Kill. Flee—! But the heavy scent of blood was biting. And the eyes of those beasts were mesmerizing.
Injured. Surrounded. The heaviness of his legs was weighing him down—
The blood that was pumping. And the numbness in his back that was spreading—
Tristan—! The heat of his breath. The sweat on his brow.
The pouncing beasts. The tearing teet. And his body that was falling—!
Desperately, he was crawling. And the sounds of his own moaning. But his eyes were stinging. And his body was burning—!
The shadows were creeping—pouncing—!
His hands squeezed and squeezed—
And blood exploded over him as the beast rolled in agony.
His thigh was torn in the havoc. And another ripped into his knee—!
Quicker. Faster. He spiraled into the darkness—
He grabbed. Threw. And rammed another into pillar after pillar, trailing blood in their wake—
The heat. The light—!
He bit. He clawed. And the tearing of tissue—the cracking of bone as he punched, then kicked away—!
But the light was gone. And he was panting. His heart, how it was clenching—!
The blood. It was oozing. And the sounds of wheezing—
A touch on his back and he whipped around, grasping a bony throat quickly—
He must kill the enemy—!
He squeezed.
And a flimsy arm struggled weakly against him, pounding against the muscles strained from fighting—
"Stop! It hurts! I—can't—breathe—!"
His head tilted dizzily. Words? From a beast? The fingers bit into his arm. He squeezed harder. Soon now. The neck would break. It would be over. And he'd be done.
He watched the struggle. And felt nothing.
"—!"
Blue eyes. They were screaming. And an icy chill crept over him.
A thought was stirring. A sense of…familiarity…
This feeling. It's bitter—
Sweet.
His face twitched. And his fingers hesitantly, almost reluctantly released.
The coughing. The wheeze. Finally, that beast caught its breath. "—?!" He could hear it speaking. But he couldn't understand.
The sounds, they were familiar. But they just weren't…
He brushed aside his misgivings, watching that thing steadily. If it attacked, he'd be ready to kill. And nothing would stop him from leaving.
It reached—
He smacked that wretched hand away. There were more coming. They were surrounding—!
He crouched, readying himself to fight. Two on the left. Three on the right.
His eyes shined unnaturally. He'd be as savage as he needed to be—
Cruelty. It wasn't alien to him.
After all, the beasts wouldn't let him live so easily.
There were shadows behind him. He'd hide there. And wait for his chance to kill.
***
Yes, there was a time like that. But that time is long gone now. He hardly remembers now.
Certainly, that wasn't the only time he was cruel. Nor was it the last time Tristan abandoned him.
But this boy…this Ethan. He hovers over the pillow; Ethan's head tossing in uneasy sleep.
Unlike Tristan, he's under Kian's control.
The headboard creaks. And he soothes the forehead sweating from the unbearable pain. Certainly, the Daemon gave him the antidote.
However, these herbs from the Heavens take an immense toll on the Human body. Because the poison was lethal. And without remedy in this realm.
It'll take some time. Perhaps Ethan will open his eyes to a new world…
Because the poison will be gone. And Kian's wing will fully awaken. Yes. Kian will make sure of it.
The Heavens won't listen. Nor do they care. Because mortals are simple, lowly beings. But It's time for humans to remember.
Its King is always watching.
It wasn't only the mortal world Kian devastated…
The Heavens, too, felt his wrath.
In the end, the empty void left in Kian's heart welled, pitting him against even the highest authority.
And when he tore the life from that Great Being, he shivered in ecstacy.
***
Heavy. My lids. They feel too heavy.
My limbs. They're limp. I can't move them. I feel the burning—the stinging—the pain—!
Groaning. I'm groaning. But my eyes won't open. What is this awful aftertaste?
What did they give me in my sleep—?
Is this even my body? My arms. My legs. It feels like someone else is residing there.
There's someone coughing. The throat that's burning. The blood that's coming. And the wet of vomit soaking.
What was I doing yesterday? Or is it today?
This unfamiliar presence…who is it hovering over me? Concern? No. I can feel it. Their…curiousity…
Something creeping. A shadow. A darkness gathering—
But then, an overwhelming pressure—! And soft, delicate lips dragging.
Awareness. And a burning sensation. What is this tension?
This body, it's releasing pheromones. In preparation. And something strange unfurls from this back in anticipation—
I can feel it spanning—reaching—
One touch. And a fire ignites.
They're—touching. Entwining. Almost melding. As if they belong together. As if they're one.
This strange sense of joy—
It isn't mine!
Electricity shocks my lids open; the sunlight heavily striking my eyes. I flinch away, moaning.
Days? Weeks? How long have I been sleeping? My limbs. They're still heavy. And I can feel that thing in my back moving. It's wrapping around my lungs like a snake—
Squeezing.
It changed. It's changing. Why?!
Just why is this happening to me—?!
"It seems you're better."
I glare at nothing. It's him. It's him—! I'm sure it's him. Everything. It all began with him—! His caress. His lips. That thing in my back—! It's all because of him.
I'm sure he's the reason my stomach's all fluttery! Even in this state, my body's stirring.
But what kind of madness prompted him to kiss me at all?! I'm—!
But he's smiling. And there's warmth in his eyes.
Does it not bother him at all? We're strangers! Our gender!
But even my body's stirring…
It isn't a dream. An illusion. Nor a phantasm. That desire simply overcame me…
Is it truly him I'm desiring? Or is it the thing in my back calling to him?