Chapter 88: They Will Come
The dark mists devoured him. For an instant he remained in a space where nothingness reigned.
The laws of reality no longer applied. Light was nonexistent, with sound and gravity disappearing.
Gabriel deeply sensed in his instincts the loss of his senses.
He lost contact with his body, being randomly thrown into a stormy ocean. Where only the tearing of the waves could allow him to know the directions.
He was interrupted by a red flash that crossed the space. A huge sign appeared before him.
__________________
[World Event in progress]
The remaining players within the challenge have eight hours to complete their respective trials.
Congratulations, player, for being the most exceptional example.
__________________
It was an important message that confirmed his previous suspicions. Apparently he had gotten involved in an event that was too important for him.
And strangely he had ended up being the one with the most exceptional performance among everyone. A collection of unique coincidences— Like the experience with Amazías and the revelations from Baron Miracle.
At that moment, after remaining a few seconds before his eyes, the letters began to fade.
Gabriel memorized them immediately. With the darkness threatening to devour him again.
It was one more step he had taken.
***
With a start, he opened his eyes. His eyes remained torturously in darkness.
A type of pain he had already forgotten returned to run through every inch of his body. It took him several seconds to understand what his current situation was.
The place contained the characteristic smell of his apartment.
With clumsy movements he sat up and removed the neural helmet. The cracked ceiling quickly confirmed his previous suspicions.
He was finally back in the comforts of Neo-Atlas Inferior.
He threw the helmet onto his dilapidated bed. The helmet’s outer casing was still slightly warm.
It was reason and protection for why his brain had not yet turned into fried pulp.
With deliberate and slow movements he scratched his head, trying to organize his latest memories. Only moments ago he had been in front of the Baron, then his consciousness had fallen into a strange state and finally the announcement had woken him up.
Without warning he had been expelled. He had literally been disconnected.
He smiled ironically.
The game was complicating itself at a galloping speed that managed to instill fear in him.
He palpably remembered the words that the Baron had granted in an intimate silence.
In the comfortable and homey hall, they had shared a warm wine and conversed openly about secrets.
Fortunately the amulet was in his hands when he disappeared. But there was also a warning at the end that could be easily ignored.
"Lesser spirits..." he murmured.
That category still continued resonating in his memory with an acquired ominous intention.
They were words extremely similar to those repeated by Amazías. The shadow of the noble and the traitor.
The strange bearer of memories.
When he began to intuit, a strong pulsation surged in his head. It was the fatigue that practically forced him to fall unconscious.
Finally he let himself fall back onto the bed. His eyes acted with their own will, closing naturally.
He was exhausted.
The questions and emotions had drained him. There were too many hours inside the game, provoking extreme mental fatigue.
Sleep claimed him almost immediately.
Darkness enveloped him again with a strange warmth, without even the opportunity to resist.
***
He finally woke up again with drowsiness. He had never fallen unconscious instantly before.
Not even on rainy days when he had to deliver orders until very late at night.
A thread of saliva slipped through the corner of his lips. He blinked hard.
His neck was stiff and his head weighed like a brick.
Any kind of cognitive or physical effort would cost him dearly at that moment.
Slowly he had to sit up. Dragging his feet to the small kitchen.
His movements were perfectly choreographed to the performance of a living dead in a very old movie.
With drowsiness he directed his distracted gaze to the time.
His expression had an immediate change.
"What...?"
He took a few steps closer. His attention multiplied.
The sun was already beginning to descend. His little adventure had apparently lasted longer than expected.
"Shit..."
He let himself fall heavily onto a chair. He recognized that he needed to stay calm.
He still remembered the announcement message, so he did not need to hurry. He opened his message tray almost by instinct.
He did not expect to find anything.
He had written to Noel several times during the last few days without receiving a response.
But his eyes were drawn to a small indicator resting in the upper corner of the screen.
It was a new message.
For an instant hope bloomed, removing all the remaining drowsiness.
Noel.
Gabriel immediately opened the conversation. With his heart beginning to increase its rhythm.
After disappearing for so long without answers, he had finally returned.
