Realm Lord-Chapter 176: He Thinks he Is

The two days following their crucial meeting had passed much faster than Arthur would have hoped for, time seeming to slip through his fingers like sand despite his desperate wish to slow it down. Each hour that ticked by brought them closer to their departure, and with it, the looming shadow of Fort Stan grew ever larger in his mind. Now, as the pale morning light filtered through the thin curtains of his temporary quarters, he found himself staring at the ceiling, officially awake on the day they were scheduled to leave.

Although "waking up" was perhaps a loose term to describe his current state, seeing as he hadn’t really been able to fall asleep to begin with. The concept of restful sleep had become increasingly foreign to him over the past forty-eight hours, his mind too active and anxious to allow his body the peace it desperately needed.

For the past two nights, Arthur had experienced that same subtle feeling of something slowly growing in the back of his mind – a presence that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. It hadn’t gotten bigger or worse in any measurable way, but every night when the world fell silent and he was left alone with nothing but his racing thoughts, he could feel it there. It was like a second heartbeat in his skull, pulsating rhythmically just enough to cause sleep to elude him completely.

The sensation was maddening in its consistency and mystery. It wasn’t painful, exactly, but it was undeniably present – a constant reminder that something was different, something was changing within him. As he lay there staring up at the cracked plaster ceiling of the temporary room he was staying in, Arthur couldn’t help but get lost in increasingly anxious thoughts about what this strange phenomenon might mean.

After the first night, he had tried his best to forget about it, dismissing it as stress or perhaps just his imagination running wild in the face of their upcoming life in district 3. But now, as the feeling persisted with unwavering consistency, it was starting to make him genuinely nervous. The rational part of his mind began cycling through possibilities, each one more concerning than the last.

’What the hell is it?’ he thought, his internal voice tinged with growing panic. ’Should I see a doctor? Maybe it’s a tumor or something! Could it be some kind of side effect from our time in the realms? What if it’s—’

But before his panicked thoughts could develop any further down that dark path, they were starkly interrupted by Aziel waking up in what could only be described as a storm – quite literally. Lightning began coiling around his friend’s form like living serpents of electricity, crackling and sparking in the dim morning light. Aziel launched himself out of bed and to his feet with such explosive force that Arthur was certain he had achieved some form of levitation.

The sudden display of raw power and energy caused Arthur to sit up in a hurry, shock lacing his features as he stared wide-eyed at his friend. The air in the room seemed to buzz with electrical energy, making the hair on Arthur’s arms stand on end. For a moment, he was certain that some kind of emergency alarm should be sounding, that they were under attack or that some catastrophic event was unfolding. ƒгeewebnovёl_com

"What is it?!" Arthur yelled, his voice cracking with alarm as he assumed something must have been terribly wrong for such an explosive awakening. His heart was pounding against his ribcage, adrenaline flooding his system as he prepared for whatever crisis had prompted such a dramatic response.

Aziel simply turned toward Arthur, lightning still coiling around him like a living aura of power, with a wicked smile spreading across his face that seemed to light up the entire room. His eyes were bright with an almost manic excitement, and when he spoke, his voice carried the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning.

"It’s finally time to get the action started!" he exclaimed, his words practically vibrating with energy. "We’re leaving today!"

Arthur stared at him in stunned silence, blinking slowly as his friend’s words sank in. The contrast between his own anxious state and Aziel’s boundless excitement was so stark that it left him momentarily speechless. An empty, blank look settled over his features as he processed the fact that his friend had just given him a heart attack over what amounted to his enthusiasm for their departure.

After several long moments, Arthur rolled his eyes with the practiced ease of someone who had dealt with Aziel’s dramatic tendencies for way too long now. He released a long, weary sigh that seemed to come from the depths of deep within before allowing himself to fall back into the questionable comfort of his narrow bed. The mattress creaked under his weight, a sound that had become oddly familiar over their brief stay in Port Nova.

Unlike Arthur, Aziel was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of being sent to such a dangerous area as Fort Stan. His excitement was palpable, radiating from him in waves that seemed to make the very air around him shimmer with anticipation. Over the past two days, he had been saying things like, "Imagine how fast we’ll fill up our realm cores at this rate! I’ll be stronger than Cara in no time, you just watch!" His confidence was both inspiring and terrifying in equal measure.

Arthur couldn’t share in his excitement, but he wasn’t exactly spending all his time dreading their assignment either. He knew what he had signed up for when he chose this path, and his heart and resolve hadn’t changed despite the challenges ahead. No matter where he got sent in District 3, it was going to be dangerous – he had understood that fundamental truth before ever setting foot in this war-torn region.

But understanding the dangers intellectually and being ecstatic about walking headfirst into them were two entirely different things. He still didn’t feel the need to be as enthusiastic about going to Fort Stan on their first mission as Aziel seemed to be. There was a difference between accepting necessity and embracing it with open arms.

Arthur made one final attempt to get some much-needed rest before they had to begin their preparations, but his efforts met with little success. The combination of anxiety about their mission, concern about the strange sensation in his head, and Aziel’s continued excited muttering made sleep impossible. Eventually, he gave up the futile endeavor and dragged himself out of bed with the resigned determination of someone accepting their fate.

The morning routine that followed was methodical and strangely comforting in its mundane normalcy. Arthur took a long, hot shower, letting the steaming water wash away the tension that had built up in his muscles over the past few days. The heat helped ease some of the knots in his shoulders and neck, though it did nothing for the persistent feeling in his head.

After his shower, he went through the process of packing his bags with careful precision. Every item had its place, every piece of equipment was double-checked and secured. He had learned early in his time exploring the second realm that proper preparation could mean the difference between life and death in dangerous situations, and he wasn’t about to start cutting corners now.

Finally, he got dressed in the outfit that had been provided to him and Aziel by Cara the previous day. The uniform was pretty much the standard issue for all soldiers participating in the District 3 effort – the same black, tight-fitting shirt tucked into sturdy combat pants and boots that they had seen Cara and Myah wearing since their arrival. The material was surprisingly comfortable despite its utilitarian design, and Arthur had to admit that it felt good to finally look the part of a proper soldier.

The clothing seemed to transform him somehow, making the entire situation feel more real and immediate. He was no longer just Arthur the unknown chosen – he was Arthur the soldier, about to embark on his first real mission in one of the most dangerous regions on the continent.

After completing their morning preparations, both Arthur and Aziel were finally ready to take the next step in their journey. With their bags packed and their resolve steeled, they made their way out of their temporary quarters to meet Cara and Myah. The time had come to finally leave Port Nova behind and start their treacherous journey through District 3, toward whatever fate awaited them at Fort Stan.

As they walked through the corridors of the facility, Arthur couldn’t help but feel that they were crossing a threshold – leaving behind the relative safety of Port Nova and preparation phase and stepping into the harsh reality of the ongoing conflict. The strange sensation in his head pulsed gently, as if it too recognized the significance of this moment.

Whatever lay ahead, there was no turning back now. But even if there was Arhtur wouldn’t, he was ready for what laid ahead.

...or at least he thinks he is.

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