Talent Awakening: I Awakened With The Rewind System

Gasp!

A blue pair of eyes flared to life, their glow cutting through the oppressive darkness.

***

.

.

.

I scanned my surroundings with honed precision, my gaze lingering on the blood-slicked cobblestones beneath me.

Then,

My gaze shifted from the blood-slicked cobblestones, to the broken door and then to my blood-stained clothes.

Relief coursed through me, though faint and fleeting, as I forced myself to my feet.

Crack!

The crack and pop of straightening bones echoed through the air- a harsh reminder of Garren's lessons, etched into my very soul.

Garren...or the Amaraith.

I closed my eyes, shoving the memories into the receesses of my mind, into a place where they would haunt me no longer.

And without a second thought, I plunged into the suffocating quiet.

Tok-

Shadows writhed and danced across the walls as I ran, their movements almost alive!

The ruins of a once-thriving civilization loomed ahead- crumbling houses, hardened cobblestones, strange oils, and eerie remnants of forgotten ages.

Everything here whispered of secrets buried in time,

Secrets lost to time.

But I didn't stop to marvel.

Tok-

I sprinted past sprawling buildings, my footsteps a series of ghostly echoes on the cobblestones. Pain surged through my legs, sharp and unrelenting, but I gritted my teeth and pushed forward.

Tok-

I had grown used to this agony.

Tok-

Each step of mine became a blur, my movement a shadow streaking through the stifling silence. My body screamed in protest, but something unexpected surged within me- a primal energy that coursed through my veins.

Startled, I stumbled.

What is this?

My heart pounded in my chest, a rythm that seemed to match the growing strength flooding my muscles and bones.

I felt unstoppable.

Stronger. Faster. Invisible.

But why?

The question clawed at my mind, even as I dashed into alleyways, evading unseen forces with practiced ease. The answer remained elusive, my thoughts spiraling into chaos as I tried to piece it together.

Could it be?

The thought was absurd, but a flicker of understanding fitted them together. I wasn't getting stronger because of some physical exercises. No, that would defy reason and logic.

I was getting stronger because I had pushed myself to the brink- beyond my limit, beyond what my body should endure.

The realization hit me like a thunderclap.

The endurance, the brief moments of survival after fatal blows, the heightened speed and strength- it all now made sense.

My body was adapating,

It was evolving under the strain.

With the ever-growing belief in my heart, I focused my Arcana, visualizing the strength I now wielded. Not a fantastical, godlike power, but a steady, hard-earned progression of mine.

I smiled faintly.

***

.

.

.

As I rounded a corner, the darkness ahead of me seemed to yawn open. Shadows coiled and writhed around a particular house, their presence heavy and suffocating

My breath hitched.

A supernatural force.

Ba-dump!

Panic clawed at my chest as dread seeped into my very being.

Instint took over, and I darted left, my heart pounding in my ears.

And then-,

Tok-

I ran like my life depended on it- because it did! My legs burned, and my lungs ached, but I didn't dare stop. Not until I reached the safety of the ten-meter zone.

And even then, I kept going.

When I finally allowed myself to rest, I collapsed onto a crumbled stone.

"Huff-Huff."

My chest heaving as I tried to calm my racing mind.

***

.

.

.

The weight of the battle ahead pressed down on me. I couldn't face it like this- with a weary body and a broken soul. I needed to center myself, to recover my strength.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, trying to summon memories of better times.

Garren's face surfaced, his voice a faint echo in my mind. Those fleeting moments with him- short-lived as they were- had been the brightest of my life.

But as I clung to those memories, they opened old wounds. The betrayal, the loss- they ripped through me with unrelenting cruelty.

Tears welled in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as sobs wracked my body.

Drip!

Drip!

Each teardrop seemed to carry the weight of my sorrow, falling onto the stone beneath me and reverberating through the stifling silence.

Drip!

Drip!

I cried until they were no tears left.

***

.

.

.

Eventually, I forced myself to my feet, wiping away the remnants of despair that held onto me. My heart still ached and the hollow emptiness lingered within, but,

I refused to let it consume me.

I couldn't afford to break- not now.

Clenching my fists, I stared into the endless darkness. My gaze settling on the towering, nightmarish sfructure.

With a sharp exhalation, I steeled myself.

"Here we go."

My legs moved,

Tok-

Carrying me forward into the unknown,

Toward the towering house...tower, and the three supernatural creatures manning its grounds.

And with a shuddering breath,

Tok-

I dove into the endless darkness.