The Bloodpost came into view. Tall walls, reinforced gates, clean white lights shining from behind layers of bulletproof glass. It didn't match the broken world around it. Like it had survived something the rest of the world hadn't.
Johnquis stepped through the gate. He tapped his stone. The scanner lit green. Door slid open.
Inside, the first thing that hit him was the smell. Thick, metallic blood. The walls were smooth and mirrored, spotless. He could see his reflection everywhere. Bright white lights burned down from above, cold and clinical.
He kept walking. Unzipped his bloodstained bodysuit, and tossed it into a disposal chute. Another door slid open, and a fine mist sprayed across his bare skin. Cleansing him, sterilizing him. It left him cold and clean.
A massive pool of thick, still blood in front of him.
He stepped toward it, his body heavy, eyes half-lidded. He slid into the pool slowly, the moment it touched his skin, he exhaled.
Violet veins lit up beneath his skin. Glowing faintly under his arms, across his chest, up his throat. His eyes burned, then turned deep violet. Faint steam curled from his breath.
As he stood waist-deep in it, the sensation surged through his spine. Hot and alive. He scooped the blood into his hands and drank. His face eased with satisfaction. His heart throbbed. His whole body pulsed. Like every cell had been starving until now.
The surface rippled.
He blinked.
Across from him, in the pool, a small figure sat, half-submerged. She stared at him. Wet black hair clung to her face. Her small hands moved gently through the blood.
"Jiana...?"
His voice was barely a whisper.
She moved closer. The thick blood rippled as she approached.
Her hand reached for his chest. Her head tilted, a soft smile curling her lips.
"Brother," she said "Are you still hungry?"
His breath caught. The surface of the blood shivering around him.
"I... I want more," he whispered. "I want to eat more—"
Her fingers slid across his jaw, gentle.
"Succumb," she whispered, her voice deepening, "Succumb to the taste of blood and—"
"HEY!"
A sharp voice broke the illusion.
Johnquis jerked awake. He gasped and looked up, panting. The blood pool was still. The hallucination gone.
A boy about his age, another Eater Blade, stood on the other side of the pool. He was naked, arms crossed, frowning.
"You good?" he asked. "You've been in there too long."
Johnquis blinked, breath ragged, hands shaking. "I… I'm fine."
"You need to strengthen your mind before dipping. Hallucinations happen. This damn eater stone messes with us, takes control. I'm not letting you be an anomaly while I'm bathing. Sheesh."
"Uhm, sorry. I've just been too tired. A lot's happened lately."
"We all have," the boy said. "Let me guess. Unranked? Just got your first skill?"
Johnquis nodded.
"Figured! Listen, using skills burn blood. You use too many, you bleed out without realizing. And drinking it?" He motioned to the thick red surface. "It keeps you alive, but it also makes you crave more."
Johnquis looked down at his reflection. "Being an Eater Blade means giving up your humanity. No food. No real sleep. We don't age the same. Sometimes I wonder if I'm still human at all."
The boy's voice softened. "You're not. Not fully. None of us are. But we're still here. That counts for something."
"Thanks… for snapping me out of it."
"Nah. We Eater Blades gotta watch each other's backs. No one else will."
Johnquis smiled faintly. "Yeah. You're right."
"I'm Rex, by the way."
The name made Johnquis pause for a second.
"Rex…" he muttered. "That name… reminds me of someone."
He answered. "Johnquis."
"Nice to meet ya. Didn't expect anyone here today. This Bloodpost's usually empty, only us low-ranks use it. Kinda glad you made it here, though. Most freshies don't last their first week. Some don't even make it past day one. You know what they say: unlocking your first skill? That's when you become a real Eater Blade."
Johnquis looked at his Eater Stone and said, "That's why I pushed myself to get my first skill. I used to come here all the time… kinda became my salvation. I always ended up with serious wounds, even when I didn't use any skills. Lost too much blood. Everyone I used to share this place with? They rank up. Sent north."
