Incubus Ascension-Chapter 1

Liam snapped his eyes open, shouting, "Please, make it quick!"

His own voice rang in his ears, raw and desperate, like he was still stuck in whatever nightmare had been playing out behind his eyelids.

He sat up fast from ground, chest heaving, sweat already cooling on his skin.

For a second he just stared straight ahead, trying to catch his breath.

Then he forced himself to look around more carefully.

People strolled down the sidewalk like it was any other Tuesday.

A mom pushed a stroller past a guy walking his dog. Cars rolled by, their engines humming, and horns beeping in the distance.

Everything looked... normal. Too normal.

His stomach twisted.

"Is this a dream?" he muttered under his breath. It had to be. One minute he was coughing up blood in the sewers, the next... this?

He pushed to his feet and started walking without thinking, just letting his legs carry him.

His eyes kept darting everywhere, buildings that weren’t half-collapsed, shop windows full of lights instead of destroyed glass.

He stopped in front of an electronics store, the kind with showed a row of TVs all tuned to the same channel.

The news ticker at the bottom read:

March 21, 2004.

His mouth went dry. 2004.

Five years before the walls came down. Ten years before the Aeon Game even started.

He ran his hand across his face, half expecting the old jagged scar under his left eye. But there was Nothing.

Just smooth skin. The kind of face he hadn’t seen since he was a kid.

"Did I... go back in time?" The words came out shaky. His heart started hammering so hard he could feel it in his throat.

He used to be just another normal student at Ark Academy, scraping by with a part-time job at a coffee shop.

Back then they lived in Lumina City, one of the last big shelters humanity managed to build up after the monsters poured from gates.

The Awakeners were the ones who kept them alive, pushing the creatures back and raising those massive walls.

Awakening was simple; Got chosen by an aeon and got stronger the more monsters you kill.

It was alright at the beginning, But over time everything rotted.

Money got worthless, food prices skyrocketed, and the Awakeners... they stopped pretending to care.

Normal people like him became toys to them. Something to use, then throw away.

It only got worse. The city leaned on them more and more, and they faced zero consequences.

Then, five years from now, A black knight walked right up to Lumina City.

With One swing of his blade, the three walls crumbled like they were paper.

Eighty percent of the Awakeners on duty died that day, and monsters poured inside.

The rest of them fled into the sewers, living like rats.

Another five years after that, the dead bodies piled up and brought plague with them.

Half the survivors were gone. That’s when everyone finally awakened.

He remembered feeling actual hope for the first time in years. Thought maybe they could fight back.

Instead they got dragged into the Aeon Game. Each Aeon picked a hero, but none of them gave a damn about them.

It was simple: fight until only one person was left standing. He lasted seven years before the guy he trusted most put a knife in his back.

He sighed and pressed a hand over his heart, feeling it thump against his palm.

"It’s okay," he whispered. "I still have time. I can fix this."

His feet kept moving until he reached Bee Sting Coffee.

The sign looked brand new, paint bright, windows clean. Nothing like the burned-out wreck he remembered from the future.

He pushed the door open and the smell of fresh coffee hit him so hard his eyes stung.

He took a seat by the window, watching people walk past outside. His mind was already racing. He had to get stronger.

Whatever it takes. He wasn’t letting any of that happen again.

A waiter stepped up to his table. His eyes widened the second he saw her face.

Olivia. His old colleague. Same warm smile, same soft voice.

She tilted her head a little, giggling. "Did you come here as a customer today, Liam?"

He forced a smile even though his face felt stiff. "You could say that."

She grinned wider. "Your face looks really dark. You need some coffee, trust me. I’ll get you one."

"Is that so?" His voice came out shaky. She just nodded and walked off toward the counter.

He watched her go, and the memories slammed into him all at once.

After the walls fell and they were forced underground, she was the reason he stayed alive those first awful years.

They shared everything, food, blankets, fear. Over time they fell for each other.

Six years they had. Six years of thinking maybe they could still build something good in the middle of hell.

Then one night a group of men kicked in their door. They killed her right in front of him.

He tried to fight, but they beat him until he couldn’t move and left him bleeding in the corner.

Somehow he didn’t die. He kept breathing long enough for the system to find him later.

