The sound of my alarm jolted me awake. I cursed under my breath, realizing I'd overslept. Grabbing my backpack and keys, I headed out, the tension of the night settling over me like a storm cloud.
Rain started to fall, light at first but steadily growing heavier as I raced through the streets. My bike cut through the storm, water spraying up from the wheels. My heart pounded, not just from exertion but from the gnawing feeling that I shouldn't step out of the house today.
My red jacket clung to me, the hood pulled low over my face. The rain blurred my vision, but I moved with precision, weaving through alleys and side streets. When I reached the docks it was 11:20 pm, 5 minutes late as the rain had turned into a relentless downpour.
The docks were desolate, illuminated by sparse, flickering lights. Shipping containers towered around me, and the air smelled of salt and rust. I stood by the gate, shifting my weight impatiently. Water dripped from my hood as I muttered to myself, cursing the weather and the job. I checked my watch, the minutes dragging on. Did I get here too late?
Suddenly, a vibration in my pocket startled me. I pulled out my phone to see a new message from an unknown number telling me where to go next.
I stared at the screen, rereading the message. I clenched my jaw, my stomach tightening. Whatever was in this package, it was my job to get it there. I pocketed the phone, ignoring the pit forming in my gut.
Suddenly, a thud startled me, breaking the rhythm of the rain. I spin around to see a small box lying at my feet. It must have been tossed over the gate, landing hard enough to crack the cardboard open slightly.
I froze, glancing over my shoulder as if someone might be watching. The dock was empty, but the feeling of being exposed gnawed at me. My instincts screamed to grab the box and go, but my gaze lingered on the slight opening. I told myself to leave it alone—I never looked at the stuff I delivered. It was an unspoken rule, a line I didn't cross.
But tonight felt different. The silence seemed heavier, the rain colder.
I crouched down, hesitating as my fingers hovered over the damp cardboard. My stomach churned with unease.
I trust Denny. He's the local drug dealer, sure, but he's my best friend. I've known him too long to believe he'd ever put me in danger. But this time, curiosity got the better of me.
I peeled the cardboard back, just enough to peek inside. My breath hitched.
Inside was a smaller black case, its surface etched with crimson patterns that seemed alive, twisting and shifting as the dim light hit them. My pulse quickened. It didn't look like anything I'd ever seen.
The box was cracked open just enough to reveal what was inside: a ring. A black ring with intricate red etchings that wrapped around it like veins. I reached for it, my hand trembling as I pulled it free.
It felt heavier than it should, as though it carried something unseen. The red patterns seemed to glow faintly, almost pulsing in time with my heartbeat.
W-what the?
My instincts screamed at me to put it back and walk away, but I couldn't shake the pull it had over me. I held the ring closer, turning it over in my hand. It looked priceless—too valuable to end up here.
Before I could process anything further, a sharp voice cut through the air, slicing through the quiet like a blade.
"What are you doing here?"
I flinched, shoving the ring into my pocket and whipping around.
"Hey kid, I asked you a question. What are you doing here?" A cop.
My heart skipped. I shoved the ring into my pocket and quickly tossed the box back into my backpack.
I turned to see a cop approaching, flashlight in hand. His demeanor was tense, his hand resting on his belt. "Where are you heading to? ID, now."
I frowned, my mind racing. "I was just passing through," I said, my tone dismissive. Signaling if i can leave now. The officer's eyes narrowed, his hand motioning me to stop.
"Passing through, huh? This area's off-limits. We've had break-ins around here. Where are you coming from?" He stepped closer, suspicion dripping from his voice.
Before I could respond, he grabbed my backpack. "What's in here?"
My heart hammered as I yanked it back. "Hey, hands off! That's mine."
The cop's demeanor hardened. He turned to his partner and gave a quick nod before facing me again.
"Open it. Now."
I tightened my grip on the bag, trying to stay composed.
The cop glanced inside, then met my eyes, his gaze sharp. I could feel the tension rising. My mind screamed at me to stay calm.
I noticed the other cop standing by the patrol car, hand near his holster, ready to move.
Cops are just another gang in this city, I reminded myself—just more organized, more public. I had to be careful.
As I kept my eyes locked on the officer in front of me, I saw his expression change. He was looking at the bag too long now, and I could see him reaching for his own holster. The shift in his stance made my blood run cold.
"Where's the ring?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
It hit me then—how deep I was in.
The cop's hand was already on his gun. My instincts kicked in before I even thought it through. I shoved him back, adrenaline flooding my veins, and without a second thought, I leapt onto my bike.
"Stop!" the officer shouted, drawing his weapon. But I was already pedaling away, the sound of the wheels slicing through puddles.
