My body remained still, but my mind screamed. This was it. The time to act. My moment for a truly dramatic re-entry into the land of the living.
The spectral chill that had brushed my face wasn't merely the crypt's inherent dampness. It was a premonition, a warning. My system, still recovering from the simulated death, screamed. My eyes, still locked in a lifeless stare, registered the flickering blue of the torchlight. This was no time for subtlety.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
CORPSE STATUS: Dispelled.
GHOST DETECTION: Confirmed.
AUTO-SPRINT ENGAGED.
STAMINA BOOST: +10.
EVASION BONUS (Passive): "NO THANKS, DEATH!" Activated.
My body, previously a stiff, inert mass, suddenly convulsed with life. I jerked upright, a gasp tearing through my lips, and with a guttural cry of pure, unadulterated defiance, I ripped the burial shroud from my form. It fell to the marble slab in a silken heap, an empty shell of my recent charade.
My bare feet slapped against the cold stone floor as I launched myself into a desperate sprint. The crypt, previously a place of quiet reverence, was now a labyrinth of echoing dread. Somewhere behind me, the air crackled with a malevolent energy, a chilling shriek tearing through the silence.
Warden: "THE DEAD DO NOT WALK TWICE!"
Do not walk twice.what the hell...I am running idiot!
The torches around the crypt hall spontaneously exploded in bursts of eerie blue flame, casting grotesque, shifting shadows that danced like tormented spirits. The spectral warden's rage was palpable, a cold, suffocating pressure in the air.
[Fun fact: The Spectral Warden is a former executioner. Mood swings are permanent.
Current Goal: OUTRUN. DO NOT TURN AROUND.]
I didn't need to be told twice. My legs pumped, each step a desperate plea for speed. I saw it then – a small, iron gate, slightly ajar, almost swallowed by the shadows of a rear corridor. It looked like a forgotten service entrance, perhaps used by crypt keepers, or, in my case, escapee corpses. Five stars for convenience, I thought, a hysterical laugh bubbling up in my throat.
I crashed through the opening, the rusty hinges groaning in protest, and tumbled headlong into a narrow, moss-covered passageway. The air here was still cold, but it lacked the suffocating, ancient chill of the crypts. Behind me, the enraged howl of the Warden faded, replaced by the faint clatter of dislodged stones.
I scrambled to my feet, leaning against the damp stone wall, my lungs burning, heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. My legs ached, my entire body trembling with the aftershocks of the Venomthorn and the adrenaline. But I was alive. And more importantly, I was out.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Fate Divergence: Chapter 3 – "Death-Defying Disruptor"
New Quest Tree Unlocked: The Seraphine Rewrite Arc
Main Quest: Assume a new identity before sunrise.
You're officially dead. Use this to your advantage.
Side Quest: Seek out the Duke of Shadows (Cassian).
He suspects the truth. He may become an ally... or your doom.
I gulped in lungfuls of the cool, fresh air, tasting damp earth and something sweet, like night-blooming jasmine. Above me, the palace still buzzed with muted sounds, oblivious to the dramatic resurrection that had just occurred beneath its foundations. They thought I was gone. Dead. And the plot? It was already veering wildly off course.
My thoughts turned to Duke Cassian. What if she wasn't Seraphine at all? What if something older wore her face? His words. He hadn't been fooled by my 'death.' He suspected. And if he suspected something supernatural, something 'older,' he might just be the key to understanding this world, and my place in it. Besides, a powerful duke who might actually believe me? Far better than facing Alaric and Elowen, who were far too invested in their own perfect narrative.
And… Whatever, let's just go, put my life in his hands I guess.
The thought, half-jest, half-instinct, sprang unbidden to mind. Nothing like courting danger and a dangerously attractive duke at the same time. The System seemed to agree.
Duke cassian I am coming!