The creature screamed out in pain, it's hoarse voice rapidly decaying to primal gurgle, begging to be killed. It's lips peeled back, revealing the crumbling and old bones, before falling back into silence.

Charlie couldn't help but stare, stupefied beyond reason by what had just transpired.

Did... It just speak English? Wha.. How?

The grisly scene of the creatures fetid flesh sloughing off into ash, and the bones turning to dust, was quickly thrown to the wayside - the creature spoke, and stranger yet, Charlie could understand.

Yet, with the barrier of language no longer being an issue, Charlie still could not communicate. He couldn't speak to the creature, couldn't share his burden nor ask questions about the creature in turn. Charlie couldn't tell it that killing the first creature that could understand him was like killing his own hopes and dreams - impossible.

It would be cruel, it would be unforgivable, and it would be selfish of Charlie to not honour the wishes of this tortured creature. But Charlie couldn't help but feel selfish, he wanted to speak and find comfort in another, to be seen and perceived.

The time Charlie spent in the cave, and the world at large, was pretty short in the grand scheme of things - but he had been a human at one point. The need for communication, to be heard, understood and validated, was greater than he had ever imagined.

Charlie, incapable of facing the creatures head, turned his attention back to the beating heart and the beautiful multicoloured gem. The wires and lights sticking out of them were clearly doing something beyond reason; keeping it alive, or keeping it at deaths door.

Keeping a being alive through unnatural means, alone in this darkness, undergoing the tremendous pain of its body being thrown into the cycle of destruction and rebirth - it was simply torture.

Maybe that was the purpose, maybe the creature was down here to be tortured. Maybe it was held down here, captured and thrown away, to be forgotten. Maybe it was dangerous, unable to be killed, but incapacitated indefinitely.

This... Is simply too cruel... You weren't even given the ability to go out on your own terms...

In the time spent battling with his own emotions, ethics and selfishness, the desiccated body of the pitiful creature went through another cycle of death and rebirth - only to turn into dust once more.

The mouth made of temporary flesh did not speak this time, quietly whimpering before it's vocal chords turned to dust, and the piercing silence returned.

Charlie, not knowing what to do, slithered closer to the cage; made of cold grey metal and ancient rust. It was impossible to tell how long this had been down here, but the rust was deep - older than anything he had seen in both lives.

Looking around, Charlie could see that there was no door, nor any way to pry the metal bars apart. Whoever got them in there must have welded to bars shut, never intending to let them out.

Returning his attention back to the bony creature, Charlie's eyes couldn't help but be drawn in by the beautiful and multicoloured gem. It was in a league of its own, outshining the ugly and lifeless pebbles that rested in the chest of his fallen prey.

The enchanting gem radiated strange power, the air above it shimmered like a visible wall of heat. It was dense, leaking through the metal bars, sending shivers up and down Charlie's spine.

Yet, curious beyond belief, Charlie couldn't help himself and wanted an even closer look. Though his head fit through the bars quite easily, Charlie immediately reeled back.

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[Devour] exploded in a furious ball of hunger and unbridled rage, pulling on his being and trying to activate itself without Charlie's permission. Shocked, Charlie leapt back and forcefully fought back against the burning primal desire. [Devour] played on his nerves, gnawed on his mind and assaulted his consciousness, begging to take control.

It was like he was transported back to the first time [Devour] had reared it's insatiable head. Charlie felt almost powerless to resist, but managed to just barely keep ahold of his sanity.

Pained grunts and heavy breaths escaped through Charlie's gritted teeth - it took everything inside of him to not give in to the maddening hunger.

Slowly, very slowly, Charlie felt the claws of [Devour] ease. Slowly did the ravenous fog dissipate from his mind, and his own mind started to come back from its depths.

After a few more moments of rest, Charlie could think clearly about the situation once more.

The creature, whatever it was, wanted to be killed. That was the simple truth. [Devour] wanted to unleash itself and consume it, which was also a simple truth, but Charlie wasn't certain if it was even possible. Up until this point, [Devour] has never reacted this powerfully to a 'still living' creature, so what was going on?

Was the constant cycle of destruction and creation enough to trick [Devour]? Was it something to do with the exposed gem? Or had Charlie always had the ability to use [Devour] on the living?

There were simply too many unknowns and not enough time to figure them out. Charlie had to make a decision and he needed to make it soon - the humans would certainly appear sooner than later

Charlie sighed, once again he was forced to make a choice that needed time, and careful thought.

Having made his decision, Charlie slithered over to the cage. If he was the one to kill it, Charlie wanted to give it some respect in its final moments, and so he waited.

Though, not for long. The creature went through another cycle of regrowth, knitting the flesh and bone back from nothing into what looked like a human-esque skull.

Charlie stared into the eye-less sockets while the wriggling muscle wormed it's way into existence, seeking sight. Charlie stared upon the being that was caged away from the world and perceived it's torturous fate, ripped away from the natural cycle of life and death - for what purposes, Charlie could only guess at the unknown horrors behind the creatures past.

The coloured lines intensified in strength and sent the familiar pulse through the creatures body, but this time, something changed.

It smiled - and the flesh continued to grow.

The wriggling muscle that comprised the eyes completed their impossible task, for possibly the first time in forever, and locked their gaze with Charlie. It's yellow irises pierced through Charlie like sharp knives for a moment, before they softened as life returned to the dead.

"You can see... My prison... Charlie... You know... Of my pain."

Charlie continued to stare, never breaking eye-contact with the rapidly regenerating creature.

"I have not had eyes... Or the will to speak... In a very long time..." the creature wheezed through rotting lips.

The multicoloured lights did not shut off, sending pulses of corrupting power through the creatures flesh over and over again - yet it failed to stop it's regrowth, for now.

"Even with my... Even with the magic borne of creature and legend... I could not overcome the greed of others..." said the creature, it's bloody head taking on a lighter shade as the skin started to form.

"They wanted... My sight... My knowledge..." it wheezed.

It sat up, finally having the muscle and skin required to complete the titanic task, and turned it's corrupted body towards Charlie. It must have been in great pain, still, as the myriad of wires and lines of light corrupted everything they touched, halting the creatures attempts at fully healing.

"You do not have time... To waste... Little one... The Cult of the Worm, will be here soon... Though, it will not be your end... I beg you... Make it mine." it said. The creature looked just like a normal human woman, now. Her skin had regrown and even her golden hair had begun to visibly grow out, almost reaching the shoulders.

"Your [Devour]... If I allow it... It will kill me." she said, her voice growing more human and effeminate with each passing moment.

Charlie's mind reeled at this revelation. What did this unknown human woman know about him? How did she know anything? Many questions assaulted Charlie's mind, but without the ability to voice any of them, he resigned to listening to her final words.

"Strike me down, Charlie... While I am still human." she spoke, full of painful determination - tears running down her slowly decaying cheeks.

The pulsing light had increased in fervour, and even with the powerful will that held the flesh together, her face had begun to crumble once again. Her golden locks that had reached the floor, had now turned grey, fading away to ash once again. Her fair face began to age and her yellowed eyes turned cloudy.

"[Devour] the Sacred gift inside of me, and you will understand... For my name is..."

"Nirina, the Worm of Envy."