15 - Blood Rage
Where… am I?
Darkness engulfs me, but it's not the kind that comes with night. It's thicker, heavier—a suffocating void, like an infinite abyss. Not even the earth's deepest depths could house something like this.
And I… I'm floating here, in the middle of it all. But it's not my body doing it—no, I can't even feel my body. It's like a first-person video game: I can move, but I can't sense or see my physical form.
Is this hell? Purgatory? Whatever it is, it's not heaven.
My thoughts drift to her—Brianne. Is she still alive? She must be. She's strong—stronger than anyone I've ever known. She had to find a way to stop that bastard.
«Even in death, you still think about her?»
A metallic, distorted voice echoes from all directions, as if the darkness itself is speaking.
«Who are you?! Where the hell am I?!» I shout, my voice echoing around me.
Then I see it—a faint red light, pulsing softly. At first, it's distant, an insignificant glow. But then it sharpens. Is it moving closer? Or growing larger? I can't tell.
Time here doesn't make sense. I don't know how long it's been since the light appeared, but eventually, it takes shape. And what I see…
No. It can't be.
It's me. Or rather, something resembling me—a distorted version, like my reflection in a shattered mirror.
«Who are you?!» I yell at the red figure, struggling to stay calm.
«I am… you,» it replies, its voice echoing from all directions, though its lips remain still. «Or rather, a part of you.»
The crystal… the blood crystal. «You're the parasite living in my heart, aren't you?»
«Exactly,» it answers, emotionless.
A thought hits me like lightning. If I can talk to it, then… «Does this mean I'm still alive?»
«You are alive,» it confirms, «but not for long. The ice spear pierced your heart. It's the one place I can't regenerate in your current state.»
«You're not here just to say goodbye. What do you want from me?»
«Your life is slipping away quickly, so I'll be direct. Give me full control of your body, and I'll kill that man.»
Full control of my body? Wait, what? That's insane—a suicidal, reckless idea. What guarantees this parasite isn't worse than Robert? And Brianne? It could hurt her, spread chaos, destruction. I have no way of knowing if it will truly follow my will.
«I won't harm anyone, don't worry,» the figure replies, almost amused, like it's reading my thoughts. «Remember what that girl told you. A parasite's survival depends on its host. Brianne is essential to your survival, as are the people around you.»
Its voice drops, almost hesitant. «And what that woman did to you—the fluid exchange she called blood baptism—prevents me from acting against your will...»
Its words hit like a punch to the gut. Is it sincere? Or just manipulation? But… now I understand Isabelle's words: «Thanks to my blood, when the time comes, you'll control the blood rage. Very soon, you'll understand why I did this to you.» How did Isabelle know I'd end up here?
«Decide!» the red figure demands, its voice a roar ripping through the darkness. «Your time is almost up, and your friend isn't doing well. It's only seconds before that man kills her!»
Brianne… is she in danger? Damn it! Forget paranoia, doubts, everything. Brianne, I'm coming to save you!
«I grant it!» I yell, holding on to one last shred of hope. «Now, save her!»
My eyes snap open, pulling me from the void of unconsciousness to a vision that strikes like a punch to the gut.
Brianne stands before me, her body battered and broken, held upright by sheer willpower. Blood covers her, layer upon layer, like a second skin fused with her torn clothes. Her left hand presses desperately against her side, trying to stem a wound that won't stop bleeding. Her legs shake like twigs about to snap, but she remains unmoving, resolute.
Then there's Robert. His once-elegant clothes are now rags, his body covered in dozens of cuts, yet he radiates untouchable strength. An icy patch where his arm once was seals the wound, but his malicious, sadistic smile remains intact.
«You're truly foolish,» Robert spits, his tone laced with disdain. «Instead of killing me, you've reduced yourself to this to protect that boy. It'll cost you your life.»
Brianne raises her gaze, her eyes burning with a fury that pierces through her exhaustion. «I promised Ren,» she says, her voice trembling with a mix of tears and rage. «I promised nothing would happen to him. But I've failed… again. I couldn't protect the ones I love. But as long as I'm breathing, I won't let you touch him!»
