Incubus Ascension

The forest blurred into streaks of shadow and jagged branches as Liam sprinted deeper into the unknown, lungs burning, heart hammering against his ribs like it wanted out. Behind him, the shouts of the two pursuers sliced through the air—harsh, mocking words he refused to let slow him down. ’Not stopping. Not now. The girls made it across. That’s what matters.’ His boots slammed against roots and uneven ground, each step a desperate prayer that he could buy them just a little more time.

He ignored the taunts, pushing harder, muscles screaming. Then the air changed. The ground felt different underfoot—darker, almost pulsing with warning. Liam risked a glance over his shoulder. The two men had stopped dead at the edge of whatever line he had crossed, their faces twisted not with triumph but with something sharper: fear.

Bewilderment flashed across Liam’s face. ’Why the hell did they stop?’ He whipped his head forward again. The air ahead shimmered, thick and unnatural, swirling with sickly green smoke that clung to the trees like living poison. "Shit—" The curse barely left his lips before the mist hit him full force. His eyes stung, his throat seized, and the world tilted violently. Strength drained from his limbs as if someone had cut invisible strings. He dropped like a broken puppet, crashing into the undergrowth, consciousness slipping away in a haze of burning pain.

The green mist was infamous—a toxic barrier the town used to keep out intruders. It struck normal humans almost instantly, but its effect weakened against those with strong vitality or special constitutions. Monsters barely noticed it. As a Chosen One, though, the mist slammed into Liam far harder than most, twisting in his veins like liquid fire.

From the edge of the zone, one pursuer shouted, voice thick with anger and uneasy relief. "Idiot! That’s the Green Death Zone! Even we don’t enter that cursed place!"

The other spat on the ground. "Let the mist finish him. Saves us the trouble. No one comes back from there alive."

Liam’s fading mind caught the words. They had driven him here on purpose. ’Bastards... all of it planned.’ Darkness swallowed him.

---

Meanwhile, on the safer side of the continent, Ast, Olivia, Pyra, and Beatrix finally slowed, chests heaving as they broke through the treeline. The air felt lighter here, the distant hum of safety replacing the chaos they had fled. They exchanged exhausted glances and let out long, shaky breaths.

"We made it," Olivia whispered, wiping sweat from her brow. For a moment, relief softened the hard lines of worry on all their faces.

Two hours dragged by as they waited at the edge, eyes fixed on the path they had taken. No sign of Liam. The silence grew heavier with each passing minute, tension coiling tighter in their stomachs.

"We can’t just sit here," Ast said finally, voice steady but edged with concern. "He should have caught up by now."

They retraced their steps, moving carefully back toward the main continent. Soon they found the scattered footprints of the town’s pursuers—many boots, moving fast. The group tracks eventually stopped. Only one set continued forward, deeper into dangerous territory.

Ast crouched, tracing the lone prints with her fingers. Her expression tightened. "These are Liam’s. He kept running... straight into the zone."

Olivia’s gaze flicked toward the hazy green horizon. "There must have been a good reason the townspeople stopped chasing him there."

Ast nodded. "We can try and check. Carefully."

Beatrix stepped forward, rolling her shoulders. "I’m the fastest one here. I’ll run in, and if it feels wrong, I’ll pull back. Wait for my signal."

The others nodded, trust and worry mingling in their eyes. Beatrix took off like a shadow, weaving through the trees until the green mist thickened around her. She pushed on, heart pounding, until she spotted him—Liam, crumpled on the ground like discarded wreckage.

She dropped beside him, slinging his limp body over her shoulder with a grunt. "Come on, you stubborn fool." Turning back, she began the desperate sprint out. The mist swirled thicker now, clinging to her skin. She accidentally inhaled a lungful. A heavy drowsiness slammed into her almost immediately, making her steps falter. ’Damn it... pushing through.’

On her shoulder, Liam’s eyes suddenly snapped open. His body still felt like lead, but being carried out of the thickest concentration of mist triggered something deep inside—his unique regeneration as the Chosen One stirring weakly to life. He found Beatrix’s determined face inches away.

"How... how did you not lose consciousness?" he asked, voice weak and rasping.

