Ascension of the Abyss*

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The Weight of Awakening



The first thing Alex noticed was the stench—thick, acrid, and unmistakably foul. It clung to his skin, an oily residue that left him grimacing as he sat up. His body ached, every muscle feeling like it had been put through hours of grueling training. Yet beneath the exhaustion, something had changed. He could feel it—a presence deep within him, the concentrated sphere of Essence in his Energy Center, stable and controlled. He had truly reached Rank 1.

He exhaled, running a hand down his arms, slick with the impurities his body had expelled. Disgusting. He needed to clean himself—immediately.

Pulling himself to his feet, he noticed his spear leaning against the wall. Something about it felt… different. It wasn't just a weapon anymore. He could feel its presence, as though a thin thread of his own Essence was connected to it. That wasn't normal. He had heard Roderic mention before that weapon attunement usually happened at higher ranks—when a warrior's Essence naturally aligned with their chosen weapon.

Should I be feeling this already? Even Roderic said this only happens later.

Too many questions. No answers. And a growing sense of unease that only deepened as he took in his surroundings.

His gaze drifted downward. That's when he saw it.

The symbol etched into the wooden floorboards near his bed.

The same symbol of chains he had seen before.

Alex's blood ran cold. He was certain that hadn't been there before. He had checked. Could someone have sneaked into his room? And if they had—why leave this behind?

His hands clenched into fists. Too many unanswered questions—about himself, the Abyss, the blurry figure, and now this. Frustration simmered beneath his skin.

But right now, he had to focus on something he could control. Like not smelling like a rotting corpse.

After scrubbing himself clean at the well outside, Alex returned to his room, changed into a fresh tunic, and barely had time to catch his breath before a sharp knock rattled his door.

"Alex, get up," Roderic's voice came from the other side. "We're gathering."

He took a deep breath, pushing down his lingering frustration. Whatever was happening, he had no choice but to face it.

When Alex entered the meeting room, the tension was immediate. The Iron Fangs were already assembled—Roderic, Mira, Felix, Gareth, Rivka, and Dain all present. But someone else was there too.

Selene.

She leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, her violet eyes sharp with focus. Selene had always been more of a lone wolf, handling contracts that required discretion or speed. She rarely joined direct conflict unless it was necessary, which meant something serious was happening.

Mira stood at the head of the table, arms crossed. "We have a problem."

No one interrupted. Everyone had expected as much.

"The men we tracked last night—the ones marked with House Aldric's insignia—have vanished," she continued. "Every trace of them is gone. The inn they were staying at is empty. Not a single footprint, not a drop of blood. It's like they were never there."

Felix frowned. "Could they have just skipped town?"

"No," Gareth said. "Too many moving parts. That wasn't some low-level operation. House Aldric is careful. If they left, they left because they planned to."

Mira nodded. "Exactly. This wasn't a retreat—it was a relocation. They knew we were getting too close." She tapped her fingers against the wooden table. "But that's not all."

Roderic's expression was graver than usual. "We found a body."

Silence.

Alex tensed.

"Western district," Roderic continued. "One of the missing laborers. Throat slit, dumped in the canal. But before he died… something happened to him."

Mira's jaw tightened. "Essence infusion."

Dain let out a curse. "So they really are testing it on people."

Selene, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "How did he die?"

Her voice was calm, but there was something hard beneath it.

Roderic exhaled. "His throat was cut clean, execution-style. But there were no signs of struggle, no defensive wounds. Either he was killed before he knew what was happening… or he was already too weak to resist."

A heavy pause filled the room before he added, "And his veins were blackened, his skin unnaturally pale. Whatever they forced into him didn't just kill him. It left something behind."

Alex's stomach twisted. This wasn't just experimentation. It was something worse.

Felix exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "We need to do something."

"We will do something," Mira said, voice like steel. "But we need to be smart about it. This isn't just about mercenary work anymore. We're dealing with nobles—people who can make problems disappear if we give them the chance."

Roderic crossed his arms. "So what's the plan?"

"We start by figuring out where they moved their operations. We have enough contacts in the city to start shaking the right trees. I want eyes everywhere." Mira's gaze swept over them. "And if any of you don't want to be involved in this, leave now. I won't hold it against you."

No one moved.

Selene let out a quiet breath. "Then we should move fast. If they relocated, they didn't do it blindly. They were waiting for something. But now they're moving. Whatever it was… it's happening soon."

Mira nodded. "Exactly. Which means we don't have time to waste."

Later that evening, after a long day of chasing leads, Alex returned to his room, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. His body still ached, his breakthrough fresh enough that his muscles protested every movement. Yet despite the fatigue, sleep didn't come easily.

His mind drifted back to the Abyss. The blurry figure. The moment of recognition.

That face.

He had seen it—he knew he had. But why? Who was it? Why did it feel as though his memories were being kept from him?

A chill ran down his spine. His gaze flickered to the wooden floor beside his bed.

The carved symbol of chains stared back at him.

Unchanged. Unmoved.

A pulse of something unseen rippled through the room. His instincts flared. He gripped his spear tightly, his heart hammering in his chest.

And then—

A whisper. Not from his mind. From the room itself.

"You are beginning to remember."

The candle on the desk flickered wildly, the flame twisting unnaturally before vanishing altogether.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Alex's breath hitched.


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