"Damn. Lucky them. It's boring as hell here, just fighting Level 1s and rarely a Level 2. I've been grinding nonstop, and I'm still crawling toward Silver after three months."
Johnquis surprised. "Wait… You're almost Silver after just three months?"
"Yup. Surprised?"
"That's not normal. Most take at least four to six months to rank up from Unranked to Silver. You must be strong."
"Strong?" Rex laughed. "Nah. I just got lucky with my blade. Cuts through Eaters like paper. Makes it fun, you know?"
"Fun," Johnquis muttered. "Right…"
"People say I'm strong, but there's this girl…Everyone knows her. First Eater Blade in ages to hit Silver Rank in just one month. Crazy, right? What was her name again? Something like A-ana?"
"Jiana," Johnquis said quietly. "She's my sister."
Rex froze. "Wait—your sister?!"
"Surprised?"
"Hell yeah! That's crazy! You must be strong too! Oh—wait, I think I remember you now. You're that guy… the leashed boy, right?"
"Yeah," Johnquis said quietly. "That's me."
"Well, same blood doesn't always mean the same strength. Maybe she got your dad's power… and you got your mom's. You know what I mean?"
Johnquis just stared at the blood again. His reflection said nothing. Rex caught the shift in his mood.
"Eh—hey, I've got a sister too," Rex said quickly. "Used to follow me everywhere. Then I became an Eater Blade, and boom! Next thing I know, she signs up too. Didn't even tell me."
Johnquis didn't react.
"I always had to protect her during quests," Rex went on. "But last night, I bailed on the squad. Couldn't deal with her clingy little romance drama. She's obsessed with some guy on the team. Didn't even notice when I left. Guess I'm just jealous…"
He sighed. "My little sister's not a kid anymore. She's turning into a woman. It's weird."
A beat passed. Quiet.
Rex stretched his arms. "Enough about sisters. Did you hear about that squad that got wiped last week? E-rank mission. Taken out by a Level 2 High-Eater—Runner class."
Johnquis's eyes sharpened. "No. What happened?"
"You seriously didn't know? Nest's nearby, just a few blocks from here. I tried to get in on that quest last night. Thought I found the nest, same location and everything. Was hoping the Runner would show. But nah… just a damn Farmer-class."
Johnquis stiffened. His eyes flicked toward the far wall. His mind snapped to his slave Eater. His pulse quickened.
"I should go. I've recovered enough."
"Wait—seriously? You just got in."
But Johnquis was already stepping out of the pool, blood dripping from his skin.
Naked.
"Well, goodbye then!" Rex called out. "But I'm serious! I'll find that Runner nest. If it's really nearby, I'm taking it down tonight. I want to see if I'm as strong as people say. If I kill it, I rank up. And I'll pull my sister Lex out of that asshole Mars's squad."
Johnquis paused at the doorway, looking over his shoulder.
"He is lex's brother?"
Then the flash came. A memory of last night. The Runner he'd enslaved. The one that killed Lex. It was still alive. Still nearby.
His body tensed. He turned and walked out without another word.
The sterilizing mist swirled around Johnquis as he walked, droplets steaming off his skin. A wet trail behind him.
In the reflection of a wall mirror, he caught a glimpse of himself. Naked, pale, with faint violet veins glowing softly beneath his skin. His eyes were pure white, the pupils sharp and beast-like. He hated this version of himself. But he needed it.
He reached a locker embedded in the wall. Pressed his Eater Stone to the panel. The door slid open with a soft click.
Inside was a folded black bodysuit. A fresh one.
He dressed quickly. The black suit first. Then the utility belt. The cape. The hook holster. Gloves. Finally, he tapped the black core stone embedded in the back of his right hand.
A low hum vibrated through the air.
The suit tightened, syncing to his pulse.
Johnquis exhaled.
"I have to check that Eater."