Not as it seems

Alec sat down, his body shivering from the deadly mix of sheer coldness and hunger, while he cradled a warm cup of coffee in his hands. His face leaned into the hot cup, relishing the rising steam and the aroma that filled his nostrils.

Raising the cup slightly, his parched lips pressed against the warm rim. He inhaled deeply, and the scorching hot coffee rushed to his lips, causing a slight burn. However, he didn't mind and continued to drink the hot liquid desperately, as if it were his last breath and the only chance for survival.

Lana, the woman who had saved him from what would have been utter humiliation, leaned against the receptionist's counter, silently gazing at him. Her thoughts were consumed by his soul pressure, a quality that only those who awakened their souls unconsciously emitted until they gained a certain level of control. This led her to believe that the young man in front of her had recently awakened.

Based on what she gleaned from his soul pressure, Lana deduced that the young man was a Tier 1 soulburner, commonly referred to as Neophytes in a more traditional manner. Ever since the Neon Conglomerate had won the war, they had changed the traditional system that the natives used to divide the different strength levels of Soulburners, in favor of a rudely simple and practical method: Tiering.

Soulburners didn't particularly like the change, but there was nothing they could do about it.

"Where are you from?" Lana broke the silence with a simple question.

Alec shifted his gaze from the cup of coffee to Lana. A blush slowly spread across his cheeks as he caught a glimpse of her sparkling ruby eyes staring down at him. The coy smirk hanging on the corners of her lips almost ignited his primal instincts, but he effortlessly kept them under control, allowing only subtle reactions that made his cover seem more genuine to manifest.

Returning his gaze to the cup of coffee, he answered, "I'm... I'm from the neighboring city, ma'am."

Alec didn't want to reveal more about his background and quickly turned his attention back to the cup of hot coffee, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"I don't see the point in letting this filthy shit into the inn, Lana. Sarah and the girls have already cleaned this place up. They even used a bottle of Boltman's Dew to freshen up the atmosphere. Now-"

"Listen, Mark. It's my place, my rules," Lana interrupted, not saying more. "Arrange a place for our guest to stay for the evening."

Mark was a large man, much bigger than Alec could ever hope to be, with scars crisscrossing his face around his chin. The simple black shirt he wore strained against his bulging pectorals.

His lips twitched before he turned his gaze to Alec and let out a sigh, giving up on his attempt to convince Lana to kick him out. He walked out from behind the counter and approached Alec, picking up the large bag filled with his necessities. He then started walking towards the lift, which was a few meters away from the reception area.

"Follow me before I change my mind," Mark said shortly after he started walking.

Alec rose up and followed him, taking in the sights as much as his weary mind would allow. Lana's Night Out was undoubtedly well-maintained compared to the few buildings next to it. The reception area was spotless, with white marbled flooring that reflected the white fluorescent lights installed above the ceiling.

Alec's gaze wandered past the foyer with the lift and landed on the bar next to it. A perfect blend of bright reds, blues, and pinks gave the place an illicit aura that painted a vivid image in his mind—a scene of bodies grinding against each other in an unsightly display of different dances, with bottles of beer in hand.

"Don't dilly dally. The lift is here," Mark's voice interrupted Alec's thoughts.

Poor Alec shuffled towards the lift, dragging his body forward with all his strength. The lift chimed as it reached the ground floor, and the doors slid open, pulsing with blue light. Mark didn't wait for Alec to catch up; he entered the lift and quickly pressed the button for the second floor. The doors closed, and for the next five seconds, an awkward silence filled the space, descending in menacing waves.

*Ding*

The doors opened again, and a sudden rush of wind alleviated the silence. Mark chose not to speak and simply guided Alec to his room. He couldn't understand why Lana allowed someone so destitute to enter the establishment. A single whiff was enough for Mark to realize that Alec was nothing more than a desperate soul, throwing pleading eyes in hopes of gaining sympathy from anyone passing by. And to think that his boss fell for it.

Mark glanced at Alec one more time and said, "Here is your room for the evening."

He opened the door to the room and left the keys hanging in the lock before quickly returning to the lift, not waiting to hear any remarks from Alec. As far as he was concerned, his job was done. Other matters required his attention.

Alec didn't pay much attention to Mark's attitude and entered the bedroom. He didn't do much and didn't consult his Feed for any additional information. Based on what he gathered, Lana was a Tier 5 Soulburner, making her a being worthy of his caution. Most likely, she had sensed his Tier as well. Alec couldn't risk staring into space and arousing suspicion. So he went straight to bed, which was a more natural course of action given his circumstances.

He settled into the comfortable bed and allowed himself to drift into sleep.

Just as his mind fell into slumber, he felt a foreign force pulling against his mind. Before he could even begin to form and implement countermeasures, he lost all semblance of control. The next thing he knew, he was floating in empty space, darker than anything he had ever seen. In a split second, the darkness shifted from pure intangible darkness to a mass of thick gelatinous substance that pulsed outwards in large waves. It crashed against him, but instead of feeling any force striking him, he felt absolutely nothing.

And as quickly as the gelatinous substance appeared, it disappeared, replaced by a humanoid being made from thick black strands. Even with all his senses dulled, the primal instinct of his existence blared. He felt fear—immense fear that transcended the natural confines of that emotion. It was something far greater than the rush of adrenaline that thundered through one's veins as their body froze. No, it felt more than that. Each and every piece of him shivered in front. His spirit, his soul, his body—every shred of his existence shivered in the presence of the being that appeared before him.

"You are taking your sweet time getting back," the humanoid black mass spoke, its voice a symphony of a thousand voices that nearly split Alec's existence in two.

If he wasn't suspended in the middle of empty space, his body would have been thrown back from the recoil.

A single eye unraveled itself from the being, like a lotus blooming. The goo that formed its upper eyelid drooped down, mimicking the frown of a normal human being. Its thoughts remained foreign to Alec. Even with his thousand years' worth of memory, he couldn't get an accurate read of what was going on in its mind.

The creature, realizing that something was wrong, lifted a hand—or what Alec assumed was one. Out of the black ooze that formed it, a single finger stretched out. Alec felt his being lurch.

"Come forth," the being said, its voice resonating.

Alec heard nothing; only a splitting headache assaulted him for his efforts. And in seconds, it disappeared. Alec, as he knew himself, disappeared. Endless shivers sprouted from the very core of his being, seizing instantly. And a wicked smile, carrying the hint of carelessness that only someone who saw no point in the game of existence could wear.

Alec's humanoid figure exploded into an array of tentacles that quickly spread throughout the infinite space surrounding them. With total disregard for reality and the never-ending concept of infinity, the tentacles touched it.

"Why have you woken me?" the new being that replaced Alec spoke. Its voice was simple, but the power it held was no different from that of the humanoid being in front of it.