Chapter 90: Catalyst

The world was cold...

Chillingly and mercilessly cold...

And yet...

I didn't shiver.

In fact...

HA...

A smile came to my slightly chapped lips.

I liked the cold.

...

BAM!

[You have been wounded.]

"ARGH!"

My body curled inward as Vicki's fist found its way into my ribs, knocking the air out of my lungs. I gasped, clutching my side, my vision blurring for a moment from the sheer force of the hit.

"Focus, Dave! You need to channel the energy!", Vicki barked as she grabbed me by the shoulders.

This girl...

I groaned, struggling to keep my composure, "Oh yeah? Well, let me help you focus too!"

Before she could react, I swung a punch straight at her midsection.

BAM!

"Khh—!", Vicki winced but didn't back down, her feet barely skidding across the dusty floor.

We both stood there, panting, staring at each other. The room around us was filled with faint strands of light drifting lazily through the air, remnants of the energy we were trying to harness. I could still feel the tingling warmth coursing down my throat, but it wasn't stable. It slipped through my grasp like sand through fingers.

But...it was there...

I raised my fist and Vicki straightened her posture, a wild grin stretching across her face, "Again."

I deadpanned, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh...immensely.", she replied, cracking her knuckles.

I irked.

Crazy masochist!

I sighed, bracing myself, "Alright, alright but let's not break any ribs, yeah?"

Vicki smirked, lunging at me again, her knee rising for another gut-wrenching strike.

Too predictable!

I dodged just in time, spinning around her, "Ha! Not this time!"

But the moment I turned, she twisted her body unnaturally fast and drove her elbow into my back.

BAM!

"GUH—!"

What the fuck?!

I stumbled forward, my lungs burning as I fell to my knees. The pain was sharp and excruciating, but deep within, I felt it again—

That flicker of warmth, that sensation beneath my ribs.

T-there!

Vicki crouched beside me, eyes gleaming, "There it is. Breathe it in, Dave. Hold onto it."

I focused, inhaling shakily, trying to grasp the fleeting energy within me. It pulsed, swirled a little, and then—

FWOOSH!

A cold gust erupted from my body, spreading outward. The air around me grew cooler, and my breaths seemed sharper. I felt my vision flicker for a moment before returning.

I raised up my hand to stare at my fingers again; the swirling mist around them was thicker.

"Dave...are you ok?"

Vicki's voice echoed in the background, but it barely registered.

This...ugh...

"Dave?"

I felt a strange sensation overwhelm me and suddenly black patches began to cloud my vision.

"Dave!"

Ugh...shit...not again...

My vision was wavering, bring forth the cold darkness I usually sought solace in and in that darkness was the envisage of a memory.

"Dav-"

...

[You are in critical condition.]

"Uhh...ugh…"

Pain.

My vision swam, the world around me unsteady.

Pain.

A single word echoed in my mind as I dragged my feet forward. My body was drenched in it.

Numb. From pain.

"Ugh..."

SHIFF!

I tripped on a tree root and crashed to the ground.

"Shit…" I groaned, lingering for a moment before forcing myself up, latching onto a tree for support.

"My leg…" My voice was hollow, barely above a whisper.

Never, in sixteen years of life, had I felt such cruel, harrowing pain.

TMP. TMP. TMP. TMP.

I kept walking, barely aware of my direction, barely aware of anything. Wounds marred my body, and excess blood soaked through the tatters of my school uniform.

HA… HA…

Each breath came out as a puff of cold air.

HA… HA…

Panting, I clung to the grey-barked trees, their smooth surface offering little resistance.

TMP. TMP. TMP.

Aimlessly, I stumbled forward. No direction. No purpose.

Because…

W-where do I go now…?

I didn't even know where I was.

I was lost.

TMP. TMP.

Tears threatened to cloud my vision, but suddenly—

TMP.

I froze.

My breath hitched.

A shadow loomed ahead.

Wha?

Reflected on my retina was a wounded beast - torn fur, missing left eye, bloodied flesh and a broken paw.

The beast before me was a literal mess of wounds, barely clinging onto life.

RUSTLE...

A slight gale rustled my hair and clothes, as well as the fur of the beast.

