Unbounded

Tyler stood rigid by the door, his grip tightening on the axe as if it were the only thing anchoring him. Across the room, Ethan rose from the throne where he had been lounging, his slow, mocking applause echoing through the dim, cavernous chamber. The flickering torchlight cast long, flickering shadows across the walls as Ethan took slow, deliberate steps toward Tyler, his grin widening with each step.

"I thought I'd have to send my people to drag you here, Tyler," Ethan drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. "But here you are, all on your own. Where is Avi, Tyler?"

Tyler didn't respond, his jaw clenched tight, his gaze unwavering. The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a blade. All he could do was tighten his grip on his weapon, his knuckles turning white.

Avi, meanwhile, felt the pressure of too many thoughts crashing in all at once. Where was Alex? How was Ethan alive? What was happening in this place? His head buzzed, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. But amidst the chaos, one thought became clear—he had to focus. His survival depended on understanding what had happened and finding Alex.

Without hesitation, Avi reached out to Tyler through the [Comrade System].

[Avi Eques: Don't react. Just play along with him.]

The message appeared silently before Tyler, visible only to him. Tyler's gaze flickered briefly to the [Comrade System] interface, a subtle acknowledgment that he had received the message.

Ethan, meanwhile, continued his slow, mocking stride toward Tyler, the grin never leaving his face. "Where's that anger, Tyler? That fire I used to see in you? Where's the bullying jerk I knew? Why are you just stupidly standing there like a lost pup?" His voice dripped with derision. "Where's Avi?"

The question hung in the air like a dagger.

Tyler's response was immediate, his voice clipped. "Where is Alex?"

Ethan's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with something unsettling. "Oh, him? Mister Student Council President? He's down below. Bound somewhere beneath this room. Suits him, really. Always hiding his little secrets—especially from me." The last two words echoed, stretched and unnatural, a sharp screech that didn't quite belong to a human voice.

Avi felt a surge of dread at Ethan's words. The basement. He had to find Alex and the others. Without hesitation, he sent another message to Tyler.

[Avi Eques: I'll look for Alex and the others below. Try not to fight if you can. Play along.]

With one final glance at Tyler, Avi turned and made his way toward the stairs leading into the basement. The air grew colder, the stone walls pressing tighter against him with each step. Shadows of past battles flickered through his mind—faces he had fought alongside, some he had seen fall. Now, those same faces haunted the dark corridors.

The basement was quiet, eerily so. But Avi knew better. The quiet was just the calm before the storm. Guards, once innocent civilians, now bore weapons. The fighters Avi had known from earlier waves—the ones who once fought against the demonoid threat—were now twisted, their eyes filled with confidence and face painted with cockiness.

Avi moved cautiously, avoiding the guards who patrolled the dim, winding hallways. He incapacitated each silently, tying their hands behind their backs, ensuring no noise or sign of his presence betrayed his mission. He couldn't afford to alert Ethan or his followers.

Finally, Avi reached the end of the corridor, where the faint flicker of torchlight illuminated a series of prison cells. His breath caught as he pushed open the first cell door.

Lena lay slumped in the corner, her body weak and battered, metal chains clamped around her wrists and ankles. Her face was pale, eyes shut, as though unconscious. The sight tore at Avi's heart. He moved quickly, fishing out a key from the pocket of one of the guards he'd subdued. With trembling hands, he unlocked the manacles and gently gathered Lena into his arms.

Her once-bright, black hair now clung to her blood-streaked face. Small cuts and bruises marred her delicate skin, but she was still alive—barely.

He checked her status:

Lena Grace

Status: Unconscious, Distressed, Injured

Avi bit his lip and carried her further down the corridor, heart pounding. His mind raced with thoughts of what he might find next. Each cell he passed held familiar faces—fighters, supports, and production-class—bound in chains. They stared hollowly at the walls, their gazes distant, as if they had lost hope. Some whimpered, others were silent.

At the far end of the corridor, a heavier, more agonizing scene awaited. Avi found Caleb and Lucas, both chained to the walls. They bore the marks of savage torture, their bodies contorted and scarred. Even in their unconscious states, the sheer brutality of Ethan's torment was clear.

And then, in the darkest corner of the room, Avi saw him—Alex. Bound, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles, a broken figure slumped against the cold, damp stone. His skin was pale, his breath ragged. His once-proud presence reduced to a shadow of what he had been.

Avi's breath hitched as he stared at Alex's deteriorated form. A rush of guilt crashed over him—guilt for their earlier confrontation, for the argument that had pushed Alex away. Now, this leader of their alliance lay barely alive, the light flickering out in his eyes.

Panic clawed at Avi. He couldn't let this happen. He had to do something—anything.

His hands trembled as he reached into his inventory, pulling out a cloth, healing potions, and medicinal herbs. The [System Store] had never felt more vital. He worked quickly, wiping away blood and dirt, applying salves with shaking hands, and pressing potions to Alex's cracked, dry lips.

