The crimson spray of blood on her skin ignited a primal fear in Jes. At that moment, anguish, fear, and horror melded into an overwhelming cacophony of emotions, threatening to consume her entirely. But amidst the chaos, she felt the touch of a familiar hand, warm and comforting. It was Kyle's hand, still warm from life, though his body lay headless beside her.

Struggling to breathe through her tears, Jes turned her head toward Silas, her eyes pleading for understanding and forgiveness. The guilt gnawed at her heart, knowing that her trance-like state had prevented her from reacting earlier, from saving herself and her friends. Her voice trembled as she uttered her last words,

"I'm sor..."

-Boom

The upraised leg of the dark being descended like a merciless guillotine, falling towards the condemned, pinning Jes's head to the ground with a force that shook the forest.

Silas's heart-wrenching scream echoed through the air, and he felt his strength drain away as he hung limply in his enemy's grip. The gruesome sight of the two headless bodies before him left him numb. He didn't feel anger, grief, or even the guilt he had felt for Kyle's death. His mind was blank, his emotions muted.

The boy's desire to join his friends in death overwhelmed him. He knew resisting was futile, so he surrendered to the inevitable.

Silas felt his head being twisted; the killer lifted the child in his firm grip and turned him around. They were now face to face. The sandy brown eyes of the blue-haired boy with black streaks and two crimson orbs of the dark creature.

It was the first time he had been so close to this creature's face, its features seemed to be a cruel parody of humanity.

Eyes glowing in a shade of red reminiscent of drops of blood, there was no trace of humanity in those eyes. The creature's nose was thin and flat, almost resembling the snout of a predatory animal. It sat on its face like an elongated blade, adding to the sinister aura that surrounded the creature. And when it opened its mouth, the sight of two rows of teeth sent a shiver of dread through everyone who witnessed it. Each tooth appeared like a superimposed saw, jagged and sharp, ready to tear apart flesh and bone with brutal efficiency.

But it was not just its eyes and teeth that instilled fear. The creature's face seemed to pulsate with an unnatural energy. Dark green veins snaked across its skin like a network of writhing worms, pulsing and twitching with a sinister rhythm.

Up close and looking at the monster's hideous face, Silas felt nothing. His mind had retreated into a deathly silence, and his body shook with numbness that left him barely aware of what was happening. Death seemed like a welcome release from the misery of this moment.

"You have already lost your will."

"..."

" Such impoliteness not to answer. At the very least, one ought to respond."

After ensuring that Silas witnessed its slaughter show, the devil-like entity ultimately unclenched its hand. Silas' body slumped, being dragged by gravity. A sense of fatigue overcame him. He had not been involved in the battle a while ago, nevertheless, his muscles felt as if they were made of lead.

"Your spirit may have died, but your flesh is still alive, boy. I can hear the flowing blood in your vessels, the thumping sound of your pounding heart. The feeling of life clings to you, it is like a beacon in this dark forest. Those are all facts you cannot deny. "

"I have a precious lesson to impart to you."

It raised its leg over the outstretched hand of its prey.

"Pain is the greatest testimony to life."

With that, it raised its leg and brought it down on Silas's hand with a sickening crunch. Bones shattered and twisted beneath the pressure, and a small pool of blood began to form beneath him, the crimson contrasted starkly against the forest floor. Silas did not scream or cry out, but his mind was filled with the pain of his shattered bones.

But the creature was far from satisfied its sadistic pleasure seemed boundless. It twisted and ground its foot into Silas's hand, causing more bones to splinter and contorting his limb in unnatural angles.

The creature was not done yet. It had a lesson to teach, and it would not stop until it had achieved its desired result.

The dark creature reveled in the thrill of torturing the humans, relishing the variety it brought to its monotonous existence. Its dead heart had not beaten with such excitement in ages, and the feeling was intoxicating. Its long thin fingers stretched out, each nail sharper than a knife. In an instant, the creature raised its arm and slashed at the human, cleaving the crushed arm into five pieces. Blood splattered in all directions, painting the forest in a macabre display of horror.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

But the thrill was short-lived. The creature's grin faded as the boy made no sound, dampening its joy. Had it misjudged the human's sensitivity to pain? It groaned in frustration, as the human's stoic silence defied the thrill it had sought. Unfortunately, there was never such a thing as eternal excitement, no endless supply of torment, everything is destined to fade away.

Disappointed, the creature prepared to end the game once and for all, raising its arm one last time.

---

Silas' mind completely collapsed as he helplessly watched his teammates being murdered. He was responsible for them, the team leader, the one who was supposed to give orders and make the right decisions for the three-man team. Not one of these things, however, was done right by him.

