The Bat Monster tried in vain to crawl away, flipping itself onto the stomach, and digging its claws into the brick floor which it easily penetrated.

Only to hear the giggle of a girl, and feel her own claws plunge into its back, dragging it back.

The primal screeches it was belting out echoed within the alleyway, adding more to this already debilitating experience. It was acutely aware of how effortless this was for her, meticulous, and overall, how much enjoyment this girl was getting over it.

“Mmm…” the voice was still human, but twisted into sadism and cruelty when it was once small and soft. “Struggle more, please. It feels so nice digging deeper into you…”

The Bat Monster felt her grip on its wound and easily jerked its body back further into the alley, slamming into the ground as it shrieked.

Darting its head up, desperately trying to see what it thought was just a simple human attacker.

But she was gone from the spot.

Yet it could still feel her stare. Trembling, it arched its head towards that dread.

And amber eyes met back.

Calypso hung on all fours, claws clinging to the wall. Upside down, her breath visible steam, fangs glistening in the small reflection of light that struggled to reach from the street. Cloaked in shadow with her eyes and teeth visible.

“If only you didn’t snack on every human you saw on this lane~” Calypso chirped smugly, radiating superiority.

The Bat screeched, trying to back away. The monster girl tilted her head at this, before her fierce eyes widened. And her grin grew.

“Aw. You know what I am, dreg~? That sucks the fun out of it… Hey! If you tell me the things I have questions about, I’ll think about sparing you!”

Suddenly she laughed in an uproar, darting from the darkness so fast, all the Bat Monster could follow was a flashing gleam and the sound of something cutting flesh.

The Bat couldn’t see anything. Because black blood completely obscured any line of sight. And the pain was unbearable.

The Bat Monster was not only pinned down but spewing out blood from the shoulders like geysers.

Calypso was over it, her bony claws clasping each other, tenting, in a relaxed manner.

It was the set of blades that jutted out from each elbow, that severed the monster’s limbs, causing the blood spray.

And despite being so close, despite this former human practically lording over it—it still couldn’t completely see what Calypso became. As she was coated from head to toe in the monster’s own black blood. Once again, only the dark eyes and wide smile were visible.

“Theeeere we are. Now you can’t fly away and make this boring…” Calypso purred, admiring the casual carnage she was issuing out.

The Bat’s head wrestled, and the body squirmed, but it led to the same regrettable endpoint. Stiffening pathetically in pain as it whimpered. Almost human.

Calypso’s sunny disposition turned into a sour squint. Startlingly fast.

“Oh don’t give me that bullshit.”

Slamming the sides of the Bat’s head with her sharp claws, Calypso felt firsthand how the entire head squished briefly. The shape reformed, but it didn’t change the fact that this girl had the strength to cave the head in, there and then.

And as if minutes or even hours pass, the standard range of humans getting over negative emotions—Calypso’s expression returned into a deranged zeal in reaction. Shivering at her display of power.

“You’re not human anymore. You ate this person from the inside out. You don’t get to act innocent, you disgusting thing… That’s why I have to. That’s why I have to not only eat you until you’re nothing but scraps; but stay like this…”

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Without warning, her claws just grabbed at the sides of the Bat’s face. Again, with effortless strength on her part as she held it still. The claws cut softly and easily into the flesh. Hot knife through butter.

“I know it hurts and I know it scares me that I can be like this—” Calypso was literally ranting to no one, her brow twisted in a concerned state despite the rictus smile spread across her face. “—But it’s better this way! I-I’ll leave everyone alone! I’ll stay out of people’s way! I won’t have to act like I’m ssssomething I’m not anymore! And maybe, jusssst maybe it can ffffinally work thissss time!”

As much as she didn’t want to do so, Calypso quickly pulled a claw away from the head, wiping the trailing drool from her maw before diving right back in.

“Sorry, I tend to slobber whenever I have cool, awesome ideas~”

She angled the finer points of her claws inside of the Bat’s head, within the wounds she made wider. She then shoved her thumb-claws into the mouth, forcing it to smile.

The monster girl leaned forward. With such a cocksure, lowered gaze upon her prey. Such a swagger that illustrates that the person hasn’t been thinking more clearly than they were now.

