Chapter 1: ‘Waking up in the Relictombs’

*white panel lit up as a scene starts to play*

*everyone watches the scene in anticipation, while Grey gulps down in nervousness*

#My eyes shot open to see that my blurry gaze was level with the ground, my cheek pressed flat against a smooth, hard floor.

Immediately, I tried to move, trying to reassure myself that I was once again not a newborn. I couldn't start over again, not now. There was too much left to do, so many people I had to protect. My mother, my sister, Virion, Tess, Sylvie.

Sylvie!

I struggled to even lift my head, the piercing surges of pain still encompassing all of my body.

This wasn't a good sign.#

*everyone who already knows Grey, murmurs and speculates about who those people were, mentioned by him*

Caera: *frowns thoughtfully, while stealing glances at Grey's face to study his reaction* (So he has a sister, that's great! And who are these two females—Tess...Sylvie...doesn't ring any bells.)

Kalon: "What's wrong with you? Were you injured or som—"

God: "Ahem! Please refrain from talking, until I give you permission. Keep quiet and watch."

Kalon: *nods his head after giving a bow* (But...as strong as Grey is, just who would have put him in such a condition??)

*unbeknown to Kalon, everyone who knew Grey and his unnatural strength were thinking along the same lines...*

#My body felt foreign to me, heavy and stiff like wearing a suit of armor designed for a different—much larger—species.

I pried open my lips and forced a note from my throat. "Ah...Ahhh."#

Caera: (He must've been heavily injured, just who did he fight against? This man is getting even more mysterious by the second!)

#I pried my gaze away from the tantalizing lights and focused on the ground—or more specifically, what was on the ground.

Blood. Lots of it.

But the blood was dried brown and caked on the corners where the floor met the walls. It was hard to tell how long the walls and floors had been bloodied but as more and more areas of dried blood pools became visible the more carefully I looked, it seemed like this was some sort of grounds for injured people...or injured beasts.

I tried moving again to little avail. I still felt like I was in some sort of shell whenever I tried to move, as if this body wasn't my own.

After time had passed and I ran out of details on the walls, ground, and pillars to distract myself with, unwanted and painful memories that I had been pushing back began resurfacing.#

God: *smiles in earnest* "Well, you are free to discuss now"

Taegen: "Wait! Why does that room that Grey's in looks familiar?!" *turns to Arian, who simply shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head*

Kalon: *frowns in deep thoughts* (it certainly looks like a sanctuary room...but—why is blood there? Who would fight in a sanctuary room!?)

Ezra: *laughs like a madman* "I knew you were a wuss, look at you crawling on the floor like a do—"

*Ezra stops his speech as Grey let's out his aetheric intent aimed towards the Grandbehl kid*

Ada: *speaks in a worried tone* "Brother! Can you not disrespect anyone for atleast a day? You're just making more enemies to our Blood!"

Kalon: "Our sister is right, Ezra. You must watch your mouth." *takes a few glances at Grey* "and...I don't think our friend, Grey, is injured because of fighting some weakling. We know he's strong, so I wonder who his opponent was..." *tries to probe Grey*

Grey: *ignores all the gazes and keeps his stoic face*

Kalon: "Grey—"

*God interrupts*

God: "Now, that will be a spoiler. You will be given the answer when the right time comes. You can ask other questions, if you will."

Briar: (see, I knew this man's weak, why am I even wasting my time here when I could be training ughh...)

Grey: *speaks in a cold, unempathetic tone* "I'm not answering any questions, so you can save your time and move on" *gives a cold glare at almost everyone in the room, making a shiver pass down their spine*

Aphene: *flinches and cowers under the seat to avoid any direct contact with Grey* (Vritra! Please get me out of this hellhole!)

God: *looks around the room* "Looks like no one has any question for our dear Grey, so we shall move on..."

#Tears formed, blurring my vision, as sobs threatened to lurch out of my parched throat. Every time I closed my eyes, the memory of Sylvie disappearing right in front of me replayed over and over.

My stomach lurched and my chest tightened as I held back another sob. I squeezed my eyes shut, grinding my teeth to try and contain myself.

But I couldn't. I lost Sylvie, the only one who had stayed with me far longer than any other person in this world, trying to save everyone.

