I was getting used to the view from the edge. It hadn't gotten any more pleasant over time, but part of me was learning to appreciate it for what it was. Despite living in constant flux between odd family life and mortal perils, I never really considered what would happen to my soul when I died. Or any... souls, for that matter. My thoughts on the matter always distracted and spotty. A huge gap in my worldview, the beautiful horizon misleading me from the missing building that was supposed to sit between two others.

My body stumbled into the basement and I immediately threw up blood, staggering over to the washer and collapsing back across it - which would have been rather dramatic if not given the circumstances. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but my jacket and shirt had clear melted off of my body - oh and my skin felt like it was on fire.

“Shit, Eric - do you need meds?” The Blank hopped from the chair, blood also on his own face.

“No, I’m -ah, shit!- I’m fine, it’s just a little ahh’-” I growled and clenched my extended fists tight. “I’ve had worse - you okay?”

“Just overexerted a little, but you look… you look bad…” his face was contorted in a grimace, although it was hard to see with how blurry my vision was getting.

It felt like my insides were boiling and my skin was dried and inflamed. I clenched my jaw and screwed my eyes shut in an attempt to block out the agony. The sound of Wight coming back into the basement and immediately throwing up made me want to laugh - but instead I just shook.

“Why are you throwing up blood too?” Rodney began. “Forget it. Eric is in a bad way.”

“M’fine,” I managed to squeeze out of my mouth.

[Does he not want medicine?]

“No.”

[Allow me to help, then.]

I calmed as most of the pain became numb and I was relegated to just viewing impassively. The skin on my arms was blistering and cracking, despite no external force heating it.

[There is a chance your regeneration cannot keep up.]

‘What sort of chance?’

[One hundred percent.]

‘You think I need the H-Mix, but don’t want to suggest it or encourage me to take it, right?’

He didn’t respond. I watched as the skin on my arm peeled back, crisping up like wood shavings. If this was only the beginning, then I wasn’t too keen on slowly watching myself be flayed to death by the kickback of my own power.

‘Tell Rodney to do it. You know it’s my best chance.’ The Blank had averted his eyes from my body burning away in front of him, lest he add some vomit of his own to the basement floor. Pearl would be so annoyed. Thinking of her gave me some comfort.

[Listen carefully, the Rodney. You need to administer the H-Mix immediately into Eric’s neck. Then you need to leave the basement for at least an hour.]

By then I should be finished cooking, I reckoned. The Blank opened his mouth as if he was going to object or inquire further, but stopped himself and nodded. He pulled the medicine chest aside and withdrew the box with the demon juice in. I knew it was going to come to this. We may have defeated a Mids demon and gotten a handful of names - but at what cost?

‘That was quite fun, even if it is going to end me.’

[Cycling my power through you has worn your corruption resistance down. Impressive, but not sustainable in the long term.]

Rodney pulled the needle from the packaging and, with a brief hesitation, then plunged it into my neck.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

My vision flickered alongside my heartbeat, everything now in stop motion. He turned a glance at me and then left as instructed. Four frames following his pace from here until gone.

Last time I had been unconscious - the Sea having almost rendered me to pieces. Not so lucky this time.

It was horror. Frozen as a statue, as Wight held me in his possession, I didn’t feel comforted and safe. Something was in here with me, a lurking shadow chasing around my panicked psyche. A monster within the walls. I could not scream or run. All I had to fight back with was the strength of my will. This was my body, my mind, and my... something else I couldn't remember. I had staked my claim, but the drooling gawkers in the peripherals didn’t care much for flags.

While True Possession normally numbed my physical senses, this was vibrantly painful. Every nerve in my body prickled in succession from the point of the injection all the way down to my toes. The black mist of Wight had now swirled around my shedding limbs, encasing my body like a cocoon so that my skeleton didn’t hatch early. My body slunk to the floor into a sitting position, and I could now see the pool of blood where I had been standing.

