Chapter 9

  Bloodborne Demon

  Arstria and the beast vanished beyond my sight, their silhouettes swallowed by the horizon as if the sky itself had conspired to erase them. Despite the distance, I refused to give up. I kept moving, my steps deliberate as I tried to trace the general direction they had taken. Each stride was an act of stubborn determination, even though I knew I was leagues away from matching Arstria's speed or grace.

  This world, I thought bitterly, had a twisted sense of fairness. Arstria's fiery powers seemed to encompass everything I could only dream of, strength, flight, and the freedom to soar across these endless skies. Flying must be exhilarating, the kind of freedom that transforms the world beneath you into a sprawling canvas. I'd asked her countless times to let me ride along, imagining what it would feel like to rise above the world on wings of flame. But every time, she had refused.

  Why?

  The terrain around me shifted gradually, a soft gradient of beauty that felt almost surreal. Rolling plains stretched out endlessly, their emerald expanse glittering under the gentle sunlight. As I walked, the occasional cluster of wildflowers dotted the grass with splashes of vibrant color, crimson, violet, and gold, swaying gently in the breeze. The hills ahead undulated like waves frozen in time, each one more verdant than the last, creating a sense of infinite depth.

  If there was a paradise anywhere in this world, it would surely look like this. A terrarium crafted by divine hands, pristine and untouched by the horrors that plagued the rest of existence. The air was thick with the earthy aroma of grass and wildflowers, mingling with the faint hum of insects that flitted through the fields.

  All I could do was follow. Always follow. Always a step behind, chasing the faint remnants of her power that lingered in the air like the scent of distant smoke. The thought twisted something deep within me. It was humbling, yes, but it was also infuriating.

  And then, without warning, the sky shifted.

  It began as a whisper on the wind, a low rumble that seemed to roll through the ground beneath my feet. The air grew thick, heavy with the weight of something unseen. I stopped in my tracks, glancing upward just as the first jagged streak of lightning tore across the sky.

  The heavens split open with a furious roar.

  Lightning screamed from above, sharp and violent, as if the sky itself had been enraged. Forked tongues of white-hot energy lanced downward, striking the distant hills with deafening cracks. The plains, so tranquil moments ago, were bathed in sudden chaos. The wind howled, whipping through the grass and sending waves rippling across the fields.

  I stumbled backward, raising an arm to shield my face as the storm intensified. Rain began to fall, not in gentle droplets, but in heavy sheets that pelted the earth with relentless force. Each drop was cold, soaking through my clothes in seconds and turning the ground beneath me into a slick, muddy mess.

  The horizon vanished, swallowed by the storm. What had once been a sprawling expanse of verdant beauty was now a chaotic blur of darkness and light. The hills, the wildflowers, even the faint traces of Arstria’s flames, all of it disappeared beneath the torrential downpour.

  I clenched my jaw, shielding my face with one arm as the howling wind tore at my clothes and stung my skin. The storm was relentless, its icy rain slashing sideways like shards of glass, each droplet a testament to the chaos unleashed around me. This wasn’t a natural storm. Storms didn’t emerge from calm skies in an instant, nor did they roar with such ferocity without warning. No, this was something else, something unnatural, something alive. It was as if the world itself had been stirred to anger, its fury manifesting in the form of this raging tempest.

  Arstria wouldn’t last long in this. Her fire, no matter how resilient, couldn’t sustain itself against this kind of elemental onslaught. Fire thrived on air and dry fuel, but here? Here, the rain poured in thick, unrelenting sheets, each drop extinguishing even the tiniest spark. The gale ripped through the air, smothering flames before they could take hold. If she tried to fight the storm directly, it would swallow her whole.

  She’d know that, though. Arstria wasn’t reckless, impulsive, maybe, but not foolish. She’d seek shelter, a place to regroup and conserve her strength. As I squinted through the blinding rain, scanning the landscape for any sign of her, my gaze settled on a distant patch of shadowed green against the gray horizon. A forest.

  The trees were thick and ancient, their towering canopies interwoven into a natural fortress. Even from here, I could tell that the forest would offer some reprieve from the storm’s unrelenting assault. The dense foliage would shield her from the rain.

  The wind fought me every step of the way, screaming in my ears and pushing against my body like an invisible wall, but I pressed forward. My boots sank into the sodden ground, the mud sucking at my soles with every step.

  As I trudged toward the forest, my mind raced with scenarios. Would she wait for me, or would she press deeper, putting even more distance between us?

  The questions pounded in my head, their weight as heavy as the rain drumming against my back. I glanced at the horizon again, my eyes narrowing on the forest. The canopy loomed larger now, its silhouette a promise of sanctuary.

  The passage of time had become an elusive concept, slipping through my grasp like grains of sand through clenched fingers. Minutes, hours, did it even matter? The storm had stolen my sense of reality, its relentless fury merging one moment into the next. Each step I took felt eternal, as though I were walking through an endless purgatory of rain and wind. How long had it been since she vanished into the distance? I couldn’t say. Time had always been a foreign concept to me, a measurement I struggled to fully understand. Now, under the weight of the storm and the gnawing worry that clung to my every thought, it felt more meaningless than ever.

  The world around me was an unchanging blur of gray and shadow. The sky above, hidden behind a thick blanket of storm clouds, offered no clues, no shifting sun, no comforting stars, no telltale signs of the passing day or night. Even the ground beneath my feet, soaked and churned into a swampy mess, gave no solace. Every step was a battle, my boots sinking into the mud, the effort of pulling them free a constant reminder of my own exhaustion.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the landscape began to shift. The flat, featureless expanse of the horizon gave way to dark shapes, towering silhouettes that loomed in the distance, their edges softened by the haze of the rain. Trees. A forest. The sight of it brought a flicker of hope, a small spark in the overwhelming darkness. It was the first tangible sign of progress, the first clue that my journey was leading somewhere.

  As I drew closer, the details of the forest emerged. The trees were massive, their thick trunks rising like ancient sentinels into the stormy sky. Their canopies interwove, forming a natural barrier that seemed to defy the elements. Rain still pelted down, but it was muffled here, the relentless roar of the storm dampened by the dense foliage. The ground beneath the trees was firmer, the roots forming a tangled web that offered a reprieve from the clinging mud.

  I stopped at the edge of the forest, taking a moment to catch my breath. The air here was different, heavy with the earthy scent of damp wood and moss. It was a stark contrast to the sterile sharpness of rain-soaked wind out in the open. For the first time in what felt like hours, the storm didn’t feel all-consuming. The forest provided an illusion of calm, a sense of shelter that I desperately wanted to believe in.

  As I moved deeper into the forest, the sounds of the storm above faded into the background, replaced by the muted whispers of rustling leaves and the occasional crack of a branch underfoot. Then, faintly, I heard it, a sound in the distance. It was subtle at first, a soft rhythm that seemed out of place amid the natural hush of the woods. My ears twitched in response, catching nuances that no ordinary human would notice. After all, being a human-turned-star had its advantages. Every part of my body had been enhanced: strength, agility, resilience. My senses were no exception.

  Guided by the sound, I pressed onward, weaving between ancient trunks and low-hanging branches. The forest grew denser before opening suddenly into a clearing, revealing a scene that made me freeze in my tracks.

  A lake stretched out before me, its surface smooth as glass. The trees that bordered it formed a natural frame, but they stopped short of the water’s edge, leaving the lake open to the sky above. I expected to see the storm raging here as it was in the rest of the world, but instead, the heavens above the clearing were calm, a serene, endless blue unmarred by clouds or rain. The tranquility of it was almost unnerving, as though I had stepped into a different world entirely.

  But that wasn’t the most startling thing about this place. Standing at the edge of the lake, drinking from its pristine waters, was a creature I had hoped never to see again. The Pegasus.

  My breath caught as my eyes locked onto the beast. Its powerful, majestic form was framed by the tranquil lake and the peaceful sky, a stark contrast to the violent storm and chaos it had left in its wake. I had tried to take it down once but failed. Its pristine coat, glistening in the sunlight, was no longer white as I remembered but a golden yellow, radiating a strange, otherworldly glow.

  Confusion mingled with dread as my mind raced. This couldn’t be the same Pegasus, could it? I had heard of dimensions or terrariums housing multiple beasts, but those were always weaklings, never grand beasts like this. Could this place be different, a realm where more than one grand existed?

  My thoughts snapped back to Arstria. If the Pegasus was here, then where was she? Panic began to creep in. Could it have defeated her? Was that even possible? No, it couldn’t be. Arstria was immortal. That fact, unshakable and absolute, had somehow slipped my mind in the moment. If she truly were dead, I would know, my powers, which were tied to hers, would vanish.

  Still, the unease lingered. The mission, however, remained clear. My failure before would not define me. This time, I would see it through. Determination flooding my veins as I steadied my breath.

  I would kill it.

  Closing my eyes, I exhaled heavily, summoning every ounce of resolve I had. When I opened them again, I was ready to charge, to strike, to fulfill the promise I had made to myself.

  “Niigh?”

  The sound, sharp and curious, jolted me. I froze, my breath hitching. Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to find myself staring directly into the creature’s enormous, yellow eyes. The Pegasus stood in front of me, its golden muzzle inches from my face. My heart pounded wildly. How had it moved so fast? I hadn’t even seen it shift from the lake to here.

  My hand twitched instinctively toward my sword, but I hesitated. The creature stared down at me with an expression that was almost... inquisitive. There was no malice in its gaze, no hint of the violence I had expected. Still, my muscles tensed. At this range, it could kill me with a single movement. If I drew my blade now, it might already be too late.

  I closed my eyes again, bracing myself for the worst. The thought of dying here, a disgrace to the stars, made my chest tighten. How could I, a so-called star, falter so easily in the face of danger? I waited for the inevitable, for it to bite my face off.

  Lick.

  My eyes flew open in disbelief. The Pegasus’s massive tongue had just grazed my entire head, leaving it drenched in thick, beastly saliva. Before I could react, the creature leaned closer, its nose brushing against my hair as it sniffed me curiously. It tilted its head, as though trying to determine if I were food or some other curiosity.

  I stumbled back, my boots scraping against the ground as I instinctively put some distance between us. But the Pegasus didn’t pursue. It simply stood there, watching me, its golden coat shimmering under the ethereal light that bathed the clearing.

  Why wasn’t it attacking me? Every is driven by a primal urge to kill humans. Yet this one, this impossibly powerful creature, showed no hostility. Its behavior defied everything I knew about these monsters.

  My hand moved without thought, raised tentatively toward the beast’s head. The Pegasus didn’t flinch. Instead, it lowered its head slightly, allowing me to touch it. My palm rested against the smooth, warm surface of its golden fur, the texture surprisingly soft beneath my fingers.

  I didn’t understand it. This creature, this supposed enemy, was letting me pet it like some docile animal. As I stood there, hand resting on the Pegasus’s head, one thought burned in my mind:

  What made this one so different?

  This was a discovery unlike any other. A revelation that turned years of understanding on its head. A beast, one of the very creatures that had been humanity’s mortal enemy was not attacking me. It wasn’t driven by the urge to annihilate and destroy. Instead, it stood there, calm and peaceful, drinking from the lake as if it were a mere animal in the wild. This wasn’t just unusual, it was unprecedented. No one had ever reported an encounter like this.

  This creature wasn’t humanity’s enemy, not this one, at least. What did that mean? Could there be others like it? Was it possible that not every beast was a harbinger of destruction? The implications were staggering.

  When the Pegasus eventually turned away from me, disinterested, and returned to the lake, I stood there, watching it carefully. It moved with a grace that was almost regal, its golden form glowing faintly in the serene light of the clearing. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, the weight of my thoughts almost too much to bear.

  If the portal connected to the regular world fully opened and this creature stepped through, its fate would be sealed. The stars, trained to see all beasts as threats, would destroy it without hesitation. Even if I vouched for its innocence, they wouldn’t listen. Worse, they might decide to capture it instead. Study it, and twist its existence into some cruel experiment, just as they had done with me. The thought made my stomach turn.

  Something deep within me rebelled at the idea of this creature being harmed. I didn’t know why I cared so much, it wasn’t human, and yet… It felt wrong to treat it like a mere monster. It deserved to live. To survive. But how could I help it? How could I protect it from the fate that awaited it?

  The barrier around Sirius City would burn it down the moment it tried to escape. That was the truth of the defenses we relied on to keep humanity safe.

  As I stared at it, a wild thought entered my mind. It’s a horse. The simplicity of the idea struck me. Horses had been companions to humans for thousands of years. Once, they had been wild creatures, roaming free, much like this one. And yet, humans had found a way to work with them, to form bonds and partnerships.

  Perhaps this moment was no different from the one those old humans faced when they first laid eyes on wild horses. Back then, they hadn’t seen enemies, only potential. If those humans could do it, so could I.

  I took a deep breath, the words forming on my tongue before I even fully understood them. – “Pegasus, I challenge you.”

