Costly Power (3)

The demon's eyes burned brighter as realization struck him. The boy. He had interacted with a marked one, perhaps fought one. Perhaps allied with one. It did not matter. What mattered was that he was untouched. Unclaimed.

The demon's laughter erupted like a clap of thunder, echoing across the heavens. It was not a sound of joy but one of raw, evil triumph.

"Finally! My chance has come."

For so long he had hunted, he had been frustrated at the absence of a suitable host. But now, as though fate itself had delivered the opportunity to him, this boy wandered alone near him.

He wielded lightning, even though it was a pale imitation of the demon's own storm. But most importantly, he was free. A vessel waiting to be claimed.

Without hesitation, the storm demon surged forward.