
"YES, CHILD. THE CREATURES YOU SPEAK OF—THE HORRORS THAT INFEST THIS DYING WORLD—ARE CALLED THE FALLEN. THEY ARE ALL THAT REMAINS IN THE REALM YOU NOW WALK, KNOWN AS THE DEADZONE."
Kaelen scoffed. "I see. Great. But I don't see why you're telling me this. I'm dead—so none of it matters, does it?"
She clenched her fists, anger rising with every word. "And congratulate me? For what? Sure, I killed it. But there's thousands more out there! I died in the process—and someone else died because I was too careless, too weak!"
Her voice cracked, echoing through the void.
"So go on then, 'Voice of the Sacred One.' Tell me—what the hell is worth celebrating here!?"
"…BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE."
Kaelen froze. "…What?"
"THE DEADZONE IS NOT MERELY A PLACE OF MISERY OR DREAD, CHILD. IT IS A PLACE OF PROVING—A CRUCIBLE FOR THOSE WILLING TO RISK EVERYTHING TO PROTECT THEIR WORLD."
"Protect our world?" Kaelen asked slowly, her voice unsteady. "You mean… Earth?"
"INDEED. IN TRUTH, KAELEN, YOUR WORLD WILL SOON FACE AN APOCALYPSE LIKE NO OTHER."
"Excuse me!?" Kaelen shouted, her voice echoing through the empty void. "What kind of apocalypse!? Against what!?"
"I CANNOT REVEAL SUCH THINGS TO YOU, HOWEVER YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU WISH IT, I CAN OFFER YOU A SECOND CHANCE—NOT ONLY TO LIVE AGAIN IN THE DEADZONE, BUT TO ONE DAY RETURN TO YOUR OWN WORLD. YOU HAVE SLAIN A FALLEN WITHOUT MY GIFT. YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF CAPABLE."
Kaelen's eyes widened. "Wait—wait, hold on! You're saying it's possible? That I can actually come back to life in my world!?"
"THAT IS CORRECT. THERE ARE MANY PATHS THAT LEAD OUT OF THE DEADZONE. WHILE I CANNOT YET REVEAL THE DETAILS, KNOW THIS—THE WAY DOES EXIST."
Kaelen stood in stunned silence. The voice's words echoed through her mind, each one heavier than the last.
"So… what do you want me to do?" Kaelen asked, her voice cautious, uncertain.
"…ACCEPT MY BLESSING, AND BECOME ONE OF MY BLESSED BELLRINGERS."
Before Kaelen could respond, a blinding light flared before her. She shielded her eyes, squinting against the glare until it slowly dimmed. Floating there in the darkness, suspended in a soft golden glow, was a small necklace.
Dangling from it—a single copper bell.
"KNOW THIS, CHILD. YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. SHOULD YOU FALL AGAIN, YOUR SOUL WILL BE FOREVER SEALED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF YOUR OWN BELL—TRAPPED FOR ETERNITY."
Kaelen let out a dry laugh. "So… don't die again. Yeah, great advice. I've been fantastic at that so far."
Despite her sarcasm, she reached out slowly, fingers trembling as they brushed the cool surface of the bell.
The moment she touched it, a brilliant light engulfed her.
"GOODBYE, KAELEN. I HOPE YOU CHOOSE A DIFFERENT PATH THAN CASSIUS DID."
"Wait—what did you—" Kaelen started, but the words never finished.
The light swallowed her whole.
And then—darkness once more.