The cop jumped into his car, engine roaring to life. My heart raced as I weaved through the streets, breath coming in sharp bursts. The patrol car closed in, its headlights flooding the alley. With a sudden swerve, the car clipped my bike, sending me sprawling onto the sidewalk.
Pain shot through me, but I scrambled to my feet, abandoning the bike as I bolted down an alley. Behind me, one of the officers yells "He's on foot! Cut him off!"
My legs burned as I sprinted, the rain soaking me to the bone. Panic clawed at my thoughts as I turned a corner, my mind snapping back to the present, the scene merging seamlessly with the beginning of my desperate flight.
"He's turning on 36th Street!"
Each step I take splashing through puddles as I desperately try to outrun them. My heart pounds in rhythm with the downpour.
I throw my arms over my face, instinctively shutting my eyes. A red blinding light explodes around me, its glow emerging through the rain-soaked darkness. The warmth hits me first—a searing heat that burns through my closed eyelids, making my skin tingle, my heart racing in time with the pulse of the light.
Everything dissolves—the rain, the pavement, the cop—swallowed by the intense glow. The world warps around me; the air feels like it's bending. The rain turns to liquid fire, burning through the air like acid, stinging my skin. The street beneath my feet feels alive, shifting and pulling, warping into something unfamiliar.
Then, without warning, the glow tightens around me, pulling me in. My body goes rigid, every muscle locking in place. The buzzing intensifies, drowning out everything else.
I struggle to fight it, to move, but it feels like I'm sinking into a darkness that wants to swallow me whole. I reach for the glow ahead, flickering farther and farther away. Desperate, I claw at the air—grasping for anything to keep from being consumed.
My fingers brush the light.
Warmth floods through me—then heat, searing and sudden, surging through my entire body like fire in my veins.
And then—everything goes black.
[̥̪̦͋͋͊T̹̅c͎̩̼̓̉͡h̗̝̤̠̠̋̅̓́̚.̹̘̼̱̇̾̎̚ ̳̱̋̆L̻̰̲͗͒̆o͘͟ơ̡̛͔͙̗̊͝k̞̈̕͢ ͍̫̭͉̥͛͆͌̈́͞aṱ̘̙̥̅̃̀̆ ý͈̞̍oụ̓,̡̹̬͂͊̏͌̋͜ͅ ś̭̬̥̟̎̀͠p͙͗ṛ̢̐̈a̡̱͉͎̓̉̃̎w̤͆̑͢l͚͕̔͊ḗ̲͇d̳̃ ͔͎͖̾̓̿͑͟ou̡̧̲͗́̀͟͠ť͔ ͇͉̥̒́̃͡l̗̖̄̈ ͔͚̀͐i ̣͉̇̊k͎̞̪̃͝͝ẽ̢̖̜͈̩̿͐͑́ ̧̠̤̫̋͑͛̂s̯̥̐̏̿̚͢͢o̦͓̼̗̹͂̄̂͊͝ ́ͅmȇ̢ ̧̣͙̳͈̫͆̀̉͊̋̌͜͡deą̛̭͆ḓ̛̜͕̃̆̓̕͜͟ ̙̙̼̟͆͑̿̔ḑ̭̙̹́̉͌͞og͖̠͗̓. ̢̯̺̎̋̀̒͢W͍͛a̙̖̐͞k̯̣͙̹͗͆̂̃ẽ͔ ̡̛̹͖͗͡up̧̢͔̭̓̐́́ ̲̋̍͜à̠̰̤͆̀͜͡l̟͇̻͆͋̂͗͜r͔̚e̙̭̮̪̾́̓̀ã̳dỳ̨̮̤̼̆͂̋—̤̔y̼̯̩̑̽̂ǫ͉̱̉̓̊u'̧̆r͓̖͈̎̕͡e̮͚͎̅̈̓ ̨̻̓̈́͆ͅi̧̞̜͒̐̾n͉̘͚͇̽̽̈̿͜͞ ͖̯̲͉̀̇̏̎ṫ͖̘͊̎͜hė̗̫̯̤̉̀͡ ̢̻͆̓p̥̪͓̑͆̕ṟ̲̎͗e̺̰̫͐̒̽sê̯̺͆n̝̟̲͍̈́̇̾͞c̛͕̉͜e̗̗̱̿͂͒̽͟ ̳̼͚̄̒́o̩̜̭̓̚͞f̭̞͔̌͑͋..]̨̲̖̘͋̌̏̕͢͞
[Synchronizing]
Initiating Process…
[Myth Synchronization]
Inheritor: Jayden Thompson
[Error…]
[Error…]
Inheritance Code name: Hero of the Epic
Compatibility: [Error…]
Synthesis: 000.8%
[Error…]
.
.
[Error…Inheritor Synthesis has been stopped]
[Re-Synchronizing…1%]