"Ghhh..." I heaved, letting out guttural sobs that echoed across the room as if mocking me. "I'm...sorry. I-I'm so sorry...Sylv."

I couldn't tell how much time I had spent wallowing in grief and self-pity but I was abruptly jolted by the sensation of pinpricks running up my entire body. It was jarring, as if millions of insects were crawling all over me, beneath my skin.

Another wave came, stronger this time—more painful. And the last wave I remembered feeling, it felt like the millions of bugs underneath my skin had erupted out of me.#

Caera: (just who is this Sylvie that he keeps mentioning about?! She must be very important to him...) *watches the scene with more interest*

Riah: "C-Can we ask about the names of the people Grey is mentioning?

God: *shakes his head* "No, you can't."

*everyone sighs in disappointment at God's words*

God: "But...everyone he mentions will be talked about and be revealed in the later part of the show, so, don't sweat it" *winks at Riah*

Riah: *blushes unknowingly and gives a weak nod before turning to Grey* "G-Grey...I'm sorry...that person must've meant a lot to you..."

*everyone turns to look at how Grey would react*

*Grey just lowers his head and remains unmoving like a statue*

*Riah bites her lips in frustration, regretting her choice of words*

Ada: *pats Riah's back to console her* "It's alright, I think Grey i—"

*Ada freezes when she sees Riah's wide eyed, horrified face and follows her gaze...to see Grey's eyes turn red and teary*

Riah: "I-I'm so sorry, Grey. I—was very—insensitive...please forgive—"

*Grey lifts his hand towards Riah to make her stop speaking*

*everyone looks at Grey with shock; some even sympathized with him, while some mocked inwardly*

Ezra: (Ah he's really just a weak ass boy unlike me. I should put him in his place when we return or else he might make a move on Ada...or Riah...)

*Briar simply shakes her head in boredom and thinks that it's a bit too much drama for her taste*

*Riah tries to move towards Grey to console him, but Kalon stops him and shakes his head*

Kalon: *looks at Riah* "Don't...he looks like he needs some space."

Riah: *nods at Kalon's words but thinks otherwise* *keeps her eyes on Grey*

Grey: (my emotions got the best of me! Just thinking about my bond made all the memories bottled up inside me to flow out in haste. I tried to keep my composure stable, but to very little avail. I needed atleast Regis to be here, but he wasn't here...) *wipes of his tears before lifting his face back to the white panel*

Caera: *her heart sinks looking at Grey's sad face* (w-what do I do?!) *her lips quivers in dire need to say something but no words came out...her fingers twitched, to pat Grey on his back, but she couldn't, not when she doesn't know how the man who react to her sudden action; not to forget all the prying eyes...) *sighs*

Abby: *her gaze intently fixed on Grey, unperturbed about his crying face* (this must be my chance to talk to him, if I be his crying shoulders, then maybe he will—)

God: "Enough is enough. We have taken an unsanctioned break, but I'll let this slide due to our dear Grey's state. Let's move on now."

#By the time I pried open my eyes and felt the cool stickiness of saliva pooled underneath my cheek, I knew I had passed out.

Peeling my face off of the wet floor, I turned to my back.

The brief moment of elation at the fact that I could actually move was interrupted by an overwhelming sense of thirst.

Swallowing what little saliva I had left to moisten my dry throat, I pushed myself off of my back. The motion felt off and my body still felt stiff and alien, but I was still excited about my new range of motion.

Time crawled alongside me as I slowly pulled myself across the smooth floor, my biggest source of motivation getting my strength back to shut Regis up.

"Come on, pretty boy, almost there," he continued.

"Shut...up..." I mustered, my voice barely coming out as a wheeze.

"If you have the strength to drawl, you have the strength to crawl!" he intoned.

I'll kill him, I decided.

I focused my attention on the marble fountain beckoning for me, spouting water so clearly and silently from the top that it looked like glass.

After struggling once more, trying to pull myself up over the rounded base that held the water, I immediately buried my head inside.

It felt like I had slammed my face into a wall of ice, but I didn't care. I opened my mouth and gulped it all in, the water crisp and cool as it rushed down my throat.

My body continued to swallow mouthfuls of water until I couldn't hold my breath any longer.#

*few people let out a soft chuckle, despite how heavy the atmosphere was, only a few minutes ago*

Riah: *takes a few glances at Grey before speaking in a soft voice* "He is, pretty..."

