Capítulo 3: Alpha’s Awakening
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long, creeping shadows over the Kageno estate. Cid Kageno stood at the edge of the forest that bordered his family's lands, watching the fading daylight disappear behind the towering trees. It had been a few months since his reincarnation into this world—a world of magic, mystery, and hidden dangers. His training had advanced, his control over shadow magic had grown, and he had begun laying the groundwork for what would eventually become his secret organization: Shadow Garden.
Yet, for all his progress, there was a part of him that felt… incomplete. He knew the battles ahead would be dangerous, and while he could rely on his growing strength, he couldn't do it alone. He needed allies, people who could help him fight from the shadows, who understood the world beyond what was visible to most.
As he stared into the darkness of the forest, something stirred inside him—a familiar sensation, almost like a whisper on the wind. A faint echo of magic. He had felt it earlier that day, a presence lurking on the fringes of his awareness. There was something—or someone—hidden in the woods, and whatever it was, it wasn't ordinary.
Cid's eyes narrowed. This world was full of strange and dangerous forces, but he had a feeling this was different. The magic felt… unstable, like it was on the verge of spiraling out of control. If he was right, there was a chance that someone needed help.
Without hesitation, Cid moved silently into the forest, his body slipping into the shadows as naturally as if he had been born there. He had practiced this countless times—becoming invisible in the darkness, moving unseen, unheard. His power wasn't yet perfect, but it was enough to make him a ghost in the woods.
The closer he got to the source of the disturbance, the more intense the feeling of magic became. It was wild, like a storm barely contained within a fragile vessel. The air crackled with energy, and Cid could sense that something—or someone—was about to break.
---
After what felt like hours of navigating through the dense forest, Cid finally stumbled upon the source of the disturbance. There, in a small clearing bathed in the soft light of the setting sun, lay a young girl. She couldn't have been older than Cid himself, perhaps around thirteen or fourteen, though her body was unnaturally thin and pale. Her long blonde hair spilled across the grass like liquid gold, and her clothes—once elegant and expensive—were now torn and stained with dirt.
But what caught Cid's attention more than anything was the magic that surrounded her. It oozed from her body, wild and uncontrolled, like a dam that had burst. Dark veins of energy pulsed beneath her skin, twisting and writhing as if they were alive. It was obvious that she was in pain—her face twisted in a grimace, her eyes clenched shut, and her breathing shallow and erratic.
Cid knelt beside her, carefully observing her condition. This was no ordinary sickness. The dark energy running through her veins wasn't just magic—it was something far more dangerous. A curse, perhaps. No, something worse than a curse. It was as if her very soul was being consumed by the darkness, slowly unraveling from the inside out.
For a moment, Cid hesitated. This girl was a stranger, and whatever affliction had taken hold of her was beyond anything he had encountered before. But the kindness in him—the part of him that refused to let people suffer—overpowered any doubts he had.
He gently reached out and placed his hand on her forehead, channeling his own magic to steady the wild currents coursing through her body. The moment their energies connected, Cid felt a surge of power—an ancient, primal force buried deep within the girl, struggling to break free.
Her eyes shot open, a brilliant blue that seemed to glow in the fading light. She gasped, her body trembling violently as if something inside her had been awakened. For a brief moment, their gazes locked, and in that instant, Cid understood. This girl wasn't just a victim of dark magic. She was something more.
"Who are you?" the girl whispered, her voice barely audible. "What… what's happening to me?"
---
"My name is Cid," he said softly, keeping his voice calm and steady. "I don't know exactly what's happening to you, but I can help."
The girl blinked, confusion and fear swirling in her eyes. "Help… me? But… I'm—" Her words trailed off as a wave of pain washed over her, her body convulsing again as the dark energy surged.
"Stay still," Cid instructed, focusing his magic once more. He concentrated on stabilizing the flow of energy, trying to keep it from tearing her apart. It was no easy task. The darkness inside her was unlike anything he had encountered before. It was almost… sentient, as though it had a mind of its own. But Cid was determined. He had come too far to walk away now.
As he worked, he spoke again, trying to keep the girl conscious. "What's your name?"
The girl hesitated for a moment, her eyes glazing over as if the pain was too much for her to bear. But then, with a shaky breath, she whispered, "Alpha. I… I think that's my name. At least, it's what I remember."
"Alpha," Cid repeated, nodding slowly. "Well, Alpha, you're not alone. I'm going to get you through this."
Her eyes widened slightly at his words. For the first time since he had found her, a flicker of hope sparked in her gaze. She didn't know who Cid was or why he was helping her, but in that moment, it didn't matter. He was the only one who could save her.
