Eclipse of Eternity: Awakening of the Forsaken

Chapter 4: Shadows and Serpents

As the men approached, their boots crunching against the rusted metal of the junkyard, my heart thudded against my ribs. I pressed myself deeper into the jagged junk pile, hoping the shadows would swallow me whole.

Then, a sudden movement caught their attention. A kid darted out from behind another heap of trash, sprinting toward the junkyard's exit.

"Got one!" one of the men exclaimed, his voice filled with cruel amusement.

The boy, who looked about my age, had dirty blonde hair matted to his head. He ran like his life depended on it—because it probably did. My stomach churned as I watched his desperate attempt to escape.

But he didn't make it far.

His shadow flickered unnaturally, twisting and writhing like a snake before it lunged at him. It slammed into his legs, tripping him, and he fell face-first into the ground.

One of the men laughed. "I should've used my ability sooner. What's the point of Awakening at 16 if you don't show off now and then?"

He barked a command at the shadow, which coiled around the unconscious boy like a snake and dragged him toward the group.

The man sneered at the boy. "Quality's a bit lacking, but it'll do. Carry him to the lab. We'll see how long this one lasts."

One of the other men hefted the kid over his shoulder, and they started walking back.

I stayed frozen, barely daring to breathe. Awakened abilities? What kind of twisted world did I transmigrate into?

Before I could process anything further, a shadow fell over me.

I turned my head slowly, dread pooling in my stomach. A man stood there, dressed in a sleek suit and white lab coat, his glasses glinting in the faint moonlight.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he said, crouching down with an unsettling smile. "A little mouse hiding in the trash? How cute."

I stayed silent, my expression as blank as ever. My stupid face paralysis condition had apparently come with me into this life. Wonderful.

The man tilted his head, studying me like I was an interesting bug. "Hmm, black hair, black eyes… decent quality. A little malnourished, but nothing a bit of feeding won't fix."

He reached out, grabbing my face with a firm grip, tilting it side to side as though inspecting a piece of produce.

"Perfect," he muttered, standing to call his colleagues.

That was my moment. Without thinking, I bit down on his hand as hard as I could.

"Argh! You little—!" he yelped, pulling his hand back, blood dripping from the bite mark.

Seizing the chance, I kicked him in the shin. "Take that, you creep!"

The victory was short-lived. His hand snapped out, grabbing my ankle mid-kick. With horrifying ease, he lifted me into the air.

"You think you can get away, little pest?" His voice was laced with menace now, his smirk cold.

I flailed, cursing my weak, malnourished body. If I were in my old body, I might've had a chance, but in this pathetic form? Forget it.

Then came the crack. He twisted my ankle with a sadistic smile.

[DING! Due to the skill Resilience, pain has been reduced.]

Reduced didn't mean gone. It still hurt like hell. I clenched my teeth, glaring at him through the pain.

I noticed the tattoo on his neck—a serpent coiled in a loop, biting its tail. Ouroboros.

That symbol... wait, isn't it—

Before I could finish the thought, he pulled out a syringe filled with an ominous, swirling black liquid.

"Sweet dreams, little mouse," he said, jabbing it into my thigh.

The cold liquid spread through my veins like fire. My vision swam, and the world dissolved into darkness.

The last thing I heard was the faint laughter of the men echoing through the junkyard.

____

End of Chapter 4