Ampelius saw no alternative to his dilemma. The choices that were laid before him were just an illusion, or a cruel mockery of free will. He knew that he only had two options, obey or become a lifeless puppet. The choice was obvious, he didn't want his body controlled like the hollow shells the Asventi had shown him in those visions.

  He clenched his jaw as he accepted his fate. If he was to be used, then he would make use of them in return. By accepting their power, he could keep some control of himself. And with that control, no matter how thin, was better than nothing.

  Of the two, it was the Romans who had taken nearly everything from him. They took his family, his freedom, and worst of all, his future. The Asventi were no different in their methods, but at least they offered him something in return. If their power could be wielded against Rome, perhaps that alone would make this worth it.

  Casper began to pulse slightly, acknowledging his decision.

  “You are wise to accept their offer. The Asventi are very pleased. You will remain in control for as long as you obey. Once the mission has been completed, they will allow you to retire with full autonomy and with their blessing.”

  That was when he noticed something in the air had shifted. The presence within his mind, once suffocating, all seemed to recede slightly, loosening its grip, but not disappearing entirely. Instead, it settled into something more insidious: a whisper that was just beneath the surface, waiting.

  Then, he could feel the voice preparing to speak again, clearer than before.

  “You are now… one of us. Make us proud.”

  The Asventi’s presence surged within him, like warmth spreading through his body as if it was something stirring from dormancy. It wasn’t painful, but deeply and fundamentally unnatural.

  Ampelius could feel his veins pulse faintly, as if something had crawled beneath his skin, weaving itself into him. His limbs felt lighter and stronger, but also foreign. Then his vision distorted. The world around him blurred and flickered, then suddenly sharpened unnaturally. The colors he saw were too vivid from what he was used to.

  Casper’s voice cut through, talking him through the changes he was feeling.

  “The Asventi have tapped into your brain, unlocking what lies dormant. Your body is capable of far more than you have ever known. Your brain can be made stronger, even if artificially. ”

  Ampelius barely registered the words before another shift struck him. There was this new awareness that flooded his mind, almost like doors he hadn’t known existed were thrown open. His perception was expanded, and his senses stretched beyond their natural limits.

  After a minute, he noticed a strange bubbling sensation that welled up behind his eyes. Ampelius blinked away as if dirt got into them. Then for a split second, the world flickered like a glitching screen that was struggling to stabilize.

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  That was when he saw it. A neon yellow ring had edged itself into his vision, forming just outside his pupils, expanding outward like something unfurling inside him. The glow was faint at first, just barely noticeable, but then it deepened and intensified, like an ember being stoked into flame.

  Casper hovered nearby, silently extending a small mirror for him to view himself. Ampelius hesitated before looking into it. His fingers were stiff and unsteady. But when he finally looked into that mirror, it was as if his reflection stared back at him. He felt like he was unchanged, but knew he was undeniably different. His pupils remained intact, but now a razor-sharp halo of neon yellow surrounded them, pulsing faintly.

  Then, his hearing began to sharpen. He could hear new sound pouring into his ears all at once, like a flood of noise his mind was struggling to process. The rustling of leaves nearby became deafening. And in the distance, he heard the snap of rifles firing and the thunder of explosions from Vetera as the battle still raged on. And beneath it all, something deeper within him, he could make out this low pulsing hum.

  His heartbeat faltered, or no, it had changed. It was no longer followed by the steady rhythm he had always known. Instead, it thrummed mechanically in a steady and calculated beat, as if something was syncing with it.

  Then, the whisper from the Asventi came again.

  "You are becoming… you are becoming complete."

  But something felt off. He looked down at his fingers, and they twitched. First a small tremor, then a sharper movement. His hands curled involuntarily, as though his body wasn’t entirely his own anymore.

  Then there was this creeping unease that settled into his chest. How much of this was still him? He was still processing the changes, and his mind struggling to keep up with his newly sharpened senses. Then—movement.

  Boots crunched against dirt and leaves. Metal clinked softly. Low voices murmured in an unfamiliar rhythm, each layered beneath the steady drag of something heavy. His body reacted before his mind did, he lowered posture, then slowed his breathing. He could feel that creeping sense of readiness settle over him.

  He thoughtsomething inside him was rewriting his human instincts. But then, he saw them.

  A small group of soldiers, pale silhouettes against the trees. They were maneuvering a massive artillery battery into a set position. There were only five, maybe six of them, but something about them was different. Their uniforms weren’t like the standard patrols in Vetera. These soldiers wore white-gray armor from their helmets to their boots, which appeared unnatural in its lack of camouflage. And then it clicked.

  These weren’t just soldiers. They were Imperial troops of Rome. These were men from Rome itself.

  Ampelius’ felt his chest tighten. For all his hatred of the Empire, he had never actually seen its true soldiers up close. The ones who came directly from the heart of the Empire, the ones who ruled, not just occupied.

  They spoke Latin, which was the official language of Rome, the language of the oppressors. His enhanced hearing picked up their words with razor sharp clarity, but he still couldn’t understand them. But he didn’t need to. The artillery battery they were setting up told him enough. They were preparing to bomb the city.

  His fingers kept twitching, making it hard to control. He knew they hadn’t seen him yet. But something was… off. They didn’t have the alertness he would expect in the middle of a battle. They moved with a strange calmness, not the usual tension of men trained for war.

  That unease stirred at the back of his mind, but another feeling overpowered it. This was an opportunity. He wanted to test his newfound strengths, to learn what he was capable of. Then Asventi’s whisper curled around his thoughts.

  "Strike. Prove your strength."

  Casper followed with another response.

  "You are much stronger now. However, you’re still early in the transformation, but this is an opportunity to test what you’ve become. Just remember, you're not immortal, bullets will kill you."

  Ampelius’ grip tightened, as a smile overtook his face.

  This was it. The first real test of his enhanced abilities.