Ray was terrified.
But the power was enticing, inviting. It was supposed to be his power, wasn’t it?. Why should he be scared? He was always afraid, always powerless…
But it was unknown…
No.
He had enough.
No more hesitation. Even if it doomed him, at least he tried to reach for more.
Let’s dream one last time, was Ray’s final thought before he plunged himself into the unknown. Terrified, he embraced the power with everything he was.
The world changed.
It become simpler.
It lay under him.
It was his to take as he wished.
Familiar words echoed in his mind, as if remembering something he knew all along, A ruler of all beneath...—but his eyes snapped to that palace as something else came to him, unbidden, unwelcome, and the words continued—…a slave to that above.
Hate and rage filled him, indignation. He did not understand where the words came from, yet he knew them true. His whole being rebelled against the notion, rejected it, yet it was true. His ire grew, burning hot, but no fury could undo the branding that was seared into the essence of his body.
He had tried to forget it before, but now he understood why his body leaped to obey that man. He wished he didn’t know. He wished he was still ignorant.
No. What would that help?
There was no changing those words. He intuitively knew.
The only way was to kill that man. No matter the cost.
Ray grabbed the rock behind him, digging his Claws deep as if digging into the heart of that revolting man with wrath.
The rock parted under his Claws. Ray turned to look at it in surprise, and realized, he almost lost himself to his emotions. It wasn’t that his powers took control of him, it was just… for the first time, he felt empowered.
Until he was reminded that his freedom was just an illusion, that is.
His insides twisted and turned with renewed rage, but he suppressed it. He rested his forehead on the cool rock, closing his eyes, taking deep breaths, trying to control himself.
At last, he managed to stir away his thoughts and willingly ignore his chains as he considered this strange power that was his. And the both wondrous and abhorrent words.
Vorm, what were those words?
“What words?”
You didn’t hear?
“I don’t know what you are talking about. Have you finally lost it? Now that I think about it, not that you were ever sane to begin with.”
Ha-ha, very funny… No, it was like… “A ruler of all beneath…” Ray refused to finish it.
But Vorm did it for him, “’…a slave to that above?’”
Silence. Because Ray had to take a breath or two, or a few more, to stay calm.
You didn’t have to finish it, Ray grumbled at last, so you did hear it! Stop messing with me.
“No I didn’t. I just knew the Intention of that ritual.”
Intention?
“No. Intention.”
I said the same?
“No, you didn’t. You said intention.”
Are you fucking with me? You’ve just said the same thing twice.
“No, I didn’t. You are just too stupid to understand the difference.”
Instead of getting annoyed, Ray found it too suspicious. You know, I sometimes feel like you are just making stuff up as we go. And when you can’t make up some reasonable bullshit, you just brush it off as me being too dumb.
“Look here, I—”
Right, right. You will explain it when I can explain gravity to an ant. I actually know of some pretty smart ants, so that’s not impossible.
“By the time you can enter a world that has smart ants, you might be strong enough to understand some things that are just impossible for you now.”
Sure, sure. Ray did not believe any of that, he was convinced Vorm was full of bullshit pretending to be all-knowing. And he wanted to expose it.
So, dripping with sarcasm, he said, And I’m sure you also know why the time just happens to be the same as in my old world? What a coincidence!
Betraying Ray’s expectations, Vorm nonchalantly answered, “What are you talking about? It’s just one of the Standards, not a coincidence.”
Standards?
“No. Standards.”
I said the same…
“No, you didn’t. It’s the same as you saying Night instead of night since you got that body.”
You said Night twice…
“No. The second was night. So you can’t even see the difference between Night and night even while having that body? That’s really pathetic, I pity your sever lack of Perception.”
Sure, blame it on my perception.
“Not perception, Perception.”
Ray: ……….
At that point, Ray just gave up. He was sure Vorm was just messing with him.
Instead of pointlessly getting frustrated at it, he needed to figure out what he could do now. It wasn’t safe here, he’d burn to Ashes as soon as the Sun came up, but he also didn’t want to go back down into that city. He didn’t know anything of it.
He considered the crumbled rock at his feet that he unknowingly dug out and crushed. An idea came to him as he remembered a game he knew. Couldn’t he just dig a hole for himself in the cliff? He hesitantly clawed at the rock.
