Mike's P.O.V.

I screamed, with my other hand supporting the dislocated arm. A black mist swirled around Palong, and his dislocated clicked and was good as new. This also occurred to me. I watched as the dislocated arm also clicked back to its former form. I tried to question him about what's happening but it seems, he doesn't want to indulge information at it. Now I know he can't just clearly kill me or do any ill intentions towards me.

After that, he said he needs to confirm something about what happened to the cave. So I went towards the cave while he sat on my head. On the way I questioned him about my wounds at my back, but he just shrugged and said, "I don't know. You are laying there, unconscious, when I arrived."

That got me confused again. What the heck is going on? So I just put it on the back of my mind. Another mystery to solve. I told him about myself. But not much details because of my amnesia. I told him about my name, Mike White. About my situation, and everything that happened before the cave.

One thing I noticed that he had this poker face of his, that indicated that he doesn't care. But when he heard about that voice I have heard I saw his eyes flicker for a moment. He pondered and said, "I think that owl is also a phantom."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Dumbass! I am the Great Palong. The Knowledge I have in my disposal is immense," With his chest out and looked quite proud of himself continued, "It is another kind of phantom. There are three kinds of phantoms. The Formless, the Totem.... and the ones gifted by the heavens... the Zodiac Beasts."

"The Formless, just like I have said, are the ones like me and those who you have released. The Totem are spirited beings that displays as an animal that represents their powers."

"The Zodiac Beasts. They are much more unique because they are only twelve species in that category, unlike the other two who had countless. And here's the most important part. I have told you that phantoms had levels and ranks, right?."

"Right. What about it."

"You see, the Formless and the Totems, level up in many different ways. It leads us to evolve and make our intangible being to become more solid. Then the Zodiacs came in. Since the day they were born, they were blessed and was tangible. Which means they are much powerful than the ordinary. In earlier years, they were distinguished as Totems. And then time went on they made their own group, the Zodiacs."

"Okay. I've got the whole point of it."

"Good! Then I'll tell you how phantoms evolve. The Formless evolved by feeding off in Essence. The Totem on the other hand evolve with integrating itself with a human." He lowered his head to gaze at my eye, "Like yours."

That put me into contemplation, until he continued which interrupted my thought process, "The Zodiac Beasts don't evolve. I mean, they can. But they despise evolution and has made themselves powerful as they are. I don't know enough details. It dates back many, many years ago."

"I thought you have immense knowledge?"

"I told you MANY MANY YEARS AGO!"

__________

Change P.O.V.

Mike and Palong walked out of the forest. Palong floated up towards the cave while Mike ventured on the surroundings of the cliff, below the cave. Moments later Palong came down in a state where his hand is holding his chin, clearly in a moment of thinking and pondering.

"Hey Palong! Is my bike up there?" Mike asked.

"A what?" Palong woke up from his own world, then questioned.

"A bike! You know...." Mike was about to explain, then he smirk. "Immense knowledge my ass! You don't even know a thing about a bike. Stupid. Moron." 

"Hey! Don't think that I can't hurt you, just because it also reflects on me!" Palong flew towards Mike and hand chop his head.

Mike then explained what a bike is, then Palong flew out to search for it in the surroundings, for the cave is empty. Not long after Long came back with the bike. Then they ventured off their direction towards the town.

__________

A few hours later a heavy breathing Mike with Palong on top of his head in a meditative sitting posture, relaxing. They came out of the forest. In front of them is the town's border. On Mike's face could be seen, exhaustion wariness and anxiety. Because he can see smokes coming out of the town.

"Palong, what's happening out there?"

"Like I said, those who you release are Formless, and they feed in Essence. And from the looks of it, they have possessed every person alive and killed each other to get the Essences. I hope its not too late."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Mike gulped down a mouthful of saliva. Killings. That word imprinted on his mind. He had now bad premonitions about the towns situation. And as expected, as they got near, a pungent smell polluted the air. Mike covered his nose as he pedaled closer to the town.

What he saw is highly likely what zombie movies had in common. Corpses. All around. Mike sighted children, adults and elderly. None was spared. He even saw a little girl with her hands pierced through woman's heart, while the woman had her hands on little girls throat, elbow deep. And the thing is, both of them seemed to have similar look. A mother and daughter.

Mike couldn't take it anymore and he puked. Palong sitting on Mike's head floated forward and inspected the corpses.

"Based on their appearances it has been a day some of them died and others a little older," Palong squinted his eyes, "Mike its dangerous here. A phantom could have evolve amongs them. They had a royal rumble of sort. The last man standing, the mightiest."

"How do you know?"

"Because that's how I first evolve."

Mike was inwardly shaken as he mumbled, "I did this. This is my fault," as he grabbed his hair. His eyes sweep through the ground full of corpses. The cars in flames. Buildings shattered windows. Mike's consciousness is now starting to blacked out. Then he saw glimpses of the dream (1), or you could say nightmare.

He saw a cloak person glancing at him sideways with red eyes. The are is rocky and desolate. A huge rock on the side are full of candles. Every candles were lit and a red liquid drips out of the candles, making the ground blood red.

Mike blinked as he screamed, Palong kept on shaking Mike and shouting at his ear. But it doesn't seem to have any effect. Mike was so submerged in his nightmare as his eyes started to turn blood red as well.

__________

*BANG*

One of the building on the eastern side of the town, had its walls broken down by a person. As the smoke dissipated, black veins could be seen crawling over the body of the hulk-like figure, who emerge from the smokes. It stared at the area where Mike was.

"Blood...," then he jumped from building to building.

__________

"Mike! Snap out of it! Hey!" Palong shouted frantically. He mumbled some words. Then he raise his head. In his eyes you can see resoluteness. Telling one he had decided on something.

Palong opened his mouth and something strange happened to Mike. His hands still grabbing his head, blood red eyes and screaming. When suddenly something tugged on his head. His screaming halted, as his breathing also stopped. Then out from his orifices came out red liquid substance. But this is not blood. This is what Palong keeps telling Mike, the Essence.

Red liquid substance kept coming out of Mike's orifices. When the liquid change color to black, that's when the hulk-like figure came in with a bang on the floor, cracking it. As Palong saw this he speed up the processes. After the black came the white. It coalesce up in the air. One part red, black and white.

Then a small version of the orb flew out and went inside Palong's mouth. Palong's body trembled and changes could be seen on him. His black and shadow like skin peeled off as a skin of a human appeared underneath. His face also change and it looks like a smaller version of Mike. Except for the Mohawk hair and blood red eyes.

Paong coughed out and a black liquid substance, looking at it, it glimmer with a violet color. The liquid flew and integrated itself on the three colored orb until it then went back inside Mike. Mike on the other hand is out cold, as he dropped in the ground, unconscious.

Palong closed his eyes and on his forehead small stubble of a horn grown out, then opened his eyes again. Black mist sweep his body and then turned into clothes the same one Mike is wearing. Black v-neck, beige jeans, and merrel shoes.

He stared at the incoming hulk-like figure. As the hulk-like figure neared them, it stopped eye Palong and said in a very raspy voice, "A Formless? Integrating itself on a human?" It barked a small laugh, "Despicable! Humans are weaklings and our livestock's. Then you, a Formless went to be one with him?"

Palong just smirk, "Who said his 'All' Human?"

__________

Note:

(1) The dream in chapter 1