Chapter 54 – The Choice Inside the Dark
Naëlle's world went quiet.
The sound of battle, the pressure of pain, the weight of exhaustion—all of it peeled away as her eyes finally closed. Darkness wrapped around her like deep water, heavy and still.
And somewhere far beyond that silence—
Peterson woke up screaming.
He gasped sharply, lungs burning, body jerking upright as if he had been drowning and just broke the surface. But there was no air. No ground. No sky.
Just blackness.
Endless. Smooth. Watching.
Two figures stood in front of him.
One was tall, cloaked in darkness that moved like it was alive, eyes glowing faintly red—not hostile, but ancient. The other stood beside him, broad-shouldered, arms crossed, presence blazing like restrained fire.
Peterson's heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
"Who—who are you!?" he shouted, panic flooding his voice. "Where am I!? How did I get here!?"
The shadowed man raised a hand calmly.
"Relax, Peterson," he said, voice deep but steady. "You're not dead. Not yet."
Peterson's eyes snapped to him. "That does not help!"
The man chuckled softly. "Fair enough. Let me start properly."
He stepped forward, the darkness parting just enough for Peterson to really see him.
"My name is Roi Minuit," he said. "The Midnight King."
Peterson's breath caught.
Before he could respond, the second man spoke—his voice low, rough, and burning with restrained fury.
"And I am Zed Zobop."
Peterson's mind reeled. "Zobop… as in the Zobop clan!?"
Zed didn't answer. He just stared at Peterson, eyes sharp, unreadable.
Roi Minuit sighed. "Yes. That Zobop. Long story. We don't have time."
Peterson ran a hand through his hair, breathing hard. "Okay—okay, hold on. You're telling me the Midnight King and the Zobop leader are just… chilling inside my head right now?"
"Inside the medallion," Roi Minuit corrected. "Which is currently being ripped out of your chest by two very unpleasant individuals."
Peterson's eyes widened. "Naëlle!"
Roi Minuit's expression darkened slightly. "She fought for you. Hard. Bravely. But she's down."
Zed finally spoke, voice tight. "If they finish the extraction, this ends badly. For you. For us."
Peterson clenched his fists. "Then tell me what to do! I'm not losing my powers—I can't. People depend on me."
Roi Minuit rubbed his temple. "That's the problem."
He looked at Peterson seriously now.
"You see, the system you've been using? That interface, the skills, the notifications—that wasn't my doing."
Peterson blinked. "What?"
"That," Roi Minuit continued, "was Mèt Agwe-Djall. He created it. Technology, structure, rules—he's the Loa of that domain."
Peterson's brain struggled to keep up.
"And those times the system gave weird notifications?" Roi Minuit added dryly. "Skills you couldn't use? Power that vanished?"
He glanced sideways at Zed.
"That was him."
Zed scoffed. "It was funny."
Peterson stared. "You sent me fake system messages!?"
Zed shrugged. "You looked motivated."
Roi Minuit waved it off. "Focus. We're running out of time."
Peterson took a shaky breath. "You said I'm going to lose my powers."
Roi Minuit nodded grimly. "If the medallion is fully extracted, yes. And once it's out… I don't know what happens to us."
Zed's jaw tightened.
Peterson shook his head. "There has to be another way."
At that exact moment—
The darkness flickered.
A sharp pain stabbed through Peterson's chest.
A voice echoed, cold and mechanical.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Medallion extraction is at 47%.
Would you like to merge with the system?
[YES] – [NO]
Peterson didn't hesitate.
"YES!" he shouted.
Roi Minuit's eyes widened. "Wait—!"
[System merging begins.]
All stats and skills will be reset.
All powers bestowed to allies will be removed.
Peterson's heart sank—but he grit his teeth.
"I don't care," he whispered. "Do it."
[Merging: 15%]
[Extraction: 63%]
Pain flooded him.
His vision blurred. Memories, skills, numbers—all of it felt like it was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.
[Merging: 39%]
[Extraction: 71%]
Peterson dropped to his knees in the void.
"I hope… Naëlle's okay," he muttered.
[Merging: 65%]
Roi Minuit stepped closer, voice urgent. "Peterson! Something is changing—this isn't how it was supposed to—"
[Merging completed.]
[Extraction: 97%]
The world shattered.
Peterson felt himself slipping, consciousness unraveling.
The last thing he saw was text burning itself into the darkness—
[NOTICE] Medallion extraction complete.
System synchronization with user begins.
Then—
Nothing.
Reality snapped back violently.
Afre stepped back, breathing heavily, red energy still crackling around his arm.
"It's done," he said. "The medallion's out."
Peterson and Naëlle lay motionless on the ground.
Ravena straightened slowly, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes lingered on the two unconscious bodies.
"…They caused too much trouble," she said calmly. "We should finish this."
Dark energy gathered at the tip of her staff.
The air screamed.
Then—
BOOM.
A massive wooden staff slammed into the ground between them.
Water exploded outward in a roaring wave, flooding the battlefield, knocking both Afre and Ravena back.
The water froze mid-motion—hovering, shielding Peterson and Naëlle like a living wall.
A figure stepped forward.
An old man.
Tall hat. Long white beard. Blue robe etched with flowing water symbols that moved like a living mural. The water around him rippled in three dimensions, responding to his presence.
Papa Legba.
His voice carried authority older than fear.
"Do not take another step."
Afre froze.
Ravena's spell fizzled out instantly.
Papa Legba's eyes burned with quiet wrath.
"I warn you," he said calmly, "this is not a fight you can win."
For the first time—
They believed it.
Afre snarled. "Fall back!"
He tore open a portal with desperate speed. Ravena leapt through without hesitation.
The portal snapped shut.
Papa Legba didn't pursue.
He turned instead to the two bodies at his feet.
"…You kids," he muttered softly. "Always standing at the wrong crossroads."
He lifted his staff.
A massive portal of water opened behind him, calm and radiant.
"I will heal them," he said. "The rest… we will discuss later."
Papa Legba stepped through, carrying Peterson and Naëlle with him.
The water closed.
The battlefield fell silent.
End of Chapter 54