Avi kept muttering under his breath, his voice rising with desperation.

"Stay with me, Alex. Stay with me..."

Time seemed to blur. Avi could feel the weight of Alex's dying consciousness, the fragile thread barely holding. His own anger and fear wove together into a tempest of emotions.

Suddenly, Alex stirred, his breath catching in his throat. His cracked eyes fluttered open, weak and distant.

"Hey... Avi..." His voice was a rasp, barely audible.

Avi couldn't contain his panic. "Shut up! Just rest! Don't waste your energy on words!"

Tears pricked Avi's eyes as he worked faster, his hands desperately trying to stop the bleeding, the wounds.

"Thank... you," Alex managed, his voice weaker now, barely a whisper. "I knew... you'd come back."

Avi's hands shook violently, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He couldn't lose Alex. Not now. Not like this.

Behind him, Avi heard the faint rustling of chains. He turned, his heart skipping a beat. Caleb was stirring, struggling to push himself up, pain etched across his face. His gaze met Avi's, and despite the grim state, there was a flicker of recognition—of hope.

"Thanks... for coming back," Caleb muttered, his voice trembling. "I knew... those daggers I made... would be worth something."

Avi clenched his jaw. "What happened, Caleb?"

Caleb let out a bitter, humorless chuckle. "You know that monster you were supposed to kill? He's alive. And now, he's brimming with enough rage toward you to... power my forges."

Avi's fists clenched tighter, his gaze darkening. "Not that. Why are you all...?"

Caleb shook his head weakly, a faint, bitter smile. "He wants to know where you are. We didn't know, but we didn't tell him either. He started torturing us. That's why we're like this."

Lucas, now awake, managed to speak from behind Avi. His voice was strained but clear. "Ethan... showed up out of nowhere. Cracks in his body. Dripping black sludge. Black eyes. Horns. He's like the incarnation of the devil. Came in claiming anyone who wants power should kneel to him. Those who did—the civilians, the weak—submitted. The sludge entered their bodies, and immediately, they changed. Even some of the fighters and supports who fought with us..."

"Why didn't anyone fight back?" Avi interrupted, his voice strained.

Lucas's expression darkened. "Because... they were afraid. Afraid of what Ethan had become. Afraid of those who suddenly became stronger. Those who didn't kneel were tortured. They wanted to break us, to find you."

Avi's anger surged, his chest tightening. His gaze darkened with a mix of fury and self-loathing. The weight of his failures pressed down on him like a crushing storm.

Lucas continued, his voice low but resolute. "He doesn't just want underlings. He wants you, Avi. Dead. Because you're the only one he doesn't want to control. And because you're the one who 'killed' him."

Avi's fists clenched tighter, his knuckles white against the fabric of Alex's makeshift bandages. The weight of guilt pressed down on him, heavier than the chains that once bound them all. He could feel the tension coiling tighter in his chest, the tightness in his throat, and the sting of his own failure.

More than anything, he was furious with himself. The pain, the suffering around him—all of it weighed on him like a crushing guilt. How could he have let this happen? How could he have allowed these people to endure this torment?

With a low, almost inaudible growl, he muttered, "I'm going to kill them all."

The words felt hollow, though the emotion behind them was raw. His voice cracked with the intensity of his anger, filled with the torment of helplessness that had taken root in his soul.

Caleb opened his mouth to respond, but Lucas's hand shot out, gripping Avi's arm firmly. "Avi—stop," Lucas said, his voice strained. "We need to think—"

Avi shook off the hand with surprising force, his bloodshot eyes glinting with an otherworldly intensity. "No," he growled, his voice trembling with the weight of his resolve. "This is my fault. All of this. They're suffering because of me. Every second I hesitate, they're paying the price."

Lucas stepped closer, his face contorted with a mix of fear and determination. "It's not just you, Avi. We're all in this together—"

But Avi didn't listen. The fire inside him burned brighter than before, overshadowing everything else. The guilt, the blame, the helplessness—they consumed him.

"Stop trying to hold me back, Lucas," Avi said, his voice like a blade cutting through the air. "This isn't about us. This is about ending him—Ethan—and everyone who followed him."

Lucas tried again, his voice rising, but the intensity of Avi's fury was too great. "Avi—!"

But it was no use. The moment he spoke, Avi's bloodlust surged, eclipsing everything else. The room seemed to tremble around him, and his own rage became the only thing that mattered.

With a trembling breath, Avi turned to Lucas one last time, his eyes blazing with the fire of vengeance. "I'll kill Ethan... and everyone who's standing with him."

Lucas opened his mouth again, but his resolve faltered under the sheer weight of Avi's conviction. His grip slackened as he realized there was no stopping him.

The darkness pressed in, but Avi didn't care. He knows his consciousness is fading and instead of fighting back, he let his consciousness take him. Because right now, the only thing that mattered was ending this.