EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT

Sura listened in silence as I went over every little detail of what happened after I had 'found' the weird box and the artifact inside it. Though… I hid the fact that I was seeing invisible boxes and gaining new abilities, because I was sure she would completely freak out. Oh, and yeah, I also didn't tell her I 'died' but came back alive.

She occasionally turned back, checking if anybody else was in this strange, shadowy-gooey realm, and then shifted her attention back to me. It was clear that she was feeling uncomfortable.

She paced back and forth, then stopped in front of me. I stood still, unsure how she'd react as she circled me, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Stop stealing, you kleptomaniac idiot! Why did you steal from the King?" she demanded, her voice rising.

"For gold, what else?" I replied defensively. "I didn't have any choice. Everything was perfect. Everything."

"Perfect?"

"That artifact wasn't protected at all, even though it belonged to the King himself. Not stealing it – it… it would have been idiotic."

"Yeah. Now look at us!" She threw her arms up in frustration. "In another realm. Hunted by James. Hunted by the fucking King!" She was practically seething with anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry for thinking of us! I'm sorry for trying to earn some gold and –"

"Earn? Yeah…" She glared at me, her eyes blazing. "Nevermind. Never… mind. Okay – so where are we?"

"I… don't know."

"Useless big brother."

"Har-har." I said, turning my back to her. "Don't worry… we'll get out of this realm… thingy."

Just as I finished speaking, the clouds above began to churn and tear apart, revealing a monstrous creature in the sky. It was a towering behemoth, at least fifty stories tall, with an appearance that defied logic and reason. Its skin was a sickly, dark green, glistening with a slimy sheen. Massive, writhing tentacles sprouted from its head, undulating and twisting through the air. It didn't have a body – it was just a giant head with a single enormous eye in the middle. The eye was a black void, seemingly absorbing all light around it, and its gaping maw was filled with rows of jagged, needle-like teeth.

The sheer size and presence of the creature were overwhelming, casting an enormous shadow over us as it descended slowly, its tentacles reaching down toward the ground.

I quickly stepped in front of Sura, pushing her behind me and taking a defensive stance.

"Brother… what is that!" she cried out.

"Stay behind me," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly. "We'll… we'll figure a way out of this. Just stay close."

"What is that!" She yelled in fear. "Brother! Oh no… no, no, no. We're going to die."

"Shit… shit." I held Sura's hand and began to run. "Come on!"

"Help! Anyone!"

[Exit?]

"Yes, yes, yes! Exit!" I shouted as I saw the box. "Let us out of here!"

A portal opened beneath our feet, and shadowy hands grabbed us by the legs, dragging us down into the darkness. We emerged on the other side, in a familiar back alley. I recognized the place; we were close to where James had taken my sister. It was only two blocks away.

Sura's knees gave out, and she collapsed. I leaned against a nearby wall, trying to catch my breath. That was – surely something.

"Oh my god!" Sura's voice was shaky. "We're back. What was that thing! What have you got yourself into, Axel!"

"I think it was that artifact."

"Oh, you don't say!"

"Hey, my guess is as good as yours. I'm completely lost."

"Are you cursed? What are we going to do!"

"I'll take care of it." I said. "First, let's get you a place to stay for the night. James'll be on our tails. We shouldn't stay in our house."

"I, uh, I have a friend, I can spend the night with her. What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. Besides, I gotta take care of something first."

"Like what?"

"I'll tell you later."

"You and your stupid mysterious answers… well – okay. Will you drop me off?"

"Of course. Lead the way."

After dropping off Sura, we shared one last look before the door to her friend's house closed. Alone and more confused than ever, I wandered into a dark alleyway and leaned against a wall. The rats scurried noisily, and the rain that had been pouring earlier had slowed to a drizzle. The breeze still rustled the branches above.

A weird box appeared near my face, displaying various numbers and abilities.

[Current Ability Points: 2

Strength: 2

Agility: 3

Dexterity: 3

Intelligence: 3

Constitution: 1

Wisdom: 1

Charisma: 2]

"What the…" I muttered, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. "So – do I just use the points? Like – what does it do? Are those mine – number thingies?"

[Yes. Master can spend the points however he wishes.]

"Okay… let's go with agility and dexterity – since I'm a thief."

[Confirm?]

"Yep."

[New points assigned.

Strength: 2

Agility: 4

Dexterity: 4

Intelligence: 3

Constitution: 1

Wisdom: 1

Charisma: 2]

I felt my body becoming lighter and more agile. It was a weird sensation, one that was hard to explain. A faint red glow enveloped my body. Upon seeing the light, some of the houses' lights flickered on and some of the tenants opened their windows.

I crouched, becoming nearly invisible to the naked eye. I didn't want anyone to see me in my thief attire, since it would raise the alarm and make people panic.

Using Shadow Step, I teleported to a nearby rooftop and yawned. The hour was getting late, and I needed to find a place to sleep. But – more importantly, there were two things that were worrying me. The first was James and his goons knowing my true identity. I needed to do something about that. And the second was the redhead lady who had given me the job.

"Shit. Too much to do," I sighed, putting my hands on my waist. "Okay – I need to silence James. Then I'll worry about that redhead."

[James' Hideout: The Fastest Route Detected.]

"Fucking hell… am I really going back there?" I exhaled deeply. "I guess I am."