The Lazy Chronicles: Apartment of the Apocalypse-Chapter 129 - 130

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A Dangerous Proposition

Mallory kept her expression neutral. "You didn’t come here just to introduce yourself."

Riven smirked. "No, I didn’t." He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. "I came to offer you a deal."

Quinn scoffed. "Oh, this should be good."

Riven ignored him. "You’re standing at the center of a storm, Mallory. The world is shifting, and countless forces are watching—some with curiosity, some with fear."

Mallory raised a brow. "And you?"

Riven smiled again. "I see an opportunity."

Greg crossed his arms. "And what exactly do you want?"

Riven studied Mallory carefully, then said, "I want to help you."

Silence.

Then—

Quinn laughed. "Right. Because the Shadow Broker is just so generous."

Riven remained unruffled. "I don’t offer something for nothing." His gaze darkened. "But you and I both know the path you’re on will lead to war. And when that war comes, you won’t survive it alone."

Mallory’s jaw tightened. She knew he was right.

But that didn’t mean she trusted him.

Elara stepped forward, her voice calm but sharp. "What’s your price?"

Riven’s lips curved. "Simple." His gaze never left Mallory’s. "When the time comes, I want you to stand on my side."

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The Weight of a Choice

Mallory’s pulse quickened.

This wasn’t just a favor.

This was a binding. A commitment that could shape everything that came next.

Greg whispered, "I really don’t like this."

Quinn folded his arms. "Mallory, don’t."

Elara said nothing, but her eyes warned of unseen consequences.

Mallory exhaled. "And if I refuse?"

Riven’s smile never faded. "Then you’ll face what’s coming without me. And trust me—" his voice dipped lower— "you don’t want to see what’s coming."

A sharp wind whipped through the street, as if punctuating his words.

Mallory’s mind raced.

She had fought alone before.

But this time... this time was different.

She wasn’t just a survivor anymore.

She was a force.

And forces attracted war.

Mallory looked Riven dead in the eye.

And made her choice.

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The Deal is Struck

"I don’t trust you," she said evenly.

Riven nodded. "Good. You shouldn’t."

"But," she continued, "I know a deal when I see one."

A slow, satisfied smirk spread across Riven’s lips.

Mallory extended a hand.

"You have one favor," she said. "One."

Riven took her hand in a firm, unyielding grip. "Agreed."

The moment their hands met, a cold pulse of power rippled between them.

The deal was sealed.

Greg groaned. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

Quinn muttered, "Join the club."

Elara’s eyes gleamed with unreadable emotion.

Riven stepped back. "I’ll be in touch." And with a final, knowing look, he vanished into the shadows.

Leaving behind only his warning.

War is coming.

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A New Enemy Revealed

The moment he disappeared, the sky above them rumbled.

Mallory turned sharply.

And froze.

Because above the city, an unnatural tear was forming in the heavens.

A tear that pulsed with something ancient and hungry.

Elara whispered, "That’s... not normal."

Greg’s face paled. "What the hell is that?"

Quinn unsheathed his weapon. "Something bad."

Mallory didn’t hesitate. She reached out with her power—

And felt a presence on the other side of the tear.

Something watching. Waiting.

Something that knew her name.

And then—

A voice echoed through her mind.

"I’ve found you."

Mallory’s breath caught.

Because she recognized that voice.

It was a name she had buried. A name that should have been long dead.

But now—

It had returned.

A ghost from her past.

And it was coming for her.

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The unnatural tear in the sky pulsed with eerie, twisting energy, a chasm of darkness that felt as if it was staring back at them.

Mallory’s pulse quickened, her instincts screaming danger.

That voice—

She had buried it long ago.

Yet here it was, slithering through the cracks of time, whispering its claim upon her existence.

"I’ve found you."

A cold sweat broke over her skin.

Greg gritted his teeth. "Okay, I know I say this a lot, but—WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

Quinn already had his weapon drawn, his stance rigid with tension. "Mallory?"

Elara’s gaze was locked onto the growing rupture in the sky. "Something... is stepping through."

Mallory clenched her fists. She knew.

She could feel the pull of it, the weight of fate shifting once again.

She had challenged destiny.

And destiny had sent something to drag her back.

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The Arrival of the Unseen

The rupture widened. A slow, crawling fissure of twisting void.

Mallory’s breath hitched. No... It can’t be.

The presence beyond the tear pressed closer.

A figure—

Tall. Shadowed. Dripping with an aura of inevitability.

It stepped through.

And time itself shuddered.

Elara inhaled sharply. "That’s—"

Greg swore under his breath. "I don’t even KNOW what that is, but I hate it already."