  The sound of my voice echoed through the tranquil clearing, reverberating off the surrounding trees. The Pegasus’s ears twitched, and its head snapped in my direction. Its golden eyes, radiant and intelligent, locked onto mine. There was no hostility in its gaze, only curiosity, a flicker of understanding that seemed to deepen as it studied me.

  But when I took a step forward, its posture shifted. It lowered its head slightly, muscles coiling with readiness. It knew I was serious, that this was not a game.

  “However.” – I continued, my voice steady and commanding. – “Not to a battle to the death.”

  Turning to a nearby tree, I spotted thick, hanging vines draped over its trunk like nature’s reins. With a sharp tug, I ripped them free, their taut fibers snapping under the force of my superhuman strength. The vines were rough and uneven, but they would serve their purpose. I wound them into a makeshift bridle, the coarse texture biting into my palms as I tightened my grip.

  “I will make you my ride.” – I declared, holding the reins aloft. – “Whether you want it or not!”

  The Pegasus let out a sharp, resonant cry, a sound that was equal parts defiance and acceptance. It pawed at the ground, its golden coat rippling with energy as it prepared for the challenge. Then, with a burst of speed, it took off, galloping toward the far edge of the clearing. Its movements were impossibly fast, graceful yet powerful, each stride covering vast distances in the blink of an eye.

  But I wasn’t just any human.

  In an instant, I leapt into action, the world around me slowing as my heightened senses kicked in. The Pegasus was fast, faster than any horse or beast I had ever encountered, but I was able to catch up to it. The rush of wind tore at my clothes as I chased it, my legs pumping with inhuman strength, each step closing the gap between us. The trees blurred past, their trunks forming a chaotic tapestry as I surged forward, driven by pure determination.

  The Pegasus darted left, then right, its movements sharp and unpredictable. It weaved through the clearing like a streak of golden light, testing my reflexes with every turn. But I stayed on its trail, my focus unyielding. Every muscle in my body burned, but I ignored the strain. This wasn’t just about catching it, it was about proving myself, showing the creature that I was its equal, not its enemy.

  As the Pegasus bolted toward a narrow rise, I saw my chance. Timing my stride perfectly, I jumped, launching myself into the air with a burst of power that sent me soaring over the uneven ground. The wind roared in my ears as I reached out, my hands gripping the Pegasus’s mane just as it reached the peak of the rise.

  For a split second, I hung in the air, the world suspended around me. Then, with a sharp pull, I hauled myself onto its back, my legs wrapping tightly around its flanks as I secured my position. The Pegasus bucked in response, letting out a shrill cry of protest. Its muscles rippled beneath me as it tried to shake me off, twisting and turning with wild energy.

  But I held firm.

  “Is that all you’ve got?” – I shouted, my voice cutting through the wind as the Pegasus reared back, its hooves pawing at the air. – “You’ll have to try harder than that!”

  The beast let out another defiant cry and surged forward, its gallop transforming into a blinding sprint. The forest blurred around us, the trees whipping past in streaks of green and gold. My grip tightened on its mane, the makeshift reins hanging uselessly at my side. This wasn’t about control, not yet. This was about endurance, about showing the Pegasus that I could match its strength and spirit.

  For what felt like hours, the chase continued. The Pegasus ran, leapt, and twisted, testing my resolve at every turn. But I didn’t falter. With every movement, I adapted, my body moving in harmony with the beast beneath me. Slowly, its resistance began to wane. Its movements grew less erratic, its cries less defiant.

  Finally, the Pegasus slowed, its gallop easing into a steady canter before coming to a stop at the edge of the lake. Its sides heaved with exertion, its golden coat slick with sweat. I released my grip on its mane, my own breath coming in ragged gasps as I leaned forward, resting my forehead against its warm, shimmering neck.

  Wrapping the vines around its mouth, I hoped they would serve as a makeshift bridle—something to direct the creature’s movements, to establish even the smallest semblance of control. But the attempt was laughable. With a single crunch, the Pegasus bit through the vines as though they were nothing more than brittle twigs. The remnants fell uselessly to the ground, and I stared at the creature in frustration, realizing just how futile this effort was.

  For a moment, doubt clawed at my resolve. Perhaps this was impossible, an idea born of desperation and arrogance. But before the thought could take root, something extraordinary happened.

  From the corners of its mouth, threads of radiant light began to form, delicate at first but quickly solidifying into glowing reins. The shimmering strands, as bright and crackling as lightning, arced around the Pegasus’s head, looping gracefully into a bridle. They materialized in my hands with a sudden jolt, the energy pulsing through my palms like a living current.

  It had summoned its own reins.

  The realization sent a shiver through me. This wasn’t just acceptance, it was an acknowledgment. The Pegasus had chosen to engage with me, to test me in a way no beast ever had. For a moment, I allowed myself to hope that it had accepted me as its partner, that our bond had been forged through this trial.

  But then its wings unfolded.

  The Pegasus’s massive golden wings unfurled with a sound like rolling thunder, each feather glimmering with the same ethereal light as the reins in my hands. The sheer size of them was breathtaking, stretching wider than I could have imagined, each powerful beat stirring the air with enough force to send ripples across the lake’s surface.

  Before I could react, it leapt into the air, the ground vanishing beneath its hooves as it launched itself skyward. The sudden surge of motion nearly threw me off its back, and I scrambled to tighten my grip on the reins. My legs clamped around its sides, my heart pounding as the Pegasus ascended with breathtaking speed.

  The world became a blur of light and motion, the forest below shrinking rapidly as we soared higher and higher. The wind roared in my ears, its icy fingers tearing at my clothes and stinging my skin. My breath hitched as the Pegasus twisted and dove, its every movement a deliberate attempt to dislodge me. This was no peaceful flight, it was a trial by fire, a battle for dominance in the skies.

  It banked sharply to the left, the sudden movement jerking me sideways. My grip on the reins faltered for a moment, and I felt myself slide precariously across its back. Gritting my teeth, I threw my weight against the momentum, pulling myself upright just as it dove into a steep descent. The ground rushed toward us, the trees below blurring into a sea of green and gold. At the last possible moment, the Pegasus pulled up, the sudden shift in velocity nearly snapping my neck as I clung desperately to its mane.

  “I’m a human, you damned beast, I won’t give up that easily!” – I yelled, more to myself than to the creature. My arms burned with effort, my fingers aching from the strain of holding on.

  The Pegasus climbed higher into the sky, its wings cutting through the clouds with powerful, rhythmic beats. The storm that had once raged around us seemed far below now, a distant memory in this realm of endless blue. But the peace of the open sky was deceptive. The creature began to twist and turn, its movements wild and unpredictable.

  I focused every ounce of my strength and determination on staying balanced, my body moving in tandem with the creature’s motions. It bucked and spiraled, its golden form a streak of light against the heavens. Yet no matter how hard it tried, I refused to let go. Each second I remained in the saddle was a victory, a step closer to earning its respect.

  As the Pegasus leveled out, its breath came in powerful, heaving bursts, the exertion of its aerial maneuvers finally taking its toll. My own chest burned with the effort of holding on, my heart racing in time with the creature’s wingbeats. For a moment, we hung in the air, suspended in a fragile truce as the wind whispered around us.

  The Pegasus let out a low, rumbling snort, its wings beating more slowly now as it circled back toward the lake. As we descended together, the clearing came back into view, the tranquil water reflecting the golden light of its wings. The ground rose to meet us, and with a final, graceful sweep of its wings, the Pegasus landed softly, its hooves touching the earth as if it had never left.

  I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my entire body trembling from the effort and adrenaline. Sliding off its back, I landed on unsteady feet, the reins still glowing faintly in my hands. The Pegasus turned its head to look at me, its golden eyes unreadable.

  Something was wrong. A strange unease settled over me as I stood beside the Pegasus, the glow of its golden wings casting a gentle light across the clearing. My eyes drifted toward the forest, and that’s when I noticed it, the trees were vanishing.

  At first, it was subtle, almost imperceptible. A single tree near the edge of the clearing shimmered, its edges dissolving into faint particles of light before disappearing entirely. Then another. The forest was disintegrating, piece by piece. But what caught my attention most wasn’t just the vanishing trees. It was the pattern. The dissolution was spreading from one direction, a steady wave moving through the forest, but only in that single direction.

  This wasn’t random. It could only mean one thing: this dimension was beginning to collapse.

  The realization sent a chill through me. If the dimension crumbled completely, we’d be pulled back into the real world. But there was something even stranger. If the Pegasus was truly the center of this dimension, its anchor, then the world should have been unraveling symmetrically, radiating outward from its location. Yet the destruction wasn’t balanced. It was directional, focused, as though the true heart of this dimension laid elsewhere.

  I glanced at the Pegasus, its golden eyes watching the disintegrating forest with quiet intensity. It didn’t seem alarmed, but its posture was tense, its wings twitching with barely contained energy.

  “This isn’t right.” – I muttered to myself, my mind racing. If the Pegasus wasn’t the center of this world, then what was? Something else was out there, maintain the dimension from a different location.

  “Hey.” – I said, reaching out to place a hand on the Pegasus’s neck. Its head turned slightly, its eyes meeting mine with a flicker of recognition. – “Let’s go. We can’t stay here.”

  The Pegasus snorted softly, as if in agreement, before lowering its body slightly, inviting me to mount. I climbed onto its back, the now-familiar glow of the golden reins solidifying in my hands. With a powerful beat of its wings, the Pegasus lifted off the ground, its hooves leaving the earth as we surged into the sky.

  Leaving the cave behind, I got into the open, my breaths ragged and shallow. Each ignition felt like a monumental effort, my body trembling as the poison coursed through my veins. It had already claimed more than half of me, the insidious corruption eating away at my flesh like a relentless tide. I tried to summon the strength to fly, to escape even a little further, but my flames faltered. My balance was nonexistent. The pain was unbearable. I wasn’t going anywhere.

  The truth was clear now: it was only a matter of time before the poison consumed me entirely.

  I leaned against a jagged rock for support, my vision swimming as I looked down at the twisted remains of my leg. I should have severed it the moment the poison took hold. Maybe then I could have contained its spread, slowed its advance. But I’d hesitated, thinking I could endure it, that I was strong enough to fight it off. I’d underestimated its potency, and now I was paying the price.

  Even so, cutting off my leg might not have saved me. The blood loss alone could have slowed me down, leaving me just as vulnerable as I was now. Either way, my fate seemed inevitable.

  My strength gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground, the cold earth pressing against what was left of my body. My arms and upper torso were all that remained untouched, but even they felt heavy, sluggish. The poison was moving faster now, relentless in its destruction. I clenched my fists, the faintest sparks of energy flickering across my palms as I considered my last, desperate option.

  Maybe I should just end it myself. Detonate my body and reduce it to nothing but scattered fragments. That way, the Chimera wouldn’t be able to trap me inside its stomach.

  But I knew the cost of that choice. Regrowing from such a state would take too much time.

  A deafening roar shattered my thoughts, the sound reverberating through the air like an earthquake. My eyes snapped to the horizon, and there it was the Chimera, a monstrous silhouette charging toward me with terrifying speed. Its grotesque form seemed to ripple with infernal energy, each of its heads snarling in unison as it closed the distance between us.

  I couldn’t move. Couldn’t fight. My body refused to respond, the poison locking me in place as if mocking my every effort. I tried to think of a strategy, some last-minute miracle that could turn the tide, but my mind was as drained as my body. The only thought that surfaced was a bitter one:

  This is just another failure.

  I gritted my teeth, the weight of my failures crashing down on me all at once. I had failed to stop this beast, like so many others before it. I had failed to fulfill my role as a star. I had failed to set an example for Chris, the one who looked to me for guidance.

  Maybe Sirius had been right all along. Maybe the experiments, as cruel and inhuman as they were, were necessary.

  The Chimera let out another roar, its massive claws tearing into the ground as it closed the final stretch between us. My breath hitched, my vision blurring as the inevitability of it all sank in.

  And so, it would be Sapphire and the military again, cleaning up after my failures, ridding the world of another beast I couldn’t handle.

  But in that moment, as death loomed closer, my mind turned to Chris.

  Chris, the one who had received his powers through my blood. Not only him, but countless others, humans who had become cursed. They hadn’t inherited my fire, not the raw destructive force that defined me. But they had gained my healing factor. They could recover from wounds that would fell any ordinary human.

  Yet even as the venom coursed through me, the thought struck like a splinter in my mind: how could that be? How could Chris and the others heal so naturally, while I could only do so through death? They recovered without needing to sacrifice everything, yet for me, regeneration required obliteration, annihilation, and rebirth.

  It didn’t make sense.

  That is because it is just your perception of it.

  The words rang through my mind, unbidden and clear. My own voice, yet not my own thoughts.

  Whenever reality isn’t making sense, it is lying to you.

  The truth began to dawn, piercing through the haze of pain and despair like a flame rekindled in the dark. Perhaps the one holding me back all this time had been me. My belief, my understanding, had been flawed, chained by the cruel logic I had accepted without question. I hadn’t even realized I was immortal until someone had told me directly, shattering the illusion I had unknowingly clung to.

