Ability Stealer

Andrew shifted Mella's weight on his side, his muscles screaming in protest. His grip on the embedded spear was firm, but each movement upward made the pain in his arms burn hotter.

With a low grunt, he reached behind her and retrieved the spear she always kept on her back. The weapon, nearly forgotten in the chaos, felt heavy in his hand. He pressed its point against the wall of the chasm and stabbed hard. The rock cracked slightly, creating a foothold.

"This is going to take forever," Andrew muttered, planting one boot against the wall and beginning the slow climb. His progress was labored, each step forcing him to reposition Mella carefully to keep from losing his balance.

Behind him, Mella's voice broke the quiet. "Bar-jui… He must have realized we were lying about being messengers," she said weakly.

Andrew grunted in response, focusing on the next stab of the spear, driving it into the rock. "Yeah," he said finally, pausing to catch his breath. "The system said monsters aren't the only enemies. Guess that includes people."

Mella muttered, "Humans helping with the destruction of their own world? That doesn't make sense."

Andrew drove the spear deeper into the wall, hauling himself up another few inches. "There's probably something else going on," he admitted. "Maybe they were tricked or manipulated."

"That makes sense..."

"Yeah... it does. Don't worry, once we break those eggs, we will be on our way home. We will get something good to eat and sleep well.

"And if those eggs are anywhere, they have to be in that village. It's the only one here."

Mella hummed faintly, her voice too tired to carry the conversation further.

Minutes turned to what felt like hours. Andrew's muscles screamed louder with each movement, the strain pushing him to the edge. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his breath came in sharp, shallow bursts. Each time he drove the spear into the wall, it felt like he was hammering against his own body.

"Almost there," he muttered, though the truth was far less certain.

When he finally reached the top of the chasm, his heart sank. Above him was the stone slab—the same rock that had flipped and sent them plummeting.

Andrew punched it weakly. His arm was trembling, and he barely had enough energy left to make a dent. Frustration boiled over, and he hit it again, harder this time, but the stone didn't budge.

"Damn it!" he snarled, the sound muffled by the leather of Mella's armor clenched between his teeth.

He punched again and again, his movements growing more erratic, each strike weakening his already bloodied fists. "Let us out!" he roared. "We're here to help! Why the hell are you trying to kill us?"

The weight of Mella pressed against his jaw, her limp form a constant reminder of the stakes. His breaths grew shallow, each one more ragged than the last.

Mella's voice cut through the dark. "Andrew… I can't believe I'm going to die. Like this..."

"No," Andrew growled, though his own resolve was crumbling.

A sharp crack echoed through the chasm. The spear shifted slightly in his hand.

Andrew froze.

The crack deepened, spreading through the spear. His eyes widened in horror. "No, no, no…"

The spear broke.

Gravity claimed them both.

Andrew's hands shot out, snatching Mella out of freefall. His arms wrapped around her tightly, instinct driving him even as despair clawed at his mind.

This is it, he thought. I'm going to die. But she—she shouldn't die. I brought her here. This is my fault.

He clutched her closer, the sound of rushing air filling his ears as they plummeted into the void. He closed his eyes, his mind racing with desperate thoughts. His brother's face flickered in his mind.

I can't die yet. He has to see how much I've changed. How incredible I've become.

Andrew's teeth clenched, and a surge of determination flooded him. He raised one hand, aiming downward.

Water exploded from his palm, a powerful cannon blast that roared into the darkness. The recoil jerked their descent, slowing them slightly. Without hesitating, Andrew fired again, each shot draining his energy but reducing their momentum.

The air grew thicker, and echoes of the water hitting the ground below reached his ears.

Getting closer.

Another blast. Then another.

His arms burned, his reserves of energy nearly gone, but he kept going. Each recoil lessened the fall until—

They hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud.

Andrew lay still, gasping for air. Pain radiated through his body, his limbs heavy and unresponsive. For a moment, there was only silence.

"Mella?" he croaked, his voice barely audible.

There was a weak groan. "I'm… okay."

Relief washed over him like a wave, though his body screamed in protest. He couldn't sit up, every muscle refusing to obey.

Then, a light flickered in the darkness.

Andrew squinted, the brightness painful after so much black. A figure emerged, holding a small lamp. The man's silhouette came into focus—a lean figure with messy black hair and a curious expression.

"Well, you survived that fall," the man said, his voice smooth and youthful. "Nice."

Andrew forced his head up, blinking through the haze of exhaustion. "Who are you?"

The man smirked. "That's my line. You just fell into my home."

Mella's voice was hoarse. "Home?"

"Kind of," the man said with a shrug. "Been here a few months, so I guess it feels like home. I see people fall down here every now and then, but none of them ever survive."

Andrew managed a weak nod. "We're… a bit special."

The man tilted his head, his lamp swaying slightly. "Those water bullets," he said, gesturing casually toward the ground where small puddles had formed from Andrew's desperate effort to slow their fall. "I thought maybe you were one of those weird monsters at first."

Andrew's brow furrowed. "Monsters? You've met them before?"

The man's expression darkened, and he set the lamp down on a nearby rock, kneeling to examine Andrew and Mella more closely. "Met them? I've killed them," he said. "More than I can count."

Andrew forced himself to sit up, though every muscle screamed in protest. His breath ragged. "Are you a system-chosen?"

The man frowned, leaning back on his heels. "What the hell is a 'System'?"