Alrik prepared for his meeting with the High commander, meanwhile his company Pr team was handling the press activities after videos of him fighting went viral. Alrik left home with just Gaya and Bruno. He took Zee along because he knew they would ask why he had the sword. He had no doubt they would try to take the sword from him as well, maybe to keep it displayed like before, or for use in battle if they suspected the sword's power was awakened. Either way, he wasn't interested in letting them have their way. He had a feeling that they knew more about these portals than they let on.

Many years had passed, but just as the Zerdon family remained prominent, most of the leaders were also descendants of previous leaders despite the monarchy being abolished from Velmorra. They discussed the strategy they would use when they arrived, and possible plans just in case they tried to detain Alrik at the Hub, Velmorra's centre of power. All the rulers lived and worked from there, and the top ranking military officials, as well as the high court judges. It was also the most fortified place in Velmorra, which Alrik had always been suspicious of.

How come they made sure they were well protected with high reinforced walls, and constant security, but didn't bother putting in plans of action in case a breach of security occurs and beasts attack the city instead of attacking at the outskirts where the soldiers could dispatch them. If they were so sure that there would be no infiltration, the security would not be this strong, because they weren't trying to keep out humans. The measures in place were too excessive to just be guarding against humans.

"If they try to prevent us from leaving, there's not much we can do. We have no army, and we're vulnerable once we're inside the compound." Gaya said.

"Don't worry too much. If it comes down to it, I will get us out of there, even if it drains me. But you know as well as I do that ignoring the summons is worse. Better to get it over with, and negotiate while we have the advantage." Alrik responded.

"What do you think they want? You're so sure we'll have leverage for negotiations. You seem to have forgotten how much politics is involved when the top dogs are present. They probably have some agenda they want you roped into, or they want to send you back to the battlefield fighting off beasts."

"There hasn't been a new portal opened at the outskirts in some time, and people are getting restless, especially after the attack at Eliza's office, and the one before that in a residential area. They either have an idea what's going on, or they think you have an idea what's going on, Alrik. Let's pretend to be clueless and get as much information as we can before volunteering any information on our end." Bruno said.

"The meeting hasn't even started and I'm already exhausted. Wake me when we're close." Alrik sighed and leaned back against the car seat with his eyes closed.

It felt like the second he closed his eyes, he was sucked into a vortex. He tried to resist the pull but it was too strong. It pulled him into the swirling centre, and screamed as he saw himself appear on the inside of a portal. His screams were soundless. No matter how loud he tried, no sound escaped his mouth. He was covered in black goo, and all around him, he saw half formed beasts crawling towards the centre. They moved over him yet he felt nothing, like his body was there but not there.

He tried to stand, but couldn't, and just allowed himself to be pulled in the direction of the portal. When the other end finally opened. He saw himself falling out of the sky with beasts all around him. He landed on the hard ground but felt no pain, and he saw an army on the other end. By the colours they wore, they were Velmorran soldiers. He should be on that side, why was he here instead?

Another portal opened just a few feet away from where Alrik stood, this time from the ground, and he was confused as he watched more beasts out, but they didn't attack. Instead, they just moved around the hole in the ground, like they were waiting for something. This part of the dream felt familiar, and when he looked around, the army had vanished, in it's place was a building he couldn't recognise. He watched the building collapse slowly as the portal widened, and Alrik gasped.

Another beast emerged from the new portal, and it was covered in black goo, but slowly its true colour was revealed. Just like the red one he saw before, there was no extra set of limbs protruding from its chest, and its claws weren't as sharp as the others. It also had no facial features just the others, but its mouth stretched wider than a human jaw, with rows of sharp teeth. But no eyes, or nasal cavity.

He could remember the dream he had before that felt familiar to this, even if the details were hazy. The scene changed to a proper battlefield, with others around him, fighting off the beasts. The red one seemed to be mocking them all. It stretched its arm towards the ground, and out of the portal emerged a beast unlike any other Alrik had seen. Its entire body was made entirely of the black goo that Alrik had almost been submerged in when he was inside the portal. And it had no specific shape, just a tall lump of goo.

Alrik growled, and yelled out a battle formation for the soldiers around him. Like the last time, he recognised none of their faces, but they all fell in line. Alrik remembered last time that regular anamite swords wouldn't hurt the red one, so he alerted the soldiers to stay away from it and leave that one to him. But when he moved forward, he realised that Zee didn't appear like last time. His hands were empty. He tried to move, but his feet were stuck. He looked down, and was confused when he saw that he was being engulfed by the goo creature.

His legs were completely sucked in, and it was climbing higher faster. His skin turned grey, and scales were falling off his arm. He screamed, and this time, his voice could be heard, but in the next second, the creature forced itself down his throat. It burned. It was like being skinned alive, then being turned over a fire.

Then he began to hear voices in his mind and it was like his very being was being splayed apart. Every part of him was filled with the black goo, and it seemed to melt him from the inside out. Then Alrik realised it wasn't him. He was just watching it happen. But it was like he was sharing the experience with the soldier who was being sucked into the goo. Alrik could do nothing to help. Every time he moved close, his hands passed through, so he could only watch.

Zee still didn't come. And Alrik could not feel an ounce of Mana, or any of his abilities. What happened next was even more shocking. The goo completely absorbed the man, and he was gone, every inch of his skin, bones and organs, completely melted. Yet, in the next second, the goo began to take shape. It took almost ten minutes, if time worked the same in whatever dream or trance Alrik was now sure he was having, since this couldn't be reality.

The goo reformed the dead soldier piece by piece till a living human stood stark naked, His skin was clean, and not a drop of black goo was left, but when he turned to the side, his eyes were completely black, no cornea, or pupil. It was impossible, but Alrik watched it happen with his own eyes. Forget red ones, they were dangerous, yes. But if this Black one was real, then everyone was in danger. A beast that could take on human form?

The soldier smiled, and moved his arms and legs, like he was trying to feel them out. Then his eyes became normal, and opened his mouth to speak, but goo came out instead. He spit for several seconds to clear his lungs and then his voice could be heard.

Alrik gasped and snapped his eyes open.

"Alrik! What happened? Where did you go? I couldn't reach you. I was terrified something happened to you." Zee spoke immediately he was awake.

That was weird. Even in dreams or a trance, he could either see Zee in it, or hear her. He assumed this was just a dream of the future like he had been having, but it felt different, and he wasn't in the dream realm. So where did he go? Or what, or who took him there?

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