He shuddered at the horrid sound as he scratched the wall, but nothing else happened.
He frowned, it came so naturally before. What did he do? He was thinking of killing and crushing…
Ray felt his power respond and he confidently Clawed at the rock again, wanting to crush it.
The rock parted, crumbling to his feet.
It worked! He yelled in his mind with joy and excitement, ignoring Vorm’s flat toned “Wow. Amazing.”
He felt the power coursing through his whole being. He felt strong, unstoppable. He plunged both hands into the rock, tearing the rock apart, like it was nothing. Because it was nothing. Even solid rock could not hinder him—
Ray froze for a second in fright, then, before he could think he threw himself after a piece of rock that just fell over the edge. Half-dangling off his ledge, he caught it.
So stupid, he was so stupid. He got caught in the moment, not even thinking. Sure, maybe that asshole had ways to know where he was, but maybe he didn’t. Then why should he announce himself by throwing down rocks? So stupid, he wasn’t thinking.
Ray kept berating himself as he pulled himself back on his ledge, pushing the crumbled rocks into a pile. He needed to be more careful, but now, he was stumped. He could dig into the rock, but what would he do with the rock he dug out? He wished he had a convenient inventory like everyone else… a pocket dimension or something. He wanted to ask Vorm about it, but then thought better of it. Vorm was just going to say he was too weak and stupid.
He didn’t know the answer to this simple but annoying problem, and as he stood there, hesitant about what to do, his frustration grew. It was just stupid rock. Even stupid rock could stop him. He wanted it gone, completely destroyed, disintegrated. As he stewed in his frustration and his mood darkened due to his growing panic, he felt something shift in his Claws. He didn’t understand, but following his instincts, he plunged his hand into the rock again.
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This time, it did not part and crumble, the rock… died. Turned to Ashes.
Ray just stared in confusion as the wind carried away the Ashes and nothing of that part of the wall remained. What…?
He clawed at the rock again.
Nothing happened. But he was sure he did not imagine it before. Or did he? Maybe he did, it didn’t make sense for rock to turn to Ashes after all, but many things did not make sense these days.
He tried to recall what he did differently as he looked at his Claws, but he couldn’t figure it out. He clawed at the wall a few more times, but each time nothing happened. His joy and excitement fading, his frustration returned.
Maybe that was it, he realized. He was frustrated at the rock, wanted it utterly destroyed. He worked himself into that same dark mood of destruction, of wanting all that stood in his way to turn to Ashes and the power came to him. He Clawed, the rock melted before him, nothing but Ashes remained.
Maintaining this state of mind of ruin and destruction, he dug into the rock wall, dug and dug. Dug deeper and dug upwards, then turned back as in a spiral. It was just a tunnel he had to crawl in. He did not want any Sunlight to reach him. He dug, and when he felt it was enough, he dug a little room for himself, just big enough to stand in and lie down, to hole up during the Day.
As he was finally done. He collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. Maintaining that state of mind and mood, suppressing his joy and excitement wasn’t easy. He felt mentally exhausted.
As soon as he relaxed, hunger gripped him. It was the kind of hunger that demanded, that could not be resisted, a desperate clawing of his insides. He needed to eat, and he needed it right now. But what was he hungry for? Just as the thought occurred, it became obvious. He wanted blood, needed blood.
He still had his rationale, but he felt himself slipping and giving over to his instincts as he crawled back through his tunnel. He didn’t mind, the hesitation from before was long gone, melted away like the rock when he dug his hideout.
He liked his powers, liked to feel powerful, and if it needed sustenance, he’d get it. He just needed some blood after all. He would not kill anyone, just take some and leave. And he knew where to get it. Even from up above, he could smell the blood that thickly lingered around at the edge of the inner city right next to the mountain.
Clinging to the cliff wall, he climbed towards it, not wanting to go down anywhere else. When he was up above the place that smelled like his meal, he descended.
He knew the smell of blood was coming from underground, but he couldn’t find a way down. He only found storage buildings of food and rituals he wouldn’t dare to disturb. No way down. Looking around, thinking, he took his way towards the city wall. He should have realized it earlier. And he was right. There was a square right in front of the gate into the outer city with the depressing housing blocks jungle, and on the other side of the square was an elaborate gate as if leading to paradise.
