Alpha Instinct

As the author, I highly recommend reading the prologue in Volume 0 for a brief introduction to the world and key terms. It's a quick read that sets the stage for the story, but it's up to you. Enjoy!

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Spring 2, Year 189, New Era, Gothia City, Country of Dunkel, Fros continent.

The sun was already setting on the city of Gothia; it had been an ordinary day, normal like any other. The merchants began closing their stalls at the adventurers' fair.

Leonard had just finished a temporary job at one of the stalls when a very kind lady thanked him.

"Thank you, dear Leo. Here are some copper coins for your effort."

Leonard paused, catching his breath. With a weary sigh, he used his sleeves to wipe the sweat from his brow. A grimace flickered across his face as the rough fabric brushed against his skin.

He took the coins and nodded thankfully to the lady as he left.

"What a tough day..." Leo complained to himself.

Behind him the lady yelled, "Come back early tomorrow, dear. That striking face makes me money."

"Beauty opens doors... they say..." Leo thought. He had a faint smile on his face, but a deep sadness lingered in his eyes.

Walking through the streets of Gothia, he noticed some people staring at him, given his striking features. His skin was of light peach tone. His straight, medium-length black hair often obscured his light blue, icy-colored eyes.

Leo sighed, the sound lost in the murmur of the fair. Another day, another temporary job that barely paid for the stale bread he ate for breakfast.

He observed the people passing: families laughing, friends chatting, couples holding hands. A sad smile touched his lips, and he sighed again.

He helped whenever he could, a gentle smile for the flower lady, a nod to the baker. But at the end of the day, he returned to his empty room, the indifference enveloping him like a cloak. Deep down, living or dying seemed meaningless.

Upon returning to his boarding house in the city's suburbs, he came across a large cart laden with furs. An old man and his helper were still loading it, but he noticed that all the weight was leaning to the right; its wheel was precarious and was about to topple the whole cart onto the old stallkeeper.

Instinctively, all his robotic and sad aura disappeared; his eyes were determined. "Oh shit…!"

His legs tensed abruptly, a predator's coil and a tunnel of blur formed, focusing only on the cart. He moved in a blast of wind. "Whoosh"

He covered 60 meters in less than three seconds, arriving at the cart just in time to support it.

"Watch out! It's gonna tip!" Leo shouted as he supported the cart with his back.

The old man looked at Leo in astonishment, not understanding where, how, or why this young man had appeared so quickly.

The helper who was loading the cart with the old man spotted the danger. Seeing the enormous effort Leo was making to keep the cart upright, he swiftly pulled the old man away from the hazard.

A second later, the right wheel cracked and broke, and the entire load collapsed onto Leo, burying him under the pelts.

The cart's horses reared and neighed loudly, creating utter chaos.

The old man and his helper rushed to rescue Leo from under the heavy load. When they found him, Leo blinked, disoriented for a split second before managing a strained smile.

"Does Gramps wish to die? What the hell was that?" He spoke loudly while pushing off the items that buried him.

"Good heavens! Are you alright? Get out of there and let us check if you are hurt!" The old man seemed very worried.

"I'm fine, Gramps, just be a little more careful." Leo got to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes and stepping out of the mess.

They were carrying many kinds of pelts on that cart, leirion spoils, used to craft armor, clothing, and utensils. Leirions, after all, provided the finest materials, so it was a valuable and heavy load indeed.

"Here, young man, as a token of my gratitude for saving my life, please accept this leirion's pelt. It's not the most valuable, but it's incredibly useful and versatile…" He handed him a folded pelt. "I'm sure you'll find a purpose for it."

The old man presented a wolf pelt—a lycanthrope's hide, to be exact.

Leo looked at the leather. His heart pounded with anxiety in his silence, and a sharp headache throbbed through his temples. Leo dropped to his knees abruptly, gasping for air.

"Good heavens, are you okay, kid? I knew something was wrong! Doctor! Get a doctor here!" His face was a mask of panic, waving his arms wildly.

The helper tried supporting Leo to prevent him from falling, but Leo pushed him away and stood up on his own. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure; he shook his head twice forcefully and blinked a few times.

"I'm fine, old man—don't worry. I was just exhausted before, that's all."

Leo turned and walked away, leaving the old man and his helper staring after him, their faces a mixture of bewilderment and worry.

"What was that just now? These flashes... why can't I recall anything?" He wondered, still feeling lightheaded as he walked.

He arrived in the suburbs and went up to his boarding room. He was spent, worn out from a full day of work, the incident with the old man, and now these troubling thoughts.

Leo washed in the basin outside before collapsing onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, thinking about the lycanthrope pelt the old man offered him.

His head was a mess. After much contemplation, he fell into a deep sleep.

Even without blankets, the chill of the wee hours didn't bother him. The hard, uncomfortable straw mattress didn't matter to him that night.

He was completely numb in his dreams—nightmares that tormented him whenever he experienced such memory flashes.

Sounds of agony could be heard a few meters away from that hostel room. His dreams were not just any dreams. Leo was inert in nightmares that many would call hell itself. Pieces of people flew amid screams; howls of leirions congregated into a dissonant hymn; the slaughter imposed a blood-tinged air.

As he cautiously peered out the window, a leirion werewolf with white fur noticed a sweet scent of fear emanating from the room and fixed its gaze on him.

Leo ran to the corner of the room and huddled, trying his best to hold back tears against a ravenous despair. Suddenly a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him hard, and an urgent scream echoed in his mind, a subtle demand.

"Run!"