Chapter 2: Escape from the Chains
After hours of running, his body was exhausted—
as if the very power he had gained was draining him more than it sustained him.
Guilt chased him relentlessly.
He knew his identity had been altered forever,
but he still couldn't grasp the true nature of what had happened to him.
Is this what he wanted to become?
Was he bound to follow what this world had forced upon him,
or… was there another way?
He took a deep breath, leaning against a large stone in the heart of the forest,
watching the pale sunlight slip through thick leaves.
There was something strange in the air—
an unbearable feeling,
as if the entire universe was watching.
"Power," he whispered—barely loud enough for himself to hear.
The word felt heavy on his tongue,
echoing like a burden pressed upon his soul.
Power gained through devouring others.
A strange, dirty kind of strength.
He knew now—
everyone in this world had chosen that path.
They chose to be part of a savage system where there was no place for the weak.
But…
did he have to become like them?
Was survival truly tied to consuming others?
In that moment, dark memories began to stir.
That moment—when he was forced to eat that man—was painful.
Yet, it hadn't been a moment of compulsion alone.
After swallowing the soul,
he felt something alien rush through him—
energy flooding his body with strange intensity.
It pulsed with power,
but it didn't feel like it belonged to him.
It felt like something from another place—
a force that had to be controlled,
or it would consume him instead.
The more he thought about it,
the heavier the guilt pressed down.
As though that power itself attacked him with pain.
Was this power worth sacrificing his humanity?
Was he truly ready to change everything—just to survive?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind,
he heard heavy footsteps approaching.
Someone was there.
No—not just one.
A group of beings… humanoid, but not quite human.
They radiated the same unnatural strength he had felt within himself.
They moved silently among the trees, closing in—
as if they had been looking for him.
Suddenly, one of them appeared before him—
tall, much taller than him,
with eyes full of cruel amusement.
"You… the one who ran."
He smiled—a strange, knowing smile.
"As of now, you're part of this world. Just like us."
"What do you mean?" the man asked, trying to grasp what was happening.
"Everything here revolves around strength.
You won't survive unless you feed on the power of others.
When you eat, you grow stronger—faster, tougher.
But there's a catch."
"A catch?"
"Yes.
It's not just power you gain.
It comes with a price.
And if you can't control it…
it will destroy you."
It was then the man learned crucial truths about this world's system of power:
Devouring others granted immense benefits—
physical strength, speed, endurance,
even special abilities.
But the more you gained,
the more it demanded.
And the more you ate,
the stronger—and more corrupted—you became.
"What happens if you eat too much?"
he asked, tension rising inside him.
"At first, it feels good," the figure replied.
"But in time, you become a machine.
A creature that lives only to feed on life itself."
The man began to feel it—
that change within him.
The moment he consumed that person,
his life had twisted beyond recognition.
His body had grown stronger…
but his soul had weakened.
A void now separated him from himself.
This power…
carried a threat he could not outrun.
Would he let go of it?
Would he become like them?
"If you don't control it, it will control you."
The stranger's words echoed in his mind.
This was the turning point.
The man stood at a crossroads.
Would he continue down this dark path,
or cling to the last fragments of his humanity?
Suddenly, a new presence broke through his thoughts—
a deeper force approaching fast.
A pressure loomed ahead,
as if the world itself was preparing to test whether he would survive…
or be devoured by the very system he feared.
A profound confusion gripped him.
A new trial awaited.
A real one.
Would he live… using that power?
Or search for another path?
He chose to run again.
But this time—
he wasn't just fleeing the place.
He was running from himself,
from the power that was slowly consuming him.
Yet he didn't know…
that escape was not the final answer.
Perhaps,
a greater test still awaited on the road ahead.