---
As Cid continued to stabilize Alpha's magic, he began to piece together the situation. The symptoms, the uncontrollable magic, the dark energy—it all pointed to one thing: the Diabolos Curse. He had read about it in the lore of this world. The curse was the result of an ancient experiment by the Diabolos Cult, a secret organization that had been manipulating events from the shadows for centuries.
The cult's goal was to harness the power of long-extinct beings known as the Heroes, who had once fought against the forces of darkness in a distant age. Through twisted experiments, the cult had created a curse that bonded their victims to fragments of this ancient power. But the curse came at a terrible price. Those afflicted by it were slowly consumed by the darkness, their minds and bodies twisted into monstrous forms known as Demons.
Alpha was one of the afflicted. The dark veins crawling beneath her skin were a clear sign that the curse was progressing, and if left unchecked, she would eventually lose herself to the madness. But there was something different about her. Unlike the other cursed individuals Cid had read about, Alpha's body hadn't fully succumbed to the curse. There was still a spark of resistance within her—a strength that kept the darkness at bay, if only barely.
"Alpha," Cid said quietly, his hands still glowing with magic as he worked to stabilize her condition. "I know what's happening to you. The curse… it's something called the Diabolos Curse."
She looked at him, her eyes wide with fear. "Diabolos…? The curse that turns people into monsters?"
Cid nodded. "Yes. But you're not beyond saving. I can help you control it. Together, we can fight it."
For a long moment, Alpha said nothing, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she nodded. "I don't want to become a monster," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please… help me."
Cid's resolve hardened. He had come to this world with a purpose—to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, to fight against the darkness that threatened to consume everything. Alpha was his first real test. If he could save her, if he could break the curse's hold on her, then perhaps he could build something greater—an organization dedicated to fighting the shadows, to preventing the rise of the Diabolos Cult.
---
As the sun sank below the horizon, Cid continued his work, guiding Alpha through the worst of the curse's grip. Hours passed, and by the time the moon had risen high in the sky, Alpha's condition had stabilized. The dark veins beneath her skin had faded, and the wild magic that had once threatened to consume her was now under control.
Alpha sat up slowly, her body weak but no longer in pain. She looked at Cid, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. "You… really saved me," she whispered. "I don't know how, but… thank you."
Cid smiled faintly, shaking his head. "You don't need to thank me. I just did what I had to do."
For a moment, they sat in silence, the cool night air washing over them. Then, Alpha spoke again, her voice hesitant. "What happens now? Am I still cursed?"
"The curse is still there," Cid admitted, "but it's under control—for now. You're stronger than you realize, Alpha. The curse didn't take you over because you fought it. And with the right training, you can keep it in check."
Alpha looked down at her hands, her expression conflicted. "But… what if it comes back? What if I lose control again?"
"You won't be alone," Cid said firmly. "I'll help you. In fact, I have an idea."
Alpha looked up, her eyes searching his. "An idea?"
Cid nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "I'm putting together a group—people who fight in the shadows, who stop things like this from happening to others. I want you to join me. Together, we can stop the Diabolos Cult. We can make sure no one else has to suffer like you did."
For a long moment, Alpha said nothing. Then, slowly, a determined look crossed her face. "You really believe we can do that? Fight the Diabolos Cult?"
"I know we can," Cid said, his voice filled with quiet conviction. "I don't need fame or recognition. I don't need to be a hero in the light. I want to fight from the shadows, where no one can see us coming. We'll be the ones who stop the real threats, the ones that lurk beneath the surface."
Alpha's eyes lit up with a new sense of purpose, and for the first time since he had found her, Cid saw a spark of life in her gaze. "I'll do it," she said, her voice steady. "I'll join you. Whatever it takes, I'll fight."
---
With Alpha by his side, Cid felt the first stirrings of something much greater than himself. This was the beginning of his organization—Shadow Garden. He had saved Alpha, and in doing so, he had found his first ally, someone who shared his vision of fighting the unseen forces of darkness.
But this was only the beginning. There were others out there, people like Alpha, who had been afflicted by the curse or who had fallen victim to the Diabolos Cult's schemes. Cid would find them. He would save them. And together, they would form the most powerful force this world had ever seen—a force that operated in the shadows, unseen and unstoppable.
As Alpha stood beside him, her strength slowly returning, Cid knew that the real battle was just beginning. The Diabolos Cult wouldn't stop, and neither would he.
In the darkness of the forest, as the moonlight filtered through the trees, Cid Kageno smiled. His journey had begun.
And from the shadows, they would rise.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
scribblesniff
scribblesniff Like it ? Add to library！
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder