Alexander lifted his own hand, turning it upside down as his eyes stared in the distance.
He could see everything. Not from above, but from all sides.
His brain struggled to process it, each angle arriving out of sync.
As he tried looking down toward his back, he could feel as an eye located on his hat disappeared only to reappear near the bottom of his new robe.
Fae simply stood nearby, watching Alexander try his new powers.
"Why…"
He moved around the eyes covering him, and tried taking a few steps forward which proved to be difficult.
"I can feel the headache slowly rising… Using both sights—"
Alexander stopped mid-sentence, looking at the two doors.
Unless I choose the door displaying 'control', and 'command'.
"What do you think?" said Alexander, turning toward Fae.
She tilted her head toward her shoulder, unsure of what he asked her.
Alexander pointed toward the two doors.
"More power probably means offensive spells get stronger, such as reach beyond. The other one, I would guess allows me better control over my gaze spells."
Like a flash blurring through his mind, he recalled the Will Breaker's fighting style.
The only two things that he truly had going, was how he seemingly was able to see everything without even looking. The other one, was the teleportation.
Maybe I assimilated that too.
Alexander looked at Fae, concentrating his every thoughts on her, standing before him.
The moment she looked into his eyes, it was instant.
They traded place, but as soon as they did, the eyes covering him all closed at once, only his [ Witness Of All Paths ] staying active.
Alexander dropped to his knees, catching himself with his hands while his head spun like he was standing on top of a ship through high-seas.
Fae took a few quick steps, crouching beside him while laying a gentle hand on his back.
"Sorry, I should've warned you," said Alexander, holding his forehead.
I stole his powers? Is that what he meant, when he said he would take my sight?
Alexander slowly got up, using Fae's shoulder to get some form of balance.
The answer for which arch he needed to cross, was obvious.
He gently laid his hand on Fae's head.
As long as she was with him, power wasn't necessary.
Getting his gaze spells to be stronger, and sharing that power with her—it was an offensive spell in itself.
But what if I lose her?
He shook his head.
Alexander, holding onto Fae who wrapped her hand around his waist, started walking toward the door on the right. 'Command'.
The eye went through the same process as the first one, turning into crosses as he approached.
He stepped through it, it felt like walking through layers of thin membrane, darkness even his skill could do nothing about, before emerging on the other side.
They were in what looked like a large cylindrical tunnel that ascended.
"I remember seeing tunnels under the platform that went down… Why are we going up?" he said.
The tunnel was different from their previous environment. There patches of grass, plants growing in-between chunks of rock, and light that seemed to come from glowing stones all around them.
It was a soft yellow glow that illuminated the path before them.
There were flowers here and there, boasting beautiful black petals.
Alexander took one step forward, admiring the scenery, before stopping.
[ Name : Veil ]
[ Level : 1 ]
[ Archetype : Specialist ]
[ Class : Beholder ]
[ Fate : Command, — ]
[ Effects : Darkness, Will Breaker's set, — ]
His new unlocked Fate was the first thing that didn't have a cryptic or mysterious description, its effect pretty clear.
[ Command — You seek no power, but control. What you have is yours to keep, your hands are now steady. ]
The Will Breaker set is already effective, I barely felt the pressure I did while using my gaze. With this Fate, paired with the set… I'll be able to sleep with the gaze still active.
Through the mask, he could feel Fae's gaze.
"We've completed the first level. We should leave," he said.
She softly nodded, still holding onto him.
Alexander searched his memory, recalling what Sunder said.
My inner path's portal didn't open by itself, I'm the one who opened it. At least, that's what Sunder said. If I'm the one controlling when it opens, I should be able to open one now…
Everything Dungeon-Runner-related revolved around thoughts, something he slowly got used to.
But a portal that would let him out, he wasn't so sure.
He gently let go of Fae, planting both feet in the ground as he looked before him.
He focused on a point in space before him, something easily done with the help of [ Witness Of All Paths ].
He closed his eyes, recalling how it felt the first time it opened on its own.
It was faint and distant, but he remembered the feeling.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw holes opening in the ground, as a vertical black line split space before them.
Out of the ground came out the tendrils, wrapping around the vertical slit.
They then forcefully inserted themselves inside, forcing the slit opened, turning it into the abyssal portal he recognized.
Alexander turned to Fae, his only companion.
"Ready?"
She nodded.
He grabbed her hand, and walked forward, going through the darkness ahead.
—
Alexander quickly raised his arm over his eyes, shielding himself from the blinding sun above them.
He could still feel Fae's hand in his, filling him with relief.
They stood in the street, he could feel the portal behind them closing as he stepped out of it.
He could smell the summer breeze from the nearby trees plants. He could hear the cars as they drove around him, one of them honking at them while speeding past.
Surprisingly, Fae wasn't frightened, he could feel her gaze still, which unlocked a new thought for him.
She's watching for my reaction. She sees that I'm not concerned…
He held her hand slightly tighter, a smile on his face.
"Alright," he said.
He slowly lowered his arm, his eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness.
Seeing it was better than hearing it.
The cars driving around, with the small line forming before him as he blocked the way.
The people on the sidewalk, strolling around while staring at him and his eye-catching attire. The high-rises all around them, reflecting the sun like mirrors.
The bus stop, right next to them, just next to the Adventurer's Guild.
The place where everything started, what felt like an eternity ago.
It was an overwhelming feeling, the gazes.
He could feel each individual pair of eyes that looked into his eyes, even those who were far.
The only gaze he felt was Fae's and the the first level boss, it was the first time he had this many people looking at him.
It felt weird.
His heart accelerated, while his expression had gone still.
It felt like urges.
Each gaze. Something inside him, it was distant and faint. The mark on Alexander's chest burned hotter and hotter, as the feeling slipped through.
They needed to behold the truth. He needed them to see it. It felt like it was his life's purpose to open their gaze onto what gazed back, beyond.