“Again, I have to thank you… You’ve made me finally accept it. My fate. This is my life now, prowling the streets, a creature of the night… I was so scared of this curse as a human—because a human would only see it as a curse. A dark side, some kind of corruption? Ha! I was always like this, it’s been finally let out!”

And finally, she began to pull upwards. She couldn’t help but giggle madly, as she watched the Bat’s eyes tremble in pain.

“In the end, this is all pleasure for me. Serving my aching id, to ease my fervent mind… To fill my empty, soulless body… I was always a bad person. I was always meant for this! Now die, meaningless dreg—be my first kill of absolution!”

Calypso felt something grasp her cheek. It was so sudden, her expression of murderous superiority was still frozen on her face.

Turns out, she did not cut deep enough.

The Bat’s small, trembling claw cupped the monster girl’s cheek. It’s beady, soulless eyes… Briefly flashing a sheen before plunging back into darkness.

The proud, assured monster girl began to shake herself.

A sickening snap ensued, with a final spray of black viscous signaled the end of this terrible being’s life.

Calypso hummed, as she felt the showers hit against her transformed body. Reveling in the sensation, taking in how much she enjoyed it… And the ping of guilt that echoed within.

“I was like this… Always like this… Even before this transformation into a monster,” Calypso said to no one. Trembling. Only her so-called truth rattling within.

The black stains all over her body began to shrink away in seconds. Her nightmarish frame produced so much heat that the black blood was vaporing from it, burnt wisps floating into the air.

But Calypso didn’t watch any of that. She watched the now mess of shadow as her lips wavered.

She growled at herself, shaking her head violently to free herself of clouded or second thoughts. “It’s true! All of it, Calypso! I have to accept it—everything! Regardless, I have to feed! I-I have to…”

As she opened her dark, glowing eyes, they were shaped by forlorn. With a sheen of lost humanity of her own.

“If I don’t do this… Then I shouldn’t have survived…” Calypso’s croaky vocal tone returned and she was all too aware of it. “I have to make this work…!”

The monster girl reached out, seeing her outstretched claw beginning to prod itself into the dark corpse.

Only to witness her claw slowly, but surely, morph back into her dainty, pale hand.

“N-no…” Calypso reeled back, on the verge of tears as she felt the changes take hold.

She clutched at her head, feeling her long mane of hair roll back into her short bob. In her sway of confusion, wobbling due to bones popping back into place, muscles shrinking back so that she could fall back on her knees again. The poor girl groaned, echoing the sounds she made as she turned… But clearly in pain and sadness.

“WHY CAN’T I STAY AS ONE THING?!” Calypso roared out, into the black, clear skies. “WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!”

Her misery was cut short, as the halfway girl heard a very loud stirring as she panickily looked across the alley. Were those shadows? Was she imagining things? Has she finally gone insane? And even so, are they actually human?

She didn’t want to find out.

Using her remaining claw, she turned towards the nearest wall and began to scale it fervently. She did slide down at points, due to turning back into a human, but it didn’t matter. Calypso hoisted herself onto the rooftops and began to prowl to hurl herself across many others. Until she was safe.

With her enhanced strength and agility, Calypso got away in no time. With her enhanced senses, she looked over her shoulder multiple times, making sure she wasn’t followed.

What didn’t help was this town was still unfamiliar. Too wide, too quiet at times. She was already deep in her usual self-hatred for running as a monster; Calypso didn’t need to dwell on the fact she was sent here basically as a sick patient.

She found herself in the woods. Pressing her back against the tree as she slowly turned back, holding her stomach as it rumbled like thunder.

Then felt the bones in her arms creak painfully, before righting themselves again. Was it punishment after pushing herself? Or is it another transformation brewing once more?

Hunched over, cold, in pain, within the dark, Calypso only had her thoughts.

I don’t know what to do… I couldn’t hide this… But I can’t commit to this either… I don’t have it in me to be so terrible but… That was me. Regardless if it was so deep down…

Shivering, and it wasn’t just from the cold. She dug her nails into the pale arms, knowing that black viscous would be drawn. Dripping down them.

What am I…? And why did I survive, only to have a fate worse than death…?

The girl looked up to the Moon, clouded by wispy fog. Afraid that she’d die once again, before an answer could be found.

***