Quinn took a step forward. "Mallory...?"

Mallory’s heart pounded.

She knew who it was.

She had fought to escape them.

Yet now they stood before her once more.

The figure lifted their head, revealing a face that should have been long forgotten.

And then—

They spoke.

"You should have stayed buried, Mallory."

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A Ghost from the Ashes

Mallory’s fists clenched.

This wasn’t just anyone.

This was someone she had left behind when she shattered the chains of her past.

A figure wreathed in shadows and control.

One of the last remnants of the Old Order.

Greg hissed. "Who the hell IS this?"

Mallory’s voice was tight. "His name is Dorian Vale."

Silence fell.

Elara’s eyes darkened. "The enforcer of the Keepers?"

Quinn cursed. "The guy who hunts down those who defy fate?"

Greg paled. "The one who—" He glanced at Mallory. "The one who tried to erase you?"

Mallory’s jaw tightened. "Yes."

And now... he was back.

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The Weight of the Past

Dorian Vale took a slow step forward, his every movement precise and measured.

"You’ve been making quite the mess, Mallory." His voice was smooth, like silk hiding a blade. "Did you really think you could defy fate forever?"

Mallory didn’t flinch. "I already have."

Dorian’s lips curled into something almost amused. "No." He lifted a hand, and the very air around them seemed to bend to his will. "You’ve merely delayed the inevitable."

The street trembled beneath their feet.

Quinn shifted his stance. "We taking this bastard down?"

Greg muttered, "I really hope the answer is ’no,’ because this guy feels wrong."

Elara’s grip tightened on her weapon. "Mallory, he’s powerful. If we fight him here, we might—"

"Lose," Mallory finished.

Because she could feel it—

The sheer gravity of his presence.

Dorian Vale was stronger than before.

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The First Strike

Dorian moved.

And the world reacted.

A pulse of power erupted from his form—

And suddenly, the sky itself cracked.

Elara threw up a barrier just in time to deflect the first shockwave. "Damn it—!"

Quinn lunged, his blade igniting with energy, but Dorian sidestepped effortlessly.

Greg fired a blast of force—

But Dorian twisted reality around him. The attack never reached him.

He was playing with them.

And that made Mallory’s blood boil.

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A Reckless Gamble

Mallory moved.

She didn’t hesitate—

She couldn’t.

If she did, she would lose.

And that wasn’t an option.

She clashed with Dorian, their powers colliding in a violent storm of force.

His grip was like iron.

His strength was terrifying.

But Mallory was not that weak girl anymore.

She pushed back.

And for the first time—

Dorian’s expression shifted.

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A Dangerous Revelation

Dorian’s smirk faded.

For the first time... he looked intrigued.

He regarded her with a calculating gaze. "Interesting."

Mallory’s breathing was sharp. "I’m not the same as before."

Dorian tilted his head. "No. You’re not."

Then he did something that made her blood turn cold.

He smiled.

"I was hoping you’d say that."

Mallory’s instincts screamed—

And then—

The shadows beneath her came alive.

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The Chains of Fate

Dark tendrils lunged from the ground, wrapping around her limbs—

Pulling her down.

Mallory gasped, her body freezing as a familiar power coiled around her.

Dorian stepped forward, eyes gleaming. "You thought you could escape your fate?"

Mallory struggled, but the bindings held tight.

Dorian’s voice dipped lower.

"But fate is patient."

His hand lifted—

And Mallory felt a sharp pull in her soul.

He was trying to erase her again.

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A Desperate Move

Mallory’s mind raced.

If she hesitated—

If she faltered—

She was gone.

And she refused to let that happen.

Not again.

With a roar, she channeled everything.

Not just power—

But will.

Her own fate.

And she broke free.

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The Turning Tide

The bindings shattered.

A shockwave of raw defiance erupted from Mallory—

And this time, it was Dorian who staggered back.

His eyes widened just slightly. "Ah. So that’s how it is."

Mallory’s breath was ragged, but her will burned brighter than ever.

Dorian sighed.

Then grinned.

"Good."

And with that, he vanished.

Leaving behind only a single, chilling promise—

"I’ll see you soon."

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A Moment of Silence

The world settled.

The rupture in the sky slowly closed.

Greg collapsed to the ground. "Okay. What the hell was THAT?"

Quinn sheathed his weapon, his jaw tight. "A warning."

Elara exhaled, tension still coiled in her form. "He’s not done."

Mallory stood there, her heart still pounding.

No.

Dorian Vale was never done.

And now—

He was coming for her.

For real this time.

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