Survivor's Curse

Kalen walked up the stairs, each step creaking under his weight. The sounds of chatter and laughter from below echoed in the background. As he ascended, he followed Anne, one of the workers in the inn. Anne just walked ahead of him, moving with purpose. Kalen couldn't help but notice the quiet strength in her posture and the way she carried herself.

Her dark brown hair was carried in a messy ponytail, with strands escaping, framing her face. Her amber eyes, sharp and observant, never seemed to miss anything. Anne wore a simple, worn leather vest over her earth-toned shirt. Instead of pants, she wore a long skirt that stopped up to her knees. The skirt was a little faded over the edges, suggesting signs of heavy use, but it allowed her to move swiftly in the busy inn.

Anne led him to the last room on the left. She opened the door and gestured for him to enter.

The room was plain and inviting, a bed draped in white sheets. A small wooden cabinet stood in the corner, likely for storing clothes. Kalen stepped in, and Anne noticed his clothes, bloodied and torn. She smiled gently, holding out a bundle of fresh clothes.

"Here." she said, "It looks like you need them."

Kalen blinked, surprised. He hadn't realized how bad the state of his clothes was until Anne had pointed it out. "Right," he muttered, a little sheepish before accepting the clothes from Anne.

"It's not easy to survive in the labyrinth. Even coming this far is a sign of great accomplishment. Anne added, her voice soft but firm "Many people die there, left to rot. Lost and Forgotten."

Kalen nodded, feeling the weight of her words. It was a somber reminder of how lucky he had been to survive.

Anne left, and Kalen quickly changed into his new clothes, a plain white t-shirt and simple brown pants. His shoes a little worn, were still usable, so he kept them on. He looked at himself in the mirror, he felt a small sense of relief. Leaving the dark cloak aside, at least he didn't look like he crawled out of a grave.

For a moment, he considered going to sleep, the fatigue from the trial weighing on his limbs. But before he could settle into his bed, his stomach let out a loud rumble. He winced, realizing how hungry he was. With a sigh, he grabbed his pouch of Hollow Marks and headed downstairs, deciding that food should come first.

Descending the stairs, Kalen heard murmurs and laughter as they tinked their mugs of ale together. Herbs and spices filled the air, making Kalen salivate at the steak they were eating.

Going to the seat next to the counter, he took out his pouch of Hollow Marks and looked at Dorothy who was preparing a mug of ale, glanced at him.

"How much for that steak everyone's eating?"

Dorothy let out a smirk, "Didn't I tell you it was 2 Hollow Marks for a bed and meals included? Guess you're eating for free.

Kalen blinked. Too hungry to think straight, he had forgotten that detail. His stomach let out another rumble as he put his pouch away. "Oh, right. Well, no complaints here."

"Good," she said with a grin. "Look forward to it, that steak's my specialty."

A few minutes later, Dorothy put a steaming plate in front of him. The scent of smeared meat and garlic butter hit him like a punch. The juices pooled onto the wooden plate, the first bite adding warmth to his body, more than the tavern did.

Kalen's eyes widened. "This is amazing!"

"Told you." The Silver Lantern prides itself on this stuff. Along with the Bard coming tomorrow."

Kalen frowned mid-bite. "A bard? You mean the people who play instruments?"

Dorothy's smile deepened. "Yes, but this one is different."

Kalen raised an eyebrow. "Different, how?"

"You'll see when she plays tomorrow." Dorothy's smirk held a hint of mystery as she wiped down the counter.

Kalen didn't press any further. A bard performing in the Dark Hollows? Seeing as the way Dorothy was talking about it, it had to be interesting.

***

After finishing the food, Kalen headed to his room. He was tired, but knowing his new powers had to come first. Sitting on his bed, he had been scratching his head for the past twenty minutes.

'Voidweaving. How can I use it? It's not like I've been given an instruction manual.'

His thoughts drifted back to the labyrinth words. 'Bend reality to your will.'

"Does that mean I have to bend space itself? This is so frustrating, just give me a goddamn system!"

Out of sheer frustration, or perhaps boredom, Kalen thought back to games and how they always opened their system with a gesture. Maybe, just maybe he had one.

Swiping his index and middle finger downwards, nothing happened. Just when he was about to tuck himself into bed, a small crack opened, like a brief rift in reality. Then, another split the air. Two tears in space, floating side by side. Kalen's mouth fell open, unable to process what happened.

'W-what is that?!'

Through one, he could see the hallways, and the other he could see the dimly lit tavern below, the Silver Lantern. Two different viewpoints exist at the same time.

Before he knew it, he was already tumbling out of bed, legs tangled in the sheets. He hit the floor with an ungraceful thud. 

In the split second that Kalen tried to comprehend his new power, a sharp slam to the wall next to him. The walls were thin, and apparently, he had been loud enough to disturb his roommate.

"Quiet down!" a muffled voice could be heard from the next door over, followed by the creak of an old door. Kalen blinked up from the floor, still dazed.

The rift, or the space crevice was still open. The air hummed, and Kalen felt instinctively drawn to it. Despite it looking fragile, it remained open. After a few seconds of watching the tear, a feeling of lightheadedness followed. The crevice closed, as the room began to sway. 

Silence.

As his mind settled, another thought surfaced.

'What if, I could manipulate space, could I also make it solid? Like something to stand on?'

The idea gnawed at him. Flexing his fingers, staring at the space in front of him he willed something to appear beneath his palm. If a tear in space was possible, what about pushing space together instead of cutting it? Could he shape it into a shield or a usable weapon?

He clenched his jaw, focusing but nothing happened

'Not yet. It may be that it doesn't exist or I'm too tired.'

With a sigh, he collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion finally overtaking him. His body ached from the fight, and his mind was heavy on whatever he just found out.

Tomorrow. He would figure it out tomorrow.