The air thickened as the rumbling subsided, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. The torches on the dungeon walls dimmed, their flickering light casting long, spindly shadows. Erik could feel it again an oppressive weight pressing down on him like the dungeon itself was watching, waiting.

“This isn’t normal,” Kaelith muttered, her voice taut with tension. She crouched low, daggers at the ready, her sharp gaze scanning the warped stone corridors.

“No kidding,” Erik said, his mimic form shifting uneasily. His voice still sounded wrong an alien rasp echoing in the chamber but at least he could still speak. For now.

Edrin tightened his grip on his longsword, his stance steady despite the growing unease in the air. “Stay together. Whatever’s coming, we face it as a unit. And Erik...” He glanced over his shoulder. “No surprises.”

Erik wanted to retort, but the weight of the hunger gnawing at him left little room for sarcasm. He gave a reluctant nod instead.

From the cleric, Davin, came a small, nervous laugh. “This is fine. Totally fine. Just another day in the Dungeon of Sorrow.” He clutched his spellbook to his chest, muttering a faint prayer under his breath.

Before anyone could respond, the silence shattered.

A deafening screech ripped through the chamber, echoing off the walls with a piercing, otherworldly tone. Erik flinched, his mimic instincts flaring to life. He felt the sound more than heard it a sharp, clawing presence that raked at his senses.

Then they came.

From the darkness ahead, hulking figures emerged. Their forms were vaguely humanoid, but grotesquely twisted. Jagged bones jutted from their bodies like armor, their elongated limbs ending in razor-sharp claws. Their glowing, hollow eyes locked onto the group, radiating a primal malice that sent a shiver through Erik’s mimic core.

“Bonefiends,” Edrin growled. He stepped forward, raising his blade. “Formation!”

Kaelith darted to the left, her movements quick and precise, while Davin fell back, chanting under his breath as a soft golden glow began to envelop the party. Erik remained rooted in place, his mimic instincts torn between flight and fight.

The first Bonefiend lunged with terrifying speed, claws slashing toward Edrin. The warrior met the attack with a powerful swing, his blade sparking against the creature’s bony armor. Kaelith slipped behind it, her daggers finding the weak points between its ribs.

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Erik wanted to help wanted to do something but the hunger surged again, sharper now. The Bonefiends radiated life essence, a raw, burning energy that called to him like a moth to a flame. It overwhelmed his thoughts, clawing at his mind with relentless force.

“Erik!” Kaelith’s voice snapped him back to reality. She dodged another Bonefiend’s swipe, her expression livid. “Move, damn it!”

Before he could respond, one of the Bonefiends turned its hollow gaze on him. It tilted its head, almost curiously, before charging.

Instinct took over. Erik’s mimic form shifted and warped, his body expanding as he braced for impact. The creature collided with him, its claws scraping against his hardened exterior. Without thinking, Erik lashed out, his mimic tendrils wrapping around the Bonefiend’s arm.

And then he felt it.

The life essence surged into him, electric and intoxicating. For a moment, he felt powerful alive in a way he hadn’t since waking up in this cursed form. But the sensation was fleeting, replaced by a sickening realization. He wasn’t just defending himself. He was feeding.

The Bonefiend screeched, writhing in his grip, and Erik released it with a shudder. The creature stumbled back, its movements slower now, as though drained.

“Erik!” Davin’s voice rang out, his spellcasting faltering as he stared at Erik with wide, fearful eyes. “What... what did you just do?”

“I didn’t” Erik began, but his words caught in his throat. The hunger still burned, even fiercer now, and he knew they had seen what he had done.

Kaelith didn’t hesitate. She hurled one of her daggers, the blade embedding itself in the Bonefiend’s exposed skull. The creature collapsed in a heap, its glowing eyes flickering out like dying embers.

“Focus on the enemies!” Edrin barked, deflecting another Bonefiend’s attack.

But Erik could feel the tension in the air shifting. The adventurers weren’t just fighting the Bonefiends now. They were watching him.

The battle raged on, chaotic and brutal. Erik forced himself to fight, his mimic form lashing out with desperate ferocity. He didn’t use the tendrils again—didn’t let himself feed but the hunger gnawed at him with every second.

When the last Bonefiend fell, the chamber fell silent once more. Edrin stood at the center of the carnage, his armor battered and bloodied, his sword dripping with black ichor. Kaelith retrieved her daggers, her expression unreadable, while Davin slumped against the wall, his breathing ragged.

Erik stayed back, unsure of what to say or if he should say anything at all.

Kaelith broke the silence first. “We can’t trust him.” She pointed one of her daggers at Erik, her voice cold. “Did you see what he did? He’s not just a monster he’s a predator. And it’s only a matter of time before he turns on us.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Erik said, his voice trembling. “It was either fight or die.”

“And how long before we’re the ones you ‘have no choice’ but to fight?” Kaelith shot back.

Edrin held up a hand, his tone firm. “Enough. We’re all alive because we worked together. Let’s not tear each other apart now.”

Kaelith scowled but said nothing more.

Davin hesitated, glancing between Erik and the others. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “Maybe Kaelith’s right. But... he hasn’t hurt us. Not yet.”

Erik didn’t know how to respond. The truth was, he didn’t trust himself either. The hunger was always there, waiting, and every fight made it harder to resist.

But as the group prepared to move deeper into the dungeon, one thing was clear: trust was a fragile thing, and Erik’s place among them was growing more tenuous with every step.