Night draped itself over Blackwood Village like a heavy cloak. Lanterns flickered faintly in the windows, casting halos of orange light onto the cobblestone paths. Beyond the last house, the forest stretched endlessly, its shadows twisting like living things.
Aiden stood at the boundary, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The air was cool, yet his skin prickled with heat—the same restless energy that had haunted him since the Alpha's death. It gnawed at him, whispering with every heartbeat.
Devour. Grow. Feed.
He clenched his jaw. He had tried ignoring it. He had tried training with the others, pretending to be normal. But the hunger wouldn't stop. If anything, it grew louder each day, drowning out his thoughts until the only relief he could imagine was the clash of steel and the taste of monster essence in his veins.
So he stepped into the forest.
The trees swallowed him whole. Moonlight struggled to pierce the canopy, leaving only slivers of silver that dappled the path. Each crunch of leaves under his boots echoed louder than it should have, yet the forest's silence was deeper still—waiting, watching.
Aiden tightened his grip on his sword. "Come," he whispered, as though the beasts could hear him. "I need you."
The first attack came swiftly—a Rank 3 Nightfang, its fur black as pitch, eyes glowing crimson. It lunged from the brush with a snarl, fangs flashing.
Aiden met it with a sidestep and a clean strike across its throat. The beast collapsed, dissolving into ash and essence. The ember inside him flared, drinking deeply. His muscles tightened, sharper, hungrier.
But one wasn't enough.
The hunger demanded more.
He pressed on, deeper into the Blackwood. The monsters came in waves—Rank 2 stalkers, Rank 3 beasts, even a rare Rank 4 Horned Lizard. Each kill left him stronger, his movements sharper, his senses heightened. His breathing grew ragged, but not from exhaustion—from exhilaration.
The essence burned through him like fire, and with every breath, he wanted more.
Hours passed. He lost count of how many fell before his blade. The forest floor was littered with fading ash, the scent of iron and ozone clinging to the air. His clothes were torn, his arms streaked with blood—not all of it his own.
And still, the hunger whispered.
Then, the ground trembled.
Aiden froze, his instincts screaming. The forest had gone unnaturally silent. No rustling leaves. No distant howls. Only the sound of something massive moving just beyond the treeline.
From the shadows emerged a beast unlike any he had faced.
A Direbear.
Its body was towering, at least four meters tall, with fur as dark as midnight and claws like curved blades. Its eyes glowed a deep, menacing red, and its breath steamed in the cold night. A Rank 6 monster.
Aiden's grip tightened on his sword. His heart thundered, but not just from fear. There was… anticipation.
"This… this is what I've been waiting for," he whispered, almost in awe.
The Direbear roared, shaking the trees. Birds scattered into the night, and the ground cracked under the beast's weight.
It charged.
Aiden moved. His body reacted faster than thought, sliding beneath the first swipe of its massive paw. His blade lashed upward, cutting across thick fur but barely scratching the hide beneath. The shock of impact rattled his arm.
The bear turned, eyes blazing, and swung again. Aiden leapt back, the wind from its strike alone nearly toppling him.
Too strong, a part of him thought. You can't fight this.
But the ember inside him burned hotter, drowning the voice out. Yes, you can. Devour it. Take its strength. It belongs to you.
He lunged again, this time aiming for its legs. The blade bit deeper, drawing a spray of black blood. The Direbear roared, enraged, and slammed a paw into the ground. The force sent Aiden sprawling, dirt and stone tearing into his skin.
His vision swam, but he forced himself up. His chest heaved, every muscle screaming.
The hunger whispered louder now, almost like a voice in his ear. More. More. Take it. Show me.
Aiden's eyes burned faintly, an unnatural glow seeping into them. He charged once more, weaving between the Direbear's strikes with unnatural precision. His sword found flesh again and again, carving deeper wounds, though each one only seemed to fuel the monster's fury.
The battle stretched on, the night filled with roars and the clash of steel against hide. Blood slicked the forest floor, and Aiden's breath came ragged, but his movements only grew sharper, faster, more relentless.
Finally, with a desperate cry, he drove his blade deep into the beast's throat. The Direbear roared one last time, then collapsed, shaking the ground as it fell.
Its massive body dissolved into ash, and the flood of essence slammed into Aiden like a tidal wave.
He gasped, staggering, his knees nearly buckling under the sheer force of it. The ember inside him flared into a roaring blaze, burning through every vein, filling him with strength so intoxicating it felt almost unbearable.
His vision blurred. His pulse thundered in his ears. His body felt… unstoppable.
But beneath the ecstasy, a darker fear crept in.
Because the hunger didn't stop.
Even after consuming a Rank 6 beast, even after his body screamed with overflowing power—the whispers still clawed at him.
More. Stronger. Devour everything.
Aiden fell to his knees, clutching his chest. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat pouring down his face. He wanted to scream, to silence the voice, but the sound caught in his throat.
For the first time, he realized the truth.
This power wasn't just a gift. It was a chain.
And he was already shackled.
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