I Die to Rise: Resurrection System-Chapter 99: Black Veins!

Kurt grabbed Riley’s hands, cupping them gently between his own, and concentrated. Making use of Empathic Sway, he focused on her senses, on the mental anguish weighing her down.

While doing this, he also made sure to position himself carefully, angling his body and bowing his head to shield what he was doing from the cameras mounted overhead.

Slowly, all that baggage crushing her mind, all the trauma that had nearly shattered her psyche in the Hole, began transferring to him. Black veins spread across her arms, and those veins crawled into Kurt’s own arm, creeping up toward his shoulder.

His eyes squeezed shut and his jaw tensed as the veins spread, thick and ugly, carrying every second of silence, every hour of darkness, every shard of insanity The Hole had carved into her.

There was a major risk to this. If he wasn’t careful, he’d risk falling into a comatose state in her place or shattering his own mind. No pressure.

Kurt just had to believe in his will. That had always been his greatest asset.

The veins crawled up his arm, spreading across his neck and face. Kurt clenched his teeth as the weight of Riley’s silent and suffocating suffering poured into him, but he held on.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only seconds, Riley’s eyes opened slowly, and everyone gasped. The black veins faded from Kurt’s face as he released Riley’s hands, gasping for breath.

Riley blinked multiple times as her eyes focused properly for the first time in weeks. The hollow, distant stare was gone, replaced by something sharper, more present.

She turned her head slowly, taking in the Minaris gathered around her, then locked onto Kurt.

Whispers erupted around them until Urm finally asked the question that was all on their mind and lips. "How did you do that? We’re in a dead zone."

"He’s an Untouched," Lena stepped in quickly, speaking for him. "We know very little about the Untouched. Perhaps this is one of their tricks." She stared deeply at Kurt as she said it, not entirely convinced herself.

Riley’s tired voice finally broke through. "Cassandra? You said Cassandra."

"Yeah," Kurt said, still catching his breath. "The plan was to get us into the auction where she’d be waiting. Once we were purchased, I’d deal with the collars and we’d be on our merry way."

He touched her collar, fiddling with it in a meaningless gesture. "But your market value is shit, innit?"

Riley lowered her head and slapped his hand away. "I don’t need your help. I don’t need anyone’s help." Her eyes flashing with that defiant spark that had probably earned her The Hole.

"Riley," Urm called gently, arms folded, and she raised her head and sighed.

"I appreciate the offer," Riley said quietly. "But like you said, my market value is low. Even with the advantage of being a Minari." She tried standing but stumbled, still getting her bearings.

Urm sighed. "We’re working on her anger issues."

"Yeah? Hadn’t noticed. She seems so zen," Kurt said sarcastically as he grabbed her by her elbows to help her stand. Then he had to ask, "How did she end up in the Hole anyway?"

Urm smiled tiredly. "She thought it wise to spit on the Warden’s face."

Riley interjected quickly, turning her face away defiantly. "I’m pretty sure he liked it."

Urm sighed and continued like he hadn’t heard. "As you can tell, it didn’t end well. So, Kurt. Whatever you did, how you did it, I don’t care. But we’re grateful." He bowed, then he gently pushed Riley’s head down until she bowed too, ears flat with embarrassment.

"It’s good. Really," Kurt said, waving them off.

Lena leaned in, keeping her voice low. "So if she’s not getting into the auction, what are you and this Cassandra going to do?"

Kurt grinned. "Remember the hypothetical question? Not so hypothetical now."

He recalled what Razor had said about the files in the Warden’s office and the idea of getting a hostage. "How does one get the Warden out of his office?"

"Shouldn’t be that difficult," Urm said. "Tomorrow’s the prison auction. It’s taking place in the Eye, so he’ll be out of his office. The problem is getting in."

"Not going to be a problem for me," Kurt said confidently. Then he followed up with another question. "Alright, so... next question: how do we make the bastard leave The Eye and come running to The Walk?"

Lena scoffed. "You’re kidding, right? The Warden only ever comes to the Walk for two reasons." She lifted one finger. "To ’welcome’ new prisoners." She lifted a second. "And to announce a dungeon raid. Nothing’s gonna make him leave the auction he’s hosting."