Beatrix gritted her teeth, another wave of sleepiness pulling at her eyelids. "I’m just pushing myself. Already feel sleepy... Damn it, it’s weaker on me because of my succubus blood, but I won’t last long!"

They burst out of the zone together, the green haze thinning behind them. The other girls rushed forward, helping lower Liam to the ground as he steadied himself.

"Are the town people gone?" Liam asked, scanning the trees warily.

The girls nodded. Relief flickered across his face for a heartbeat, quickly replaced by something heavier—defeat mixed with quiet anger. He looked at each of them, really looked: the exhaustion in their eyes, the loyalty that had brought them back for him. It hit him hard. These weren’t just companions anymore. They were risking everything.

"It seems the Chosen One is unwanted here," he said quietly, voice rough. "Kill on sight. Do you still want to follow me? Even here, you guys could be killed because of me."

The girls took a moment, exchanging glances that carried the weight of everything they had already survived together. Ast spoke first, firm. "We’re already in this together. Hated or not, that doesn’t change it."

Liam nodded slowly, gratitude warming his chest despite the fear gnawing at his gut. ’They’re choosing this. Choosing me.’ He straightened. "Then we need a way to enter the town. I think you guys would be able to get in—except me, Ast, and Beatrix. Olivia and Pyra should go first. Collect information on why I’m being targeted. Or... wait. I’ll come with you eventually, but we’ll need to smuggle me in. Be alert. Don’t trust anyone."

Olivia and Pyra nodded. As the only full humans in the group, the barrier probably wouldn’t stop them. Liam gave them one last steady look. "Stay safe."

They moved together through the bushes until they reached the edge near the town wall. Pyra and Olivia stepped forward. A green light swept over them, scanning. After a tense second, it allowed them through.

Liam checked his watch, jaw tight. "Thirty minutes. That’s how long we’ve got before we try breaking the barrier from inside if needed."

---

Inside the town, Olivia and Pyra’s eyes widened. The streets gleamed with impossible advancement—everything automated, smooth, effortless. No cluttered market stalls, just sleek machines dispensing whatever people needed. Life here looked easy, almost utopian compared to the scraps they had known. For a moment, the wonder nearly distracted them.

Olivia grabbed Pyra’s arm. "It’s not the time for this. We need to destroy the barrier so Liam can enter."

Pyra nodded sharply. "We have to get to the control room and disable it. Then the barrier comes down naturally."

Olivia glanced around. "How do we even find it?"

Pyra scanned the signs and spotted one pointing toward the archive. "There. We might find maps or info."

They hurried to the archive building. The door scanned them, but instead of the welcoming green light, a mechanical voice intoned, "Denied access."

Before they could react, a townsperson approached, pulled out a card, and held it up. The door scanned it and slid open smoothly.

Olivia whispered, "We’ve got our answer. We need two cards like that."

Pyra’s expression hardened. "Kidnapping would be too dangerous. Let’s steal them."

They waited. A man walked toward the archive. Olivia "accidentally" bumped into him, her fingers deftly slipping the card from his pocket. Moments later, Pyra did the same with another resident. Heartbeats racing, they held up the stolen cards. The door accepted them.

Inside, the archive stretched out like a library wearing futuristic skin—rows of glowing terminals and neatly organized data crystals. Pyra moved quickly to the maps section and pulled up a detailed layout of the town. Both girls studied it, committing the location to memory.

The control room sat inside the police station.

Their faces fell into matching grim expressions. Breaking into that would be no small feat.

They rose without a word and headed toward the police station, sticking to side paths. As they drew closer, they noticed something unsettling: the station wasn’t manned by humans. Rows of efficient-looking robots patrolled and stood guard.

Olivia muttered, "How are we supposed to get in? How do you even trick a robot?"

Pyra approached the nearest one with confident strides. "Sorry, sir, but my friend and I are scientists studying advanced mechanics. We’d like to take a look at the control room."

The robot’s sensors focused on them. "Identify, please."

Both girls froze, faces tightening. Pyra tugged Olivia’s sleeve, mind racing. They stammered, "We... forgot to bring our identification with us."

The robot remained impassive. "I cannot let unidentified individuals enter."

Olivia and Pyra exchanged a hard look, the weight of the mission—and Liam waiting outside—pressing down on them.