Level Three

Moisture. Cold. Darkness. I can feel everything deep inside my bones. My body doesn't respond to any signal sent by the brain. I can't lift even my little finger. Glass shards beneath my body dig deeper. I can feel them slicing through the layers, tearing at my skin. My wounds bleed profusely and a warm sticky sensation spreads. I'm not sure what just happened. I tremble uncontrollably. Each tremor is accompanied by excruciating pain. I wish for it to finally stop. Raindrops shoot down from the black clouds, soaking through my bloody clothes and plastering my hair to my burning face. Each drop feels like needles. Lightning illuminates the darkness and thunder echoes through the sound of rain. I lay on cold pavement, vulnerable and exposed. I'm getting weaker as my consciousness slips away. It's slowly getting easier and I'm not sure if I want to resist it. My eyes are closing, but my ears still catch a new sound. A different one this time. Someone is approaching, but I can't turn my head. I only see the blurred overcast sky. All I know is that I'm not alone.

Bright flash.

Deafening thunder.

Silence.

Footsteps on the wet asphalt.

I spring up from a lying position as if stung. My heart pounds wildly, threatening to leap out of my chest. Breathing is hard, and I can't focus or recognize my surroundings. For a moment, it feels like I'm still soaking in the rain, with the roaring still echoing in my ears. I press my throbbing temple with my fingers.

"Are you okay?"

A familiar voice pulls me back to reality. I realize I'm in my room. Cody stands in the doorway, looking quite confused. It dawns on me that he's now living with us. And not just anywhere, but in my room.

"Just a nightmare?" I mutter uncertainly.

"You guys dream too?" He asks, arching an eyebrow.

For a moment, I silently gaze at him, trying to discern his intentions. It becomes clear that Cody isn't mocking me. He looks genuinely surprised.

"Of course, we're humans too," I say, attempting to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

"That part is still unclear to me," Cody mutters skeptically. "I don't think it's a very accurate description."

I can't help but smile. I know he's curious. No one has explained the details of this strange metamorphosis to him. Our eyes lock, and in that moment, it's clear that there's no evading the impending conversation.

"Would you like to know more?"

Eventually, he nods, consenting to listen. Before I know it, I'm pouring out everything that feels important: insights into the world beyond ours, its complexities, the mysterious guardian, and the origins of the entity that now resides within me.

Cody remains silent, absorbing each revelation with a blend of awe and intrigue. As my monologue draws to a close, a short silence descends upon us. Cody's expression remains unreadable as he grapples with the enormity of the information he's just been presented with.

"Okay, but I'm still confused about something. You have abilities, yet you can still be harmed. What's the point of all this?" Cody raises an eyebrow, his tone laced with skepticism.

"Ah, the call of the savior," I chuckle.

Cody responds with an eye roll and a sigh.

"What would you do if you knew the precise date of your death? Would you still carry on as the messiah?" He questions curiously.

"Probably nothing," I reply with a shrug. "I'd just meet my fate, doing what I'm doing now."

"But why?" Cody frowns, perplexed.

"Because when I died last time, no one gave me a heads-up."

My eyes quickly dart to Cody as my heart skips a beat. Before I could even think, my mouth spilled out words I hadn't intended to share. Cody's complexion pales slightly, and he regards me with a puzzled expression.

However, he doesn't bolt from the room. I take this as a positive sign. Giving Cody a moment to digest the information, I watch his reactions intently. After a couple of minutes, his gaze wanders back to mine, and our eyes lock once more.

"How?"

"I know, it sounds eerie, but it's actually quite impressive. I've been given a second chance, under the condition that I become a demon hunter. It's not that death doesn't scare me. I just take responsibility for still being here," I attempt to clarify.

Cody sits for another minute with his mouth slightly open.

"That's just insane," He murmurs, casting his gaze downward. "I couldn't have even imagined that."

I appreciate his composed reaction, yet I can't shake the worry that my words might haunt him later on.

"You shouldn't dwell on it more than necessary. It's my burden to bear. This new life isn't a beautifully wrapped gift. Yet, it grants me the opportunity to be here. And I definitely don't intend to die a second time in the near future. Trust me, it really sucks."

*

It's been a week since Cody moved in with us, and things seem to be going smoothly so far. My anxiety has started to ease a bit as Cody gets along well with Kaja and Eleonora. Arthur simply keeps his distance but doesn't intimidate him either.

As I glance over at Cody and Kaja engaged in conversation, I catch snippets of Kaja sharing stories from our lives. It's reassuring to see that Cody's curiosity is still alive and well.

"I'm going to train," I inform Eleonora. "It's my lunch break."

"Don't overdo it," She offers a small smile.

I nod, and before leaving the room, I steal one last glance at Cody. Unexpectedly, our eyes lock, and a wave of embarrassment washes over me. I quickly avert my gaze and head straight to the basement.

Today, I'll skip the warm-up. My body is already brimming with adrenaline from an unknown source. Despite my attempts to clear my mind of intrusive thoughts, concentration lacks.

After several failed attempts, I begin to feel the heat radiating from my palms, realizing that something is happening. I sweep my hand through the air and open my eyes to find flames indeed beginning to spread.

Sustaining the fire is challenging, yet I don't give up. Inhaling deeply, I persist in coaxing it to spread. My hands tremble and sweat pours down my forehead.

Suddenly, a blue light flashes before my eyes. I quickly jump back. In an instant, the fire vanishes. Bewildered by the sudden turn of events, I can't fathom what just happened, but for a fleeting moment, the flame blazed larger than I've ever seen.

I feel a wet warmth with a metallic taste on my lips but smile contentedly. My head is ringing, and I feel exhausted, so I slump to the floor to rest a bit.

"Going to pass out again?"

This time, my visitor is Arthur. I raise my head to him. My colleague is ready for training, wearing his signature black sportswear.

"Just lounging," I chuckle.

Arthur grins at my remark.

"Wipe your nose. It's dripping," He teases gently.

Remembering the blood, I swiftly wipe my nose and dismiss it with a wave of my hand.

"It's nothing. Has it been half an hour already?"

"Yup, my turn." Arthur slowly approaches the padded side of the basement. "But Elle won't mind if we spar until the first knockout."

Plus, we never complain about the pain we cause each other. For a while, we engage in a passionate bout, but our focus is interrupted by hurried footsteps. Turning my head to the side, I see a rather breathless Eleonora.

A grin spreads across my face. Sparring with Arthur is something I always look forward to. He's an excellent opponent, and our matches are always genuine and intense. Plus, we never complain about the pain we inflict on each other.

Our intense session is abruptly interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. I turn to the side and notice Eleonora, slightly out of breath, making her way towards us.

"Level three. If we lose him, there'll be trouble."