  I could see it now.

  All those times I had relied on death to save the day, all those moments I had embraced oblivion as a solution, had been a failure to grasp the truth of my own power. I had become a victim of the reality I had constructed, blind to the possibilities that lay beyond. Perhaps I never needed to die. Perhaps I had simply been too narrow in my understanding, too willing to sacrifice myself because it was the easy way out.

  Exploding at once is easy, I thought bitterly. It spares you the pain. But living through this, letting the venom devour you piece by piece... this is agony.

  And yet, it was this agony that had shown me the truth. Death was not a necessity. It was a choice. One I no longer had to make.

  “Never accept to die.” – I whispered, the words barely audible as my lips moved for the first time in what felt like hours.

  The Chimera’s jaws descended, and something ignited within me a fire so fierce it scorched the despair. My hands trembled, not with weakness but with newfound power, and the sparks in my palms burst into flame.

  “Yes.” – I murmured, my voice growing stronger with each word. – “I won’t.”

  Then rise up and fight.

  At that moment, everything seemed to freeze. The Chimera, once a whirlwind of motion and fury, halted mid-strike, its massive heads locked in place as though caught in some invisible grip. The venom that had been consuming my body also stopped spreading, its relentless advance ceasing as if it had suddenly lost its purpose. For a brief, surreal instant, the world felt utterly still.

  “My blood is a curse for all living things.” – I murmured, the realization hitting me with a weight that almost buckled my knees. It was the truth, though I had spent so long refusing to accept it. I had seen it before, countless times. When a ghoul had bitten me, its modified blood mingling with mine, I had watched the corruption burn away as though it had never been there. The creature had even reverted back to human, its monstrous form stripped away.

  I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it, but this was the power of my blood, a force that wasn’t just a curse, but something far more complex. Something that could both destroy and heal, a double-edged blade I had ignored for too long.

  Now, as I stood there, flames licking at my skin, I felt the poison within me begin to burn away. My body surged with newfound strength as I activated my regeneration, watching in awe as the damaged tissue, muscle, and organs that had been corroded began to rebuild themselves. It wasn’t death that triggered my healing. It never had been. I had simply been too blind to see it.

  But then my gaze shifted to the Chimera, and my confusion deepened. Why had it stopped moving?

  The answer came as a shudder rippled through its massive frame. Its three heads convulsed, their snarls twisting into pained groans. Its limbs trembled, claws digging into the ground as it struggled to maintain its balance. I stared in disbelief, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

  Then it hit me.

  The snake. The one that had bitten my leg and injected its venom into my body. When its fangs had pierced my flesh, it hadn’t just delivered poison, some of my blood entered its mouth.

  Now, as I stood there with my regeneration in full effect, I could feel I, my blood inside the Chimera, a foreign entity invading its monstrous form. I could sense its presence, intertwined with the creature’s own life force, and I understood what was happening.

  My blood was fighting back.

  The same power that had created the ghouls was now working inside the Chimera, attempting to rewrite it from within. The beast’s convulsions grew more violent, its heads thrashing wildly as though trying to shake off the invisible force attacking it. Its flesh rippled unnaturally, and for a brief moment, I thought I could see veins glowing faintly beneath its skin, pulsing with a light that wasn’t its own.

  But I knew this wasn’t sustainable. The Chimera was no simple human; it was a grand beast, a creature of immense power and resilience. While my blood had the ability to invade and disrupt it, the Chimera wasn’t about to surrender so easily.

  The air around the creature began to shimmer with heat, waves of intense energy radiating outward as its body temperature skyrocketed. I felt the shift immediately, the oppressive heat prickling my skin even from a distance. The Chimera’s flames weren’t directed outward this time, they were turned inward, a desperate defense mechanism designed to burn away the invader within.

  I watched helplessly as the glow in its veins began to fade, the remnants of my blood evaporating into the superheated air. The beast let out a guttural roar, its heads snapping back into focus as it regained its composure. The convulsions ceased, replaced by a renewed, seething rage.

  It was back to normal.

  From the sky, descending with an elegance that defied belief, came the Pegasus. Its golden wings glowed with a brilliance that rivaled the sun, their sheer power cutting through the tension in the battlefield. But it wasn’t just the creature’s arrival that left me stunned, it was its rider. Sitting astride the mythical beast, gripping golden reins as if he’d been born for it, was Chris.

  The sight of him left me momentarily speechless. His face was alight with an unrestrained grin, the kind of expression one wears when they’ve uncovered something utterly world-changing. It was a look of triumph, of discovery, of fire.

  “Hello, Premiere.” – He said, his voice carrying down to me. – “It’s been a while.”

  “What the hell?” – I muttered, barely able to comprehend the scene before me. A human riding a grand beast? This was beyond anything I had ever thought possible.

  “Get your thoughts together later.” – Chris replied, his grin fading into a serious expression as he turned his gaze to the Chimera. – “Right now, we’ve got a beast to take down.”

  He was right, of course. Whatever the implications of this were, they could wait. The Chimera loomed before us, its three heads writhing with unrestrained fury. It let out an earth-shaking roar, its lion, goat, and snake heads each contributing to the terrible cacophony. The Pegasus, undeterred, answered with a powerful neigh, the sound reverberating like a war cry through the battlefield.

  For a moment, the two beasts locked eyes. It was a meeting of opposites, light and darkness, order and chaos. The realization struck me then. These two were rivals, not just in battle but in existence itself. In mythology, they were opposites destined to clash, their very nature tied to one another. This dimension, I realized, must have originally been the Pegasus’s realm, a place of serenity and light. But something from humanity’s collective unconscious, a fragment of fear and shadow, had intruded. This was the first true double terrarium, a rare phenomenon where two apex beasts occupied the same domain.

  It all made sense now. The Pegasus hadn’t allowed Chris to tame it out of trust or affection. It had accepted him out of necessity, a temporary alliance formed to eliminate its natural rival.

  The Pegasus sprang into action, its golden wings propelling it forward with blinding speed. As it closed the distance, it summoned a bolt of lightning from the heavens, the crackling energy splitting the air as it targeted the Chimera. The Chimera’s snake head reacted instantly, diving into the ground and drawing the electricity into its body like a living lightning rod. The energy dissipated harmlessly, and the Pegasus faltered, its speed diminishing as the strain of summoning such power took its toll.

  The Chimera seized its chance, lunging with its massive claws aimed directly at the Pegasus.

  “Not on my watch!” – Chris shouted, pulling the golden reins with precision. The Pegasus veered sharply, dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth before taking to the sky once more.

  I watched the scene unfold, my mind racing. They couldn’t do this alone. As powerful as Chris and the Pegasus were, the Chimera’s cunning and raw strength were overwhelming. This battle wasn’t one they could win without me.

  “Hey, Chris!” – I called, drawing my rapiers from where they had fallen. – “You’re just in time to see my new move!”

  Without hesitation, I slashed both my wrists, the blades cutting cleanly through flesh. Fresh blood spilled from the wounds, pooling in my hands before cascading down the blades. The red liquid shimmered unnaturally, coating the rapiers like molten metal.

  “Bloodborn Blades.”

  I murmured, the words carrying with them a weight I hadn’t felt before.

  The Chimera, sensing the shift, turned its attention toward me. The lion’s head opened wide, unleashing a torrent of hellish fire. But fire was nothing to me. My natural resistance, combined with my constant regeneration, rendered the flames little more than an annoyance. Using the inferno as cover, I darted forward, the fire cloaking my movements as I closed the gap.

  By the time the Chimera realized my position, I was already there, staring into the goat’s eyes.

  “Drink.” – I hissed, driving both rapiers into the beast’s mouth. The blades pierced its tongue and drove downward, embedding themselves deep into the scales beneath its head. The goat’s head thrashed violently, but my grip held firm, locking it in place.

  Before the snake could retaliate, I leapt back, landing with practiced grace just as the Chimera began to convulse. My blood, still coating the rapiers, seeped into the beast’s body, spreading like an infection. A black miasma began to rise from the Chimera, its form writhing as my corruption took hold.

  “Become mine.” – I commanded, raising a hand toward the beast. The Chimera’s struggles intensified, its heads shaking violently as the miasma engulfed it. I couldn’t help but wonder, would it become like the ghouls I had transformed in the past? Would I be able to command it as Chris commanded the Pegasus?

  But my hope was short-lived. A sudden, sharp pain tore through me, emanating from deep within my blood.

  There is already a master.

  The words echoed through my mind like the tolling of a distant bell, clear and undeniable. The Chimera wasn’t just a wild beast, a creature born from chaos and instinct. No, it was bound, its very existence tied to a higher force, an unseen master who had created and controlled it. The realization hit me like a blow to the chest. The same power responsible for unleashing beasts upon our world still held the Chimera’s leash, its influence palpable even now.

  I felt the sting of my failure as my blood, coursing through the Chimera’s veins, faltered in its attempt to dominate it. My power wasn’t enough to override its master’s command, to claim the beast as my own. But there was no time to dwell on the implications.

  “I see.” – I muttered under my breath, clapping my hands together as a surge of resolve washed over me. – “Then let’s finish this.”

  Above me, Chris and the Pegasus were already in motion, the two of them descending like a streak of golden light. Chris had abandoned the reins, his focus now on the shimmering golden sword in his hands. The weapon radiated an energy that seemed to pulse in rhythm with the Pegasus’s beating wings, the two of them moving as one.

  “AAAAAHHHHH!” – Chris’s battle cry tore through the air, raw and powerful, as they dove toward the Chimera with a speed that defied comprehension. The golden sword cleaved through the Chimera’s lion head first, the blade slicing cleanly through flesh and bone as though the beast’s defenses were nothing. The severed head fell with a heavy thud, blood spraying across the battlefield.

  Without hesitation, Chris pivoted mid-air, guiding the Pegasus into another sharp dive. This time, the sword struck the goat’s head, the sheer force of the blow sending a shockwave rippling through the ground. The Chimera staggered, its balance faltering as it let out a guttural, choking roar.

  But the battle wasn’t over yet.

  Even as the beast reeled from its injuries, its final head, the snake, reared back, its venomous fangs gleaming in the dim light. Its eyes locked onto me, and I felt the weight of its hatred, its primal hunger. It struck with lightning speed, a blur of motion as it lunged straight for my throat.

  I stepped forward, my hand shooting out to meet the serpent head mid-strike. My fingers wrapped around its neck, the scales slick and burning hot against my skin. The snake thrashed violently, its powerful muscles writhing as it tried to break free, but I held firm.

  My fingers dug into its flesh, the sound of cracking bones and tearing sinew filling the air. The snake hissed and snarled, its venom dripping uselessly to the ground as I applied more pressure.

  With a final surge of strength, I squeezed, the sound of its skull shattering beneath my grip echoing across the battlefield. The last head let out one last, deafening roar, a sound that was both defiant and mournful, before collapsing to the ground. Its massive body convulsed once, then stilled, the light in its veins flickering out like a dying ember.

  I stepped back, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I surveyed the scene. The Chimera’s lifeless body lay sprawled before me, its once-mighty form reduced to nothing more than a smoldering heap. The ground around it was scorched and torn, a testament to the ferocity of the fight.

  Above me, Chris and the Pegasus circled back, their golden glow a stark contrast to the chaos below. As they landed gracefully beside me, Chris dismounted, his golden sword still shimmering faintly in his hand.

  “Well.” – He said, his voice a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. – “That was one hell of a fight.”

  I turned to face him, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. – “You tamed a beast.” – I said, the disbelief still evident in my voice. – “And rode it into battle. Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

  Chris smirked, brushing a lock of sweat-dampened hair from his face. – “No clue. But it worked, didn’t it?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh, a rough, breathless sound that felt foreign after everything that had just happened. – “Yeah.” – I admitted, glancing at the Pegasus, which stood silently by his side.

  But even as the adrenaline began to fade, the weight of what I had learned pressed heavily on my shoulders. The Chimera’s true master was still out there, still pulling the strings. This battle was over, but the war was far from won.

  The Chimera had been different, born of a unique element, but at its core, it was still a beast. The realization gnawed at me as I stared at the Pegasus, its golden coat shimmering in the aftermath of the battle. If the Chimera had a master, then it was illogical to assume it was the only one. There had to be someone, or something, responsible for the appearance of these creatures in our world. A mastermind pulling the strings.

  My thoughts darkened as I stepped closer to the Pegasus. The possibility that beasts of all kinds, even this one, were not truly free weighed heavily on me. – “Who could they be?” – I murmured aloud, the question hanging in the air like a blade waiting to fall. My eyes narrowed as I studied the Pegasus, now standing regally beside Chris.

  It was a beast, after all. And it should follow the same master as the Chimera.

  A macabre thought took hold of me, a chilling hypothesis that demanded testing. Taking a step forward, I addressed the creature directly. – “Hello, Grand Beast.” – I said, my tone steady but tinged with sorrow. – “Do you have a master?”

  “NEEEEEEEEEIGH!”