Why was he even appointed as the leader? Their teacher assigned each of them a role. At that time, he did not question his teacher's judgment, on the contrary, he was pleased to be the leader, but now it weighed on him.

The heaviness of his guilt was crushing, and memories of his friends' gruesome deaths repeated in his mind like a never-ending nightmare. The gory image of Kyle's head exploding, the echo of Jes' unfinished plea, and the unrecognizable remains of the once-frightened girl swirled in a nightmarish dance within his consciousness.

The suffocating burden of it all bore down upon him, causing his mind to crumble under the relentless onslaught of guilt. The weight of their deaths, an unforgiving force, pulled him deeper into the abyss of despair.

Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, a familiar feeling stirred within him. But this wasn't a welcome sensation, for it was one that every living thing knew well and feared. An intense and primal sensation. An unwelcome visitor, uninvited and intrusive. An inseparable thread woven into the tapestry of life.

Pain.

Helpless and motionless, Silas experienced a soft cracking sound that filled his ears, barely audible at first. But with each passing moment, the sound grew louder and the pain more intense. It was as if a tsunami was raging within him, wave after wave of torment.

The never-ending waves of pain slammed against his soul. Despite his desperate attempts to fight it, a small tear began to form, and soon, it grew into a fissure. Something was pouring out of his soul, something that he didn't understand and feared. Like a seed taking root in his head, it was a terrifying presence, one that he couldn't ignore or shake off.

Silas tried to resist, but the pain was too much. It was all-consuming, tearing through him like a wildfire. His body was no longer his own, a prisoner locked deep within the depths of his being. He wanted to scream, to beg for release, but no words escaped his lips. And as the waves of pain continued to wash over him, Silas knew that he was alone, trapped in his own personal hell.

'How pathetic! '

Silas lay there, writhing in pain as a voice echoed in his head. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was no longer alone in his mind, that something dark and malevolent had taken root in his soul. The waves of pain continued to batter against his consciousness, and he could feel himself slipping away.

But then, something shifted. The pain receded, and the voice grew stronger, more insistent.

'Wake up!' it commanded, and Silas felt himself being pulled back from the brink.

It was a voice that he didn't recognize, yet it felt familiar somehow. Was he losing his mind, or was there really someone speaking to him from within his own thoughts? He tried to shake off the voice, to tell himself that it wasn't real.

And then, just as he thought it was over, the voice spoke again.

'Wake up! '

The voice swept through his mind like a powerful gust of wind, dispelling the thick fog that had clouded his thoughts and leaving him with a newfound sense of mental clarity.

'You're finally awake.' It seemed to be able to sense Silas's state of mind.

'What are you? '

The voice laughed.

'What am I? How about asking yourself what kind of piece of shit YOU are? You're lying like a worm on the dirty floor, being cut up like a piece of meat. You couldn't even save your companions because of how pathetic you are! '

Silas felt a surge of anger and despair. It was true. He had failed to protect the people he cared about. He had been too weak, too powerless to stop the darkness that had taken them.

But then the voice spoke again, and this time, it was different.

'Stand up and fight! '

'How can I fight? It's too strong, too powerful. '

The world is a cruel place for those who have no power. That beast played with them because they were weak.

But the voice was insistent.

'You have nothing left to lose. Don't you want revenge? Don't you want to see this creature on the ground with its blood on your hands? Don't you want to break its teeth, cut off its arms, and peel off its skin? '

Silas felt a surge of hatred and determination. Yes, he wanted revenge. He wanted to make the creature pay for what it had done. But how?

'You have me, ' the voice assured.

How was he supposed to fight something that was far above his level? A creature so strong and sinister that he would never forget its power. It was impossible to do anything against it.

'There's nothing to lose. '

The voice was right. There was nothing left to lose. He was already on the brink of death.

'What do I have to do? ' Silas asked.

'Nothing, ' the voice replied. 'Just let me take over. Let me guide your actions, and I promise you that we will both be free. '

Silas hesitated, but his killing intent had never been as strong as it was now, it seemed that the voice had an influence on him.

He made up his mind.

'Take me. Take me wherever you want to go. But tell me. Who are you? '

'You already know who I am. '

Silas felt a chill run down his spine. It couldn't be true. But he knew, deep down, that it was.

The voice was his own.

'I am you, ' his voice said.

And with that, the darkness within him began to stir, stretching out its shadowy fingers and taking control. Silas felt himself slipping away, fading into the darkness as the voice in his head grew stronger and stronger.

And somewhere, in the depths of his mind, something stirred. A glimmer of hope, a spark of light in the darkness. It was small, barely perceptible, but it was there.

And for a brief moment, Silas felt a sense of peace, knowing that even in the darkest of times, there was always a chance for redemption.

---

The young man finally woke up.