Approaching the beautiful double door, he carefully pushed it. At first, it didn’t budge. Then it lit up with a subdued dark red light. His hands jerked back, or at least tried, but he couldn’t pull them back. They were stuck to the door and he watched in horror as dark red lines crawled on the skin of his hands.
He was about to try and sink his Claws into the door when the light faded and the door silently opened.
Ray hated surprises like that, he was about to turn and leave, but the smell of blood became thicker as it assaulted his senses. His hunger screamed at him to hurry up, he could not make himself leave.
He swallowed as he descended the wide stairs. He wanted to run away from this eerie place, but he was hungry. So very hungry. He shouldn’t have used his powers so freely without thinking.
As Ray kept slowly descending the stairs, the view opened up to a wide room. Dozens of meters wide, more like a hall than a room, he couldn’t even see the back of it yet.
He stopped to observe it as much as he could.
All his hair stood on end as he realized there was an extensive ritual circle not far from where the stairs ended, spanning almost the whole width of the room.
He carefully took a few more steps down, not planning to go anywhere near it, but wanting to see farther in.
Another ritual circle after the first one, identical at a glance.
Few more steps down the stairs.
A third ritual circle, seemingly identical to the first two.
More steps down, more ritual circles.
His horror grew each time, but his morbid curiosity and hunger led him on.
He counted ten ritual circles by the time he glanced the end of the hall—or more like a very wide corridor—and saw it had no back wall, but opened up into a cavern. His dread only grew as he looked up and saw another ten ritual circles on the ceiling. Different ones from the ones on the ground, but just as big.
All he felt was dread and creepiness. But he was so close, could smell the blood just beyond this corridor.
The rituals seemed inactive. He remembered walking through a ritual back when he had left the cavern where his body was created without anything happening.
His hunger won.
But he would not step on those ritual circles for sure. There was a small gap between the wall and where the ritual circles ended. He crept forward close to the wall, ready to flee at the slightest.
Nothing happened, all was quiet.
His confidence slowly grew, and he sped up. He could not see much of it, but he could already tell there was some lakes in the next cavern, glowing with a soft light.
As he got closer, he realized there was not only one lake, but multiple. There were also dozens of meters high, enormous pillars supporting the ceiling here and there. The magical sight made him even forget about his hunger for a breath.
Only for a breath. The smell of blood came from the lakes. Every part of him desperately craved it. Yet he stopped. He had an eerie feeling.
Hunger urged him on.
Against his better judgment, he approached the closest lake. It was circular, around three dozen meters wide. As he got closer, he saw the water was somewhat murky, faintly red. Blood, judging by the smell.
The veins, or roots, of the plants growing in the lake were deep red, and densely intertwined in the water. They were constantly moving, or maybe it was just one enormous plant. The movement reminded him of a pulse… like a heartbeat…
As he observed more, he realized the thickest veins were connected to bundles of thickly packed veins. He wondered if—
His thoughts froze as his mind finally understood what he was looking at.
His hunger forgotten, he fled in panic without thinking. He ran straight for the stairs, unheeding of the danger of the unknown ritual circles. They remained inactive.
He didn’t even realize the door let him through faster than the way in.
He wasn’t thinking. He just wanted to get away. Far, as far as he could.
Soon, he found himself up in the cliff wall, sitting curled up in a narrow ledge he found, shaking uncontrollably.
He always hated water. He would never go anywhere near water ever again.
He shook his head, trying to erase what he had seen. He could not.
There… there were people.
Or what remained of them.
He gagged, but there was nothing to come up.
The sight of the thick vein going straight into the chest of that… he couldn’t even call it human anymore. It wasn’t just that. There were more root like veins, going in or growing out the eyes, mouth, everywhere. As if the thing once human was becoming part of the plant.
And it was alive. Not just the plant. The thing that was once a human was still alive. He knew. He could tell. And there wasn’t just one. There were countless, the whole lake densely packed with them. All still alive.
He dry heaved.
“Damn boy, why are you so upset?” Vorm’s nonchalant voice suddenly intruded into his mind.
Ray snapped, Just shut up, you wouldn’t understand.
“I sure as hell understand more than you.”
It’s…. It’s… gross and creepy and… with tears in his eyes Ray added, I’m never going anywhere near water again.
He felt violated. His mind was violated with images he never wanted and the more he wanted to forget it, the more it was seared into his mind.
