Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 641: Alex, the Man Beneath

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Meanwhile, in BloodIron City...

The clock had ticked far beyond midnight.

Alex stirred on the lavish bed inside the Fortuna mansion's primary chamber, luxuriously enveloped by the gentle hold of his three spouses.

With utmost caution, he started to free himself, ensuring not to rouse them.

His efforts fell short.

The ladies shifted a bit, yet through soft caresses and hushed words, he lulled them back to slumber.

Wearing just his sleep pants and shirtless, Alex slipped from the sheets and headed to the balcony entrance.

The second-story balcony provided a humble but charming vista of the area below. Alex, though, ignored it entirely. His mind wandered far away.

Releasing a soft exhale, he leaped up to perch on the balcony's stone rail, facing into the darkness.

Silence enveloped him as he perched there, staring afar while myriad thoughts swirled in his head.

"You aren't thinking of leaping off, right?" a voice abruptly shattered his contemplation.

Alex looked over his shoulder to spot the familiar, stunning blue-haired beauty at the balcony threshold, clad in airy sky-blue sleep attire.

"Zora," Alex murmured tenderly.

"Do I need to fret?" she inquired, worry clear in her tone.

"No, even if I jumped, this drop wouldn't end me." Alex chuckled lightly. "I simply craved fresh air," he answered.

Zora approached and rested against the rail next to him, stance casual, inadvertently displaying her alluring form.

Alex gulped discreetly, his eyes darting momentarily before regaining composure.

Unaware of his response, Zora cocked her head a touch.

"What's troubling you?" she questioned.

Alex blinked, snapping back to the now. He faced her with a subtle grin.

"And why do you assume anything weighs on me?"

Zora gave him a sideways look.

"Perched at the tallest spot available, balanced on the rail... don't forget, I'm the one who instilled that quirk in you."

"I remember," Alex responded, his grin broadening slightly.

His eyes grew far-off, laced with nostalgia, as memories flooded back of that day—scarcely a month into his time at the DragonHold Enclave—when Zora led him to the main tower's peak, unveiling the majestic sweep of the Dragonspine Mountain Range.

"How could I forget?" Alex whispered. "Right there, the insight struck that birthed my Rune-Tech foundation... the sole invention that propelled me toward the person I've become."

"No," Zora denied with a soft shake of her head. "Rune-Tech didn't shape you. It's merely a minor piece at most. You'd remain that inquisitive, rash, erratic—but remarkably captivating—fellow regardless."

"Haha..." Alex chuckled softly. "Appreciate the faith in me."

He grinned, then shifted back to the nocturnal scene. Gradually, the grin ebbed away.

"What a vast shift six... seven years bring," he whispered. "Merely over six years since that tower summit, but the world transformed... far beyond my wildest anticipations."

"It has been nearly two years since my coming of age, and yet it feels as though I have lived through an entire lifetime’s worth of events.

"Reclaiming my position as heir... crushing the family council to stabilise my standing within the greater Fury family... leading my first expedition... slaying a drake above my rank... negotiating with a dragon... leading and winning a territorial dispute... narrowly surviving an assassination attempt by a Legend... negotiating with a long-standing noble house... establishing one of the wealthiest companies on Pangea..."

He halted, casting a side glance at Zora.

"And somehow... marrying three beautiful women who are arguably out of my league," he tacked on with a sly smirk.

Zora fixed him with a sharp stare, then rolled her eyes faintly.

Alex laughed before directing his eyes to the far-off city lights once more. His face turned grave again.

"For ordinary folk, a single such feat would mark their whole existence. But for me... they pile on relentlessly, without respite."

"Since landing on this plane—practically foe ground—the risks have escalated wildly. And now, inexplicably... I've pulled us into a secret battle for this whole plane's destiny."

He exhaled deeply.

"Amid it all... I must still handle that cursed bandit chief."

He uttered a wry laugh.

"A piece of me yearns for those serene five years at the Tower, when research was my sole concern. That ease is gone forever."

Alex let out a gentle sigh and lapsed into quiet.

Zora gave him room to express himself, holding back from interrupting. She only nudged him onward softly once his mind had clearly calmed into stillness.

"What is this really about, Alex?" she asked once more, her tone gentle yet resolute.

"I’m worried," Alex confessed moments later.

"Father once warned me that interplanar travel would either forge or shatter those who dare it—particularly the leader, the one bearing the weight of choices for the whole expedition."

He halted for a second, organizing his mind.

"You know... when I first learned of the ambush, no emotion stirred in me. My subordinates perished, yet I remained... numb.

"Upon discovering bandits were to blame, rage surged through me—not over their deaths. It was the hassle their loss brought... and the headache of handling the culprits."

He shifted to face her, his face etched with rare gravity.

"Right then, a chilling truth hit me. Beyond Mogal and Kavakan, the raid party doesn't feel like my true comrades to me. They were merely... extras. Tools gathered en route. To me, they amounted to mere statistics."

He averted his gaze once more.

"I get that it could be an unconscious defense, given the wild Furor side of my bloodline. Yet failing to spot it until now... that's the terror gripping me."

His tone softened a touch.

"Should I rise as a leader... an empire's ruler at that—I refuse to turn into a heartless figure. One who treats followers as mere Providence generators... or just ledger entries."

"You won’t," Zora declared at once, advancing to envelop him in a strong hug.

"How can you be so certain? I’m not," Alex whispered back.

"Because I trust the man you are," Zora replied instantly. "And should shifts start happening... you won’t confront them solo. There’s me, Eleanore, Udara—and all your allies. We’ll yank you back should you drift too far."

Her hold grew a bit tighter.

"Is that enough?"

A deep breath escaped Alex, easing the strain from his frame.

"Yeah..." he breathed. "Yes... I’d like that."

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