The nocturnal silence had settled over the Takagi estate, now a disciplined fortress. Searchlights swept across the walls, and droids patrolled the corridors.
In the heart of his private quarters, Aurélien Yamamoto slept, his features drawn from exhaustion, a half-opened schematic of the D79 Pelican lying beside him. Sleep took him without warning.
When he reopened his eyes, he was somewhere else.
Not in his room. Not in reality.
Suddenly, he found himself in a place that was nowhere.
The sky above him was a fractured dome, tinted with deep reds, iridescent purples, flames, and shifting shadows. The ground beneath his feet was ruin and bone. The world around him seemed built of contradictions: burning and freezing; silent and screaming. The wind sang words he could not understand, yet they chilled his soul.
"At last... the forgemaster's spirit stands alone before the infinite."A soft, languid voice caressed his thoughts. A fluid silhouette appeared. She was beautiful—too beautiful. Her form defied human biology, ever-shifting, seductive, disturbing."You have suffered, Aurélien. You have sacrificed, built, fought. You deserve more. Come. Let me offer you what you desire most. Admiration. Pleasure. The fulfillment of all dreams."
"Who are you?" he asked, unable to look away.
"You already know, in your heart. I am what your desire dares not name. I am all that you could be... if only you stopped chaining yourself."She extended a hand."Poor child, lost in the desert of logic... Don't you feel your heart beat? The warmth of desire, the passion of the living?"
"Forget the cold of your machines. Feel. Live. Take. You could rule entire worlds... surrounded by devoted lovers, masterpieces of flesh and spirit."
He stepped back, heart pounding but gaze unwavering."You mistake refinement for weakness. I have no use for pleasures that would devour me."
The creature blinked, wounded, then laughed softly before dissolving into a cascade of pink mist.
A vile cold took her place.
The landscape changed violently. Bloated swamps emerged, trees dripping with pus. In the distance, deformed children danced naked, singing a funeral dirge.
Something slowly rose from the waters. Huge, oozing, its eyes glowed with sick compassion.
"Why exhaust yourself, my son? All is suffering, and duty is your only comfort. Come into my arms. Accept my blessing. You will never again feel fear or pain. Only acceptance. Eternity. Why break yourself to protect a humanity fated to suffer? Accept my blessing. Offer it to your people. They will live forever... in the harmony of decay."
Aurélien felt a wave of nausea."You speak of peace, but I see only ruin and rot."
The giant sighed in disappointment, like a parent before a disobedient child, then vanished in a burst of spores.
The sky turned blood red.
A roar shattered the air, and the landscape ignited. Mountains of skulls rose, screaming warriors butchered each other in an orgy of blood and steel. A colossus clad in brass armor appeared in a flash, his face masked behind a horned visor. A massive two-handed axe lay before him.
"You are a warrior. Stop denying it. Combat is your essence. Victory, your drug. Renounce your chains. Take this axe and lead armies. Why waste time building fortresses, organizing troops, hiding behind ideas? Come to me. Seize your destiny. Fight. Kill. Become the warlord you secretly dream to be. You will no longer need to doubt. No more thinking. Just cutting."
Aurélien felt a surge of adrenaline. He saw himself atop a mountain of skulls, enemies crushed by his will. But he shook his head.
"War is a tool. Not an end. I refuse to become its slave."
The giant roared, and the axe came down... but struck only air.
The world faltered.
A burst of blue energy filled the sky. Changing symbols floated around him, etched into the air. A voice, sinuous and manifold, rose. It had no shape—just an eye opening in the sky, and a thousand voices at once.
"Interesting. Very interesting. You refuse rage, death, and ecstasy. Perhaps you would accept knowledge. Change. The power to understand what others ignore... You'll no longer need faith. You will be the one who knows. Who sees the past and the future. Ah... You. The little architect of renewal. The dreamer. I offer you my knowledge, my arcana, my secrets. Your machines will move by your will. Your plans will come to life. You will have no limits."
A rain of images fell: ancient secrets, structures of the universe, forbidden formulas. He was nearly intoxicated.
But he whispered,"Knowledge without wisdom is a curse. I refuse your poison."
The symbols fractured, the voices growled.
The landscape bent, screamed.
The four entities, displeased, returned—this time united. The ground split beneath Aurélien. Black chains erupted to seize him. He felt a presence trying to enter his mind, to twist it, reshape it. He screamed without a mouth. A foreign voice rumbled within, seeking to take his place."You could have ruled, mortal. So now you shall serve. Your soul is but a toy in our eyes. Submit—or become our puppet."
Darkness closed around him. The shadow entered his flesh. His bones burned, his thoughts scattered.
And then…
A light.
Brutal. Golden. Unyielding.
It tore the heavens.
A total silence fell.
The creatures screamed. They scattered like leaves before a solar storm. The light imposed itself—blessed, perfect. It enveloped him, freed him.
And a voice spoke.
Calm. Solemn.
"You are not ready yet. But this is a good beginning."
Then... nothing.
Aurélien woke with a start.
He was panting. His bed soaked in sweat. The first light of dawn filtered through the curtains of his room.
Saeko, beside him, opened her eyes, concerned."You had a nightmare?"
He remained silent for a moment, then answered in a grave voice,"Not a nightmare. A warning."
She gently placed a hand on his cheek."You're not alone, my love."
He looked at her… and slowly nodded."No. But I must prepare. Because what's coming... surpasses anything this world has ever known."
Author: First attempt at corruption, but does Chaos give up easily?