  The Pegasus’s reaction was immediate. Its serene demeanor evaporated, replaced by a sudden surge of bloodlust that seemed to electrify the air around it. Its wings flared out, their golden feathers bristling as it fixed its gaze on me with an intensity that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  “What are you doing?” – Chris’s voice was sharp, laced with confusion as he stepped between me and the Pegasus. His body was tense, protective, as though shielding a trusted companion. – “This one is different! It should be born of humanity’s hopes, not their fears!”

  I shook my head, my expression firm. – “No, Chris. Stars are born from humanity’s hopes. Beasts, no matter their form, are still our enemies.” – My hand drifted toward my rapier, but I didn’t draw it. Instead, I pointed the hilt toward the Pegasus, which responded by opening its wings wider in an effort to appear larger.

  Chris clenched his fists. – “It’s not the same. If it were like the others, it would have attacked me long before now! It’s proof that this one’s different!”

  “Chris.” – I said, softening my tone. – “I promise you, I won’t attack it. But I need you to step back. There’s something I have to test.”

  He hesitated, his eyes searching mine for any hint of deception. But there was none. My promise was sincere, spoken with the conviction of someone who understood the weight of their words. I wouldn’t betray his trust.

  “Okay.” – He said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. – “I’m trusting you.”

  Chris took a few cautious steps back, putting distance between himself and the Pegasus. As he moved away, the beast’s demeanor shifted again. Its body began to tremble, a convulsive motion that seemed to ripple through its muscles. Its golden eyes flickered with a strange light, and its bloodlust returned in full force.

  The Pegasus reared back, releasing an unearthly cry before taking to the sky. From above, it summoned a bolt of lightning, the energy crackling as it hurtled toward me with terrifying speed.

  I didn’t flinch. I wasn’t afraid, not of pain, not of death. After all, I would simply be reborn. But even so, my instincts demanded I act. Gripping my rapiers, I dove to the ground, driving the blades deep into the earth. The grounded steel absorbed much of the lightning’s force, reducing the damage I would have taken. Pain surged through me as the residual energy seared my flesh, but my healing factor kicked in immediately, repairing the scars as quickly as they formed.

  Chris rushed toward me, panic and confusion written across his face. – “What the hell is going on?” – He shouted. – “Why is it attacking you?”

  I staggered to my feet, brushing the dirt from my rapiers as I met his gaze. – “See, Chris?” – I said, my voice calm despite the chaos. – “This beast is just like any other.”

  Chris turned to the Pegasus, which had landed nearby, its wings tucked against its sides. Its golden glow dimmed as it lowered its head, a somber expression replacing its earlier aggression. – “Why does it only attack you when I’m not close?” – He asked, his voice tinged with desperation. – “I don’t understand.”

  I sheathed my rapiers, taking a slow step forward. – “It’s not the Pegasus that’s different.” – I said, my words deliberate. – “It’s you, Chris.”

  He blinked, confusion clouding his face. – “What are you talking about?”

  I sighed, the truth heavy on my tongue. – “Beasts are programmed to kill humans. That much is certain. But the reason this one doesn’t attack you is simple. You’re not human, Chris.”

  His eyes widened in disbelief. – “What?”

  “You’re a ghoul.” – I said, the words cutting through the air like a knife. – “When my blood entered your body, it changed you. Your natural state now is that of a ghoul, and that’s why the Pegasus doesn’t see you as its enemy. You’re not human anymore.”

  Chris stared at me, his expression a mixture of denial and acceptance. Deep down, he had always known, but hearing it spoken aloud made the truth impossible to ignore.

  “I see.” – He said finally, his voice trembling. – “Then that means…”

  Without another word, he turned and ran toward the Pegasus. Climbing onto its back, he gripped its mane as it spread its wings and took flight. The golden light of the beast and its rider faded into the distance, leaving me alone on the silent battlefield.

  “This place should be fine…” – I murmured, lowering myself to the ground. My legs ached, and my body screamed for rest. The battle had taken everything out of me. Now that the other beast was gone, the Pegasus had returned to being the anchor point of this dimension. It was the lynchpin that held this world together. If we moved too far from Arstria, she’d have no choice but to follow us here.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The Pegasus stood silently beside me, its golden coat glimmering faintly in the peaceful light of the blue sky. It wasn’t the same creature I had fought beside moments ago. Now, it seemed tranquil, serene, as though the chaos of battle had never touched it. I sighed and leaned back, letting my gaze wander across the endless expanse of sky above.

  “You’re just like another beast.” – I said quietly, the words bitter in my mouth. – “An enemy to humankind…”

  But even as the words escaped me, they rang hollow, a lie I couldn’t bring myself to believe.

  “All the beasts that the stars have been killing all this time.” – I continued, my voice soft – “They aren’t actually evil, are they? They don’t wake up one day and decide to be humanity’s enemy. They just have this… this bloodlust, this uncontrollable urge when they see a human. It’s not their fault.”

  I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. – “That completely sucks, doesn’t it? Imagine your entire existence being reduced to one purpose, taking others’ lives. No choice, no freedom, just a compulsion to kill.”

  The Pegasus didn’t react. It stood still, its gaze fixed on the horizon, as if contemplating my words. Or maybe it was simply enjoying the rare peace of its own world.

  “This world of yours.” – I said, glancing around at the tranquil landscape. – “It’s so peaceful. And I bet the same is true for all the other terrariums. But before the dimensions even have a chance to clash, before these creatures appear in the real world, the stars come to your homes and take your lives.”

  The thought made my chest ache. I looked at the Pegasus, its form radiating strength and grace, and felt a pang of guilt. – “It’s weird, really. I’ve only known you for a few hours, but I want you to live. Everyone deserves that much. But to save, it’s necessary to kill.”

  As the words left my lips, the Pegasus stirred. It let out a soft, almost mournful neigh before rising to its feet. Its hooves struck the ground with purpose, each step deliberate as it moved closer to me. Then, it did something unexpected, it raised one of its forelegs, pointing its hoof toward me.

  Or rather, toward my sword.

  “What are you doing?” – I asked, confusion creeping into my voice. – “Do you… want to fight?”

  The Pegasus didn’t react with aggression. It stood there, its hoof still raised, staring at me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

  “I won’t fight you.” – I said, shaking my head. – “Take this time to relax. Soon, you’ll have to fight again. And likely…” – My voice faltered. – “Likely die.”

  But the Pegasus didn’t relent. It tapped its hoof against the ground, once, twice, its gaze never wavering from my sword.

  Understanding dawned slowly, like a distant sunrise breaking through the fog. My hand moved to the hilt of my weapon, hesitant, unsure. – “You can’t mean…” – I began, trailing off as I drew the blade.

  The Pegasus’s reaction was immediate. Its wings folded tightly against its body, and it lowered its head until its golden mane brushed the ground. Its eyes closed, and it stood perfectly still, a monument of grace and dignity.

  “I see.” – I whispered, my throat tightening. – “You want to go by the hands of a friend.”

  Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as the weight of the moment settled over me. – “What kind of monster would I be if I refused, right?”

  The Pegasus remained motionless, its trust absolute. It wasn’t asking for mercy or pleading for its life. It was making a choice, a choice to end its existence on its own terms, to avoid the violence and inevitability of the coming battle.

  That was when I saw it.

  A faint glow appeared on the creature’s forehead: Its core. The Pegasus had purposefully illuminated its weak point, guiding me to where the blade should strike. It was offering itself to me, sparing us both the pain of uncertainty.

  My vision blurred as tears began to fall freely, streaking down my cheeks and onto the ground. The blade in my hand felt heavier than ever, a weight I wasn’t sure I could bear.

  With one swift motion, I raised the blade and brought it down, slicing cleanly through the core.

  The Pegasus let out a soft, almost relieved sigh as its body shimmered with golden light. The glow intensified, enveloping it in a radiant aura before slowly dissipating. When the light faded, the beast was gone, leaving only a faint warmth in the air where it had stood.

  I sank to my knees, the empty sword falling from my hands as I pressed my palms into the dirt. The tears wouldn’t stop, a torrent of grief and guilt that I couldn’t hold back.

  In that moment, the world before me began to fracture. The serene skies and lush surroundings shattered like the glass of a kaleidoscope, splintering into jagged shards of light. The peaceful dimension, once anchored by the Pegasus’s presence, dissolved into chaos, its beauty fading into nothingness. I didn’t fight it. There was no point. Within seconds, the ground beneath me vanished, and I felt the strange, weightless pull of reality reclaiming me.

  When I opened my eyes, I was back in the real world.

  The shift was jarring, the cold bite of the air, and the distant hum of a world still teetering on the edge of survival. The silence that followed was deafening. My hands instinctively reached for the ground to steady myself as my knees threatened to buckle beneath me.

  “You did it…” – A familiar voice said, breaking the stillness.

  I turned to see Arstria standing behind me, her expression unreadable. Her golden eyes, always sharp and calculating, now held something softer, a flicker of acknowledgment, perhaps even respect.

  “The first to befriend a beast.” – She added, her tone lighter, almost teasing. – “I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Beside me, the short girl offered a faint smile. But she too was somber. I swallowed hard, the ache in my chest threatening to overwhelm me.

  “When my blood entered the Chimera.” – She said, her voice hoarse and uneven. – “I felt something. A presence. It wasn’t the beast’s fault, it was something else. The true culprit behind the feathers and the fall of humanity.”

  I tilted my head. – “A mastermind, huh.”

  She nodded. – “Will you fight beside me, so we can avenge your friend?”

  I rose slowly to my feet, wiping the tears from my red, swollen eyes. The loss of the Pegasus still burned like an open wound, but Arstria’s words gave me something to cling to. A purpose.

  The mastermind. The one responsible for all of this. But as I opened my mouth to speak, something strange happened. A sharp, searing pain shot through my face, spreading like wildfire. My vision blurred, and my hands flew to my cheeks, only to come away slick with a dark, viscous liquid.

  “I guess you’ll have to do that alone.” – I said, my voice trembling. The words came unbidden, my lips moving of their own accord. My legs wavered, the strength draining from me as the ichor poured freely, staining the ground at my feet.

  2012-01-23

  More than a week had passed since Chris had slipped into a coma. The sight of him lying motionless in the sterile confines of the Hospital Division of STR… His breathing was shallow but steady, and the faint hum of medical equipment filled the room with an oppressive rhythm.

  Fortunately, the blood vials he had strapped to his belt had been enough to halt the progression of the ghoulification. If those vials hadn’t been there, we might have lost him entirely. But while they had been a temporary reprieve, they hadn’t been enough to reverse the process.

  According to Sirius, the cause of Chris’s condition was clear. During the battle, he had pushed himself too far, tapping deeply into his newfound powers during the fight. The strain on his body had triggered the corruption’s return, its relentless nature taking hold the moment his strength faltered.

  Three vials of my blood had been enough to pause the process, but it couldn’t bring him back. It was a standoff, a fragile equilibrium maintained by my blood’s unique properties. To keep him alive, Chris was now undergoing constant blood transfusions, an endless supply of the crimson liquid keeping the ghoulification at bay.

  Getting the blood wasn’t an issue. Not anymore.

  My newfound power had made the process almost trivial. I could generate more of my blood than ever before, my body adapting to the demands of the situation with an efficiency that was both awe-inspiring and unsettling. Each day, I would sit in the sterile donation chamber, watching as the medical staff collected vial after vial of the cursed gift that flowed through my veins.

  And each day, I would visit Chris’s room afterward, standing at his bedside and staring at his motionless form. The staff assured me he wasn’t in pain, that his condition was stable, but it didn’t make the sight any easier. His once vibrant face was pale, his expression peaceful but devoid of life. It felt wrong to see him this way, the fire that had defined him reduced to embers.

  I couldn’t help but wonder what he was dreaming about, if he was dreaming at all. Did he know I was there? Could he hear me when I spoke?

  Sirius had tried to reassure me, saying that the transfusions would sustain him until he woke up, but even their confidence wasn’t absolute. Chris’s condition was uncharted territory. Ghoulification wasn’t something we’d ever truly understood, and my blood was an unpredictable factor in an already precarious equation.

  “You won’t be able to get rid of me that easily.”

  The sound of his voice stopped me dead in my tracks as I stepped into the room. My heart leapt in my chest, relief flooding through me so intensely that I nearly stumbled. He was awake, after all these days, Chris was finally awake.

  “Are you okay? Are you feeling alright?” – I asked, the words tumbling out of me in a chaotic rush. My voice trembled, a mix of joy and desperation spilling over as I moved closer to his bedside.

  Chris looked up at me, his blue eyes meeting mine. But they weren’t the same as before. There was a heaviness in them, a somber weight that pierced through my happiness like a dagger.

  “Never better.” – He said, forcing a small, strained smile. – “Or at least I’d like to say that.”

  My own smile faltered, replaced by concern. – “Why? What’s happening? Tell me, please, I need to know.”

  Chris hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the IV drip that delivered my blood into his veins. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating, before he finally spoke. – “I’ll tell you. But first, I need you to promise me you will do me a favor.”

