Chapter 37: The Threshold

  Ray struggled to get up, but his body refused to obey. He was too tired—too broken. Even lifting a finger felt impossible. He tried again, forcing his limbs to respond, but no matter how much he willed it, his body remained limp, drained of all strength.

  The fallen outers had caught up.

  Dozens of them came into view, their twisted forms writhing in the dim glow of the labyrinth. And more were still coming.

  Ray's soul essence was in turmoil. He had lost control of it upon impact, and now it raged within him, wild and untamed. The pain was excruciating—like he was being torn apart from the inside. His essence, once his greatest weapon, had turned against him, threatening to shatter him before the outers even got the chance.

  He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes. I have to control it.

  A guttural snarl echoed through the air. The beast that had struck him down was close now, its jagged claws poised to finish him off.

  And then—

  A scream rang out.

  A sudden force exploded outward, sweeping through the battlefield like a storm. The impact sent Ray hurtling across the labyrinth, his back slamming into the cold stone. His vision blurred as he gasped for breath.

  The air had changed.

  Every fallen outer had turned its frenzied gaze toward a single figure.

  Alkan.

  The creatures hesitated, their wild eyes flickering with something close to uncertainty before their madness swallowed it whole. But the Fallen Devil did not move. It merely observed, its command forcing the lesser beings to strike first.

  The first lunged.

  Alkan's eyes snapped open.

  They were still clouded, but something had changed. His gaze was no longer unfocused—it was filled with ruthless determination, sharp and calculating.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  His left hand shimmered.

  Just before the beast's jagged maw could reach him, he lunged forward.

  Blood sprayed through the air.

  With precise, measured steps, Alkan cleaved through the creature’s body. Gore splattered over him, but he didn’t stop. Before the corpse even hit the ground, he had already moved, his blade flashing again. Another beast fell, its shriek cut short as Alkan’s blade tore through its throat.

  In the blink of an eye, he had slain two.

  And now, he was beside Ray.

  “Ray, get the hell up.” His voice was sharp, urgent. “What are you doing sleeping at such a crucial time?”

  Ray gritted his teeth, struggling to sit up. His back pressed against the cold stone as he gasped through the pain. His entire body trembled, his muscles locked in agony.

  “I can’t…” His voice was barely a whisper. “I can’t move. My body isn’t listening, and my soul essence—” He sucked in a breath, face contorted in pain. “It’s tearing me apart.”

  Alkan, still fending off the fallen outers, spat back, “Focus, Ray! You can do it. You have to do it. Or we both die here.”

  Ray shut his eyes.

  He tried to steady his breathing, to silence the chaos both inside and outside.

  The howls. The snarls. The scent of blood thick in the air.

  He pushed it all away, turning his focus inward.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  The pain was unbearable. The turmoil of his essence only grew more violent, cutting through him like razors. His consciousness wavered. His vision darkened.

  Then—

  A voice.

  A woman’s voice.

  Screaming his name.

  Suddenly, the pain was gone.

  He was floating in a vast, empty void.

  Nothing surrounded him—except, in the distance, a shimmering mass of dust. It twisted and coiled, chaotically thrashing outward before being pulled back in, trapped in an endless cycle.

  Behind him, the voice called again.

  Before he could turn, arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly.

  And then, a whisper.

  "You can do it…"

  The void shattered.

  Ray gasped awake.

  The raging storm inside him had shifted. What had once been uncontrolled chaos was now a whirlpool, spiraling inward, centering itself. His mind—his very soul—had instinctively guided it, not by force, but by redirection.

  His body no longer screamed in pain.

  Outside, Alkan fought desperately.

  Even awakened, he had yet to master his strength. Worse, he only had one hand. He was strong, but against an endless swarm of fallen, he couldn’t hold out much longer. Wounds covered his body. Blood dripped from fresh gashes, yet he kept cutting through the beasts, his every movement efficient, ruthless.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  The Fallen Devil had yet to move. It only watched, its eyes cold, calculating, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  Ray exhaled.

  His heartbeat steadied. His breath deepened.

  A cool sensation washed over him, soothing and steady.

  The agony vanished. His aching muscles relaxed, strength slowly filling his limbs. His wounds sealed, the gash on his chest stopping its bleed and turning into a scar.

  And then—

  He felt it.

  Everything around him.

  The world itself had not changed. And yet, it felt different.

  Clearer. Sharper. As if he could sense it, understand it in a way he never had before.

  His eyes snapped open.

  But there was no time to marvel at his awakening.

  The real fight was about to begin.