Bane jolted awake, a scream escaping from his throat before he even realized where he was.
Pain surged throughout his body like a wildfire, every inch of his skin screaming in pure agony. Bandages clung to his body, soaked with blood and sweat. He tried to move but, every time he tried, only pain followed.
"Ugh.. ughhh..", he groaned, rolling to his side. His flame flickering faintly on his fingertip, trembling.
Then, a voice echoed through the room.
"Bane, easy.", Kael said, "You've been out for almost a week."
Bane clenched his teeth, wincing as he opened his mouth. "The Abyssal..", his words barely escaping his mouth.
"It's dead." Kael interrupted, "and you survived. That is all that matters."
Bane swallowed, grimacing as he tried to stand up right. Every moment reminded him of his curse. Pain Amplification was no joke; even the smallest twitch felt like a blow from a hammer. He groaned, as he curled back to bed, failing to stand up right.
"You need to heal first. The trek can wait."
Bane's flame sputtered again, barely burning. He stared at it, frustrated.
"Get rest."
Heavy footsteps turned away, fading gradually, replaced by the distant drip of water from unseen cracks in the stone.
Bane listened keenly, until no more steps could be heard.
Only then, did the tension release.
Darkness then started to claim Bane again, until he couldn't fight back anymore, drifting back to sleep.
…
Bane's eyes snapped open.
The cave was deafeningly silent; only the faint murmur of the river and snoring from the other challengers breaking the stillness.
A small flame flickered to life on his fingertip with a thought. Ember Flame now responded more readily, steady and bright.
He forced himself upright, leaning on the bed upright, the pain being more bearable now.
"How long was I out?", he pondered, "More importantly did I level up after all that?… that'd make sense right?"
"Status", he willed.
─────────────────────────────
CHALLENGER STATUS
─────────────────────────────
Name: Bane Riven
Age: 16
Title: Slum Rat
─────────────────────────────
Stats
─────────────────────────────
Strength [F+]
Speed [F]
Defense [E]
Endurance [F]
Intelligence [F]
Charm [F]
─────────────────────────────
Abilities
─────────────────────────────
[ Will of Serun ] [?] - Level 0
(Description: ???)
[ Ember Flame ] (Attuned) [F] - Level 2
(Description: Emanates a flame from the fingertip; the flame is attuned to the user's will, can brighten and dim. The flame still is not capable of causing damage.
─────────────────────────────
Inventory
─────────────────────────────
Empty
─────────────────────────────
Curse
─────────────────────────────
[ Pain Amplification ] - All physical pain is magnified. Even the smallest scratch will cause excruciating pain - making every injury a severe hindrance.
─────────────────────────────
Gifts
─────────────────────────────
Empty
─────────────────────────────
Notes
─────────────────────────────
Pain Amplification causes extreme suffering, but enduring it makes the body adapt faster
─────────────────────────────
*
Bane started at the glowing, floating window, his eyes darting from section to section
..
"Wait a second.."
"I leveled up!", he yelled, "Defense is now at an E! I'm not a complete useless sack of shit!!".
He triumphed, with his flame flickering, "Take that Abyssal! Take that Pain Amplification! You can't keep me down forever!"
"Must've happened when I was asleep.", he lingered.
Then he paused, squinting at the rest of his stats
"The rest of them are still shit… At least strength went up a little.. "he gloomed. "A-aaand charm is still at a zero... wonderful."
Bane's eyes flicked down to the inventory section.
"…Ah." He winced slightly, then shrugged. "Rusted Sword… gone. Well it was useless anyway. Gonna need to get a new sword though.."
He leaned back slightly, letting the floating window hover in front of him. For a moment, he just stared at the window, taking it in.
A small smile tugged at his lips. "I'm actually… progressing. Slowly, but it's something."
He let out a long sigh of relief, letting the sensation of progress settle in him. His fingers twitched, and Ember Flame lit on his finger, and then flickered faintly in response, almost like it was cheering him on.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, his gaze caught the Notes section. The words about Pain Amplification.
"So… every bit of pain I feel..," he said slowly, voice tight. "Guess that explains the defense bump…".
He leaned back on the bed, letting the faint glow of Ember Flame dance on the walls. For a moment, he just breathed, letting the quiet settle around him.
…
Slowly, his eyes drifted towards the cracked, grimy mirror propped against the wall.
Bane then hesitantly stood up and went over to the mirror.
In front of him, his reflection stared back.
His black hair was tangled, matted and streaked with grime. Bruises and cuts covered his face; but, there was something else..
A jagged scar ran from just under his eye towards his mouth. A souvenir from the fight with the Abyssal.
His eyes, sharp and black even through his exhaustion. His frame, scrawny with wiry bones.
He then moved his fingers up to the mirror with Ember flame dancing atop - the light flickering over his pale skin.
"Wait… what the hell?" he muttered, blinking at the scar. "…That actually… looks kinda badass?"
Bane lingered in front of the mirror, tracing the scar with his finger - the line marked his cheek.
A small, reluctant smirk tugged at his lips. "Well… not completely useless, I guess."
The cave's air and the grime on him reminded him that he hasn't had a shower since he entered the Liminal.
With a groan, he stripped down and stepped under the water that was dripping from the cave roof.
Dressed and cleaner, Bane stepped quietly towards the cave exit, mindful to not wake up anyone.
The night outside was cool with the moonlight spilling over the rocks and glinting off the river. And then he noticed her.
"You're awake."
He froze. A figure stood near the shallow water, black hair falling straight from her shoulders; her chartreuse eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"... Who are you?" Bane asked, his voice tighter than he thought.
"I'm Myra, I'm a part of the Sigil.", she said calmly.
Bane traced her frame. Slim. But the way she held herself made it clear to him that she was strong.
"You stare a lot for someone who just woke up", she said.
Bane darted his gaze back to her face, face blushing. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I've just never seen you before".
She arched her eyebrow, a faint smirk emerging from her lips. "Hmmmm, so you think I'm interesting?"
Bane froze, hands hovering in front of him "N-no! Sorry! I just.. Uh.. there's just not that many girls around, I guess.."
She tilted her head, "Relax… I was only messing with you"
Bane let out a small, shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "…Right. Yeah… okay."
He glanced at the river, "Uh.. why are you even up at this time?"
She let her gaze drift across the water. "The Hollow Reach changes people, keeps some of us awake. Makes you remember things that you want to desperately forget. She paused, letting her words resonate for a moment, "…and sometimes, about the way things started here…"
Bane hesitated, unsure how to respond. She shaked her head, a faint smirk returning.
"Sorry, didn't mean to dump that on you."
"No, it's okay," he said softly. "You can speak to me anytime, Myra. I don't mind."
She blinked, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
He swallowed, staring at the river. "I get it. I didn't really have anyone, my dad left before I could remember and, my mom… she drank and got violent. I was on my own from the age of ten years old."
She stayed quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in. Her eyes softened slightly, "That.. sounds rough", the words finally escaping finally. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Alright… get some sleep, Bane. You've got work ahead of you tomorrow", she said softly.
Her eyes linger on him for a moment, acknowledging him, and then she turns around, walking back to the cave.
Bane watched her go, the night settling around him. For the first time in days, the quiet didn't feel empty.