What's Wrong With Alex ?

Amira staggered to her feet, her mind reeling as she stared at Alex in the distance. The fortress loomed behind him, an oppressive structure of jagged metal spires that seemed to pulse like a living organism. The glowing red veins carved into its surface flickered in sync with the eerie light emanating from Alex's eyes.

Luis, brushing dust from his jacket, squinted at the figure by the gates. "Okay, I'm no expert, but is Alex supposed to be doing the whole glowing-red-eyes-of-doom thing? Because that seems bad."

"Real bad," Jonah added, his tone grave as he scanned the hostile landscape. "This place… it's not just some random dimension. It feels wrong. Like it's alive."

Amira barely heard them, her focus locked on Alex. "Something's controlling him," she muttered. "We have to get to him before it's too late."

Luis threw up his hands. "Oh, sure, let's just waltz into the ominous murder-fortress and say, 'Hey, Alex, you okay, buddy?' I'm sure the glowing evil energy will take a coffee break."

Amira ignored him, taking a step forward. "We don't have a choice."

Luis grabbed her arm, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Amira, think for a second. We have no idea what's waiting for us in there. And if Alex is… I don't know, possessed or something, what makes you think we can just snap him out of it?"

She yanked her arm free, her eyes blazing. "Because he's one of us. And I'm not leaving him behind."

Luis opened his mouth to argue but stopped when Jonah stepped between them. "She's right," Jonah said quietly. "We've come this far. If we don't try to save Alex now, we'll regret it."

Luis groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Fine. But if we die horribly, I'm haunting both of you."

The group moved cautiously across the cracked terrain, the ground beneath them radiating an uncomfortable heat. The air felt heavy, almost oppressive, and the strange, crimson sky offered no sense of time or direction. Every so often, the earth trembled, as if the fortress itself was alive and restless.

"Anyone else feel like we're being watched?" Luis whispered, glancing over his shoulder.

"We are," Jonah replied, his voice low. "There's movement in the shadows."

Amira turned to Zorath's staff, which had been glowing faintly since they arrived. The alien guide had been their compass and protector, but now, without them, the staff felt like a fragile beacon in an unforgiving storm.

"We stick together," Amira said, gripping the staff tighter. "Whatever's out there, we don't give it an opening."

As they approached the fortress gates, the atmosphere grew heavier, each step feeling like a monumental effort. The gates themselves were massive, carved with symbols that pulsed faintly in time with the fortress's heartbeat-like rhythm. Alex stood motionless before them, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

"Alex!" Amira called out, her voice breaking through the oppressive silence.

He didn't respond, didn't even flinch.

Amira took another step closer. "Alex, it's me! We're here to get you out of this. Whatever's happening, fight it!"

Still, no response. His body was rigid, his face blank, but there was something unsettling about the faint smile curling at the edges of his lips. It wasn't his smile. It was something else—something wrong.

Luis whispered, "I don't like this. He's creeping me out, and I'm not even that close."

Amira ignored him, her focus unyielding. "Alex, please. You're stronger than this. Whatever has you, it doesn't control you. You're one of us!"

Finally, Alex moved. Slowly, his head turned toward her, the glowing red in his eyes intensifying. When he spoke, his voice was layered, as though two entities were speaking through him at once.

"Amira," he said, his tone chillingly calm. "Why do you resist what is inevitable?"

Amira froze, her heart hammering in her chest. "Alex, it's me. You know me. This isn't you."

He tilted his head, that unsettling smile widening. "I know you. And I know that you are standing in the way of salvation."

"Salvation?" Jonah asked, stepping forward. "You mean destruction. Look around! This place is a nightmare!"

Alex's gaze shifted to Jonah, his expression unchanging. "You misunderstand. This world is a gateway—a passage to a higher existence. The Veil has chosen me to lead you through it."

Luis waved his arms. "Okay, crazy talk alert! Alex, buddy, you've officially lost it. Let's just sit down and—oh, I don't know—not worship the evil glowing fortress?"

Alex didn't react to Luis's sarcasm. Instead, he raised a hand, and the air around them grew cold. The ground trembled violently, and cracks began to spread toward the group.

"I cannot let you interfere," Alex said, his voice carrying an unearthly weight. "If you will not join, then you will fall."

Amira's grip on the staff tightened. "Alex, listen to me! Whatever's controlling you, it's lying. It doesn't want salvation—it wants power. It wants to destroy everything we've fought for!"

For a split second, something flickered in Alex's eyes—a glimmer of recognition, of struggle. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by the overwhelming red glow.

"I… cannot," he said, his voice faltering for the briefest moment. Then his hand shot upward, and a wave of energy erupted from the ground, forcing the group to scatter.

Amira rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast. She scrambled to her feet, her mind racing. Alex was still in there—she was sure of it. But whatever had taken hold of him was too strong to break through directly.

"We can't fight him!" she shouted to the others. "Not like this!"

Jonah ducked behind a jagged rock as another blast erupted nearby. "Then what do we do?"

Luis, panting heavily, pointed toward the fortress. "That thing's glowing like a bad sci-fi villain headquarters. Maybe we break it and free him?"

"Or die trying," Jonah muttered.

Amira's eyes darted between Alex and the fortress. Luis had a point. Whatever was controlling Alex, it was tied to the fortress. If they could disrupt its power source, they might have a chance to break its hold.

"Luis, Jonah—head for the fortress," she ordered. "Look for anything that looks like a control room or power core."

Jonah hesitated. "What about you?"

Amira's jaw tightened. "I'll keep Alex busy."

Luis stared at her like she'd just sprouted another head. "You're gonna distract the guy throwing energy bombs at us? Do you have a death wish?"

"Just go!" she snapped, darting out from cover and waving the staff in Alex's direction. "Hey! Over here!"

Alex turned to her, his expression darkening. "Amira, you cannot stop this."

She took a deep breath, holding the staff defensively. "Maybe not. But I can stop you."

As Luis and Jonah sprinted toward the fortress, Amira braced herself. Alex raised his hand again, the red glow intensifying as the ground beneath her began to crack and shift. For a brief moment, she thought she saw his lips twitch—almost as if he were trying to say something. But then the energy surged forward, and she had no choice but to dive out of the way.

In the distance, Luis and Jonah reached the fortress gates, their faces pale as they stared at the massive structure. "So… any idea how we're supposed to get inside?" Luis asked, panting.

Jonah pointed at the glowing veins running along the walls. "We follow the power. Wherever it's coming from, that's where we need to go."

"And if it's guarded by, I don't know, more glowing red-eyed weirdos?" Luis asked.

Jonah gave him a grim smile. "Then we improvise."

The fortress rumbled ominously, as though it had heard their plan. 

Back in the wasteland, Amira dodged another blast, her heart pounding as she tried to think of a way to reach Alex. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up—and she wasn't sure she'd survive the next attack.

"Alex, if you're still in there, fight it!" she shouted, her voice raw.

For a moment, Alex froze, his hand lowering slightly. "Amira…" he said softly, his voice trembling. "Help… me…"

And then, just as quickly, his expression twisted into something cold and unrecognizable. "You cannot win."

Before Amira could respond, the ground beneath her erupted, and she was flung into the air.