  “Anything.” – I said without hesitation. – “I promise. Just tell me what you need.”

  He nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. – “It all started a few days after the experiment ended. At first, one vial of your blood was enough to hold the corruption back. It kept me stable, or at least, I thought it did. But then something changed.”

  “What do you mean?” – I asked, my throat tight with dread.

  He continued, his voice calm but filled with a quiet anguish that made my chest ache. – “Soon, one vial wasn’t enough. I had to take one and a half. Then two. The day you beat me up at school for fighting that bully, do you remember?”

  I nodded, the memory flashing through my mind like a jolt of electricity.

  “I didn’t forget to take my dose that day.” – He said, shaking his head. – “It just wasn’t enough. That was the third vial I drank on that day alone.”

  His words hit me like a blow, but he wasn’t done. – “And after the months of training, it got worse. Ten vials. That’s what I needed to keep myself together by the end of it. And now…” – He trailed off, his eyes flicking back to the IV line. – “Now, it must be way more than that. I’ve lost track.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” – I asked, my voice rising with emotion. – “Why didn’t you say anything? I could have tried to do something! I thought the corruption was being held back.”

  Chris laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and laced with self-loathing. – “Deep down, I knew the truth. I knew I wasn’t human anymore. I’m not even close. I’m probably an even worse monster than the beasts you fight.”

  “That’s not true.” – I said, stepping closer.

  He shook his head. – “It is. And I was scared… No, terrified. I didn’t want to admit what I was becoming. That’s why I started getting into fights, pushing myself into danger. I wanted to do all the things I never could while I was human. It was like… a promise list. A desperate attempt to live before I lost myself completely.”

  His voice cracked, and for a moment, I thought he might cry. But he didn’t. Instead, he looked at me, his gaze steady and piercing.

  “That’s why you empathized with the Pegasus.” – I said softly, the realization dawning on me.

  “Yes.” – Chris said, his voice barely above a whisper. – “That’s why. Because we’re the same, it and I. Two monsters with an urge to kill we can barely keep at bay. I might be holding it back now, but it’s only a matter of time before I lose that fight. Before it takes over completely.”

  “No.” – I said firmly. – “We’ll find a way to…”

  “I’ve made my peace.” – Chris interrupted, cutting me off. – “I know what I am. And that’s why I need you to promise me one more thing.”

  Tears began to well in his eyes, his voice trembling as he spoke the words I never wanted to hear. – “I want you to be the one who takes my life. Do it, please.”

  The room seemed to close in around me, the air heavy and suffocating. I shook my head, backing away a step. – “No. No, I can’t…”

  “Please.” – He said, his voice breaking. – “You’re the only one I trust to do it. I don’t want to hurt anyone else. I don’t want to be like them.”

  The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, streaking down my face. – “Chris, don’t ask me to…”

  “I’m not asking.” – He said, his expression resolute despite the pain in his eyes. – “I’m begging you. If you ever cared about me, if you ever thought of me as a friend, then promise me.”

  The silence that followed was unbearable. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, but I knew there was no other answer I could give.

  “I promise.” – I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of the words. The gravity of the moment settled between us like an immovable force, but even as I spoke, I refused to let despair take hold. My eyes locked with his, and I steeled myself. – “But first, you need to fulfill the promise you made to me.”

  Chris tilted his head, his expression puzzled. – “Promise? What promise?”

  “I can’t believe you forgot!” – I said firmly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my lips despite everything. Before he could argue or protest, I reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him up from the bed with more force than he was ready for.

  “Hey, what are you?” – He began, but his words trailed off as he stumbled to his feet.

  “We’re going.” – I said simply, my grip unyielding as I led him forward. There was no room for hesitation now.

  “I always wanted to fly with you! That was incredible!” – Chris exclaimed as we landed on the warm, sunlit sand. His voice was filled with genuine excitement, and the grin on his face was so infectious that I almost smiled myself. His energy was palpable, his enthusiasm unrestrained, but I couldn’t let it sway me, not entirely.

  “What do you think I am, a ride?” – I shot back, my face flushing crimson as I avoided his gaze. The memory of his arms wrapped tightly around me as we soared through the sky was still fresh, the weight of it lingering more than I cared to admit. My tone sharpened as I added. – “I only did it so we’d get here faster.”

  Chris chuckled, completely unbothered by my retort. – “Sure, sure.” – He said with a wave of his hand, a teasing lilt in his voice. Then his gaze shifted past me, drawn to the shimmering expanse of blue ahead. The playful glint in his eyes softened, replaced by something quieter, something reverent. His expression changed as he stared at the horizon, the endless stretch of water glimmering under the sun.

  “I see.” – He murmured, almost as if speaking to himself. His voice was low and filled with wonder. – “I remember now.”

  “Yes.” – I said, stepping beside him. My own gaze followed his to the vast, endless ocean that sparkled like a sea of diamonds. The sun bathed the water in golden light, its rays dancing on the surface. Gentle waves rolled onto the shore, the rhythmic sound soothing in a way I hadn’t expected.

  “The sea.” – I said simply.

  Chris smiled then, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. He turned to look at me, and for a moment, our eyes met. Without meaning to, I found myself smiling back. It was a simple moment, fleeting yet profound, and it stretched on longer than either of us had anticipated.

  The silence grew awkward, and I cleared my throat. – “So, what now?” – I blurted out, breaking the stillness.

  Chris blinked, startled. – “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve never been to the sea before.” – I admitted, throwing my arms out toward the water. – “What do people normally do here?”

  “Well, for starters.” – He said, gesturing to our attire with a smirk. – “I’m in a hospital outfit, and you’re still in your military uniform. Not exactly beach-ready, are we?”

  I glanced down at myself, my boots sinking slightly into the sand. He wasn’t wrong.

  “We should find some swimsuits.” – Chris continued, his grin widening. – “You can’t come to the sea and not swim. It’s literally illegal.”

  I let out a small sigh, shaking my head as I glanced toward the distant cluster of shops that dotted the edge of the beach. The idea of walking through them in full uniform, boots and all, didn’t exactly thrill me. But Chris’s grin was impossible to ignore, his excitement practically radiating off him.

  “Alright.” – I said, relenting. – “Let’s go find something. But don’t get any weird ideas, okay?”

  “Who, me?” – Chris said, feigning innocence as he gestured toward himself. – “I’m the picture of restraint!”

  “Sure.” – I replied dryly, stepping onto the paved path that led away from the sand. The warm sunlight bathed us as we made our way toward the shops, the ocean breeze carrying the faint scent of salt and seaweed.

  The small strip of stores was bustling with life, a mix of locals and tourists weaving through the colorful displays of beach gear and souvenirs. Chris’s hospital outfit drew a few curious glances, and I caught more than one person raising an eyebrow at my military attire.

  We ducked into a modest-looking shop filled with racks of swimsuits, towels, and other beach essentials. Chris immediately wandered off, browsing the racks with a childlike enthusiasm that was almost endearing.

  “What about this one?” – He called, holding up a pair of bright, neon-green trunks with an exaggerated floral pattern.

  “Absolutely not.” – I said without hesitation, eyeing the garish design.

  “Aw, come on.” – He teased, grinning as he put it back on the rack. – “You’re no fun.”

  “Just find something that doesn’t hurt my eyes.” – I shot back, scanning the options on my side of the store.

  Eventually, we both managed to find swimsuits that were, by some miracle, reasonably tasteful. Chris’s was a simple pair of dark blue shorts with a subtle wave pattern, while mine was a sleek black one-piece that offered both practicality and a hint of style.

  Chris held up his selection with a grin. – “See? I can be serious when I want to be.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.” – I replied, heading toward the counter to pay.

  After changing in the small, slightly cramped dressing rooms at the back of the store, we stepped out into the sunlight once again, our beach attire drawing fewer curious glances than our previous outfits had. Chris stretched his arms out wide, tilting his head back to soak in the sun.

  “This is the life.” – He said with a contented sigh.

  “You’re acting like we’re on vacation.” – I muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

  “Well, we might as well make the most of it.” – He replied, flashing me a grin. – “Come on, let’s hit the water.”

  I followed him down to the shore, the sand warm beneath my bare feet. The ocean stretched out before us, its waves crashing gently against the beach. Chris waded in first, letting out a laugh as the cool water splashed up around him.

  “Come on!” – He called, turning back to look at me. – “You’re not scared, are you?”

  “Of course not.” – I said, stepping into the water. The chill sent a small shiver up my spine, but I kept going, determined not to let him see me falter.

  As we swam out a little further, the weight of the world seemed to fall away, replaced by the gentle rhythm of the waves and the warmth of the sun on my skin. For a brief moment, everything felt… normal.

  “See?” – Chris said, floating beside me with an easy grin. – “You’re smiling. Told you this was a good idea.”

  I splashed water at him, a rare laugh escaping my lips. – “Don’t push your luck.”

  Chris laughed as the water splashed across his face, wiping it away with an exaggerated flourish. – “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” he said, mischief glinting in his eyes.

  Before I could react, he retaliated, sending a spray of water in my direction. I turned away just in time, shielding my face with my hands, but his aim was annoyingly precise.

  “Chris!” – I shouted, trying to sound stern but failing miserably as laughter bubbled up instead.

  “Hey, you started it!” – He countered, grinning as he treaded water a few feet away.

  I shook my head, a mixture of exasperation and amusement settling over me. It was surreal, how light this moment felt. For just a little while, it was as if all the burdens, all the battles, had melted away, leaving only the two of us and the endless sea.

  As the playful splashing subsided, we both floated quietly for a moment, letting the gentle waves carry us. Chris tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the sky above, where the sunlight broke through scattered clouds in radiant beams.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” – He said softly, his voice devoid of its usual teasing edge.

  I followed his gaze, watching the light dance across the water’s surface. – “Yeah.” – I admitted, the single word carrying more weight than I expected.

  Chris turned his head to look at me, his expression uncharacteristically serious. – “Thanks.” – He said suddenly, his voice quiet.

  “For what?” – I asked, caught off guard.

  “For bringing me here.” – He said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. – “I didn’t realize how much I needed this. To just… be.”

  I felt a lump rise in my throat, but I pushed it down. – “You deserve it.” – I said simply.

  The sand beneath us was cool, softened by the gentle breeze that carried the salty scent of the sea. The horizon burned with hues of a dying sun, streaks of amber and violet blending into the darkening sky. The waves rolled in a steady rhythm, their whispers filling the silence between us. We sat close, our shoulders nearly brushing, watching as the last slivers of daylight slipped away beneath the vast ocean.

  “I never thought I’d enjoy the water this much.” – I admitted, my voice quiet, almost lost beneath the sound of the waves. – “I always believed I was someone born of fire, tied to its wild, untamed nature. But…my life as the First Star feels so distant now, like it belonged to someone else entirely.”

  Chris smirked, his expression as easygoing as always. – “Told you.” – He said simply, leaning back on his hands, his gaze still fixed on the horizon.

  I smiled faintly, but the lightness of the moment didn’t last. There was something I needed to say, words that had been building inside me for longer than I cared to admit. The weight of them pressed against my chest, demanding release. Slowly, I shifted closer, the soft sand shifting under me as I turned to face him.

  “Chris.” – I began, my voice trembling slightly. – “I need to be honest with you. I’ve never felt this close to anyone before.”

  His smirk faltered slightly. – “Really? I thought you and Sapphire were like sisters. Or… whatever’s going on with you two.” – He scratched the back of his head, his casual tone cutting through my vulnerability like a cold wind.

  I shook my head. – “Sapphire and I… we’ve never shared anything like this. She honestly scares me sometimes.” – My thoughts drifted to her unnerving precision, the way her sharp, calculating nature made her seem almost inhuman. – “She feels more like a machine than a person. There’s no warmth there. Not really.”

  Chris nodded, his face thoughtful. – “I totally get that. Then what about Sirius?”

  The mention of Sirius brought a different kind of weight to my heart. – “Sirius… he’s the one who found me, gave me a name, a purpose. But he never really felt like a father. More like a leader, someone who expected things from me.” – I hesitated, then added in a near whisper. – “And there are what he’s done, I can never forgive his actions.”

  Chris was silent for a moment, then said. – “Yeah... that terrible experiment. But without it, I wouldn’t have met you. Don’t you think?”

  His words caught me off guard. I blinked at him, trying to process the weight of what he had just said. The steady rhythm of the waves in the distance did nothing to calm the storm brewing inside me.

  “That’s… an interesting way to look at it.” – I murmured, unsure whether to feel grateful or bitter. My voice sounded thin, uncertain.

  The sun dipped lower, bleeding warm hues into the horizon as twilight settled over us. The air between us grew heavier, thick with things left unsaid. Shadows stretched across the sand, creeping ever closer, mirroring the quiet tension between us.

  Chris turned to me then, his gaze steady yet unreadable. My pulse quickened, an unfamiliar nervous energy rushing through my veins. It was a strange feeling: this magnetic pull toward him, as though gravity itself had shifted to draw me closer. His expression was impassive, but there was something in the way his breath hitched slightly, the way his fingers twitched at his side, as though he, too, felt the same pull.