Riley’s fist clenched tight. "So that’s it then?! So much for the prison break plan."

"There’s one more thing," Urm said, and everyone turned to face him. "A prison riot."

One of the other Minaris present spoke up. "We haven’t had one of those in twelve years."

"Yeah," Urm said, eyes narrowing. "For good reason. Because heads start blowing up indiscriminately. But the Warden will definitely show up to issue judgment if a riot happens."

They were all speaking in whispers, voices low enough that the cameras wouldn’t pick up what they were saying.

A plan was beginning to come together nicely in Kurt’s mind. He was about to ask another question when a guard’s voice cut through the space.

"Break it up! Everyone, back in your cells!"

The Minaris started dispersing immediately, and Kurt gave Riley one last look, then let himself be herded away.

One prisoner near the edge of the section tried to resist. A guard stepped forward, and Kurt didn’t need to see his face to hear the smile in his muffled voice. "Come on, convict. Make my day."

He held up a baton that crackled with blue electricity.

The prisoner swung at him and the guard dodged, then thrust the baton forward, delivering two hundred and five million volts directly into the man’s body.

The prisoner immediately fell to the floor, twitching violently, foam spilling from his mouth, eyes rolling back.

"Take him to the Hole," the guard said casually.

More guards rushed over, dragging the still-shaking man away as he screamed. "Anything but that! Please! PLEASE!"

Kurt watched the exchange as he was led underground by another guard, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had snapped in the prisoner’s head so badly to make him lash out like that. Desperation? Madness? Both?

He passed by Razor on the way and gave him a subtle nod that suggested the hypothetical was actually happening and was going to go down soon.

Razor saw this and howled like a fool, an action that immediately got him whacked in the head with a baton.

"Keep it moving, convict."

Meanwhile, Kurt was led to his own cell and shoved inside. The familiar smell and cramped space returned to him like an old friend he didn’t want to see. A few seconds later, a slot in his door opened, and a tray of food was pushed through.

"Enjoy, maggot," came the muffled voice of a guard.

On the tray was a small juice box for kids, a bagel, and a stick of carrot.

"Is that it!?" Kurt stared at the tray with disbelief .

This was what they were fed after almost a week of no food during the raid? They should’ve at least thrown in a bottle of beer for good measure. Hell, he’d settle for a pack of cigarettes at this point.

He sighed, poked the juice box with its straw, and took a sip. The juice tasted like synthetic fruit and piss. Not that he remembered what piss tasted like. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He sat on the thin mattress, mind already formulating a plan based on everything he’d learned so far about the Circle.

Tomorrow was the auction. The Warden would be in the Eye. Kurt needed to break into the office, erase his data, and start a riot big enough to drag the Warden out.

Simple.

Except for the part where it was completely insane.

Kurt took another sip of juice, grinning to himself. "Bloody brilliant."

Then a notification appeared.

[SYSTEM QUEST: Find Riley - COMPLETE]

[Reward: +5 Points]

[Available Points: 45]

"Completely forgot about that one," Kurt said with a grin as he read it.

***

Meanwhile, two districts away, Cassandra was preparing.

She stood in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting the elegant gown she’d chosen for the occasion. It was deep blue, almost black, with a plunging neckline and a slit up the side that showed just enough leg. Her hair was swept up into an intricate bun, and her makeup was flawless.

She looked like royalty. Like someone who could buy and sell lives without blinking. And considering where she was heading to, it was the perfect look.

A driver waited outside her apartment, standing beside a black limousine that would take her to the VIP blimp. The blimp would transport elites from across various districts to the Circle’s Inner Eye for the auction.

Cassandra stepped into the limo, settling into the leather seat, and the driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Welcome, Miss Anova. It has been a while."

Cassandra’s lips curve into a cold smile. "I suppose it has."

The limo pulled away from the curb, gliding smoothly through the D-rank district toward the transport hub.

She stared out the window, watching the city pass by, and her thoughts drifted to Kurt. He was either going to pull off the most audacious prison break in the Circle’s history, or he was going to get himself killed.

She crossed her legs, adjusting the hem of her gown, and allowed herself a small, dangerous smile.

"Don’t disappoint me, Kurt."