Chains, Shadows, and the Devil’s Whisper

CHAPTER 22

Mike turned the ignition on his motorcycle. He was on his way to pick up Emily. The sun was setting; the sky shifting from orange to deep purple, and the wind whispered through the city's narrow streets like a haunting melody. The road was quiet. The sound of the motorcycle blended with the rhythm of his heartbeat.

As he neared Emily's house…

Suddenly, the tire burst.

He lost control. Tried to steady the bike, but it was too late; the motorcycle slid, tipped over, and Mike was thrown onto the ground.

— "Damn it… what the hell was that?!" he growled through clenched teeth.

He was just about to push himself up when… silhouettes emerged from the shadows.

Hunters.

They surrounded him in seconds. The weapons in their hands gleamed under the dim light. All of them stepped back slightly, making way for the man in the middle.

Gideon.

He walked slowly, stopping right in front of Mike. There was a cold expression in his eyes, his voice carrying the weariness of years.

— "Look… I've hunted many creatures. But your kind? I still can't figure you out. Should I call you a monster? Or… a carrier?"

Rage flared inside Mike. But his true anger was at his own body.

Why? Why now… I can't shift? When I need you, you're gone… when I don't, you're there! Damn it!

Gideon turned to one of the hunters and gestured with his hand.

— "Give it to me…" he said.

The hunter beside him opened a black case, pulling out a large syringe. As Gideon took it, he kept talking.

— "This… is a mixture I've been refining for centuries. Actually, not refining collecting would be a better word. This injection will put you to sleep for a while. And it'll block your transformation. But… control was never really yours, was it? Hah… anyway. Let's take precautions."

Mike tried to pull back, but his muscles were drained.

The needle slid into his vein. A cold liquid filled his body.

— "This little concoction? It's potent enough to knock out hundreds of werewolves, vampires… maybe all of them at once. I'm pretty sure it'll work on you too."

Mike's vision darkened. No matter how hard he resisted, his eyelids grew heavier.

— "No… no… no…" he whispered, but his voice was barely there.

And everything fell into darkness.

Gideon turned his head coldly.

— "Put him in the car. We're leaving."

They brought Mike to Vlad's safehouse. His face was covered with a cloth, his hands and arms chained. When Vlad entered, his expression was cautious.

— "Was it really that easy to catch him? Doesn't that seem strange to you? How could he be captured so easily?"

Gideon shrugged.

— "Let me put it in a way you'd understand… right now, he's at the level of your weakest betas. This carrier is different from the others. No control. He can't manage his forms, his shifts. It was easy."

Gideon bent down and pulled the cloth away. Mike's face was revealed.

— "Go on… meet him."

Mike's eyes slowly began to open. As he moved from darkness into light, he squinted and groaned.

— "What… is going on? What the hell…"

He realized his arms were cuffed. He strained against the bindings, his muscles tensing.

Gideon watched with amusement.

— "Don't bother. You can't break those. And besides, the drug I gave you will keep you from transforming for quite a while…" he said, a devilish grin forming on his face.

— "But I'm curious… how's your healing ability these days?"

At that moment, he pressed a button.

A sudden surge of electricity ran through the chains holding Mike. The voltage was high. His muscles convulsed involuntarily, and a grinding sound came from between his clenched teeth.

Gideon laughed.

— "Come on then… let's heat things up a bit!"

He cut the electricity. Mike gasped deeply.

Then he pressed it again. This time the voltage was even higher. Mike's eyes flashed with a sudden glow, his voice turning into a guttural growl.

Gideon couldn't contain his laughter.

— "Hahaha! Oh no… we're just getting started!"

Finally… he cranked the voltage to its maximum.

Mike's body was almost convulsing out of control. His skin stretched tight, his veins darkened. He shifted into a half-transformed state. His voice completely changed, a mix between a roar and a scream spilling from his mouth.

Gideon's eyes widened. The sight before him both unsettled him and filled him with a twisted thrill.

— "This… this is the real thing!" he whispered.

He didn't shut off the electricity. He left it running at the highest level.

Eventually, Mike passed out. Half-transformed, his head slumped forward.

Then…

He opened his eyes.

But… this wasn't the safehouse.

Around him were towering trees, mist, and an ancient silence. This was… the cursed forest where he had first found the mask.

Mike looked around in shock. He moved slowly, cautiously. Shadows seemed to shift quietly around him.

He stepped forward… and the ground opened beneath him.

He fell into a void. Falling, falling…

And finally… he stood before a massive being chained in darkness.

The Demon.

Its voice rumbled, echoing deeply.

— "Even with all this power… you still don't know how to use it. You can't even endure a little electricity. And the form you're supposed to awaken… you still haven't reached it. Pathetic."

Mike clenched his fists. His teeth ground together.

The Demon's voice grew heavier, shaking the air.

— "Or… you let me. I'll end your suffering. Don't worry… I won't take your body until your tasks are complete. But your missions… will be done when I say. Hahaha!"

Mike lifted his head. There was exhaustion in his eyes, but his resolve remained unbroken.

— "I will not bow to you…" he said in a raspy, defiant voice.

— "Never!"

The Demon fell silent. Only a hollow laugh echoed in the void.

Mike breathed rapidly. He closed his eyes, feeling an explosive surge inside him…

And when he opened them again…

He was back in the safehouse.

But this time… he didn't feel the tension of the chains.

Now he realized he could control his transformation.

But he also knew he couldn't take on everyone in the room.

He had to escape. And fast.