My Watch System

Waru awoke with a jolt, his senses foggy as the rough jostling of the cart beneath him pulled him from sleep. His body ached, and for a moment, he could barely make sense of his surroundings. The cart creaked under his weight, wooden slats scraping against each other, while the scent of damp earth mixed with the sharp smell of pine. For a few moments, he simply lay there, confused, his body tied with coarse ropes, unsure of where he was or how he had gotten there.

It took a while for his memories to return in a steady flow. The battle... the ambush... the deceptive serpent that had led him into this trap. His fingers twitched as he struggled against the restraints, but they only tightened, making his efforts futile. He looked up, blinking as he tried to clear his head.

"Where... am I?" Waru muttered, the question barely a whisper in the stillness of the morning. His mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of his memories. He had been caught, imprisoned, but where exactly? He had been traveling through the dense woods, on a mission to uncover some secret that had been eluding him, but now—now, he was trapped.

Before he could even begin to process his thoughts, the cart came to an abrupt halt. The sudden stop threw him forward, his face crashing against the wooden boards of the cart's side. The guards were quick to react, pulling him out roughly. He was flung onto cold stone, the impact jarring his already aching body.

He barely had time to register what was happening before they shoved him into a dark, suffocating cell. The bars were cold and unyielding as they clanged shut with a finality that echoed in his ears. He remained on the floor for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to make sense of his new surroundings. The prison was unlike any he had seen before, far more ancient and imposing.

His cell was located deep within the stone structure, its walls made of jagged black stone. The surfaces were etched with runes, cryptic symbols that glowed faintly, pulsing with an eerie energy. The air in the prison felt thick, heavy with an unnatural weight, and despite the forest surrounding the place, no breeze touched the air. It was as if the very atmosphere had been sealed, suffocating those who resided within it.

Waru pushed himself to his feet, trying to steady himself. His head throbbed, but his mind was sharp. He could feel something—something intangible, like a constant pressure, building in the air around him. It wasn't just the oppressive weight of the prison. It was as if this place, this dimension, was somehow disconnected from the world he had known. Like he had crossed over into a strange realm that didn't belong to any plane of reality he could recognize.

Something deep inside him told him he wasn't just in a normal prison. This was no ordinary stone cell. He had crossed a threshold, entered a place that existed beyond time, beyond space.

Waru felt an instinctive pull, and without thinking, he reached into the very core of his being, summoning his magic. But as soon as he did, an unseen force struck back at him—like a wall slamming into his chest. It was a cold, biting force that seemed to drain the very energy from his body. His hands trembled as he tried to push further, but nothing happened. There was no spark of magic, no connection to the energies he was so used to controlling.

"A magical seal..." Waru murmured under his breath, a cold realization sinking in. "There's no escaping now." The words seemed hollow even as he spoke them. The prison was more than just stone—it was imbued with an energy that nullified his powers, a magic so ancient and strong that even he, with all his skill, could do nothing.

He staggered back a few steps, his gaze shifting toward the other cells lining the stone corridors. The flickering shadows cast by the dim light of distant torches revealed other prisoners, though none of them appeared to be awake. It was then that a voice broke through the silence, soft at first, then growing louder, calling out to him.

"Hey, psst, I think I know you."

Waru froze. His blood ran cold. He turned sharply toward the source of the voice—an eerie, serpentine hiss. The figure was coiled tightly in the shadows of the adjacent cell, its form indistinct but unmistakable. The creature's yellow eyes glowed faintly, and as they locked with his, Waru felt a surge of recognition. The serpent. The same one that had deceived him in the forest. The same one that had lured him into a trap.

Rage flared in his chest, but he quickly suppressed it. He knew better than to let his anger guide him here. He had to think clearly. Ignoring the serpent, he tried to focus on his situation, searching for any way out of the cage that now held him.

The serpent, however, wasn't easily dismissed. It slithered closer to the bars, its voice low and persistent, hissing in the eerie stillness of the prison.

"I know a way for you to get out of here... It's better for both of us if you listen." The serpent's tone was insistent, almost coaxing.

Waru's eyes narrowed, his body stiffening. He had no interest in listening to the creature. It had betrayed him once before, and he had no reason to trust it now. But the serpent's voice was relentless.

"You're not going to talk to me?" it taunted. "Well, I have some... interesting allies. Ever heard of the Golden Ape?"

The name hit him like a strike to the chest. The Golden Ape. The most powerful being to ever be banished from the capital. A creature whose strength was so overwhelming that it had been cast out, exiled to the depths of the world. Waru's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name. He had heard stories, whispered warnings in dark corners, of a creature so strong it could destroy cities, so untouchable that even the bravest warriors feared it.

Golden Ape... a being who transcended mere mortal power. Could it really be true that the serpent had a connection to such a creature?

His mind raced. If the serpent was telling the truth, this might be the opportunity he had been waiting for. But there was no way to be sure. He had to find out more.

He leaned closer to the bars of the cell, his voice low but filled with curiosity and suspicion. "Tell me more about this 'partner' of yours."

The serpent's eyes gleamed with a dark amusement, its smile widening as it revealed the truth. "Well, the Golden Ape isn't like anything you've encountered before. He's not some brute force. He's... something beyond this world. The reason he was banished wasn't because he was defeated, but because he was too powerful—too dangerous. He exists beyond the boundaries of our reality, in a dimension you can't even begin to understand. But I..." The serpent paused, its voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I serve him. I work for him."

Waru's mind reeled. "Serve him? What do you mean?"

The serpent's tongue flicked out in a slow, deliberate movement as it continued. "I'm one of his emissaries. I go where he cannot, find those with power, like you, and bring them to him. He needs you, Waru. You're just the kind of person he's been waiting for."

Waru felt a shiver run down his spine. This was more than just some twisted game. The Golden Ape—the creature of legend—was real, and it needed him. But for what purpose? And why was the serpent so eager to involve him?

The serpent's smile grew broader, its eyes never leaving his. "The Golden Ape doesn't give his trust lightly, but he can give you power, Waru. The kind of power that will break you free from this place. All you have to do is prove yourself worthy."

Waru's thoughts spun. He had always known there was something more to this test than simple strength and skill. Now he understood. He had been drawn into a web far larger than himself, and the threads of destiny were leading him toward the most dangerous game of all.

He exhaled slowly, his gaze locking onto the serpent's as he finally spoke. "How do I prove myself? How do I reach the Golden Ape?"

The serpent's eyes gleamed with triumph, and it began to reveal the next steps of the dangerous path Waru would have to walk. Each word felt like a heavy stone being placed on his chest. There was no turning back now. This wasn't just a test of strength. It was a test of everything he was—and everything he could become. The Golden Ape was waiting, and Waru knew that if he could survive what was to come, he would be able to claim a power beyond his wildest dreams. But at what cost?