The crash of a claw strike echoed through the ruins as Sareth's body was hurled into a crumbling wall, shattering concrete blocks in his path. He collapsed in a cloud of dust, blood trickling from his split lip. He struggled to rise, breath ragged, ribs on fire. That damned lizard was adapting—starting to anticipate his strikes.
The captain stabbed his spear into the ground to prop himself up, eyes never leaving the beast growling from the shadow of the rubble. Around him, the soldiers held their breath, powerless to intervene. Even Declan and Naelys stood frozen. This battle had surpassed all human limits.
Sareth wiped the blood from his temple, then roared, eyes blazing.
— "Give me the vial! The one with the pills! NOW!"
A soldier approached hesitantly, holding a small metal box marked with red seals. He stopped two steps from the captain, hands trembling.
— "Captain… no. You said… if you took it again, you'd lose control. You swore."
Sareth slowly turned his head toward him. There was no patience left in his eyes—only a seething tension, a void ready to swallow every shred of restraint.
— "This isn't a debate. It's an order."
— "You won't come back this time! If you give in again… you may never return!"
— "So what would you prefer, huh? That I become a monster—or that this monster devours us all?"
The soldier finally handed him the box, reluctantly. Sareth snatched it from him in one swift motion. Inside, a single black pill rested at the center—small, harmless-looking… but that was a lie. It vibrated ever so slightly, almost alive.
He stared at it for a second, eyes dark. He knew what this meant. That thing contained a fragment of Vorm essence. Just a trace—but enough to alter the body. And the mind. He had tasted this power before. He knew the price.
— "Just this once," he murmured. "Thirty seconds…"
He swallowed it.
The transformation was instant. His body arched back in a violent spasm. His veins darkened, bulging beneath his skin. Crimson lines streaked across his arms and neck. A sickening crack sounded as his shoulder blades twisted, pushing out two jagged black bone spikes.
The soldiers stepped back, some collapsing from the sudden pressure. Kael felt a chill of dread crawl into his gut. He knew Sareth… but this thing—this was no longer him.
The captain's aura was no longer human. He raised his eyes—now pitch black—pupils gleaming with a sickly red glow. His fingers had morphed into glossy black claws, sharp as obsidian.
The lizard Vorm growled, instincts alert. It understood. A new predator had entered the ring.
Sareth launched himself at it, an inhuman scream ripping the air. He no longer fought with technique or finesse. He unleashed pure brute force—wild, feral. His spear—now a blackened extension of bone—slashed across the creature's flank with terrifying speed, carving a deep gash into its scaled hide.
The Vorm staggered back, howling, violet blood spurting in arcs. Sareth chased it down, relentless, face twisted with unspeakable rage. He struck again and again, each blow shattering stone, ripping the ground, breaking steel.
Kael could hardly believe his eyes. The captain—no, the thing still wearing his uniform—was overwhelming the beast.
The Vorm tried to spit acid, but Sareth dodged in a feline leap, spinning to drive his blade into one of the creature's hind legs. The Vorm's scream shook the ruins.
The ground beneath them gave way partially, collapsing in a cloud of dust and twisted metal. Sareth emerged from the ash, covered in blood, one shoulder mangled—but still advancing.
He leapt once more, aiming for the throat. His spear ignited with a dark glow, pulsing with a monstrous hum, as though the fragment of Vorm within him sang in triumph.
The captain roared and drove his weapon down with all his might.
But at the exact moment the tip neared flesh, the Vorm's eyes snapped open. A red gleam lit them—bright. Aware.
With a savage howl, it raised its tail and slammed it forward with all its strength.
Sareth was hurled into a concrete pillar, his body embedding into the stone with brutal force. He slumped to the ground, dazed. His limbs shook. His breath came in short, ragged bursts.
The Vorm, panting, rose slowly. Its wounds, though numerous, were beginning to close—drip by drip. Its breathing deepened. Calm. Controlled.
Kael felt his blood turn cold. No. No way. This thing… it was still standing. It hadn't finished.
Sareth, on his knees, growled. He stood up slowly, fists clenched.
— "You want to keep going? Fine. Let's see how far you can follow me."
But deep down, he knew. Something had changed. The monster wasn't just a beast anymore.
It was watching.
And it was smiling.