The Shade Hound's carcass steamed where it had fallen, black ichor seeping into cracks in the asphalt. The smell of it—like burned metal and sour meat—clung to the air, making every breath taste rotten.
The initiates gathered in a shaky circle, weapons still raised though the fight was over. Their boots shifted nervously on the broken street, crunching shards of glass. Holt stood over the corpse, visor reflecting the fading glow of the beast's eyes.
"Retrieve shards," she said, voice flat.
Jorik muttered under his breath, but obeyed. He jammed a shard extractor into the hound's skull, twisting until the corrupted crystal came loose. The shard pulsed faintly, veins of red light webbing through its surface. He sealed it in a reinforced case and stepped back.
Reid stood still, chest heaving. His hands trembled so badly that his knife nearly slipped. He forced himself to sheath it, hoping no one noticed. Mara did.
"You're shaking," she said, stepping closer with a half-smile. "It's kind of cute."
"I just fought… that." His voice cracked.
"You're alive," she replied. "That's more than most."
The Bond's voice slid into his head, cold and amused. "You should thank me, not her."
Reid stiffened. His eyes darted around, but no one reacted. The voice was his alone.
"That strength wasn't yours. It was mine."
Leave me alone, he thought desperately.
"Oh, I will. The moment you stop feeding me."
His throat felt dry. He didn't answer.
Holt's voice cut through his thoughts. "Move out. We've lost enough time."
The group re-formed, two initiates limping, one pale from blood loss. The smell of ichor followed them as they pressed deeper into the Wastes.
The further they went, the worse the land became. The ground buckled in jagged ridges, black veins running through the soil like infection. Patches of dead grass crumbled to ash. Pools of dark water shimmered with an oily sheen, and things swam just below the surface—shapes that vanished when stared at.
Buildings here were hollow husks, leaning like drunks. Faded graffiti whispered: RUN, THEY SEE, WE DIED HERE.
Reid scanned every shadow. His heartbeat hadn't slowed since the hound. The voice came again, teasing.
"Your heart's still racing. You liked it, didn't you? The kill."
I didn't like any of it.
"Liar. You were alive for the first time."
He gritted his teeth. Mara walked near, occasionally glancing at him, as if sensing his tension.
The path narrowed to a bridge of collapsed concrete. Beneath, a black pit yawned, edges slick. Something brushed rubble below. The air stank of sulfur.
"Fast and quiet," Holt ordered.
They crossed one by one. Reid's palms were slick. Halfway across, a shadow darted below. A guttural screech rose.
"Run!" Holt barked.
Reid sprinted, boots slipping on dust. The screech faded, but the chill in his bones didn't.
They reached a courtyard choked with black vines, pulsing like they had a heartbeat. Holt motioned them to skirt the edges, but a nervous initiate kicked a stone into the tangle.
The vines erupted.
Small, bird-like creatures burst forth, wings tattered, beaks lined with teeth. They swarmed, screaming.
"Down! Incoming!" Holt shouted.
Rifles roared. Feathers filled the air. One slammed into Reid's chest, claws raking. He fell back, breath caught. Another swooped. You're going to die here, he thought.
The Bond laughed. "Pathetic. Swing higher."
Reid slashed up, cutting deep. Another latched onto his arm, biting. Pain seared, panic blurred thought.
"Stop panicking. Cut where I tell you."
Shut up! he thought.
"Left. Now."
He obeyed, stabbing left. The creature dropped dead.
[Essence Absorbed: +1]
[Core Stability: Red – Minor Surge]
The swarm thinned as Holt and Mara struck down the last of them. Feathers and ichor littered the ground. The vines curled back.
The initiates regrouped, panting. One had a deep gash; Mara wrapped it quickly. Holt scanned them, then Reid.
"You fought better this time," she said. Not a compliment—an observation.
Reid wiped black blood from his hands. The Bond purred. "See? You're learning. Keep feeding me."
He stayed silent.
By sunset, the sky burned orange through a haze of smoke. Shadows of skeletal towers stretched long. Holt raised her hand. "We rest here."
The half-collapsed factory's roof was mostly gone, walls leaning. Inside, machinery lay like the bones of giants. They found a corner clear of vines and lit a smokeless fire. Orange light mixed with dying sunlight.
Reid sat against a rusted beam, flexing his claw-raked arm. Every cut burned.
Mara cleaned her spear. "You fought well, even if you look like hell."
He laughed hollowly. "Feels worse than it looks."
"Something's different about you," she said softly. "Don't deny it—I saw how you moved."
"I… don't know what's happening to me," he admitted.
Raised voices came from the far corner. Holt and Jorik argued in low, sharp tones.
"He's dangerous," Jorik hissed. "Whatever's inside him—it's not natural."
"He's breathing, and he killed the hound," Holt replied.
"And when that thing kills us?"
"Then I'll deal with it."
Reid looked away. They think I'm a threat.
The Bond coiled in his mind. "They're right to be afraid. You are a threat."
Shut up.
"Don't be shy. You liked the power. I can give you more."
What are you?
The voice chuckled. "A friend. For now."
Mara touched his knee, pulling him out of the spiral. "Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out. Don't lose yourself, okay?"
He nodded faintly. "I'll try."
The Bond whispered sing-song: "Try? Oh, you'll do more than try."
Night fell fast. The factory creaked, unseen things screeched in the distance. The fire's glow was small, swallowed by pressing darkness. Reid tried to sleep, but the Bond's presence crawled in his skull.
A low rumble shook the ground. Dust drifted down. Holt stood instantly, rifle raised.
"Positions!" she snapped.
Weapons clicked. Reid rose, knife in hand. The rumble grew, a deep pounding—footsteps far too heavy for anything human.
A roar split the night, louder than the Shade Hound's. The walls shuddered. Even Holt stiffened.
"What the hell is that?" Jorik muttered.
"Stay quiet," Holt ordered.
The pounding stopped. Silence pressed. Even the wind held its breath.
Reid's grip tightened. The air thickened, hard to breathe. Shadows crawled unnaturally on the walls. His chest burned.
[Warning: Unknown Entity Detected]
[Bond Alert: Prepare to Feed or Die]
The Bond whispered—soft, affectionate. "Reid."
He froze. It had never said his name before.
Mara's eyes narrowed. "Reid? What is it?"
He didn't answer. The voice was inside, too close.
"You're mine now. Remember that."
Something massive moved outside. Through a gap, he glimpsed a clawed limb the size of a man, curling before withdrawing. The stench of decay flooded in.
"Defensive formation!" Holt barked.
Reid's hand trembled as he raised his knife. He didn't know what was coming, only that the voice in his head laughed softly, delighted.
The wall groaned as something heavy pressed.
The Bond whispered, teasing: "Try not to die, little hunter."
The wall buckled.