I felt sorry for Rodney. Body horror was just one of the pages that screamed when I turned them, but I had become a little blind and deaf to it. He had seen me in bad condition before, watched me wreak absolute carnage against demonkind… but in seeing me totally helpless and falling apart - it had to remind him of the time he abandoned me. Water far beyond the bridge for me, but possibly a sore spot still in his heart.

Even so, having him leave the room wasn’t just a mercy for his senses. I was convulsing slightly now as my body tried to reject the monster within. There might be the possibility I’d turn into some manner of thrall - even briefly, before Wight solved that issue. In truth, there was more possibilities than I could imagine. I didn’t really know what was happening, only that we were trusting a dark miracle to keep me from falling into the abyss once again.

[Do not fret. This is agony for me too.]

‘Are you alright, though? You had to disperse last time you did the whole void sphere thing.’

[We live, and we grow, Eric.]

Judging by his appearance and expulsions once he returned to this plane, it was a rough deal on him, too. In a way, it was comforting that he could be harmed - which sounded cruel, but it was nice to know he was more on my level than he liked to portray. We were both dopes trying to run rough ruin and tripping on our untied shoelaces in the fervor.

‘Do you know how well it is going?’

[Have you died yet?]

‘No… I don’t believe so.’

[That is all we can hope for.]

Not being dead yet. I had spent my life in that pursuit. So far, so good. Despite the attempts of demon, employers, and my own disdain for having a well-rounded emotional vocabulary. H-Mix would change me, but I’d just go and change myself harder. I felt tired though, so maybe later. Being squished up against the washing machine wasn’t exactly the softest of beds, but in being unable to feel much, it was as good a place as any. I’d probably heal better being asleep too, right?

I blinked and found myself in an empty void. Perhaps I had died, after all.

>Hello Again.

Oh, not so lucky. I was probably asleep and now having a catch-up meeting with the latest in a series of entities roosting in my cracked psyche.

>I Can Hear Your Thoughts.

That was good. Perhaps that will expedite this process - I’m sure you’ve been watching and saw I’m having quite the day.

>Indeed. Most Impressive. I Come With A Warning - No, Some Advice. Or Perhaps Your Kind Is More Receptive When Prompted To Think You Made The Decision Yourself.

You can be straight with me. I’m rather receptive to outside influence, apparently.

>You Must Balance Yourself If You Wish To Grow. Find Out Where Your Divine Power Comes From Lest The Demonic Take You Over.

Imagine that I am nodding. Actually, it’s rather weird talking with my thoughts without space to introspect. I get it, lots of demon power sets me off balance - I need to find why I’m the supposed ‘Last Lantern’ and find a middle ground.

>I’m Glad I Chose You As A Champion. You May Now Leave.

I awoke and immediately threw up, shuddering as my body felt chilled. Chose me, my ass. I was the one who found the stupid box of god magic.

“Eric, you alright?”

Part of me had hoped that Pearl would make a surprise appearance, here to rescue and recuperate the little broken Hunter. Rodney was a distant but affable second best. On arms screaming with agony, I pushed myself back up into a sitting position.

“I feel like I gave a woodchipper a rimjob.”

“That’s… a remarkably Partridge thing to open with.” His head tilted to the side, concern across his brow.

True, but also true. But also true. Ah, corruption, how I missed it. As much as the demonic meds would heal my physical form, it wasn’t so great at pinning down those errant crunchy toads. My right eye twitched.

“Little crazy going cold turkey.” I frowned at my legs, wondering if they’d always looked so disrespectful. “Without Org meds, I mean.”

“Still an option, if you need.”

[Perhaps we need that bed to tie him down to.]

“Don’t thread me with a gorgon time.” My eyes fuzzed as I looked up at the small bird-demon standing beside me. He had a bandage wrapped around his head, which seemed wholly unnecessary and overly cute.

I held my normal left hand up to fist bump my patron, which he awkwardly reciprocated.

“Just like the good old days.” I smiled and closed my eyes, falling back to sleep immediately.