Chapter 2: Between Dream and Awakening

Darkness pressed in, thick and endless, yet Daniel felt no fear. He floated in the liminal space between sleep and waking, where memories and dreams bled together. In this place, reality replayed itself in vivid fragments—moments that defined him, moments that still felt impossibly new.

He saw himself as he once was: a boy of twenty, lean and restless in the quiet municipality of Maitum, Sarangani. The world had not yet shifted under his feet. He was just Daniel then—kind-hearted, always ready to lend a hand, never imagining he was anything more than ordinary.

But the dream pulled him deeper, and the world changed.

The Car Crash: Awakening

It was raining that day, the sky a bruised gray, heavy with low-hanging clouds that threatened to burst at any moment. Daniel was walking home from the market, plastic bags digging into his palms, the rhythmic patter of raindrops on the pavement blending with the distant hum of traffic. His mind was elsewhere, thinking about dinner, when a sudden screech of tires shattered the calm.

Time slowed.

Daniel turned sharply and saw a sedan spinning out of control, fishtailing wildly as it hurtled toward a mother and her child frozen in the crosswalk. The world around him blurred, colors smearing like wet paint, sounds warping into a low roar.

Instinct screamed inside him. Without hesitation, Daniel dropped his bags and sprinted.

His feet barely touched the ground. He moved with a speed that felt unnatural, his limbs responding faster than his mind could process. The air whipped past his face, the rain stinging like needles, but he was a blur of motion—closing the distance in heartbeats.

In one fluid motion, Daniel swept the child into his arms, feeling the fragile weight as the boy whimpered softly. With his free hand, he shoved the mother clear of the path, just as the car slammed into his side.

The impact hit like a freight train, metal crumpling against flesh. But shockingly, Daniel barely felt it. His body absorbed the force as if it were nothing more than a gust of wind.

The world tilted, but he stayed upright, breath steady, heart pounding with adrenaline and something else—a strange, electric thrill.

He staggered back, eyes wide with disbelief. What just happened? The power coursing through him was unlike anything he’d ever known.

The sedan flipped, landing upside down in a muddy ditch with a sickening crunch. Daniel steadied himself and gently set the wailing child down on the wet ground. The mother collapsed to her knees, tears streaming as she clutched her son, eyes locked on Daniel with a mixture of awe and confusion.

But Daniel’s attention snapped back to the wreckage. Without thinking, his hands found the mangled door. It was twisted and jammed tight, but with a strength that shocked even him, he tore it free as if it weighed nothing.

The trapped driver gasped, blood trickling from a deep gash across his forehead. Daniel reached in, fingers fumbling to unbuckle the seatbelt, then lifted the man out with ease, carrying him to safety despite the pouring rain and the stunned silence of the gathering crowd.

As he laid the man down gently, Daniel’s mind raced. This power… Where did it come from? He flexed his fingers, feeling the raw strength pulsing beneath his skin. His senses were sharper—he could hear the distant wail of sirens, smell the wet earth and gasoline, see the smallest movements in the crowd.

For the first time, Daniel realized he was no longer just a normal young man. Something inside him had awakened—a power that surged through his veins, thrilling and terrifying all at once.

He looked up at the gray sky, rain washing over his face, and felt a fierce determination ignite. Whatever this power was, he would use it to protect those who could not protect themselves.

That day marked the beginning of everything.

The Aftermath: Realization and Resolve

In the days that followed, Daniel’s body and mind were in turmoil. The memory of the crash replayed endlessly, each detail sharper than the last. He tested his newfound strength—lifting heavy logs with ease, running longer distances without fatigue, holding his breath underwater far beyond what any normal human could.

He discovered he could endure pain that would cripple others, his reflexes lightning-fast, his senses attuned to the faintest sounds and movements. But more than that, he felt an innate pull toward helping others, a pure-hearted urge to save lives no matter the cost.

It was this unyielding compassion that set him apart. The powers were remarkable, but it was his soul—untarnished and kind—that made him a true protector.

The Awakening

The dreams shifted again. Daniel saw faces—people he’d saved, people who whispered about miracles and angels. He saw the day the black spirit appeared, cloaked in shadow, eyes burning with ancient light. The spirit spoke no words, but Daniel understood: he was being called, chosen for something greater.

He remembered the mark searing itself onto his skin, the surge of power that followed.

Muscles tightening, senses sharpening, the world opening up in ways he’d never imagined. He was stronger, faster, more resilient. He could see things others could not—shadows that moved on their own, whispers that curled at the edge of hearing.

But with the power came a burden. He was no longer just Daniel. He was a mercenary now—a protector, a hunter of monsters, a guardian for those who could not defend themselves. The weight of it pressed on him, even in dreams.

The Burden of the Gift

He drifted through memories of battles fought in secret. Claws raked his arms, fangs snapped at his throat, but Daniel always stood firm. He fought not for glory, but because he could not stand to see the innocent suffer. His heart, pure and unyielding, was his greatest weapon.

Yet even now, a year since he’d been scouted, he felt the strangeness of it all. The world was still new, still dangerous. He was still learning to live with the reality of what he’d become.

Awakening

The dream began to unravel, colors fading, sounds growing distant. Daniel felt the pull of the waking world—a gentle insistence, a familiar rhythm.

A shrill alarm cut through the darkness.

Daniel’s eyes snapped open. The first light of dawn crept through his window, painting golden stripes across the floor. He lay still for a moment, heart pounding, the echoes of his dream lingering in his mind.

He was not just Daniel anymore. He was a mercenary, marked by fate and gifted with power beyond imagining. The world outside was waiting, filled with monsters and mysteries, but for now, he let himself breathe—just a 16-year-old with the weight of two worlds on his shoulders.

The day had begun.