His fingers brushed his cheeks. They were wet. He was crying right there in the coffee shop like an idiot.

He wiped his eyes fast. He promised himself right then, he would never let that happen again. He would change everything. He would save her.

A blue box suddenly popped up in the corner of his vision.

SP System requesting permission to install.

Y / N

He blinked hard. "What the fuck is this?"

The box stayed there, waiting. He swallowed. "Would this system... make me stronger?"

A calm voice answered directly in his head. Positive.

His finger hovered for half a second, then he tapped Y.

Installation beginning...

Completed.

Host has received the SP System.

With this system, host can consider himself an awakener. But contrary to other awakeners. Host wouldn’t be bound to any aeon.

Every time you make a girl moan or cum, you gain 1 SP.

You can spend SP on anything in the shop.

You can buy skills, talent, items... anything available in the system shop.

But With One condition:

if your SP reaches zero when the day ends, you die.

Countdown: 23:59:59

His eyes widened. "What is this?"

The timer ticked down in the corner of his sight. One day. He had one single day before this thing killed him.

His heart started racing again. How the hell was he supposed to get even 1 SP?

Then it hit him, Olivia. She was right here, and she was his only choice.

’It’s better than dying,’ he told himself. He had to try.

He stood up, legs a little unsteady, and walked over to the counter where she was wiping down a tray.

"Hey, Olivia... I need a favor."

She tilted her head, still smiling. "What is it?"

He kept his voice low. "How about I give you a shoulder massage between shifts? You look like you could use it."

Olivia glanced at the remaining customers, then back at him, her brows furrowed with worry.

"I don’t know, Liam... Beatrix would get angry if she saw me slacking off right now."

His heart hammered. For a second he thought she was going to refuse.

Then her expression softened. She bit her lip, clearly thinking hard.

After a couple of seconds her shoulders relaxed a little and she gave a small, determined nod, more to herself than to him.

"You know what?" she said, voice still soft but steadier now.

"If I take even a short massage, I’ll probably feel more relaxed and actually perform better for the rest of my shift.

So... yes. I want one."

She quickly scanned the café again, then made a decision.

"Give me five minutes to finish with these two tables. I’ll come find you in the changing room myself, the one in the back.

Make sure the door is fully closed, okay? I don’t want anyone walking in."

Before he could reply, she added with a shy but genuine little smile, her cheeks turning pink:

"And... thank you for offering. I’ve been so tense lately. Just... be gentle at first?"

She turned back toward the customers, but this time her steps looked a little lighter, like she had already decided this was a good idea for her.

As she walked away she unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, glancing back once with a nervous but excited expression.

Five minutes later she slipped into the changing room, closed the door quietly behind her, and let out a long breath.

"Okay... I’m here," she said, turning around and gathering her long hair over one shoulder with slightly trembling fingers.

She looked back at him, eyes bright despite her shyness. "You can start on my shoulders.

But only ten minutes max, I still have to look professional when I go back out."

He put his hands on her shoulders and started working the knots the way she used to do for him back in his previous life. Slow, steady pressure.

Olivia melted under his fingers almost instantly. "Yeah... like that."

Her voice went soft and breathy. A second later she shuddered, and the blue box flashed.

+1 SP

He let out a long breath, wiping his hands on his jeans. At least he wouldn’t die tonight.

But he still needed to get stronger. He kept massaging, working down her back, listening to every little sound she made.

When he finally stopped, Olivia was slumped forward, breathing ragged, one hand pressed to her forehead like she was dizzy.

He checked the corner of his vision and smiled, 4 SP.

"I should get going," he said, keeping his voice gentle. He gave her a little wave.

She lifted her hand weakly and waved back. "We’ll see each other tomorrow, okay?"

He stepped out of the coffee shop and started walking down the street again.

For the first time in years he felt like maybe he actually had a chance.

Halfway down the block he saw her.

A girl in the academy uniform. Scarlet red hair, moving fast toward a narrow alley off the main street.

He stopped. Something about her felt familiar. He couldn’t place it right away, but his gut was telling him he’d seen her before.

He looked around. The street was quiet.

He turned and followed her into the alley. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

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