Vorm laughed, “Don’t tell me you are feeling sorry for them.”
What? No. I don’t really care. But it’s because it was just way too disgusting! He hugged himself tighter. He felt as if those root like veins were crawling into his body as well.
“Nice spot to wait for the Sunrise by the way. Well chosen, I’d expect nothing less from you.”
That got Ray’s attention. Right, he had to go back to his hideout. He completely lost his appetite anyway, so—
But the hunger returned with a vengeance just as he was about to head back. He paused, looking down.
No way was he going anywhere near the inner city to get traumatized some more. His eyes were pulled towards the outer city. But maybe horrors just as bad or worse waited for him there.
It couldn’t be helped, he was already climbing over the inner city wall high up on the cliff.
After getting a bit further in, he descended towards the closest building. He would have preferred to observe the area for some time, but time was running out. He could feel his rationale slowly slipping from his grasp, the uncontrollable thirst for blood threatening to turn him into a mindless beast. He had little time left.
At a cursory glance, the streets were deserted this late into the Night. He quietly ran through the empty space between the cliff and the first building, and at last, stood motionless under a window. He couldn’t feel any sign of life from the ground floor, but the floor above had plenty. The windows seemed open. He should be able to jump that high shouldn’t he?
There was no time to be too careful. Looking around, the area was still quiet, no one in sight. He backed up a bit for a running start and jumped. He managed to grab the windowsill he was aiming for and dangled there, listening. No movement, just the quiet sounds of sleeping people.
He crept through the open window. There were four humans sleeping in a bed. He picked the woman on the outside which did not have another life inside as his target. He was starving, but he still held back. He wasn’t sure how to go about this without making a disturbance.
It was hard to think, his hunger clawed at his insides. He could hear their heartbeats, their rushing blood. He gave up trying to come up with a plan, and just hoped for the best. He put one hand above the woman’s face, the other above her torso. Then he decidedly pressed his right hand on her mouth to prevent her scream, and putting his other arm around her upper-body, restrained her arms as he pulled her off the bed.
The movement stirred the others, but Ray was already leaping through the window, landing softly down below. He adjusted his hold on the woman—his prey—firmly covering its mouth and nose with his hand, the back of its head pressed against his chest. It couldn’t move its head, it couldn’t breath. It tried to struggle, but it was helpless. It excited Ray, his eyes falling on its bare neck. He didn’t notice he was drooling. But he restrained himself, it was not safe here. With his other hand he gently pressed on both side of its slender neck, stopping the blood flow. Its struggles grew weaker, and at last, it stopped, but it was still alive, its heart beating. There was no yelling from the house, no movement, the rest remained asleep. Good.
He removed his hand, letting his unconscious prey breath. It would spoil his meal if it died. He threw it over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked towards the cliff wall, caressing and pressing on its neck from time to time to keep it quiet and unmoving.
All he could think of while making his way back to his hideout was blood. Hunger. Thirst. Yet, he did not lose himself. He wanted to reach safety first. The Sun would be up soon, he could feel it.
At last, he found himself on the little ledge. The tunnel was small, he crawled backwards, pulling his prey. And then, finally, he was safe. He did not need to hold back anymore.
As he pulled his prey into his room it woke up, disoriented. Ray’s mind gone, only instincts remained. Yet, he did not move. He watched. His prey’s eyes slowly cleared as it looked up at him. It opened its mouth and said something, but Ray did not hear it. He only heard the heartbeat and the rushing blood. The smell of fear slowly permeated the air, the heartbeat gradually speeding up. Ray smiled as he found pleasure in it and terror gripped his prey’s heart, forcing it to beat faster in erratic panic.
Ray satisfied, he gripped an ankle as it tried to escape and pulled it under him, turning it over face up for easier access. Pinning it under him, turning its head to the side, it kept struggling. His growing excitement reached new heights, and he shivered as his Fangs sank into the artery. He pulled his Fangs out and blood gushed. It rushed to him and he drank. He drank and ate. The heart beat, blood pulsed, he took it all in sheer ecstasy.
At last, the heart grew weak and it stopped. Intoxicated by the blood taken, Ray pushed the now useless body to the side and fell asleep next to it. Content, as the Night fell away. The Day came, but the Light could not reach him. He slept peacefully, undisturbed.