  I hesitated, my heart pounding like the rolling tide, before finally leaning in. My breath caught in my throat as I moved toward him, the space between us dissolving into something fragile and fleeting. The world around us blurred, fading into insignificance as my focus narrowed to the warmth of his skin, the way the air around us seemed to hum with quiet anticipation.

  Then, just as our lips were about to meet—

  “Wait, no!”

  Chris’s voice rang out, sharp and firm, cutting through the stillness like a blade. The sudden force of his words sent a jolt through me, freezing me in place. Before our lips could touch, he pushed me back, his hands gripping my shoulders with enough force to hold me at bay but not enough to hurt.

  The rejection struck like a slap, the sting of it reverberating through me, raw and unrelenting. For a moment, all I could hear was the deafening roar of my own pulse, drowning out everything else, the quiet hum of the night, the distant sound of the waves, even the soft rustling of leaves in the wind. The warmth that had crackled between us only moments ago had vanished, replaced by an icy void that seeped into my bones, leaving me hollow.

  My stomach twisted, a painful knot forming in its depths, an aching emptiness that wrapped around my ribs like a phantom grip. My breath hitched, trembling as I fought to steady myself, to suppress the sharp sting of rejection that clawed its way up my throat. But it was futile: the hurt was too real, too immediate, too all-consuming.

  "Why?" – The word tore from my lips in a desperate gasp, my voice barely above a whisper. My face burned, not just with humiliation but with the overwhelming weight of shattered expectations. The moment, the one I had imagined so vividly, so hopefully, had splintered before my eyes, jagged shards cutting into me with ruthless precision. I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat, but the ache in my chest only grew heavier, pressing in like a vice.

  Chris averted his gaze, guilt flickering across his face like a shadow in the dim light. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, a clear sign of his discomfort. – “Arstria… you're too young for me."

  The words landed like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs. My breath hitched, my pulse pounding louder than ever. Too young. As if age had mattered when he had laughed with me, teased me, pulled me closer in fleeting moments of warmth that I had foolishly mistaken for something more.

  "But… you're the one who's always teasing me." – I choked out, my voice breaking under the weight of my emotions. A single tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it, followed swiftly by another and another. The heat in my face gave way to the cold sting of heartbreak. – “Why?"

  Chris let out a heavy breath, his hands coming together in a pleading motion. – “I’m sorry! It was just for your reaction, I swear!"

  His words only made it worse. The final betrayal, the realization that all of it, every playful remark, every lingering glance, every brush of his hand against mine, had been nothing more than a game to him. A cruel joke at my expense.

  I recoiled, my body tensing as the truth settled deep into my bones. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms in a desperate attempt to ground myself, to keep from unraveling completely. The ache in my chest swelled, spreading like a wildfire through my veins, burning, scorching, relentless.

  I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. My hand moved before my mind could catch up, and the sharp crack of my palm against his cheek sliced through the quiet night. The sound echoed, sharp and final, a testament to the storm raging inside me.

  Chris barely flinched. He took the hit, his head snapping slightly to the side, but he didn’t pull away. His eyes remained steady, filled not with anger, but something far worse: pity.

  “It was just a joke to you?!” – I shouted, my voice raw, shaking with betrayal. My chest heaved, the weight of his words pressing down on me, suffocating me. The ache in my ribs burned, twisting deeper like a cruel, invisible blade.

  He let out a breath, slow and measured, as if bracing himself. He touched his cheek absently, where the sting of my slap still lingered, before finally meeting my gaze. – “I’m sorry, Arstria. Really, I am.” – He murmured, his voice low with regret. – “It’s not that you’re not pretty, because you are. And one day, you’ll be beautiful.”

  Something in the way he said it, like a promise, like a distant truth I was meant to wait for, made my stomach twist even further.

  “But when people told me you weren’t human.” – He continued, rubbing his fingers together in a nervous gesture. – “I thought of you as this… goddess or something. This untouchable being. But now, I realize you’re just a child. In both mind and body.”

  A cold fury erupted inside me, white-hot and uncontainable. The very essence of me, the very thing that set me apart, was now being dismissed: reduced to something small, something fragile.

  “I’m a star! Your human definitions don’t apply to me!” – I screamed, my voice breaking, my entire body trembling with the force of my emotions. The night air crackled around me, a shimmer of light flaring at the edges of my vision, a reminder of what I was, of what he refused to see.

  Chris’s expression darkened, his easygoing demeanor replaced by something far heavier, something I had never seen from him before. A solemnity, an unshakable certainty. – “No, Arstria.” – He said firmly. His voice was calm, but beneath it was steel, unyielding. – “You’re more human than anyone I’ve ever met. ‘Star’ is just be a role assigned to you.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath, the world tilting beneath me. – “You don’t understand.” – I whispered, my voice trembling with defiance, with desperation. – “I’m not human. I can’t be.”

  Chris held my gaze, unwavering. His blue eyes searched my face as if trying to will his belief into me.

  “Why?” – He challenged, now standing on the sand. – “Because you can’t die? Because you wield flames that don’t belong to this world?” – He shook his head. – “That doesn’t change anything. Being human isn’t about mortality or power. It’s about your soul and your view of the world. And every choice you’ve made, every time you’ve fought, every time you’ve protected someone. Everything has proved your inner self.”

  I took a step back, also getting up from the floor, stepping on the same sand that my tears had fallen into. – “You think it’s that simple?” – Heat flickering around my hands, barely controlled. – “You don’t know what it’s like, Chris. To come back from death over and over. To feel the world twist around you, rejecting your very existence. I don’t need to eat… The changes girls my age have, they didn’t happen to me.”

  Chris’s expression didn’t waver. His voice was steady, certain in a way that made my chest tighten. – “You’re human, and that is the truth.”

  The weight of his conviction sent a shiver down my spine. No hesitation, no doubt. Just belief. I wanted to refute him. I wanted to push him away. But the words caught in my throat, tangled in the weight of something I wasn’t ready to face.

  “You’re different from me. I’m not a human being anymore. Even you know that, ever since that experiment.” – He took a slow breath, exhaling as if trying to steady himself. – “Just like you, I don’t need to eat. But it’s not just that. My body… It’s stopped changing. My hair hasn’t grown even a fraction since that day. No matter how much I train, no matter how hard I push myself, my muscles refuse to grow. It’s as if I’m frozen in time, locked in this form forever.”

  He let out a quiet, bitter laugh. – “But the worst part? It’s not just my body that’s changed. It’s everything. The way I feel, the way I think. I still have my mind, my will, but there’s something else lurking underneath it all. A hunger. It’s not like before, not the kind that gnaws at your stomach. It’s deeper, heavier. And it’s directed at things I never should’ve considered.”

  His jaw clenched, his fingers twitching as though remembering something distasteful. – “Whenever I look at humans, at animals, it stirs. Like an instinct buried too deep to fully understand. I’ve fought it, suppressed it, but it’s always there, waiting.”

  He turned away slightly, as if ashamed, but forced himself to continue. – “Once, I bought pork blood. It was disgusting. The taste, the texture, everything about it felt… wrong. And I needed a ridiculous amount of it just to suppress the corruption. But it worked. Barely.”

  His eyes met mine again, searching. – “It is not that your blood is a magical cure for my condition, anyone’s blood would be enough to sustain it. But it is true that it was your blood that changed me.”

  Nothing he was saying made any sense. How could it?

  Chris had never spoken of this before. Not once. Not in all the time I had known him. He had laughed, joked, trained beside me, fought beside me. He had acted like nothing was wrong. Like he was still human. But now, now he was standing here, telling me he wasn’t? That something had been lurking inside him all this time?

  I took a step back, my mind spinning. – “Why didn’t you say anything?” – My voice was barely more than a whisper, but it carried the weight of a hundred unspoken questions. – “Why are you telling me this now?”

  Chris exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. – “Because I didn’t want to believe it.” – He admitted. – “Because saying it out loud makes it real. And if it’s real, then…” – He trailed off, his fingers curling at his sides.

  Then he looked up at me again, and there was no hesitation left in his gaze. “That is why you need to get rid of me.”

  My heart pounded against my ribs.

  He had kept this from me. All this time, he had been carrying this weight alone, never saying a word. And I—

  I never noticed.

  All this time, he had been carrying this alone, hiding it behind that easygoing smile, behind the laughter. But now, standing before me, his mask had finally slipped. And I… I had been too blind to see it.

  My throat tightened. My hands trembled at my sides.

  “I’m sorry.” – The words felt like shards of glass against my tongue. – “But I can’t kill you.”

  Chris flinched. Just barely, but I saw it. The crack in his composure, the weight of my answer crashing down on him. But I had to say it. Even if it hurt. Even if it broke him.

  “Even if you don’t love me back, I still love you.” – My voice wavered, but I didn’t let it falter. – “And I won’t be the one to take your life.”

  His breath hitched, his expression contorting in anguish. – “Please.” – He choked out. – “Only you can do it.”

  His knees nearly buckled as he stepped forward, his hands grasping at my arms with desperate strength. His fingers dug into my skin, but I didn’t pull away.

  “Don’t make me hurt anyone.” – He begged, his voice raw, trembling. – “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  The agony in his eyes was unbearable.

  Chris, the one who had always seemed so fearless, was breaking in front of me.

  I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak.

  Because part of me knew.

  He was right.

  Whatever hunger was festering inside him, whatever darkness he had been fighting, it was winning. It was pushing him closer and closer to the edge, and he didn’t trust himself to hold on. He was terrified. Not for himself. But for me. For the people he might hurt when he finally loses control.

  And still, I couldn’t do it.

  Tears stung the back of my eyes, my chest tightening as I placed my hands over his, gripping them tightly. – “You’re stronger than this.” – I whispered. – “You can fight it.”

  Chris let out a bitter, broken laugh. – “You think I haven’t tried?” – His voice cracked. “The only thing that can hold it back is blood, not my willpower.”

  His forehead pressed against mine, his breathing ragged. – “I don’t want to become something I can’t come back from.” – He whispered. – “I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I’ve done something unforgivable.”

  I shook my head, my breath trembling. – “No.”

  “No!” – My voice cracked as I wrenched away from him, my flames flaring for a split second before flickering out. – “I won’t.”

  Chris stared at me, his expression a mixture of pain and something else, something unreadable.

  “I love you.” – My voice was barely above a whisper now, but I knew he heard me. – “So, I will never kill you. No matter what.”

  For a moment, all he did was stare.

  Then, finally, he let go.

  His hands slipped from my arms, his shoulders sagging as though the last bit of strength had drained from him. He looked at me like he wanted to say something, like he wanted to argue, to fight, to scream.

  But he didn’t.

  And then, finally, it had finally begun. Chris doubled over, his body convulsing with a force that sent tremors through the sand beneath us. His breathing came in ragged, uneven gasps, each one sounding more desperate than the last. Then, he choked, a wet and guttural sound. Black ichor spilled from his mouth, thick and unnatural, staining his lips before dribbling down his chin in sickening rivulets. It seeped from his eyes as well, dark tears that streaked his skin, pooling onto the ground beneath him like something living, something wrong.

  I took an instinctive step forward. – “Chris—"

  He jerked violently, as though struck by an unseen force. His fingers clawed into the sand, his body bowing inward, every muscle tensed like he was being torn apart from the inside. His skin, it wasn't just paling or bruising. It was moving. Writhing.

  Something beneath the surface pressed outward, distorting the shape of his arms, his shoulders, his spine. It slithered and pulsed, like unseen tendrils struggling to break free. His veins, once faint beneath his skin, darkened to a sickly shade of black, spreading like cracks across porcelain.

  And then he screamed.

  It wasn’t a sound of pain. It wasn’t even human. It was wrong, an inhuman wail that sent ice slicing through my veins. The very air around us shuddered, as if recoiling from the sound, and a wave of unseen energy pulsed outward from him, sending ripples through the sand.

  I staggered back, my breath catching in my throat.

  "Chris!" – I tried again, louder this time, my voice barely cutting through the unnatural noise. – “Stay with me! You must fight it!"

  His head snapped up, and for a terrifying second, I wasn’t sure if he even recognized me. His blue eyes, so full of warmth before, were now swallowed by black, an abyss of shifting shadows. His pupils were gone, his irises lost in the same ichor that dripped from his mouth. He trembled, his body taut like a bowstring about to snap, his breathing no longer his own but a ragged, monstrous rasp.

  And then his lips parted.

  “Goodbye.”

  The word was hoarse, barely human, like it had been torn from his throat by something else.

  I shook my head, fists clenching. – “No. I'm not leaving you."

  His entire body lurched forward, his fingers digging into the sand as another wave of black ichor surged from his mouth. His chest expanded unnaturally, like something inside him was forcing its way out.

  My hands trembled as I reached for my blade, a desperate plan clawing its way into my mind. I had no time to second-guess, no time to hesitate.

