The Awakening of Fulchiva

Felix thought for a moment and decided to check Jake's FB status. He opened the global ranking and scrolled through the list of players, but Jake's data wasn't showing up. Instead of the usual information about his level and achievements, there was only one thing — Jake's age: 27 years.

Felix frowned. It didn't necessarily mean something was wrong. Maybe it was a temporary glitch, or Jake was hiding his data. Still, it made him uneasy.

Kyle thought for a moment and, with a thoughtful expression, asked Felix, "Who came up with the idea of improving the FB?"

Felix smiled slightly, but then his face went as pale as a blank sheet of paper.

Felix: "One clan…"

...

Two days ago.

Jake returned alone. He entered Kiwooin's cell, now without Joe. Too many questions. Too few answers.

Kiwooin was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. His face was illuminated by the dim light from the ceiling lamp, and his two-tone hair looked even stranger in the half-darkness.

Jake: "I… I want more. FB. Power. Abilities."

Kiwooin slowly turned his head.

Kiwooin: "Are you sure? Increasing your FB isn't training. It's not form. It's… a path."

Jake: "I don't want to be a soldier forever. I want to be more. I want to break out of the system. I want to reach the second level of Nexus."

Kiwooin chuckled softly.

Kiwooin: "You're already inside. You didn't even notice, did you?"

Jake: "What do you mean?"

Kiwooin stood up, shook the dust off his pants, and took a step closer.

Kiwooin: "You want power. And I can help. I'll give you the formula, and you'll raise your FB. You'll feel everything changing. But there's one condition…"

Jake: "What condition?"

Kiwooin: "You already agreed. The moment you stayed here with me and talked about it—you became a part of something bigger than the Circle or the Dome. You became a disciple of the Fulchiva clan."

Jake: "What is Fulchiva?"

Kiwooin closed his eyes and smiled, as if savoring a secret.

Kiwooin: "A clan even the Dome fears. Those who don't recognize boundaries. Who rewrite the Nexus. Those who break the rules."

Jake: "You tricked me into a cult…"

Kiwooin: "No, Jake. You came on your own. I just kept the door open."

In an instant, a red mark appeared in Kiwooin's hand. A mark that couldn't be erased.

Jake felt his body grow hot. His FB began to rise… but with it, something foreign.

Kiwooin retreated into the shadows.

Kiwooin: "Welcome to Fulchiva, Jake. Now, you're one of us."

...

Felix: "Jake, oh Jake! If I understand this correctly, Jake got involved with a cult! But not just any cult — the most powerful and largest one in the Alpha dimension! The only one stronger is the Ootsoro clan, but let's not go there! In my life, there are only three things I fear, Kyle. First, AI. Second, crypts. And third, cults. Kyle, tell me, am I asking too much of my friends to stay out of this? Am I asking too much?"

... 

Jake was deep in the wilderness, the hunt having gone better than he expected. His senses were razor-sharp, and his adrenaline was high. The quiet of the forest around him felt peaceful, yet there was something stirring within him, something he couldn't quite place.

As he crouched by a stream, wiping the sweat from his brow, an unfamiliar heat slowly began to rise within him. It started as a faint warmth, creeping through his chest, and quickly spread, like a flame growing in the dark.

He paused, confused. The air felt heavy. Then, his gaze fell to the palm of his hand, where the mark Kiwooin had branded him only hours ago now burned with an intensity he'd never expected.

Jake: What the hell…?

His heart rate spiked, and the heat surged through his veins, stronger now, more insistent. The symbol, the red mark, began to pulse, its glow slowly creeping across his wrist. A low hum filled his ears, a vibration that felt like it was resonating deep in his bones. The pain was sharp, but there was something else… something more powerful, like a door opening inside him.

Jake thinking: No… this can't be happening. Not now…

The heat engulfed him, radiating from the mark and spreading through his limbs. He could feel his muscles tightening, his vision blurring at the edges. His skin prickled with electricity, and he staggered, dropping to his knees.

Jake thinking: I—what's happening to me?

The ground beneath him felt unstable, as if it was shifting beneath his very feet. His senses began to sharpen even further, each sound from the forest amplifying, the smallest shift in the wind suddenly thunderous in his mind. His pulse quickened. Every breath felt like fire in his lungs, every movement exaggerated, intense.

Then, something inside him snapped. It was his voice, but not quite. It wasn't just in his head—it was in his chest, his gut, a whisper that felt deep within his core.

Jake (thinking, his voice steady): You are one of us now. The power is within you. Fulchiva is your path.

He froze. His own voice echoed in his mind, but it wasn't just a thought—it felt like a truth. Something ancient, something belonging to him. The heat inside him started to subside, but it left behind a feeling of clarity and strength, like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Jake thinking, voice stronger now: Fulchiva. This… this is my path.

The forest around him fell silent. For a moment, it felt as though the world was holding its breath, waiting. His heartbeat slowed, and with it, the burning sensation diminished, but a new force was awake within him, and it was undeniable. The power of Fulchiva thrummed beneath his skin, and he knew, without a doubt, that his life had changed forever.

He stood, unsteadily at first, then more confidently. His grip on his hunting knife tightened, and for the first time in a long while, he felt ready. Ready for whatever came next.

Jake thinking, resolute: I'm no longer just a soldier. I'm something more.