A lioness. That's the only way to describe her. Despite barely standing, she defends her cub from the hunter's claws, even at the cost of her life. In this moment, that's exactly what Brianne is—a true warrior.
Robert laughs—a cold, cruel sound that chills me to the bone, like the ice he wields. In his hand, a long stalactite slowly forms, sharp and gleaming like a blade. The tip glimmers with a sinister light as his gaze locks on Brianne. «I'll pierce your body, just like I did that boy's!»
Robert lunges at Brianne like a starving predator, the icy, razor-sharp weapon aimed at her chest. She stretches her arms forward, trying to summon a gust of wind to push him back, but only manages a weak puff of air. It's over. She knows it. She's at her limit, and the spear's tip is just inches from her heart.
Then it happens. I don't know how. In an instant, I'm there, between them. I didn't think, I didn't decide. I just… appeared. Now I'm holding Robert's frozen weapon in my hand, stopping the blow like it's nothing.
But it's not me. Or rather, it is me, but not completely. It's the parasite. It has taken control, leaving me as a spectator, trapped in my own body. It's the strangest sensation. Energy floods me, burning from the inside out, so intense my body can barely contain it. It seeps from my skin as a blinding, ferocious red aura. My muscles swell, almost doubling in size. The pain? Gone. The hole in my chest? Vanished, as if it were never there. I feel invincible. I could destroy a skyscraper with a single punch—and I'm not exaggerating. For the first time, I feel like I could take on anyone. Even Gin.
I crush the icy stalactite in my hands until it shatters like fragile glass. Then, with a movement so fast Robert can't see it, I kick him square in the stomach, sending him flying like a ragdoll. He crashes into the wall of an abandoned house, the impact cracking it, threatening to bring it down.
Brianne's eyes light up with joy when she sees me. The anger etched into her expression melts into tears of pure happiness. The moment our eyes meet, her body gives out, as if the adrenaline holding her upright has suddenly drained away.
I rush to her, catching her before she hits the ground. She collapses into my arms, fragile and helpless.
«You're not Ren, are you?» she whispers, her voice faint, her eyes fixed on mine. «Whoever you are… thank you for saving him.» Her words are so soft I barely hear them. Then she closes her eyes, unconscious but alive.
I lay her gently on the ground. There's something strange about me—or rather, about the parasite. It promised not to harm her, but the care it just showed surprises me. I didn't expect that.
«This girl was willing to sacrifice her life to protect your body, even when she thought you were dead,» the parasite's voice echoes through my mouth. «She's earned my respect. She deserves to be treated accordingly.»
Without another word, I move toward where Robert's body was thrown. My fists clench, my muscles tighten.
«But now...» the parasite's voice hisses, dripping with cruelty. «...I can't wait to kill that man.»
Robert stumbles back, his eyes darting around, searching for an escape—but there's none. I take one step forward, then another, murderous rage blazing in my eyes.
«I swear… that bitch will pay for this!» he shouts, and another stalactite begins to form in his hand. It's smaller, but no less deadly. He raises his arm to strike—but I'm already there.
Before he can even register my movement, I'm suddenly face-to-face with him. My fist rises in a brutal uppercut, slicing through his chin like butter. His head flies off, cleanly severed, as the stalactite shatters into shards.
But the worst is yet to come.
I raise my hand, catching his head before it hits the ground. For a moment, there's silence. Then I bring the bloody neck to my lips. I drink—every last drop of that bastard's blood, as if his skull were a cursed chalice.
Then comes the voice—that cursed voice.
«How does it feel to be strong, Ren?» The parasite inside me speaks with icy calm. My body moves on its own, tossing Robert's drained head to the ground and crushing it beneath my heel. «How does it feel to have no limits? To crush everything beneath your feet?»
I don't answer. I can't answer. My thoughts freeze, locked in place, as if my mind refuses to accept what I've done. What I've become.
I don't want this. I never want to become this again.
The red aura around me fades, dissolving into the air like a bad dream upon waking. My muscles shrink back to their normal size. The strength leaves me, along with the light.
And I collapse. Heavy. Like a corpse.