SHIFF!

The beast lowered its broken paw and turned to me, its eye narrowing with a scrutinizing gaze.

My mouth was dry as I stared at it, seemingly awaiting its next move.

Time seemed to slow as silence engulfed the world before suddenly...

SHIFF!

[Bloodlust detected.]

[You have been threatened by an enemy.]

[Level 6. Red Lycan.]

HOWL!!

The beast roared as it closed in, its paws raised high as it crashed into me, throwing me to the ground.

HOWL!!

It fell atop me, raising its snout to bite into me when suddenly, something materialized into my hand.

"Open."

[Equipped Item: Stray Stick.]

From a swirl of sparks and an outline, a smooth grey stick formed into my grasp.

HM!!

My expression hardened as I gripped the stick with all my might and without hesitation, I swung it sideways.

BASH!

It slammed into the head of the Lycan, throwing it off me.

Argh...why?

I rose to my feet, using the stick as support.

Why?

I turned to the Lycan who was also rising as well.

Why all the pain?

GRRAR!!

It let out a growl before lunging towards me, baring its sharp fangs.

NGH!

I strained my body and hardened my grip, before swinging the stick straight at the incoming beast.

BASH!

I stopped its advance with a brutal strike to its head before following it up with another one.

BAM!

It lunged again, this time more violently, jerking right for my arm and snapping down with its teeth.

"ARRGH!!"

[You have been wounded.]

I let out a shrill cry, but immediately swallowed it back.

I've endured worse!

Biting through the pain, I gritted my teeth before swing the stick, aiming straight at the head.

"RARGH!!", I let out a roar of anger, riling myself up when suddenly the beast's jaw strength rose.

ACK!!

Blood splurged out from my arm, spilling all over the beast and me.

[You have been wounded.]

ARGH!!

I let out a cry of pain.

Why? God...why all this?

NRGH!!

I pushed forward, positioning myself atop the beast.

"GET OFF ME!!", I screamed before bringing down my fist with all my might.

BAM!

My fist smashed straight against its skull and yet...the beast didn't flinch. It continued to slowly pry its teeth into my arm, threatening to tear it off entirely.

NGGHH!

I twisted sideways, dragging the beast and I into a roll before colliding it against a tree.

BASH!

The beast shuddered, momentarily loosening its grip on my arm. Without sparring a moment, I slipped out of its grasp and jumped back, trying to create distance between us.

No sin...I have committed in my life can ever warrant this...

I clenched my fist so tight, my nails dug into my skin.

Untethered...you...want me...to become a monster...

I tensed my jaw, my dark gaze landing on the beast.

Fine.

SHIFF! SHIFF!

We both lunged forward, aiming to take on the other head on or at least that's what the beast thought.

HUP!

Before the beast reached me, I suddenly lunged into the air, jumping over it entirely before falling into a roll and retrieving my stick.

[Equipped Item: Stray Stick.]

GRR...

The beast immediately spun around, only to be met by a powerful strike to the face.

BASH!!

Blood splattered out of its mouth as the stick splintered slightly. The beast staggered in a daze, trying to regain its bearings but I didn't let it. I dashed forward and slammed its leg, forcing it to fall over.

You want a monster?!

My gaze was cold and dark as I reached for the fallen beast, my hand raised the stick up in the air before bringing it down.

BAM!

I smashed the body of the beast, utterly brutalizing it.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BASH!!

I continued to beat the squirming animal, continually bashing it with the stick.

"HRAAH!"

BAM!

"ARH!"

BAM!

I continued, pummeling it relentlessly, threatening to beat it to death.

Untethered...you want me to become a monster?!

My gaze was red, dark and my heart was cold, filled with rage.

I raised the stick one more time, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

HRA-

WHIMPER!

I froze.

My hands stopped and the darkness in my eyes disappeared, bringing me the view of a pitiful creature.

The beast laid broken and bloodied, barely clinging onto life.

I stared at its eyes which seemed to scream 'Pain'. I had become the very thing I hated.

CLUNK!

The stick fell to the ground as I dropped to my knees. Tears flowing down my eyes as my heart ached.

I'm no monster...I...don't want to be a monster...