IMDD CHAPTER 148 [NOVEL] (Patreon)

A stream of light penetrated the dimly lit interior of the abandoned asylum as the colossal doors opened.

Gage stood there. And as if the universe conspired to keep his face and his emotions hidden, the bright beams of light behind him casted long, haunting shadows that cloaked his face in a veil of darkness.

His face, obscured by the contrasting interplay of illumination and darkness, became a canvas upon which the imagination of those who gazed at him could paint stories of madness, torment, and perhaps even death and slaughter.

"Ah, you're finally here!" Julian’s voice, an unsettling blend of hysteria and vindication, echoed throughout the room.

"You're fucking here!!! See that? I told you, Eva." The madness in Julian’s eyes danced with a twisted glee as he spat at Eva, his tone dripping with desperate triumph. Yet, his grip on Eva grew tighter, using her as a human shield, as if he could shield himself from the impending threat of Gage by holding onto her and hiding behind her.

"What kind of human would appear like that all of a sudden? As if he had simply teleported? I sent him a message from your phone an hour ago, and I'm certain he waited obediently for an hour before making any move. It's exactly a few minutes past five, and he's already here? Hahaha. Can you see it now? Do you believe me now?!" Julian desperately sought confirmation, shaking Eva as he implored her to acknowledge the inexplicable nature of Gage’s arrival. "No human would ever find someone this fast and arrive in this place within mere minutes! Even if he called a squadron of jet fighters to bring him here, it would be impossible!" His eyes, wild and wide with hysteria as he searched for any hint of agreement in her expression. In his mind, Gage's sudden appearance defied the laws of nature, an act that could only be attributed to supernatural forces at play.

When Gage began to take a step forward, a rippling aura of silent power seemed to fill the entire space.

Though Julian's eyes still held that twisted hysteria, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of fear that marred his faltering smile upon seeing Gage approaching. "You better not do anything funny, you monster," Julian's voice rumbled. "Don't dare use your magic tricks on me, for if anything even remotely amusing happens, this woman," he gestured toward Eva, her bound form a captive in this twisted dance, "will meet her demise without hesitation!”

The words hung in the air. Fear and anger clashed within Julian, his trembling voice belying his attempt to project authority. In that moment, it became clear that Julian's facade of control was a fragile veneer, masking a deep-seated terror of the unknown power of the man approaching towards him. “Stop right there!"

Gage didn’t seem to hear anything. He stepped forward, his movement unnaturally slow, as if trapped in a surreal limbo. Like he was still in a state of shock and disbelief at what he was seeing. No one was certain though as they couldn’t see his expression at all.

An eerie silence filled the room next once Juliann stopped talking, saved from the quiet sound of Gage’s slow steps. Even Julian was now gripped by an unwanted fear, despite his futile attempt never to admit it even to himself.

The mercenaries standing behind him, known for their notoriousness and fearlessness, felt an inexplicable chill ripple through their veins. Beads of sweat dotted their foreheads, their hands trembling ever so slightly as they clutched their weapons. It was a reaction they couldn't comprehend, nor ever expected. They had been through hellish situations enough to break a human’s sanity, but now they were gripped by an intangible fear, a primal instinct warning them of an imminent danger when the battle didn’t even commence yet. And to think they were feeling like this just because of one man appearing before them!

This was… insane! That man’s mere presence seemed to cast a spell, inducing a paralyzing fear. He hadn't made a move, hadn't uttered a single word. All he was doing right now was walk sluggishly towards them and yet the mercenaries felt an invisible and indescribable force bearing down upon them.