Abby: *nods her head heavily*

Riah: *chuckles, looking at Abby* "See, it's not just me. What do you think Ada? Grey is pretty, right?"

Ada: "W-Well...he's pretty handsome, if that's what you mean..." *peeks at her two brothers in nervousness*

Ezra: "Ada, what the hell?! You're not allowed to talk like that! That guy, you know he is weird, right? I swear, if you have any thoughts about hi—"

Kalon: "Stop bickering with each other. And, Ezra, our sister is all grown up now...she can be with whomever she wants to be, especially someone strong and powerful as Ascender Grey here..." *winks at Ada and grins*

*Ezra glares at his sister threateningly*

Riah: *leans towards Ada and whispers in her ear* "Well, you seem to have gotten your brother's permission. If you still don't make your move, then I will!" *chuckles*

*Ada blushes deeply and her eyes widen as she looks at Grey*

Ada: *tries to change the subject abruptly* "W-Wait! What's that...thing...black ball of smokes...?? And how is it talking?" *looks at God questioningly*

Kalon: "It is pretty funny, if you ask me. It's perhaps one of many secrets Grey has hidden from us. I can't believe that he's only in his preliminary ascent!" *looks at Grey*

Ezra: "He must've stole that thing from somewhere, why else would he have so many relics with him when he's only a wogart" *huffs*

God: "AH! I almost forgot. Thank you child! *looks at Ada before flicking his finger a couple of times*

*everyone stiffens at the all familiar action...but nothing changed with them or their positions*

*many lets out a sigh of relief, but freezes when a white ball of light illuminates next to where God was floating*

*A large throne made of precious metal and ornaments appeared on the side of the panel, in front of the seating. While a slightly smaller, much comfier looking throne—or more of a chaste lounge appeared next to what seems to be the God's throne."

*before everyone could figure out the purpose of the second throne, God vanishes from his previous place and reappeared the next instance...now sitting on his large throne*

God: "Now then, let's all welcome a special guest here. The one who has the potential to transcend his current state and ascend to Godhood. Dare I say, more than any other being on your mortal planes..."

*shouts of disbelief and gasps echoed throughout the room, before God flicked his finger to shut them all up*

*before everyone can calm down, a black ball of smoke appeared out of thin air next to the God's throne. It slowly grew bigger in size as it spun around before expanding on the sides to form a shape of a majestic wolf*

*those who haven't seen Regis, gasped in shock. It soon increased in volume, as the black wolf flickered for a moment in place, before a dense, brilliant purple colored flames took over its mane, glowing majestically like an undying, yet smokeless fire, capable of turning everything into non-existence*

Briar: *started sweating, as her face turned to pure shock, for the first time since her arrival* (th-this...this is interesting...maybe worth my time)

Regis: "What's up bitches? Majestic wolf is here!" *he declared to the mortals in front of him with his head held high in a pose*

Grey: *shots out of his seat, making Caera and her guards, who were sitting next to him flinch in surprise* 'Regis! Where the hell have you been!?'

Regis: *shrugs* 'I...was here all this time. But, I wasn't able to interact with the surroundings till this white head made me—my body enter this white room...relax, I'm okay, princess. But, are you okay?' *he asked worriedly*

Grey: 'What do you think? Do you see any way out of here?'

Regis: 'No clue'

Grey: *nods in defeat*

*Regis turns back and jumps on top of the throne laid for him, as he elegantly laid down to watch the show*

Grey: *glares at the shadow wolf in surprise*

Regis: 'Relax princess. I don't think he mean any harm. Besides, as you already know, we have no way to escape this place. I'm pretty sure we are not even in our planet right now.'

*Grey slumps his shoulder at Regis's factful words, and turns his attention towards the white panel* (maybe I can learn something after watching my journey, as the ma—God said. And...I can figure out who are my allies...and my enemies from this) *lets outs a deep breath*

God: "Great, let's continue. It's time for some new figures to make their entrance" *looks at the screen excitedly*

#"Get down!" Regis suddenly hissed, suddenly flying into my body.

'Stay up against the wall and act dead, or at least unconscious!' Regis asserted, his voice echoing inside my head.

I backed up against the wall and fell to the ground just in time to see a column of blue light appear in the center of the room.

Letting my bangs cover my face, I kept my eyes open despite Regis's insistence.

As the pillar of blue dimmed, I was able to make out the silhouette of three figures. My heartbeat quickened, excited to see other people here, when Regis berated me, telling me not to even think about getting up.

The light completely faded, leaving only the three figures standing in the center of the room—two males and one female.

The slimmer brown-haired one still was built like an athlete, with broad shoulders and toned arms underneath a brushed-silver suit of armor.#

*the two guards of Lady Caera went 'Ah!' after realising that it was them who had entered the room*

Arian: (now that I think about it, we did meet Grey for the first time in the sanctuary room! He looked to at death's door...and we were right...) *shrugs nonchalantly*

#The larger of the two men was clad in a mixture of plated and leather armor that did little to hide his bulging muscles. He carried in each hand a spiked mace, both dripping with blood that matched the color of his short crimson hair.#

Taegen: *puffs out his chest proudly, looking at his own self on the white panel*

*Arain simply shakes his head*

#It was the girl that spotted me first with her two red eyes that shone like crystals underneath a curtain of midnight blue—almost navy—hair.

Her statuesque form layered in what looked more like a uniform than armor, turned my way as she studied me.#

Caera: *averts her gaze to the floor in sudden embarrassment* (I didn't know that he looked at me like that...) *sneakily peeks at her side to look at Grey, who was sitting next to her*

Grey: *watching the scene with furrowed brows, in utmost seriousness*

#It only took a moment for the two men beside her to notice me, and when they did, they didn't react nearly as subtly as the woman had.

The larger one swung his mace, splattering an arc of blood on the ground as he approached me, while the brown-haired warrior withdrew a longsword out of thin air and positioned himself between myself and the girl. His sharp eyes narrowed as a soft vibration hummed from his large blade.

I shut my eyes, afraid that they'd see me awake.

Shit, what do we do, Regis?

'Stay down! You're no match for any one of these three right now.'

He's going to kill me!

'Wait! Don't move until I tell you!'#

*everyone in the room gasped at the turn of events*

Riah: *gasps loudly before reaching out to Ada and holding hands with her* (just...why are they trying to kill a harmless man!?!?) *looks at the Denoir guards in anger*

Ada: *pats Riah's shoulders* "Now, now, Riah...you know Grey is okay, right? He's there still alright, so control your emotions"

*Grandbehl brothers shakes their heads, albeit for very different reasons; while Riah lets out a deep breath to calm herself down*

Abby: *clenched her fists as she watches Grey in that dire state* (I don't even know him, yet I feel pity towards him. He must be a weak guy, but I can protect him!) *tightens her fists in determination to protect Grey in the future* (can't let anything happen to that pretty face of his...)

Briar: *clicks her tongue and looks disinterested at the scene* (when will we get to more action scene? Let's see some blood already! Argh!)

Alaric: *shakes his now empty alcohol bottle in frustration, ignoring the scene playing on the white panel*

#I peeked open an eye to see the crimson-haired man towering over me.

'Not yet!' Regis hissed in my head.

"Leave her," the girl stated.

'Pfft! She thinks you're a girl!' Regis snickered.

Shut up.#

*suddenly a few laughter erupts from the before-serious crowd*

*Denoir guards lowers their heads in embarrassment, while Caera uncomfortably watches her own actions, almost holding her breath and praying for the scene to get over already!*

#"She might be a threat to us in the lower levels, Lady Caera," the large man warned. "There are those who feign weakness to make us lower our guards."

"Have some pity on her, Taegen. The fact that neither of you were able to sense her immediately means that her mana core is broken," the girl said. "She won't be a threat. Now, let's move. We'll rest in the next sanctuary room."

Taegen let out a dissatisfied grunt before turning around, following after the other two.

I let out a mental breath of relief as I began to relax when I saw it. All three of their outfits had purposely left their spines revealed, covered either by chainmail or a thin mesh that I could clearly see through. And running down all three backs, along their spines, were the same kind of runes I had seen on so many Alacryan mages.

Anger flared within my chest, and immediately, the man named Taegen whirled around to face me.

Calm yourself, (Grey), I said to myself.

Time seemed to crawl as the mace-wielder studied me, confused.

"Let's go!" the other man called out to Taegen, and the crimson-haired warrior turned back.#

Arian: "Mr. Grey, I sincerely apologize for my—our, actions back then. We were on a battle spree, and we let our instincts take over our rationality.

Abby: *breaths a sigh of relief* (thank the sovereigns! I thought that navy haired woman would be on my way to make Grey mine, but from the looks of it, they all seem to be in a scuffle hehe now I have nothing to worry about!) *silently laughs as her eye's glints with a tinge of craziness as they land on Grey*

Taegen: "Yes—Yeah, Arian is right, Effeme—*coughs*--Grey, I too apologize for my actions towards you. It certainly is unbecoming of a warrior such as me, to harm someone who was weapon less...let alone in such a sorry-state as you were in...for that, I'm truly sorry" *stands up and bows deeply towards Grey*

*Regis laughs inwardly, making Grey flinch for a second* 'These idiots...just imagine what they will sat when they learn about your identity...from the way things are going, it won't be long...'

Grey: *ignoring Regis's ominous words... he dismisses the two guard's apologies with his hands* "I-It's okay, I probably would've done the same...besides, you weren't doing it for your own safety, but for Lady Caera's. She must be very important, given her status, so I understand your actions." *turns his gaze to look at Caera who was now fidgeting nervously with her fingers*

Caera: "Grey—I...I too apologize, they are my gu—" *stops her speech as Grey holds her hand to the front to stop her*

Grey: "It's okay, Caera, as I said, I understand the reason behind their actions. Besides...I should be the one thanking you, for if it not for you, I probably wouldn't be alive right now" *looks deeply at Caera's ruby eyes and flashes a sincere and warm smile at her*

Caera: *looking at Grey's warm smile, her heart skips a beat, suddenly...as her cheeks turn few tints of red* "I-It's nothing..." *she spoke in a soft voice before averting her gaze from the golden eyed ascender*

Abby: (What kind of bullshit is this!? Why is he just letting them off the hook this easily?? Doesn't he know that they just gave a half-hearted apology? This man...he—he's so soft...)

Riah: *mumbles* "It—it must've been really scary for you..." *her teary eyes lingered on Grey's now smiling face* (he's so strong, to be able to smile like that...)

Ada: *looks at her best friend, knowing that she has already fallen for this strange, mysterious man, named, Grey* (It's okay sister, no matter what, I'll support your love, don't you worry!) *caresses Riah's hair, hoping to calm her heart*

*Grandbehl brothers looks at each other with the same thought* (This is not Grey's first ascent!)

God: "Woah, that was very...wholesome to watch. But, let's move on now."

#I must've waited for over thirty minutes even after they had left through the door before I got up.

"Wow, now that got my little black heart pumping!" Regis exclaimed, shooting out of my body. "It's a good thing that gorgeous woman has a heart as large as her ti—"#

*Caera immediately shot out from her seat to give a death glare at the shadow wolf, who was nonchalantly watching the screen and avoiding her gaze...making Caera sit back*

Grey: *lifts his hand to reach out to Caera, as he gives a soft pat at Caera's shoulder, before whispering next to her* "I'm sorry about my companion...he's a bit—"

Caera: *with face fully turned red, she speaks softly, while avoiding her gaze* "I-It's alright, Grey, it's not your fault...let's just continue watching" (why do I not feel offended?)

*Regis simply shrugs off the death glares from Grey and Caera* (It's not like I was lying or anything. I only speak facts.)

#"Regis!" I snapped.

My floating companion shot me a wicked grin. "Aww, is someone still upset that they were called a girl?"

"No, I'm—"

"You can check your pants if you want. You're still a guy," Regis cut in.#

*several laughers resounded in the room, making the heavy atmosphere light again*

Briar: *snorts, but stays silent*

Aphene: *shakes her head in disbelief* (is it really the same guy who defeated me in the duel last week?)

Grey: *looks at everyone who were laughing, before his eyes landed on the burly ascender, Taegen*

Taegen: "I-I'm sorry Grey. I-It's just that...you...'Effeminate one', suits you"

Regis: *speaks with a smug smile* "...Or you could just call him 'Princess', like I do. That suits him—her, even better"

*Riah, Ada and Caera, all blushes at the scene and the latest exchanges*

Grey: *scowls deeply and lowers his head in embarrassment* (I hate this! I'm gonna kill you, Regis!)