“Get out of here!” Kane’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and desperate. “Now!”
Catigan swung, claws slicing, but Kane ducked, countering with a blast of fire that painted the sky in sparks and heat. The air throbbed with each collision, raw energy crackling between them.
I didn’t watch. I didn’t have the time.
My eyes caught the blood gems lying shattered on the floor, their once-brilliant glow now a faint, dying flicker. Without breaking stride, I grabbed them, shoving the jagged remnants into my pocket as I rushed to Aylin, my heart pounding harder with every step. I sank my sharpened teeth into the thick ropes. They frayed and snapped under the pressure, each strand breaking with a muffled twang as I tore through them like a feral animal.
“Aylin, please. Hold on,” I whispered, breathless, as her body slumped heavily into my arms. Her skin was pale, and the warmth was already slipping away. I clutched her tighter, desperation clawing at my chest.
I carried her out of the chaos and into the penthouse, my steps hurried but careful. The room was quiet, the growing storm muffled by the heavy walls. I laid her down on the couch, its rich leather darkened by the blood streaking her clothes. Kneeling beside her, I kept my hand on hers, my eyes searching her face for any sign of strength, any flicker of life that would tell me she was still fighting.
She had lost too much blood. Far too much. The kind of loss no one comes back from. Her skin was ashen, her lips tinged blue. She wasn’t breathing. Her chest lay still, unnervingly still, and when I pressed my ear to her, straining for any sound, there was nothing. No heartbeat. No rhythm of life.
“No,” I whispered, my voice breaking, raw and desperate. “No, no, no. Please…” I cradled her head in my hands, the warmth in her body already fading. “You can’t do this. You can’t leave. Not like this.”
I pressed my forehead against hers, squeezing my eyes shut, a pit opening in my chest so deep I thought I’d fall into it. The silence stretched, heavy and endless. My breath hitched, my throat tightening as the weight of it crushed down on me. She was gone. Truly gone.
And then…
I felt it. A flicker, faint and hesitant, like a candle struggling against the wind. Something deep within her stirred, something undeniable. I froze, barely daring to hope.
The gash on her neck, the one that should have ended her, began to close. Slowly, impossibly, the torn flesh knitted itself back together, sealing shut as if time itself had reversed.
“Aylin?” I breathed, my voice trembling. I held her there, unable to look away, watching in stunned amazement as life clawed its way back into her.
She stirred, her body jerking weakly as a wet, choking cough escaped her lips, splattering blood across her chin. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glassy, but alive. When she spoke, her voice was a strained rasp, each word trembling with regret.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, the sound so faint it was almost swallowed by the room’s silence. “I should have told you… I…” Her words faltered, her breath catching as she struggled to continue, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on her like a leaden shroud.
“Shh,” I hushed her gently, brushing a strand of blood-matted hair from her face. “Not now, Aylin. Save your strength.”
“The gems… where are they? Cat can’t…” she rasped, her voice barely audible, her eyes searching mine with desperate intensity.
“I have them,” I said, my tone firm but gentle. “They’re safe. Now rest.”
I looked toward Kane and Catigan outside, where fire and shadow raged like warring titans, their clash turning the rooftop into an apocalyptic nightmare. Sparks flew, the air humming with raw energy, and the smell of charred ozone hit me like a slap.
“You’ll be okay,” I said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “I need to go back.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The sound came like a gunshot. A sickening thud echoed behind me, followed by Kane’s guttural cry. I turned in time to see him crash to the ground, flames sputtering out like a dying star, blood pouring from his eyes and nose. Catigan stood over him, monstrous and grinning, his hands flexing as though savoring the moment before the kill.
I didn’t hesitate.
Frank’s pain tore through me, raw and searing, ripping through the last of my humanity and awakening something buried deep within. The beast that was Frank surged to life, wild and untamed, its presence igniting a call that resonated in the core of what I had become. The monster inside me—the monster that I had become—stirred, answering with a feral, guttural roar, eager to meet its kin in the chaos.
It surged through me like wildfire, carrying Frank’s energy, his unrelenting rage, and it became mine. I didn’t just allow it—I demanded it. My body shifted in response, contorting as the primal force overtook me. My fangs elongated, my face twisted into something wild, something barely human. I felt myself slipping, spiraling deeper into the void, more lost than ever before. And then… I let go.
With a primal roar, I charged. Catigan barely had time to react before I slammed into him, putting every ounce of strength into the blow. The force knocked him off balance, his hulking form skidding back across the blood-slick rooftop. The stench of him hit me like a wall—coppery blood, rotting meat, and something electric, like burnt wires sparking in my lungs—but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.
My fangs found his throat, tearing through flesh as thick and leathery as old armor. The taste of his blood hit me—hot, metallic, ancient—and something in it sang. It wasn’t just blood. It was power, intoxicating and raw, surging through me like wildfire. My vision blurred, the world shrinking to just him and me, predator and prey. System messages flared across my eyes, but I didn't care.
System messages flared across my vision, but I ignored them.
Warning: Humanity level critical. Reduce Corruption immediately.
Humanity at 10%...Humanity at 9%...Humanity at 8%...
The numbers kept falling as I tore into him, relentless and unfeeling.
Catigan howled, his massive claws ripping at me, but Kane staggered to his feet, fire flaring to life in his palms.
“Hold him!” I bellowed between bites, though my voice sounded distant, drowned beneath the rush of blood and power pounding in my ears.
Flames erupted around us, licking up Catigan’s arms and legs, holding him in place even as he thrashed. Frank coiled tighter, his threads strengthening my grip as I sank my teeth deeper. The energy pulsed through me, every wound on my body knitting together in seconds. My strength doubled, then redoubled, until I felt invincible, unstoppable.
Humanity at 7%... 5%… 4%…
Catigan’s struggles faltered, his roars turning into wet, gurgling gasps. The hunger demanded more.
You need to eat his heart. It’s the only way, Frank growled.
There was no hesitation, no thought. Just instinct. I dropped to my knees, my hands plunging into what was left of Catigan’s chest, tearing through flesh like it was paper.
The beast inside me howled, and I obeyed. I sank my teeth into the heart, its blood slick on my lips as molten power surged through me, burning like fire in my veins. Every nerve screamed as the energy overwhelmed me, pushing me beyond the brink of human, of reason.
Humanity at 3%... 2%… 1%…
I staggered back, chest heaving, blood dripping down my chin. My muscles trembled, every inch of me vibrating with raw power. Kane slumped, the aether drain taking its tole, his flames reduced to dim, flickering embers, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and horror. He dropped to one knee, his body trembling.
I dropped beside him, the rush ebbing into exhaustion, my breath coming in ragged bursts. The night air was cold against my burning skin, and Frank’s presence loosened, the feral rage settling into a sharp, lingering hum at the edges of my mind.
I collapsed, the strength in my legs giving out as the overwhelming surge of power coursed through me. It was too much change too fast. The world blurred, tilting and spinning, before fading entirely into darkness. My body trembled, overtaken by the raw, untamed energy, and then… nothing.
Humanity at 0%