He did not believe a shit in the words of government agents.
But his expression soured, the message only expressed a line of words.
"They will come for you."
His hope lasted barely a second. It was corroded to the root, analyzing the message.
Then disappointment transformed into unease.
"What the fuck...?"
His mind began to work frantically. Those words were a warning.
Noel would not waste his words on a bad and useless tasteless joke.
His words contained a concise meaning. It was practically urgent.
Reviewing the events that had arisen with devastating force, he remembered those two men.
With official uniforms.
Their behavior was unrestrained and practically had no defense.
He stood up abruptly, but he did not have time to get dressed. Three dry knocks resounded on the door.
The apartment remained completely silent. He did not respond and avoided making the slightest possible noise.
The seconds began to play torturously.
Until the knocks returned. Stronger and with greater urgency.
"Government officials!"
The voice clearly pierced through the door.
"Open immediately!"
The interior of the apartment continued totally dead. There was no kind of secondary exit.
So he continued with his strategy of silence.
On the other side they stopped talking. Until a metallic sound was heard, with a slight buzz.
At that instant the lock gave way from the outside. The door began to open slowly with an unpleasant creak.
Two agents entered with perfectly coordinated movements.
Dark uniforms, hidden weapons, and professional gazes.
They inspected every corner before advancing. But at no moment did they see the figure hidden in the dark corner.
Gripping an old metal pipe in both hands, when the first agent finally entered with confidence, Gabriel unleashed all his strength.
With a dry sound, the agent fell heavily to the floor. His blow had impacted a protective helmet.
The second reacted professionally. Using his weapon, an intense blue flash illuminated the room.
Gabriel felt a discharge run through his entire body, with his muscles going numb.
The metal pipe fell from his hands a few seconds later.
Falling unconscious next to the other agent, who remained on the floor with moans of pain.
***
A pleasant aroma was the first thing he perceived.
A refined perfume of deep tones mixed with leather.
He slowly opened his eyes. The sensation surrounding him was unknown.
He was not in a bed or on the floor. He was reclining on wide leather seats.
When he tried to move his arms, he perceived that his wrists remained firmly restrained.
His ankles were no different.
An elegant automated car advanced silently along a highway.
At that instant he understood what situation he was in. Closing his eyes, opting to feign unconsciousness.
Voices came from the front seats.
"You got hit hard! In another era you would have been a sports star." Said a mature voice between laughs.
The companion let out a moan.
"That bastard almost left me with a concussion! I need ice, damn it."
With pain he brought a hand to his head.
The driver let out a laugh. He was an older man with broad experience.
"I think the little bastard can hear you. Next time perhaps he’ll hit even harder." He said smiling.
The injured agent snorted.
"I swear to you, M... Can we give him to the dogs when we’re done? You owe me a favor."
The driver laughed again.
Gabriel knew that continuing to feign was useless. They knew perfectly well that he was awake.
With his eyes open, his mouth naturally followed its course.
"You are kidnapping a civilian. That is damn illegal." His voice sounded dry.
The bandaged agent immediately turned.
"Illegal? The damn blow you gave me could send you straight to a cell, you piece of bastard!"
Gabriel was going to respond, when the driver calmly raised a hand.
"That’s enough. Both of you know that arguing is useless." His voice immediately recovered authority.
Both fell silent after his mediation.
Glancing fleetingly through the rearview mirror, he said:
"Do you really like behaving like a pair of bitches?"
Neither responded to his offense.
The injured agent because that man was his superior.
Gabriel because deep down he knew he was right.
With the adopted silence, only the exterior breeze could be heard slightly.
Finally the driver spoke again.
"We are doing you a favor, executioner."
He did not need an explanation to know they were referring to him. Probably because of the blow he had given his companion.
"Favor?" he asked.
The man nodded.
"Yes."
He kept his gaze fixed on the road.
"We are taking you to see your friend... Noel."
The calm suddenly disappeared from the car. His fatigue and irritation were displaced by a single emotion.
Shock.
Noel was still there and he would finally discover what had happened to him.
He would discover the secrets surrounding him.
Or perhaps he would die...