Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler

Western Bridgeport's winter nights were bitterly cold.
Inside the dimly lit bar, the heat from heavy coats and spilled liquor hung in the air. Everyone was drunk—loud, careless, and comfortably off guard.

"Maxen's just… dead?" one of them slurred, blinking through the haze.

"Yeah. Nothing shady about it. But let's be real—if Maxen hadn't gone looking to hunt him, he'd still be alive."

The others nodded solemnly, the fire of the liquor not quite burning away the unease in their silence.

Then someone turned to Millers, a mischievous glint in their eyes. "Millers, I heard you took out someone from the Windsor family in Mirabelle. That true?"

"That bastard Jude got what he deserved. But to be clear—it was Axel who killed him. I don't even know how he did it."

Everyone went quiet for a moment.

"So," Caius muttered, his voice sobering the room, "Axel's got a hell of a lot of enemies going into this."

That got Millers' attention. He blinked, then channeled a small burst of Force to clear the fog in his head. The others followed suit—Tobias first, then one by one the drunken stares were replaced by sharp, alert eyes.

Tobias's expression turned serious. "Millers, Caius is right. Both the Havoc Division and the Windsors are sending people into the Abyss this time.."

"They wouldn't dare attack their own, would they?" Millers frowned. "The whole point of us Awakeners is to fight mutant beasts. Internal conflict's forbidden by the higher-ups."

Tobias narrowed his eyes. "You forget—once we're in the Abyss, everyone gets scattered. Random drop zones. No supervision. If someone wants to take Axel out, that's the perfect place to do it."

He looked around the group. "If any of you come across Axel in there, team up. Stick together. If anyone from Havoc or the Windsors comes after him, we defend him. Share resources fifty-fifty, but don't let him fight alone."

The room went quiet again, then nods started circling the table.

Millers gave them a grateful look. "You guys... thank you. I owe you. Axel owes you. Hell, he'll owe you a round of drinks after this."

Tobias grinned. "Damn right he will."

.....

The Next Morning

Axel was still brushing sleep from his eyes when Millers dragged him out of bed.

"Listen," Millers said, voice low and serious as they packed their gear, "be careful. Havoc Division's sending people. So are the Windsors. If you can find anyone from Whisper Syndicate once you're inside, stick with them."

Axel nodded. "Got it."

He'd already guessed as much—but he didn't expect the others would be willing to help him.

"Come on," Millers grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "With a little luck, I might hit level five in there. There's more than monsters and killers to look forward to."

.....

Two Hours Later

The road out of the city was long and desolate—nothing but dust, sand, and the occasional ripple of heat rising from the ground.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"We're here."

Axel leaned forward, staring out the window as they crested a dune. What he saw made his breath catch.

The Abyss.

A blood-red haze filled the entire horizon like a storm that never ended. It stretched across the sky, swallowing the world past a very distinct line—where the calm desert ended and another realm began.

A killing aura rolled off it, even from miles away. Cold. Ancient. Full of rage.

Axel shivered involuntarily. So this is where Micah fell. Even decades later, it still felt like the battlefield hadn't ended.

"This is the weakest the killing intent ever gets," someone muttered behind him. "A week ago, we wouldn't even be standing this close."

The bus slowed to a stop, joining a ring of vehicles already parked at the ridge.

Axel stepped out, and almost instantly felt it—a sharp, hateful gaze.

He turned. Havoc Division.

Torren stood with his crew, arms crossed and smirking. "There he is."

But Axel didn't look at Torren. His attention locked on the man standing behind him.

Shorter, lean, his presence more like a shadow than a person. Cold, calculated, dangerous.

Yeah, Axel could feel it clearly now. This man was out for blood.

"Watch that one," Millers murmured, following his gaze. "That's Varek. Word is, he's a fourth-rank upper grade."

Axel didn't reply. He just nodded.

The people gathered in loose lines, each group clearly aligned with their own faction.

The largest contingent was formed by the Whisper Syndicate, the Survey Corps, and the Ministry of Defense—around forty Awakeners altogether.

Then came the War Academy, bringing just over a dozen. The Havoc Division had a similar number. And finally, the aristocratic families, standing slightly apart—twenty or so members, every one of them exuding pride, power, and disdain.

Gabriel stood among the family children, his posture slightly stiff. His bright, open expression didn't match the cold arrogance of the others around him. Even from a distance, Axel could tell—Gabriel didn't fit in here.

"Rich kids always act like the world owes them," Tobias muttered beside him.

Just then, Axel felt a sharp gaze press against him.

He glanced across the crowd and saw a tall man from the noble faction, arms folded, watching him with quiet intensity. There was no overt hostility, just a flat, clinical indifference that somehow felt even colder.

Windsor family? Yeah… had to be.

The man looked away, turning to speak casually with those around him.

He doesn't consider me a threat. Axel narrowed his eyes. That kind of indifference was confidence.

"I swear, I hate doing this shit." A bored voice cut through the murmurs.

A military vehicle rolled to a halt. From the passenger door stepped a man in a crisp military uniform, shoulders relaxed, eyes half-lidded with disinterest.

"I don't like repeating myself, so everyone shut up and listen."

The man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried—piercing through the fog of pressure and residual killing intent in the air. Instantly, everyone fell silent.

Axel's brows lifted. "Who the hell is this guy?"

Even Millers stopped joking and leaned in. "That's Sethan, commander of the Survey Corps. Don't let the lazy face fool you—his strength is on par with Nolan. And he's over forty, though you'd never guess."

The crowd straightened up without being told. No one wanted to make a bad impression on someone like him.

Sethan looked around and gave a small, satisfied nod. "You're all fourth-rank elites. At least you're not completely stupid."

He held up a small black device.

"This is your Opportunity Plate. Made by spatial-type Awakeners. Once you're inside, you'll be scattered randomly. Keep this safe. In fifteen days, it'll auto-extract you from the Abyss."

He paced slowly in front of the gathered Awakeners.

"The Abyss is saturated with original force. You'll find rare spiritual plants. Maybe even some natural Original Instruments. You pick it up, it's yours. But remember—no internal kills. If you're caught killing another government-sanctioned Awakener, it's military tribunal time. End of story."

"If you find something valuable, fight fair."

A nearby officer cleared his throat. "Commander Sethan… time."

"Yeah, yeah," Sethan waved him off. "You're all dying to get inside anyway."

He turned to leave—then suddenly paused, eyes narrowing.

Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through something quickly. When he looked up again, his entire demeanor had shifted. The laziness vanished. His voice dropped low, heavy with authority.

"I have an emergency update. Direct order from above."

The change in his tone sent a ripple through the crowd. Awakeners exchanged glances.

Sethan raised his phone, showing an image on the screen.

"This is Heavenly Spirit Fruit. Memorize it."

Axel's eyes widened. A few others in the crowd—three that he could spot—also reacted.

"This fruit is the primary raw material used by the Holy Light Organization to manufacture infection agents. The last time it was harvested, it caused a large-scale outbreak."

"If you come across a Heavenly Spirit Fruit tree in the Abyss… destroy it immediately."

His voice grew colder.

"If you're seen collecting this fruit, or trying to stop its destruction, you will be considered a confirmed member of the Holy Light Organization—and killed on sight."