Nathan stood at the far end of the basement, his body wreathed in swirling black mist that seemed almost alive. It slithered around his arms and shoulders like serpents, sinking into his skin and emerging again in shivering waves. His eyes glowed faintly, a dark light that made even the shadows shy away.
The demon turned from Jay, its single eye narrowing. It let out a rumbling snarl, claws flexing. "Another… snack…?"
Nathan tilted his head, a crooked smile playing on his lips. "No, not today. Today… you're going to be my first real test."
He raised his hand, and the dark mist surged forward like a living tide. It flowed along the ground, racing toward the demon. The creature lunged to meet it, claws sweeping down—but the mist exploded upward, coiling into dense tendrils that wrapped around its arms and yanked them wide.
The demon roared, trying to tear free. Nathan clenched his fist, and the shadowy tendrils solidified into jagged, dark spikes, driving into the demon's flesh. Black blood sprayed as the monster shrieked in pain.
Jay watched from the rubble, awe-struck despite the pounding agony in his chest. Nathan… what the hell did you awaken into?
The demon writhed violently, snapping several of the spikes. It ripped its arms free with a howl, black ichor dripping. Then it charged Nathan in a frenzy.
Nathan stepped aside with preternatural speed, the mist swirling around him forming a barrier that the demon's claws skidded against with a sound like tearing metal. Even so, the impact sent Nathan stumbling back. The shadows rippled, almost flickering.
Still new… I can't keep this solid forever, Nathan realized. He drew a shaky breath, willing the mist to respond.
The demon twisted, claws whipping around. Nathan ducked, the claws carving a trench in the concrete wall behind him. With a thought, he directed a surge of shadow to harden beneath his feet, launching himself upward in a burst of dark energy.
He flipped over the demon, landing behind it, and snapped his fingers. The mist rushed in, wrapping around the demon's legs and freezing into black stone. The monster toppled with a thunderous crash.
Nathan didn't wait. He extended both hands, dark liquid forming and swirling into a spear. He hurled it with all his might. The spear slammed into the demon's back, exploding into a shockwave of slicing tendrils that carved deep gouges into its hide.
The demon roared and rolled, shattering the bindings on its legs. It sprang up, eye wild with pain and rage. With terrifying speed, it spun and drove one claw straight into Nathan's side.
Nathan gasped, eyes widening. He staggered as hot blood—his own this time—poured down his shirt. The mist thickened instinctively around the wound, slowing the flow but not stopping the agony.
The demon lifted Nathan off the ground by the claw still embedded in his side. "Awakened… human… still just… meat…"
Nathan gritted his teeth, sweat mixing with blood. "Maybe… but I'm smarter than you."
He clenched his hand into a claw, and all the scattered mist on the ground surged upward. It solidified into a massive spike that drove straight through the demon's shoulder from behind. The impact knocked it off-balance, forcing it to drop Nathan.
Nathan landed hard, coughing, and pressed his hand to the bleeding wound. Through the haze of pain, he forced his will into the mist. It obeyed reluctantly, forming a shield just in time to block another swipe. The claws carved deep grooves into the barrier but didn't break through.
"Not… done… yet…" Nathan rasped.
He pushed forward, shadows flowing down his arms like rivers. They formed twin blades at his hands—jagged, dark, almost humming with barely restrained power. He charged, slashing at the demon's chest. Black blood sprayed as he carved deep lines across its torso.
The demon struck back, claws catching Nathan's shoulder and flinging him across the floor. He hit hard, rolled, and came up on one knee, blades reforming in his hands. The dark mist hissed, flickering wildly—his control was slipping under exhaustion and blood loss.
Hold together. Just a little longer.
The demon bellowed, charging again. Nathan braced himself. At the last moment, he dove low, sliding beneath its sweeping claws. His shadow blades slashed up as he passed, tearing open the demon's belly. Viscera spilled out in steaming clumps.
The demon screamed, stumbling, clutching its ruptured gut. Nathan skidded to a stop behind it, chest heaving, vision tunneling at the edges.
Finish it… before I pass out.
He concentrated all his will into the mist, gathering it into a single writhing mass above the demon. It coalesced into a massive, jagged spike, twice as tall as Nathan. He roared and brought his hands down—so did the spike.
It drove through the demon's back with a sickening crunch, punching out through its chest. The creature let out a gurgling, strangled howl, clawing weakly at the spike that pinned it to the floor.
Then its limbs sagged. The single glowing eye dimmed, flickered… and finally went dark.
Nathan stood there, swaying, the dark mist swirling lazily around him like spent breath. Slowly it receded, slipping back into his skin. He sank to his knees, clutching his side. The basement was silent now save for the drip of blood—his and the demon's alike.
Across the rubble, Jay coughed, pushing himself up on one elbow. A shaky grin broke across his bruised face.
"You… you look like death itself, you know that?"
Nathan let out a weak laugh, tears burning at the corners of his eyes. "Yeah… feels like it too."
Jay managed to crawl a few feet closer. "But you did it, man. You actually did it."
Nathan's eyes drifted shut for a moment. When they opened, they glowed faintly with that same eerie darkness. "Guess… I'm an Awakened now."
Jay's hand found his shoulder, squeezing. "Well, good timing. Couldn't have picked a better moment to turn into a nightmare."
Nathan barked a tired laugh. "Thanks. Now… help me up before I bleed out."
Together, battered and blood-soaked, they leaned on each other, staring at the broken corpse of the demon. It was over—for now.
But both knew this was only the beginning of something far bigger, darker, and far more dangerous.
Nathan staggered over to Jay, dark mist still swirling faintly around his hands. He dropped to one knee beside him, teeth gritted against his own pain.
"Hold still," Nathan rasped. He pressed a hand against Jay's torn side. The shadowy vapor oozed out, seeping into Jay's wound.
Jay tensed. "Cold… feels weird—like it's crawling under my skin."
"Yeah. It's… keeping the blood in. Not exactly healing, but it'll stop you from bleeding out."
Nathan repeated the process on his own side, wincing as the darkness coiled inside the gash, knotting itself to slow the flow. When he was done, he exhaled shakily, sweat dripping from his brow.
Jay managed a grin, pale but alive. "Guess that's your first aid now. Creepy, but effective."
Nathan didn't laugh. Instead, he turned his gaze to the demon's massive corpse. The thing's single eye was lifeless, mouth still half open in a final snarl.
"What if…" Nathan began, voice low, almost thoughtful. "What if you Awakened now?"
Jay followed his stare. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Jay let out a nervous laugh, though his eyes stayed locked on the monstrous remains.
"From that thing? Hell… maybe it's about time I took the risk."