Ash Staruin

Zayne woke early the next morning, but something felt off.

The black mass in his chest had emerged, taking the shape of a monstrous, shadowy head with piercing white eyes. It was rummaging through his mini-fridge, devouring everything in sight. The moment it sensed he was awake, it froze, then hastily dropped everything and slithered back into the gaping cavity in his chest.

Zayne stared, his breath hitching. "What the hell is happening to my body?" His voice wavered with unease as the realization sank in—there was a living creature inside him.

Yet, despite its eerie presence, it didn't seem particularly threatening. If anything, it acted… skittish. Did it just hide from me? He thought. Or was it afraid of Celeste?

Zayne got up and went to the bathroom, staring at his reflection before shifting his gaze to the gaping hole in his chest. The dark mass inside pulsed slightly, as if aware of his attention.

"Alright, parasite—show yourself. I have some questions for you."

In response, the shadow slithered out of his chest cavity, coalescing into the monstrous head with its eerie, piercing white eyes. Zayne grimaced but pushed past his disgust.

"First question—can you speak?"

The creature shook its head.

"Figures. Well, this is going to be a pain, but we'll work with it." He crossed his arms. "Do you want to kill me?"

Again, it shook its head.

Zayne narrowed his eyes. "You could be lying, but whatever. Let's move on. Other than stealing my food, what else can you do?"

The creature seemed to consider his words before slithering down his arm. In an instant, it wrapped around his hand and solidified, forming a jagged blade of pure shadow.

Zayne's eyes widened. "Okay, that's badass. Can you do anything else?"

The blade morphed again, shifting into a monstrous, tooth-filled maw, his entire arm now resembling some kind of grotesque deathtrap.

A slow grin spread across Zayne's face. "Holy shit, I'm like an anime protagonist."

His excitement faded slightly as he watched the creature retract back into its usual form. Despite its monstrous appearance, it didn't seem aggressive toward him.

"Do you have a name or something? Just calling you 'creature' feels kinda rude."

The shadow shook its head once more.

For some reason, Zayne felt a pang of sympathy. It hadn't actually tried to take him over—not since he fought it off. If anything, it seemed… lost. If it really wanted to possess someone, there had to be better candidates than an out-of-shape college student.

He sighed. "Alright, then. How about I give you a name? We're stuck together anyway, and honestly... you did kind of save my life. If you hadn't been there, I really would've died back then."

Zayne thought for a moment. "What about Tenebris? That sounds cool, right?"

The creature shook its head.

"Alright… maybe Erebus? Like in Greek mythology?"

Again, it shook its head.

"Wow, you're picky." He crossed his arms. "Okay, how about Nyx? The goddess of the night. It's pretty gender-neutral too."

This time, the creature paused before giving him a horrifying, toothy grin. Then, without another sound, it slithered back into the cavity in his chest.

A few seconds later, there was a knock at the bathroom door.

"Are you seriously talking to your parasite in there? That's weird. Please stop."

Zayne smirked. "Its name is Nyx."

A strange silence followed before Celeste sighed. "Did you name your parasite? You know what? Never mind. Just hurry up—we've got things to do today."

Zayne got dressed and headed out of his room with Celeste, checking the time as they walked.

"I know where she should be around this time. Follow me."

Celeste gave him a curious glance. "And how exactly do you know where she is at certain times of the day?"

Zayne hesitated for a moment before awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… well, I had to make sure she was actually a werewolf, so I kinda learned her usual schedule."

Celeste sighed. "That's not weird at all."

They continued walking until they reached a clearing. There, standing in the open, was Ash.

The moment she saw Zayne, her expression flickered from shock to aggression, though it wasn't directed at him. Her nails elongated into sharp claws, her canines stretched into fangs, and her silver hair shimmered with an eerie blue glow as she charged forward with a speed that Zayne couldn't even register.

In a blink, she was upon Celeste, claws slashing toward her throat—only to stop midair with a sudden, jarring force. Her attack had met an invisible barrier, the impact sending out a faint ripple in the air. Ash landed gracefully, her glowing eyes narrowing as she lunged again, this time aiming low. But once again, her attack bounced off effortlessly.

With each failed strike, Ash grew more frantic. She darted around Celeste like a blur, attacking from different angles, shifting her weight mid-air, feinting, spinning—yet not a single hit landed. Each claw, each strike, each desperate attempt was met with the same frustrating resistance.

Celeste stood completely still, arms crossed, watching the werewolf's futile assault with mild amusement.

Finally, with a snap of her fingers, glowing ropes of light erupted from the ground and ensnared Ash mid-leap. The ropes coiled around her limbs, tightening instantly, and with a flick of Celeste's finger, Ash was yanked toward her, now suspended helplessly in midair.

Celeste leaned in slightly, her violet eyes cold and unreadable. "I'll give you one chance before I take the information by force. Take me to your clan's head and apologize to my younger brother."

Ash growled, struggling against the bindings before spitting at Celeste's feet. "I won't be doing anything for you, witch."

Celeste sighed as if disappointed. "Well, I did warn you."

She raised one hand to Ash's forehead, her other palm turning outward. A low hum filled the air as an invisible force settled around them. Ash's body stiffened, her glowing eyes widening in horror before—

A scream tore from her throat.

Images flickered into existence, playing out in Celeste's open palm like a translucent film strip. Ash's memories—raw and unfiltered—unraveled before them, revealing everything Celeste needed to know.

Zayne glanced around at the people surrounding them, feeling a knot of unease tighten in his stomach. "Uh… shouldn't we be worried about all of them? They just saw everything."

Celeste waved off his concern. "The moment she activated her powers, we ceased to exist in their minds. It's the Hidden World's greatest defense system."

Zayne blinked. "Well… alright then, if you say so."

Ash, still bound by the glowing ropes, finally spoke, her glare sharp enough to cut. "How did you even survive? I was sure you were dead."

Zayne lifted his shirt, revealing the gaping hole in his chest. "I was. But I got better, I guess."

Ash shook her head, eyes flicking between his wound and his face. "There is something seriously wrong with you… And how the hell do you even know someone this strong?"

Zayne ignored her question and asked one of his own. "Was killing me really necessary? I was completely harmless—especially to someone like you."

Ash sighed, shifting uncomfortably in her restraints. "Like I said, it wasn't personal. It's just what we're supposed to do." She eyed him again, her expression tinged with confusion. "And more importantly, what do you mean were harmless? You still are. I don't sense a hint of focus coming from you. You seem like a completely normal human to me."

Zayne smirked. "Then maybe you need to get your eyes checked."

He whispered something under his breath, and Nyx slithered from his arm, swirling like liquid shadow before solidifying into a sleek, dark blade.

Ash's expression twisted in disgust. "That was incredibly corny. And more importantly—" her nose wrinkled, eyes narrowing at the weapon. "Is that a shadow parasite? How can you even control that thing?"

Zayne only shrugged as he continued walking. "Its name is Nyx."

Ash stared at him, utterly baffled. "You named the parasite?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Celeste, who had been watching the conversation with mild amusement, finally sighed. "Zayne, you're awfully comfortable talking to the person who literally killed you a few days ago. And for the record, please don't show that thing off. It's weird." She crossed her arms, giving him a pointed look. "Also, you just learned how to do that this morning. Maybe dial back the confidence a little?"

She turned on her heel. "Now, come on. We have somewhere to be."