Ascension Beyond Mortality

By the time the emergency response teams arrived, Elior and Lisa were gone.

They slipped out the back alley just before the police cordoned off the building. Elior pulled his hood low, his body trembling from the adrenaline crash.

Every muscle ached. His skin felt like it was vibrating. The glow in his chest—the one that surged during the fight—was still there, but faint. Like coals after a wildfire.

They reached a quiet street. Lisa grabbed his arm and yanked him to face her.

“You need to tell me everything. Now.”

Elior hesitated. How could he explain the system, the black card, the fire hound, the strange people in suits, and now this parasite?

Instead, he asked, “Have you ever heard of system awakenings… being artificial?”

She blinked. “What?”

“Like, someone giving a system to a person who was never meant to have it.”

Lisa didn’t answer right away.

“I’ve heard rumors,” she finally said. “Most awakenings are natural. People are born with the potential, or it triggers under pressure. But… there’s always been talk of injected systems. Forbidden ones. Black-tier tech.”

“That’s what this feels like,” Elior muttered. “Like something was forced into me. It’s changing everything.”

Suddenly, he stumbled—grabbing a wall for support.

A warning blinked in his mind.

[System Energy Depleted – Recovery Mode Engaged] [Combat Overload Detected – 38% Cellular Stress] [Stamina: Critically Low]

He fell to his knees.

Lisa knelt beside him. “Elior?!”

He didn

’t respond. Everything went dark.