  I would not lose him.

  With a sharp inhale, I turned the blade against myself, pressing the edge to my wrist. The cold steel bit into my skin, and with a swift, decisive motion, I slashed.

  Pain flared, sharp and immediate, but I barely felt it.

  Dark crimson welled from the wound, spilling down my arm in thick, glistening rivulets. My blood, unlike any human’s, shimmered faintly as it met the air, pulsing with something deeper, something ancient. And it was infinite, the only thing in this world capable of fighting what lurked inside him.

  Chris convulsed in front of me, his claws twitching, his form a grotesque warzone of man and monster. Black ichor dripped from his lips, his eyes wild with something beyond pain, beyond reason. I didn’t wait.

  I reached up with my bleeding wrist, letting the warm streams of my blood drip onto him. The droplets splattered against his trembling form, soaking into the shifting black ichor that coiled around him like living shadows.

  "Please come back!" – My voice cracked with desperation, my breath ragged. – “Don’t leave me, Chris. I can’t lose you!"

  The words felt useless, swallowed by the chaos unfolding before me. The corruption rejoiced in its conquest, twisting and warping his body with unnatural ease. His form rippled, reshaping itself in ways that defied logic. Bone cracked and reformed, sinew stretched beyond its limits, and flesh was consumed by darkness so absolute it seemed to drink the very light from the air.

  His hands, if they could still be called that, elongated into talons, wickedly sharp and glinting like obsidian blades. The void-like mass that had overtaken his skin pulsed and undulated, shifting with a grotesque fluidity as though his very being had become unstable.

  Then, his eyes opened.

  My breath hitched.

  They burned, crimson and endless, devoid of the light that had once anchored me. They weren’t just glowing; they radiated something deeper, something that made the very air around us feel wrong.

  I swallowed hard, my entire body trembling as I whispered. – “Chris…?”

  For a moment, a fleeting moment, something flickered behind those monstrous eyes. A hesitation. A whisper of familiarity.

  But then, the thing that had once been Chris spoke.

  “I’m finally back.”

  The voice that came from his throat was layered, fragmented, his own voice buried beneath something else, something ancient and vast. The sheer wrongness of it sent a cold shiver down my spine, and my hope crumbled into dust.

  I staggered back, tears slipping down my face, my mind struggling to reconcile the truth.

  This wasn’t Chris.

  Not anymore.

  The person I loved, the one who had made me feel human when I had all but abandoned the idea, was gone: consumed, overtaken, twisted into something I could neither fight nor understand.

  And yet—

  As I looked closer, something changed.

  The unnatural elongation of his limbs lessened, his monstrous claws retracting as his fingers reshaped into something almost… human. His skin, once an endless abyss of writhing shadow, lightened, the dark void bleeding away to reveal the form of a powerful, well-defined unclothed figure.

  He almost looked normal. Almost.

  I sucked in a breath, my pulse hammering in my ears. Could he have been successful in fighting back against it.

  Then I saw his eyes.

  They were no longer his.

  The vibrant blue I had once known, once trusted, was gone. Erased.

  In their place, the crimson glow remained, unwavering, its depth hinting at something inhuman beneath the surface. Not just hunger, but possession, ownership. A force that had claimed him and refused to let go.

  His mouth parted slightly, and I saw them: Fangs. Sharp, pristine, glinting in the dim light like a predator ready to feed.

  Bloodborne Demon

  Vampire

  Chris’s hair, once as dark as the night, ignited into a deep crimson. The same shade that had burned through my own strands during my awakening years ago.

  A cruel smile stretched across his face, sharp teeth glinting beneath the flickering light. His voice rose in a manic declaration, his laughter laced with something ancient, something terrible.

  "How long has it been since I was cursed? How many lives: agonizing, wretched, and fleeting, have I suffered through until today?" – His voice was both his and not, layered with something vast, something that had endured beyond the grasp of time. – “So that was hell. Eternal punishment." – His body trembled, not with fear, but with exhilaration. – “However, I’m back!"

  His laughter clawed at the air, raw and unhinged, sending a chill through me that I couldn’t shake.

  "Chris… I know you’re still there! Come back!" – My plea was desperate, my voice barely holding together beneath the weight of terror. Because I knew… I knew he wasn’t fully gone. If I could just reach him, pull him back before it was too late…

  But then, he stopped laughing. His glowing crimson eyes flickered with amusement as he tilted his head.

  "Hmm… Chris?" – He murmured, almost playfully. – “The wraith?"

  Then he laughed. A jagged, grating sound, covering his mouth as if I had just told the most absurd joke he had ever heard.

  "That boy shouldn’t have even been alive in the first place." – He sneered. – “Which made it all the easier to take his body for myself."

  The world tilted.

  "Incarnating…? What even are you?" – My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. – “Why did a demon like you take over Chris?"

  It didn’t make sense. Chris had become a monster because of the experiment. He had changed. But none of the ghouls, none of them, had ever exuded this presence.

  He sighed dramatically, shaking his head as if I had disappointed him. – “Oh, come on. You really don’t know? Are you actually this stupid?" – Then his lips curled into something resembling genuine curiosity. – “Did becoming a woman really dull my intelligence that much?"

  My breath hitched.

  He smirked at my reaction. – “Maybe this will jog your memory a bit."

  Without hesitation, his claws extended and slashed against his own wrists.

  Thick, dark red blood spilled forth, unnaturally controlled, moving like it had a will of its own. It didn’t drip or pool. It flowed, swirling, obeying his command as if drawn by invisible strings. First, it enveloped his body, turning into regal clothes that shimmered in red and gold.

  "Do you know why blood is red?" – He mused, watching the remaining shimmering liquid hover in midair. – “It’s because of the iron in it."

  As if to prove his point, the blood shifted, twisting, condensing, taking the form of twin conical shapes. Then, with a mere snap of his fingers, the entirety of the liquid ignited.

  "Flamberge."

  Two swords materialized before him, their undulating blades shimmering between liquid and solid, their edges impossibly thin, almost like rapiers, but wickedly alive.

  He reached out, grasping both hilts, twirling them effortlessly. And as he stood there, his weapons gleaming, his crimson hair burning like an omen…

  I felt like I was staring into a mirror.

  "Once upon a time, long ago." – He began, his voice slipping into something reminiscent of an old storyteller. – “there lived a half-vampire emperor."

  My stomach twisted.

  "He was strong. Powerful. Commanding. Intelligent." – His grin widened. – “But he was mortal. And no matter how much power he held, he could never change the truth, each day, he grew older."

  His expression darkened, the weight of something ancient creeping into his words.

  "And so, he sought a way to achieve immortality."

  His swords shimmered, the flames dancing along the blood-forged steel as he continued. – “But what he found was not invulnerability. Not eternal life. No, he was cursed instead, with reincarnation."

  My heart pounded.

  "Every time he died, his soul would leave his body and seek another human to possess. At first, it worked perfectly. He returned again and again… His memories didn’t follow him through the reincarnation, which is why he stored all of them inside of his blood." – His grin faltered. – “However, the world runs on rules, doesn’t it?"

  His fingers twitched, and his expression twisted in something between rage and amusement.

  "A creature that dies and comes back too many times? To the universe, it becomes something akin to cancer."

  I stood frozen as he spun his tale, each word wrapping tighter around my throat like an unseen noose.

  "The lives grew shorter." – His tone was almost mocking. – “At first, they were decades. Then years. Then months. Then weeks. His soul wasn’t meant to exist like that. He was being erased."

  My mind reeled.

  "Sometimes, his memories didn’t come back. Sometimes, his body rejected his own magic, and he combusted into flames. Sometimes, his bloodlust took over, and he slaughtered everyone in sight before being hunted down by a priest or two.”

  A slow, sharp chuckle.

  "But one thing always remained."

  He raised a single clawed finger, pointing to his own eyes.

  "The possessed’s eyes always turned red.”

  Then, he ran his fingers through his crimson hair, voice soft, almost nostalgic.

  "And whenever his vampiric power awakened, his hair burned red."

  My breath came in shallow gasps. This can’t be real. This can’t be real…

  "But then, my fate reached its final extreme." – He continued, his smirk fading. – “The universe had enough of me. My soul could no longer find healthy bodies. It only reincarnated into the soon-to-be dead. Prisoners awaiting execution. The terminally ill. Even animals destined for slaughter."

  I felt sick.

  I staggered back.

  Then—

  A pulse.

  A shockwave of realization ripped through me.

  I clutched my head as memories I didn’t know I had surged through my mind.

  I never fell from the sky.

  In an old human settlement after the invasion of the beasts, I had incarnated in a human baby. The beasts would have devoured me then, but Sirius saved me.

  My powers, my very existence, weren’t born from humanity’s hope.

  They came from the vanity of an emperor who refused to die.

  My stomach lurched. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

  "Then why didn’t you take my body?" – My voice was hoarse, barely holding together. – “Why Chris?"

  "Are you even listening to me? Sheesh." – He sighed dramatically, rolling his crimson eyes as if my confusion was some grand inconvenience. – “Fine, let’s make this simple. Let’s talk about our race."

  He twirled one of his blood-forged swords lazily, the firelight flickering along its razor-thin edge.

  "We’re half-human, half-vampire. Never met my father, though. Being half means we get mixed attributes: immunity to the sun, aging just like any regular human. We don’t need to drink blood, but we can, and we still hold the authority of a vampire."

  His lips curled into a smirk, his fangs flashing beneath the glow of his own fire. – “You know what that means, don’t you?"

  I clenched my fists, but I didn’t answer.

  He continued anyway. – “By injecting our blood into another being, we turn them into ghouls. And guess what? They follow every command we give them, completely bound to our will. That’s what makes your little ‘I can’t control them’ proclamation so laughable.” – He cocked his head, feigning curiosity. – “Tell me, how many people died that day because of your ignorance? How many were torn apart while you stood there, too retarded to realize you had absolute control?"

  I felt my breath hitch, but I refused to let his words sink in.

  His grin widened, as if the mere thought of it entertained him.

  "Ah, but that wasn’t even your greatest mistake." – He tapped his temple with the tip of his claw, like a teacher chiding a particularly slow student. – “When a ghoul drinks their master’s blood a second time, they don’t stay ghouls. They evolve into full-fledged vampires. That’s what should have happened to Chris."

  His expression darkened, the smirk never fully leaving his face, but his amusement twisted into something sharper.

  "Except your blood wasn’t just yours, was it?" – He let the words hang in the air, savoring the moment before driving the knife in deeper. – “It housed me."

  A slow chuckle rumbled in his throat.

  "And now, here I am."

  He extended his arms in mock grandiosity, his blood-forged blades gleaming, his crimson hair burning like a reminder of what had been stolen.

  "As for why I didn’t take your body?" – His gaze locked onto mine, something ancient and unreadable lurking beneath the red glow. – “Come on. Give yourself some credit. You are me, after all. You never would’ve let me in. And even if I tried, we’d be evenly matched."

  He shrugged, as if the thought bored him. – “This body, on the other hand? Much easier. A fractured soul, a mind already losing itself…" – He exhaled, as if in admiration. – “A perfect vessel."

  The fire crackled between us, casting long, flickering shadows across the sand. But the silence that stretched in its wake felt suffocating.

  "Is there a way to bring Chris back?" – My voice was steady, but I already knew the answer. I just needed to hear it.

  The monster wearing Chris’s face exhaled slowly, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. – “If you were paying attention, you’d already know." – He tilted his head, as if testing me. – “Tell me, what did the Chimera do to get rid of your blood the first time?"

  "It incinerated its drops." – I answered, the memory flashing through my mind.

  His grin widened. – “Exactly. Even ghouls can be turned back, but only if the corrupted blood is removed. The problem is, once it's mixed with the rest of the bloodstream, getting it out is always lethal, unless the owner of that blood is the one doing it."

  My heart pounded.

  "But vampires?" – He gave a mock sigh, shaking his head. – “No such hope. Once you become one of us, it's permanent. But in Chris’s case…" – His fangs glinted as he smirked. – “The vampire isn't him. It’s me."

  The weight of his words settled over me like a vice.

  "So." – He continued smoothly. – “If you want to save your dear Chris, you just have to get me out."

  I exhaled sharply, my grip tightening. – “I see." – My voice was calm, certain. I met his gaze, allowing not even a sliver of doubt to slip through. – “Then, I am grateful to you, at least for explaining everything with such sincerity."

  His smirk twitched into something more genuine. – “Of course. You're me, after all." – He spread his arms, as if inviting me into his world. – “Now that you understand… what will you do? Will you join me? Will you help me burn the wretched one who cursed us, who condemned us to this eternal hell?"

  My lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile.

  "No."

  The firelight danced across my rapiers as I raised them, the edges gleaming with searing heat. – “I will kill you, burn every last trace of my damned blood, and save Chris."

  He blinked. Then, after a beat of silence, he laughed.

