Lurking in the Shadows

Leon had a dream.

Stationed at the point of convergence of two splintered roads, Leon saw as impending skyscrapers caved in to pieces of rubble before him. Black smoke draped in the air. In a way, this moment felt like a sliver of memory lurking in his mind's darkest corner.

Even the dying cries of unfortunate souls rang the same bell. Harbingers of anything but peace flowed around to claim lives they never devised.

However, in this dream, Leon was like a bystander. A machine that could neither care nor take actions.

The wrecked landscape transformed into the convenience store he knew so well. The air shifted into walls, skies into ceilings, and the searing sun into a tube light.

In a trice, racks of snacks and household items shrank as a figure appeared before Leon. One more than a parent, but also an employer. He had hired Leon as a part-time store attendant to make him quit being a stretcher-bearer in dungeons.

Mister Vale smiled with his usual brightness as the dream itself rejoiced upon their reunion, "Hey, son. It has been a long time."

A spotlight from an unknown source cast on him, revealing his grey moustache. Defying his old age, he had a solid build. As if he had once been a bodybuilder or a strong Ascendant.

The old man spoke, his tone more motivational than considerate, "I just wanted to let you know. It's okay to go hard on yourself and push beyond your limits if surviving demands that. Still and all, never yield to death.

You are my only hope to become a living soul again. And I believe Clara must have felt the same way as you did back then, but just didn't know how to express her feelings. Please don't let us down, Leon. Prove that you are more than a human. But a living paradox that shatters the cycle of subsistentiality."

His words carried not only the weight of responsibility. But also a peep into the gravity of Leon's extraordinary power. An error in the universe that tampers with the plans laid down by the gods beforehand.

With a gentle smile, Mister Vale added, "I hope to see you again in one piece, dear son."

He extended his hand towards Leon. But before he could reach, his body caved in to black motes, and he flowed along with a warm breeze.

***

GASP!

Leon heaved aloud, his eyes shutting wide open.

A cold, biting wind blew over him, a sharp contrast to the warm sort he sensed in the dream.

By and by, a crackling sound echoed in his head. Piquing his curiosity even more, the air tasted smoky. Was someone burning something?

"I thought you were going to die in your sleep." An unfamiliar masculine voice rang out nearby, straightforward with a hint of coldness.

Leon's saliva felt thick. What was going on? And the most important question here was... how come he was still alive? Immediately, when he attempted to get on his feet, a force sent him falling back onto his knees.

Pebbles jabbed against his bones, drawing a hiss from him. He realised it when he felt the rough ropes cutting into his skin—someone had tied both his hands and legs.

Positioning his gaze upwards, Leon furrowed his brows at the sight of a shirtless man. One seating beside a rusty coal brazier, from which smoke swirled. In the aftermath, he also noticed unfamiliar faces standing behind him. Why was he around this area? An alleyway surrounded by ruined buildings.

Leon clenched his jaw. 'Shit... how did I get here?! Who are these men?' He pondered more, 'Why is it hard to recall what happened after the monsters surrounded me?'

His knowledge only went as far as when the C-rank monsters encompassed him.

Immediately, Leon tested a potential happening. Not thinking too much, he knew this current moment hadn't ever occurred before. So, definitely, he didn't regress. He figured that out... well, damn, the dots aren't connecting at all.

"Good to see you're up," the man said. Yet, not even a slight smile appeared on his face. "I suppose we can get to business immediately. I mean, that's for my gang. The other might as well burn you alive." He shrugged.

Leon's stomach churned. Does that mean there are two gangs here?

He said nothing other than, "I see."

Immediately, Leon thought, 'Activate Instinctive Read.'

He had a complete understanding of his mission at this point. It was that he must be smarter than he had ever been. Because too many uncertainties and questions surrounded him at this point. And one of them was this man's true identity.

The man chuckled. "You surprise me with your nonchalant vibe, young man. Just in case, does this seem like a joke to you?"

Leon replied with a faint smile, "That's unless I don't value my safety. It seems you need me for some questioning and sorts. To make things easy for everyone, why don't you give me a moment to recollect a few things? I kind of have forgotten some details. Strange, I would say."

A wind of consideration blew past the man. Then, he nodded, saying, "A moment sees you as its master, then."

In an instant, Leon's eyes hurried to the bluish screen displayed before the man. His chest heaved with a slight motion.

[Using Instinctive Read.]

[Name: Zane Slade

Rank: Sentinel

Age: 36

Strength: 69.8

Agility: 72.7

Intelligence: 55.0

Stamina: 70.0

Constellation: Ursa {Poison Manipulator}]

Leon clenched his jaw.

'How dangerous. A deadly Constellation and a mid-rank. Sentinel. I am two paces away from him in hierarchy... Damn it. If I hadn't bought time to check through his information, acting rash... I can't imagine how much trouble I would have landed in.'

It sprang to his mind. Zane's commanding personality made it obvious he was different from most men in Mecha Ruin who were devils' advocates. There was a solid reason why this man had kidnapped him, Leon told himself.

Sighing to ease himself, he asked, "Is there anything I could help with, sir?"

Zane asked, "What rank are you?"

Leon said in a dismissive tone, "Definitely below you."

"... It was a horrible sight you left behind of Jax, nothing to lie about," Zane began, and Leon tilted his head. "Even his men could hardly recognise his body. You must..."

Leon cut in, asking in a low, careful tone, "What are you talking about?"

As calm as a soothing hot spring, Zane replied, "The man corpsed by you at the area where the Requiem last visited..."

Leon countered immediately. "Well, doesn't knowing of the Requiem's involvement demand you to judge from a different perspective? It actually rings a bell, doesn't it? We all know of the bad energy that lashes out on wherever she once visited..."

"I get your point, young man," Zane interposed. In a trice, he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. He stated in a very frank tone, "Well, now, it's as uncertain as the cause of the Bronze Age Collapse when you were—"

Out of nowhere, a man from the row behind Leon pulled a revolver out. He aimed his weapon at Leon. "To hell with this much questioning. I will end this straight and—"

SLASH!

Leon gasped; his eyes opened wide.

He saw the guy's head drop to the ground with a thud, just as the revolver slipped from his hand. Behind him, a bizarre guy was sheathing his bloodied sword.

Leon clenched his jaw, feeling a faint hammering in his chest. 'He didn't even wait for their leader's order... What a demon.'

"By the way, that's one of Jax's men," Zane remained calm in his way. Leon glanced back at him, swallowing his disgust at what they all saw as a normality. "He couldn't contain his hatred for you, so... perhaps he'll be able to go wherever he's headed."

Then, Zane asked again, "Now, tell me, young man. What went wrong back there? About Jax and everything else?"

That was a question Leon himself wanted to ask with great eagerness. What went wrong? And Zane was going to say something earlier before the guy interrupted.

Leon pondered; did Zane know what later happened to the C-rank monsters?