Doubts

The first thing Indra felt was the sterile scent of alcohol. A soft beeping echoed somewhere above his head, in sync with the faint beats of his heart. When he opened his eyes, the bright white ceiling lights blinded him for a moment. He blinked several times until the world came into focus: walls so clean they seemed to glow, medical equipment hooked up to him, and a window partially covered by gray curtains.

A hospital room. But something felt off. The air carried an odd sensation — as if space itself was… distorted. He tried to move, but the weight in his arms reminded him of his weakness. The last thing he remembered was the creature in the shadows and the desperate chase.

"Ah, you're awake," said a soft, feminine voice, though it carried a firmness that echoed like bells shattering the silence.

Indra turned his head with effort and saw her: standing by his bedside was a tall woman with pale skin and hair as black as midnight, tied in a long ponytail that reached her waist. She wore tight, black leather clothes that looked like urban armor, adorned with silver buckles and details. But the most shocking feature was behind her: a thin, red tail ending in a devil-like point, lazily swaying from side to side.

Her eyes were no less striking — the left, a stormy gray-blue; the right, a bright emerald green. They locked onto his with an intense gaze.

Indra drew a deep breath, his chest still heavy, but he felt strength slowly returning, as if something inside him stirred. He looked up at the woman before him. Now that his vision had cleared, he realized that despite her dark, intimidating appearance, there was an aura of authority and calm in her every move.

"My name is Sophie Ledger."

She inclined her head slightly, like she was greeting someone worthy of respect.

"I'm a Captain of the Tenth Legion of the Esoteric Society."

"Society…" Indra repeated, still dazed.

Sophie nodded, her tail swaying behind her like a metronome.

"The Esoteric Society is the organization that protects the Mortal Plane from what you faced. We're made up of Paranormals — people like you, who can wield Energy."

She laid her hand on his chest, and Indra felt a gentle warmth spreading through his body.

"The Energy you're feeling now awakened because you've become a Paranormal. That awakening saved your life… but you're only at the beginning. You haven't even formed an Inner Core yet: you're just an Apprentice, the first level among Paranormals."

"Apprentice…" he murmured, trying to memorize the word.

"Exactly." Sophie raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, she projected an ethereal hologram showing a complex symbol: twelve swords crossing around a balanced scale.

"The Society is divided into four main branches, starting with the Twelve Legions — each one specializing in an aspect of combating the supernatural: exorcism, tracking, containment, research, and so on."

The image shifted, showing a grand hall with black marble pillars and stained glass that let purple light pour through.

"Above the Legions is the Hall of Justice, where the Society's judgments and directives are decided."

Then the hologram displayed a circle of twelve throne-like chairs, each different, occupied by imposing figures. "At the top sits the High Council, formed by the Twelve Elders who govern the Society as a whole."

Finally, the hologram projected nine colossal pillars rising above dark clouds, each marked with a unique symbol.

"And beyond even the High Council, there are the Nine Pillars — Paranormals who uphold the order of the Society. They're living legends. Some say they're not even human anymore."

The hologram faded as Sophie closed her hand. She stepped closer, her mismatched eyes fixed on his.

"The creature that attacked you…" She paused, as if gauging whether he was ready for the truth.

"…was a Dormant Horror, the lowest and weakest class of monsters. But don't be fooled: even a Dormant Horror can slaughter a hundred ordinary men in minutes. You survived because you awakened in time."

Indra swallowed hard, a shiver crawling down his spine.

Sophie gave a small smile — cold as ice. "Your world has changed forever, Indra. There's no going back now. The only question left is: will you learn to hunt… or spend your life being hunted? If you want to prove you're someone… fight."

The monitor beeped faster along with Indra's pulse. He took a shaky breath, trying to process everything, feeling the certainty that his life would never return to normal settle like a stone in his chest.

Indra lay frozen, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and racing thoughts.

Esoteric Society? Apprentice? Dormant Horror? What the hell is all this!?

Sophie noticed the turmoil on his face. She stood and stepped toward the door.

She paused at the slightly open door, casting one last look back at him. The supernatural glint in her heterochromatic eyes felt like it pierced straight into his soul.

"Indra…" she began, her voice softer than before but still edged with resolve. "I don't expect an answer now. Whether you choose to fight or not… that decision is yours alone. Don't rush it."

Indra opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was exhausted, overwhelmed, caught between fear and anger, hope and despair.

"Think carefully,"

Sophie said with the coldness of someone who had seen many fall. "I'll return tomorrow. By then, I expect your answer."

She turned, her long, devilish tail swaying gracefully as she disappeared into the hallway lit by the pale glow of the hospital. The sound of her footsteps faded until there was only the heavy silence of the room.

Indra slumped back into the bed, his hands trembling slightly. The heart monitor beside him beeped in slow intervals, marking every rapid heartbeat. He felt like everything was a dream — but the pain in his body proved it was all too real.

Thousands of thoughts swirled like a storm in his mind: the creature he had fought, the Esoteric Society, the Clans, the energy now coursing through his veins. Memories of the alley, the paralyzing fear, the blood — it all flashed before his eyes in chaotic bursts.

He remembered the stench of mold and rot, the monstrous roar, the metallic taste of panic. He remembered how his entire life had been marked by helplessness, by always feeling like he stood in everyone else's shadow.

The world he thought he knew had shattered. Reality was far larger, crueler, darker than he had ever imagined.

Indra closed his eyes, drawing in a slow, deep breath. Amid the chaos, a spark began to burn — small, but unwavering.

He recalled Sophie's words: "If you want to prove you're someone… fight."

I will fight… he murmured to himself, barely audible. His eyes opened, steady and determined like never before.

"I'll fight the world. Fight everything. Fight everyone."

And in that moment, alone in a hospital room bathed in the cold light of dawn, Indra decided he would never again be a nobody.