*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

One moment I’m “off”, the next the world exploded back around me. Waking up was always a strange experience for me now. My sleep state was akin to a laptop, just running at a low energy state until prompted by something.

I took in my situation. I was naked in an animal cage wrapped in chains and this wasn’t even the worst part. Which is really saying something. The real problem was the black tattoo bands wrapped around my body, mind, and soul. They restricted all of my abilities leaving me a borderline indestructible statue. I’m now experiencing the downside of my state of being without my active abilities I cannot puppet my body.

“Wakey” “Wakey”

That would be my guests, the human tops. The conjoined twins were joined at the hip and shared a lower half. The only differentiation between them was the hair: one had pale blond hair and the other used the cheapest hair dye I’ve ever seen. Seriously the hair dye was more akin to black paint.

“It’s impolite” “To ignore people.”

*ZAP*

There’s the reason for that cattle prod of theirs. The blond one touched the prod to my chains. This did nothing as my threads just let the current run through it without resistance.

“Wowsers” ”It’s true.” “We can’t kill you.” “But we’re” “so” “excited” “to” “try.”

That explains the shotgun.

*BANG*

The pellets hit the side of my face blasting the threads making it up apart. The threads wrapped themselves back up quickly afterwards.

The next couple hours went largely the same with the twins experimenting with various methods of injury. None of them worked.

Those hours gave me all the time I needed to work on my band tattoos.

The tattoos spread corrupting black roots throughout my being. I had to slowly push them back and push them together. Threads became strings that became ropes that became a thick black shackle like band covering my entire left calf.

The new band allowed me to utilize all my abilities but one. I was cut off from the unreality. Which meant no teleporting or access to my storage/ artifacts.

“well” “well” “well” “what do we” “try next?”

With a smirk, “How about some role reversal?”

Before the twins could react a swarm of blackish purple threads came from their shadows and pierced throughout their bodies. The threads then dragged them into the shadow realm, well shadow plane. While unreality is out of my reach, my tattoos gave me a strong enough connection to certain closer realms. My combat weaving training was truly the gift that kept giving.

I severed the threads connecting my hands to the shadows in the room before merging into said shadows. Now it’s time to hunt.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

***

“Come my love. It’s time for our turn watching the prisoner.” Sergei told his wife while extending a hand towards her.

Grasping said hand, “Let us hope we can have some fun my darling.”

Walking hand in hand the duo walked down the dim hallway towards their destination.

Sergei, who was a half-step ahead, barely felt the cut until a drop of blood was formed. He promptly threw his wife back.

“Hey!” his wife squawked.

“Run.” Sergei stated like a man who knew he was already condemned. His wife scrambled up and away.

“You know it won’t make a difference, right? She is already condemned. All you did was ensure that she dies tired and afraid.” a voice called out from the shadows all around him.

“I know. By God do I know, but I can hope. I can hope.” The man responded before taking out his phone and turning on the flashlight. The light allowed him to see the web of black threads weaved all around the hallway.

“Sorry to tell you this, but hope is bleeding out. I can feel it in the very air. I don’t know if this will bring you any solace, but I will make it quick. I always make it quick.”

“Why don’t you come out and face me like a man?!” Sergei screamed while brandishing his knives.

“No. I don’t believe I will. I’m better served in the shadows for now.”

The man in the shadows kept his word, it was quick.

***

The remaining members of the circus grouped up then tried to leave the trap filled encampment. They were planning on regrouping and then retaking the campsite. Their premature exodus was thwarted when they reached the encampment’s border.

The circus was surrounded by a ring of black webs weaved between the trees. Natalia’s hair got cut when she tried to open a gap. Irina’s balls got bisected several times over when she tried. Done Brawn charged and did actually stress some of the threads. He unfortunately had to stop as the threads caused several large gashes to form all around the front of his body.

“Bolt up next.” Done Brawn got out between pants.

“DB I don’t know is that’s such…” Houdoni said before being interrupted.

“Watch and learn plebs.” Bolt said with a smirk before launching himself at the wall.

Bolt’s force field actually snapped some of the threads giving the others hope. That hope died when they saw Bolt slowly come to a stop between the threads. His body with threads cut into several spots around his body holding him up in the air.

“That S.O.B. killed Bolt.” Tattghoulish gritted out.

“Darwin killed Bolt. I truly did not plan for the wall to get any of you, but I should’ve known better.” A voice called out from the trees surrounding the camp.

“Spiderini you’re the only one with a chance. Live a good life and remember us.” Houdoni told his protégé.

The young woman with tears in her eyes climbed up the wall and ran as fast as she could through the woods.

“Do you think she’ll make it?” Natalia asked her husband.

“She is a strong girl. A nimble one too, she’ll be hard to catch. We can only hope she’ll be hard enough to catch that she escapes. We must worry about ourselves now.” Houdoni told his wife.

“She was not in fact hard enough to catch.” The statement was punctuated by a head flying out one of the surrounding shadows. Natalia had to choke back a sob.

Being:

Body:

[Bone Apple Tree]

Soul Tattoos:

[Celestial Weaving]

[Sand: Tier Three]

[Water: Tier Five]

[Faith: Tier One]

[Holy Water: Tier Three]

[Shadow: Tier Five]

[Necromancy: Tier Five]

[Rot: Tier ErRoR]

Special Abilities:

[Consumption: Tier Nine]

[Wound]

[Empowerment: Tier Nine]

[Empathy: Tier One]

Current Equipment:

Storage:

[The Black Wasp Jackal’s Face]

[The Mentalism Ring]

[Mena’s Book]

[Petrifying Ring]

[Beastly Heart]

[Murder Weapon]

[Chi Organ]

[Spirit Shards]

[Various Utility Artifacts]

[Various Articles Of Clothing]

[Death Dogtags]

[Leech Muscles]

[Leech Teeth]