Chapter 2 – Awakening in the Unknown
A heavy silence.
An endless, suffocating darkness.
Then… a dull pain, like a hammer striking his skull.
Ryo slowly forced his eyes open. The ground beneath him was unfamiliar: thick, dark grass, almost glowing faintly, gave off an eerie sensation. The air itself was heavy, charged with an energy he could not recognize. Nothing like the city he once knew.
He pushed himself up slowly, his hands trembling. Around him stretched a vast forest. Towering trees, black as ink, loomed like silent specters. Not a sound. Not a breath of life.
"…What is this…? Where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Memories flashed through his mind: the dark alleys, his men, the bloody fights… and finally, his fall. Then, nothing but darkness.
"No… This isn't the city… not even Earth…"
His hand instinctively touched his chest. His heart was racing—too fast. But it wasn't fear. It was something else. A strange, powerful energy surged through his veins.
A shiver ran down his spine.
"I swore… I'd never fight again," he whispered bitterly.
"And now… I'm trapped in a nightmare."
Suddenly, a piercing pain stabbed through his skull. Ryo fell to his knees, clutching his head.
Then… a voice echoed. Clear, resonant, almost divine. Gentle, yet commanding:
"Awakening of the Supreme Authority… Link established."
Ryo's eyes flew open wide.
"Who… who's speaking?!" he shouted into the void.
Silence. Then the voice returned.
"I am Gabriel. I am your skill. Born from your past domination, I am the embodiment of your power."
Ryo froze, his breath uneven.
"A… skill?!" he repeated, disbelief shaking his tone.
"Wait… you mean… you're inside me?"
The voice replied, calm and unwavering, almost protective:
"Yes. I am you. And you are me. Together, we are the Authority that transcends all things."
A cold wind swept through the forest. The trees seemed to bend, as if they too were listening to this revelation.
Ryo lifted his gaze to the starless, dark sky above.
"…What is this world…?"
As if to answer, a faint light flickered in his palm. It pulsed gently, like a living flame. His first connection with Gabriel's power.
Fear, confusion, excitement—all tangled within him.
But one thing was certain: his journey had only just begun.