  Low at first, then rising into something dark and unhinged, full of genuine amusement. – “Oh, that sounds interesting." – His crimson hair swayed as he tilted his head. – “Honestly, I’d love to take your body instead, your absurd healing factor alone would be divine to have. But…" – He tapped a claw against his temple. – “There’s a reason I don’t want it."

  I narrowed my eyes.

  "Then let’s end this."

  I surged forward, my rapiers igniting with fire as I prepared to fight myself.

  "There’s one thing I think we can agree on, old self." – I met his gaze, unwavering. – “The beasts I’ve fought always hold their strongest attack for last. I’ve never understood the logic behind such a decision.”

  His lips curled into a knowing smirk. – “Ah, I see where this is going." – He tapped his chin, feigning thoughtfulness. – “Well, there is a reason for everything. But I understand what you’re getting at, you want to end this quickly, don’t you?"

  "Yes."

  The moment the word left my lips, flames erupted from my twin rapiers, surging into twin spiraling tornadoes that coiled around the blades like living entities. Heat distorted the air around me, the sheer force of my magic carving deep embers into the sand at my feet.

  This was my strongest move. The pinnacle of my power. The manifestation of my story.

  But as I steadied my stance, the monster before me grinned.

  And mimicked me exactly.

  Fire roared to life around his own blades, spiraling in perfect synchronicity with mine. The same twin tornadoes, the same lethal, destructive force.

  His stance matched mine. His power mirrored mine.

  And then—

  Our mouths moved in unison.

  "Ultimate Magic: Ars Nova."

  "Ultimate Magic: Ars Nova."

  The twin tornadoes of fire clashed, spiraling together into a single, uncontrollable maelstrom. A storm of pure destruction erupted between us, consuming the space in a violent blaze. The air rippled and cracked, unable to withstand the sheer force of the magic tearing through it.

  This was it. A battle of dominance. The strongest would win.

  And deep down, I knew the truth.

  In theory, we should have been equal. Our magic was the same, our energy, our origins, identical. But he had something I didn’t. He had embraced his vampiric nature, drinking countless amounts of blood, my blood, fueling himself in a way I never had. That alone was enough to give him an edge.

  Yet somehow, my flames burned hotter. Not because of strength. Not because of power.

  But because of my immortality.

  My body refused to die. My very existence defied the laws of the world. It was this unnatural resilience, this cursed permanence, that allowed my fire to match his.

  Or so I thought.

  Then I saw his crimson hair.

  Sapphire’s words echoed in my mind.

  Three seals bind us.

  Magic. Memory. True Power.

  I had only broken the first.

  He, however, had shattered them all.

  His memory was intact. His full, unrestrained power surged through his body, the same overwhelming force I had once wielded during my awakening.

  And because of that—

  His flames devoured mine.

  I barely had time to process it before the inferno overtook me.

  The heat was unlike anything I had ever felt: pure, unrelenting, absolute. My flames weren’t just overpowered; they were consumed. Then, my body followed.

  A searing agony ripped through me as my flesh ignited, my muscles boiling before they could even burn. My very blood evaporated on impact, unable to exist within the unbearable heat. I tried to move, to resist, but my nerves were already gone.

  Even my immortality, my unbreakable body, meant nothing.

  Because he wasn’t just burning me.

  He was making sure there was nothing left.

  In an instant, my existence was erased.

  The world flashed white.

  And then—

  I was no more.

  It all began with fire.

  The ultimate magic, after completely annihilating my body, raged on, carving a path of destruction through the city. Flames tore through steel and stone alike, reducing buildings to molten ruins. The air shimmered with unbearable heat, the night itself illuminated by an inferno that refused to die.

  And in its wake, the vampire began his massacre.

  He moved like a phantom, striking faster than the human eye could follow. One by one, civilians collapsed, their bodies drained of life before they even had the chance to scream. Their blood flowed freely, siphoned into him as he fed with reckless abandon. There was no hesitation, no restraint, only hunger.

  A superhuman physique, bolstered by magic, made him an unstoppable force against ordinary humans. They had no chance. Their existence ended in mere moments, their corpses littering the streets like discarded dolls.

  And yet, I knew all of this.

  How?

  I should have been dead. My body had been erased, consumed in a fire that left nothing behind. I should have faded into oblivion. But somehow, I remained.

  I drifted in the void, unable to grasp form, unable to feel. The afterlife did not claim me.

  Because my role in this world was not yet over.

  My immortality was not bound to flesh. It was something deeper, something that could not be undone by the mere annihilation of my body. My soul endured.

  And with it, I walked away from the valley of death.

  I returned too late.

  By the time my body rematerialized, as if it had never been destroyed in the first place, more than a hundred lives had already been taken. Their blood stained the streets. Their deaths were not only my fault, but my doing.

  But I still had something left to save.

  I still had to save Chris.

  Without hesitation, I ran.

  The streets stretched before me, littered with the remains of those who had died in the hour since my fall. My footsteps pounded against the concrete, but the weight in my chest was far heavier than any physical burden.

  I knew where he was.

  And he knew I was coming.

  The night had settled in fully by the time I found him.

  Chris, no, the thing that had taken him, sat atop a mountain of corpses, their bodies haphazardly strewn beneath him. The blood of his victims had been gathered into a floating crimson sphere, an eerie, pulsating mass that hovered above his outstretched hand. He drank from it leisurely, savoring every drop.

  As I approached, he didn’t even turn to face me, but the sky.

  "It has been a long time."

  His voice was smooth, unbothered. But his words were not meant for me.

  A low, distant hum cut through the air.

  I barely had time to process it before the sky above us roared to life. The wind churned violently, sand whipping into the air as a helicopter appeared high in the sky. Its searchlights illuminated the carnage below, revealing the true horror of what had unfolded.

  The defense forces of Sirius had sent a reinforcement. They would not sit idly by as a threat compared to the fabled beasts ravaged their home.

  And then something plummeted from the sky. Faster than a bullet, heavier than a meteor.

  The ground shattered on impact, sending shockwaves through the surroundings. Dust sprayed into the air, momentarily obscuring my vision.

  And as it settled, a figure stood amidst the destruction.

  [Sapphire Sirius, The Second Star]

  [Elemental Affinity: Metal]

  [Level: Fabled]

  Her glasses were gone, and her golden hair flowed freely behind her. She landed just meters away from me. But what caught my attention most was her expression, steeled, sharper than I had ever seen before.

  She wasn’t just serious. She was absolute.

  "Please, save h—"

  The words barely escaped my lips before something exploded between us.

  For a fraction of a second, I thought she had punched the empty air, until a metal spear materialized just before her fist, colliding with a force that sent a deafening shockwave through the battlefield. The sheer impact distorted the air, warping my voice before I could finish my plea.

  The realization struck like a dagger to my gut.

  Yes, Sapphire was my servant. She would follow any order I gave. Without hesitation. Without question. But she knew what I was about to say. She knew I was going to tell her to save Chris. And she knew it was impossible.

  That single command, if spoken, would have bound her to an unwinnable battle. A losing battle. So in that split-second, before my words could form into an order, she silenced them.

  By unleashing that shockwave, she had erased all sound within her reach. A deliberate, calculated move. She had denied me the chance to speak.

  Sapphire turned without hesitation, summoning a spear in her grasp. With steady, deliberate steps, she advanced toward the blood-soaked monster atop his throne of corpses.

  "■■■■, how I have missed you, my love!"

  His voice was thick with amusement, arms outstretched as if expecting an old friend, no, a long-lost lover, to run into his embrace. There was something twisted in the gesture, a mockery of warmth, half-expecting her to forget the centuries that had passed and return to his side.

  Sapphire, however, did not falter. Instead, she halted a few paces away and bowed. – “Old master, I go by a different name now."

  My breath hitched. Master?

  The weight of her words crushed me. Sapphire had told me before, she knew my past lives. She had walked alongside them, remembered them. But this… She had served this monster. That was why she had always been so indifferent to human life.

  "Sapphire now, is it?" – The vampire chuckled, tilting his head. – “I can’t say the name doesn’t suit you."

  Then, without hesitation, he lifted the floating orb of blood above his head and drank. Every last drop vanished down his throat in a single motion. Strength returned to his body instantly, his muscles flexing beneath his pale skin as he rolled his shoulders. The ground beneath him cracked as he took his first step forward, his crimson hair burning like an omen under the moonlight.

  Twin swords of flame, his blood-forged flamberges, appeared in his hands, flickering hungrily for the fight to come.

  "Then that means you serve another master now." – His grin sharpened. – “Then we shall fight to the death."

  "Gladly.” – Sapphire’s answer was curt, her grip on her spear unwavering.

  The air between them crackled.

  "I won’t hold back against someone like you!" – The vampire roared, his excitement spilling into his words, his entire form alight with a battle-hungry fervor unlike anything I had seen before.

  Sapphire’s lips twitched, something flickering in her sharp gaze, exhilaration. – “I would expect nothing less."

  They moved in perfect synchrony.

  Thus, the battle between the two who haven’t seen one another for millennia began. There was no time for hesitation, they would both need to use their strongest move since the very beginning.

  "Ultimate—"

  "Ultimate—"

  "Magic:"

  "Realm:"

  But then, before the words could even be fully spoken, the spear Sapphire had summoned vanished. And in the next instant, it was already embedded in his chest. A blur. A strike so fast that even I had failed to see it. A perfect, seamless attack.

  The vampire staggered, eyes widening in genuine surprise before he looked down at the spear impaled through his heart. Then, he laughed.

  "You cheated!" – His voice rang with delight, a proud grin splitting his face as if he had just witnessed a child’s clever trick. – “Attacking mid-incantation, how you have changed!"

  Blood oozed from the wound, sizzling against his flesh. – “And you even mastered the use of silver... Oh, how proud I am.”

  Sapphire exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders as though the battle had already been won. – “Of course. I am metal incarnate." – Her voice was as steady as ever, her golden hair whipping behind her. – “I always knew you would return eventually, old master. And I will always ensure there is no place for you in this world.”

  Her spear twisted slightly. – “If you come back again… I will destroy you again."

  And in that moment, I finally understood. Sapphire’s purpose. Her role.

  She would protect me, no matter the cost. Even if it meant cutting down someone I loved. Even if it meant cutting down someone she loved.

  The vampire exhaled, his wild amusement never fading. – “Then it is time." – His eyes fluttered closed. – “Finish this."

  Sapphire lifted her hands to the sky, fingers reaching as if grasping for something beyond the heavens. Her voice was barely a whisper, tender, almost mournful.

  "Goodbye, ■■■■."

  Then she spoke.

  “Ultimate Magic: Gungnir.”

  The battlefield shifted. I felt it before I saw it, an overwhelming weight in the air, thick and metallic, pressing down on my skin. The taste of iron filled my mouth, the sheer force of the spell turning the very air into something tangible, something suffocating. Sapphire had always been stronger than me. I had known that.

  But this… This was beyond anything I had ever witnessed.

  Then, the heavens parted.

  Spears rained down from the sky, not in straight, predictable paths, but erratically, moving like bolts of lightning, striking with the inevitability of fate itself. And the moment the incantation was completed, I understood how it worked.

  It wasn’t just an attack. It was an execution.

  The moment Sapphire’s spell activated, her target was marked. Every part of their body capable of being pierced, every body part, was calculated in an instant. And then, the exact number of spears necessary to strike those points was summoned.

  It was inescapable. Unavoidable. A perfect kill.

  The first spear struck with merciless precision, piercing straight through the vampire’s skull. It drove deep between his crimson eyes, the silver tip protruding from the back of his head as a violent shudder ran through his entire body.

  The second spear came an instant later, slamming into his shoulder with enough force to twist his body midair, his muscles tearing beneath the unrelenting strike. The third followed immediately, embedding itself into his calf, pinning him to the earth as he faltered.

  More spears rained down in a relentless onslaught, each one finding its mark with surgical precision. His limbs were carved apart, his arms skewered, his ribs shattered beneath the sheer velocity of the projectiles. His torso, once an indomitable force, was torn through like paper, silver stakes embedding deep within his flesh and locking him in place like an insect impaled upon a hunter’s board.

  One after another.

  His body jerked and twisted beneath the sheer force of the attack, but there was no escape. The spears moved faster than his regeneration could keep up. For every wound that even threatened to close, another weapon plunged into him, keeping him trapped in an endless cycle of destruction.

  The sky itself seemed to weep silver as the last wave of spears struck all at once, dozens upon dozens of them, descending in unison.

  With one final, deafening crash, the battlefield went still.

  Where the vampire had stood, there was now only a grotesque forest of silver. His body was gone, swallowed beneath an uncountable number of spears that jutted from the ground in chaotic angles, each one glinting beneath the cold moonlight.

  Faster than the human eye could track. Faster than even I could comprehend. The monster who once seemed unbeatable vanished beneath a forest of spears, his body impaled so many times that he no longer looked human, no longer looked like anything at all.

  It was almost poetic. The great, immortal emperor, reduced to nothing more than a sea urchin of silver stakes.

  And with that, I truly knew that the one I loved wouldn’t come back. And I could just stand there, without being able to do anything at all.