The Direfang Sovereign's body trembled violently beneath Aiden's claws.
Its one good eye bulged, rolling in frantic desperation. Its blood spilled freely, staining the ground, steaming in the night air. The village square was drenched in its crimson tide.
Aiden crouched over it like a predator finishing its kill, his chest heaving, teeth bared. His claws dug deeper into the monster's flesh, and he could feel it—the pulse, the strength, the raw essence waiting to be taken.
Devour.
The voice echoed in his head, louder than ever. It wasn't the whisper of temptation anymore—it was a roar, demanding, pulling him closer to the edge.
His jaw opened wider, unnaturally so. The glow in his eyes deepened, a crimson light that no longer looked human. His breath came in ragged growls.
The villagers cried out.
"No!"
"Stop him!"
"What is he doing?!"
Children clung to their parents, hunters froze mid-step, torn between rushing to stop him and backing away from something they didn't understand.
---
Miriam's voice cut through the chaos, raw, desperate.
"Aiden!" she shouted, her throat straining as tears blurred her eyes.
"That thing is dead already! Don't—you'll lose yourself if you—"
But her plea faltered. Even she, the only one who believed in him, could feel the difference now. The aura surrounding him wasn't human. It was primal. It was hungry.
And it terrified her.
---
The Sovereign let out one last feeble growl, its strength fading, but its aura still vast, still potent. Even dying, it was a treasure trove of power.
Aiden's claws trembled, his entire body shaking with the strain of holding back. He knew if he devoured it, his strength would surge. He could climb another rank. He could survive greater monsters. He could protect the village from even worse threats.
But he also knew… every time he gave in, every time he devoured, the line blurred. The hunger grew.
He was no longer sure how many more times he could come back.
---
"Finish it, Aiden!" a hunter screamed.
"Kill it before it rises again!"
Their voices pressed down on him, clashing with Miriam's plea.
The beast's pulse faltered beneath his claws. Its final moments ticked away.
The hunger roared in his chest. His humanity screamed in protest.
And then…
Aiden slammed his claws deeper, tearing through the monster's throat in a single decisive motion.
The Direfang Sovereign gave one final shudder, its body collapsing, the light in its eyes extinguished forever.
Blood sprayed across Aiden's face, warm and metallic. The whispers in his head howled in fury at being denied. His fangs trembled, aching with hunger. But he did not bite.
He let go.
The corpse slumped against the ground with a resounding thud that shook the square. Silence followed, broken only by the ragged breaths of the survivors.
---
For a moment, no one moved.
Then a cry broke the silence.
"We're… alive."
"It's dead…"
"He killed it!"
Relief surged through the villagers. Hunters collapsed to their knees, trembling. Children wept into their parents' arms. The nightmare was over—or so they believed.
Miriam lowered her hands, her barrier long gone. She staggered, exhaustion heavy in her limbs, but her eyes never left Aiden.
He stood there, drenched in blood, chest heaving, claws still extended. His eyes glowed faintly in the night, crimson embers refusing to fade.
And though the villagers cheered, their gazes wavered when they looked at him.
Not all their cries were of joy.
"Those eyes…"
"His… claws…"
"He's not… normal."
Fear crept into their voices. Gratitude warred with suspicion.
---
Aiden exhaled slowly, forcing his claws to retract. His body trembled violently as he forced the hunger down, shoving it into the depths of his soul where it clawed and raged.
Not yet, he thought. I won't let it take me. Not yet.
He turned, surveying the villagers. For the first time since the battle began, he saw them clearly. Their fear. Their awe. Their uncertainty.
And he realized—no matter what he did, from this night onward, he would never again be seen as just a boy of the village.
---
Miriam stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute.
"He saved us," she said firmly, staring at the hunters who muttered in doubt. "Without him, we would all be dead."
Her words stilled the murmurs for now, but the unease didn't vanish. It lingered in their eyes, in the way they stepped back when Aiden walked past.
The Sovereign was dead. The village was alive. But the balance had shifted.
And deep inside, Aiden knew… the hunger hadn't gone away. It had only grown.
Waiting for the next time.
---