"Stay still," I said, crouching in front of him. "I want to try something."
His lips trembled. "P-please…"
I placed my hand on his chest anyway.
"Resonance Drain."
Then I felt it.
That pull.
Gentle at first, like a thread being tied between us, heart to heart.
I could feel it — that thin stream of warmth leaving him, crawling through that invisible line, flowing into me.
It was slow at first, smooth and steady. Like life didn't want to leave him, but I didn't give it a choice.
I watched his skin dim right in front of me, the color fading like ink washing off paper.
The veins darkened, spreading slow, thin, like cracks crawling under glass.
His mouth opened — wide, trembling — like he wanted to scream.
But nothing came out.
Just air. Just silence.
I could feel that breath brush my face — warm, empty — the last bit of life trying to leave him.
And then I heard it — soft, inside… familiar.
Don't… rush it.
Hear it… that sound… that little shake in their chest?
That's when they know.
It's over.
Go on… feel it… let them taste what nothing is.
I froze for a second — or maybe I didn't.
The voice was close. Too close. Like it wasn't talking to me, but from inside me.
My grin widened on its own.
"Yeah," I breathed out. "I can hear it."
His heart was still beating — faint, frantic, useless.
It was like his soul was begging to stay, scratching for a place to hide.
I could feel every last bit of that fear — the shaking, the helplessness — all of it sinking into me.
I didn't stop.
Didn't want to.
I pressed harder, letting it flow, letting him fade little by little.
The more he faded, the clearer I felt — lighter, calmer, like his fear was washing through me.
When it finally went quiet, I just stayed there for a second, hand still on his chest.
The warmth hummed inside me, slow and steady.
And then that whisper came again — the one that didn't need to exist but did anyway.
See…?
You're learning.
Pain… it's just noise.
Fear… that's music.
And you, Shen Yan… you… make it play.
I didn't answer.
Didn't need to.
I stood up — didn't even feel the ground, like I was floating for a bit.
I looked down at him — empty eyes, mouth stuck open mid-breath.
Still afraid. Even in death.
I smiled faintly. "Guess it's quiet now."
The whisper chuckled somewhere deep in me, not quiet enough.
I raised my hand slowly, palm open toward their bodies.
"Void Eater."
[ Void Eater Activated ]
[ Devoured: Lin Qiao (F-5) ]
[ Skill Acquired: Bloodline Skill Acquired – Ground Splitter (F) ]
[ Effect: Slam both fists into the ground, releasing a focused seismic shockwave (5 m cone). Enemies within range are staggered or thrown back. ]
[ Experience Gained: +5000 ]
[ Devoured: Wen Zhihao (F-5) ]
[ Skill Acquired: Bloodline Skill Acquired – Rampaging Rush (F) ]
[ Effect: Charge forward up to 10 meters with reinforced body mass, knocking back or breaking through obstacles. Damage increases with distance traveled. ]
[ Experience Gained: +5000 ]
[ Seed Growth: +4 ]
[ Taint: +20 ]
I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, staring at the ground where they'd been.
Nothing left. No blood. No trace. Just dirt and me.
I looked at my hand for a while. It wasn't shaking anymore.
Still warm though — like it remembered what it just took.
"Two more names off the list," I murmured, brushing the dirt from my sleeve.
I stood there for a bit, staring at the dirt where they vanished.
The quiet felt too clean, too… empty.
As I was enjoying the silence, a faint light flickered in front of my eyes.
[ WARNING: Taint exceeded first echo stage limit. Host mental stability may be affected. ]
[ Taint: 33 ]
[ Stage: Resonant Echo ]
[ Whisper Detected: Lin Qiao ]
[ Whisper Detected: Wen Zhihao ]
And then… I heard them.
Faint. Broken. Like someone whispering through a mouth full of water.
"...why… did you…"
"...we… only followed… orders…"
"...it hurts…"
They scratched around inside my head, crawling over each other, trying to dig in.
But nothing happened.
No sting, no weight pressing in — just noise. Empty and dull.
Just them, still talking like their voices meant something.
I blinked, tilted my head a little.
It all blended together — like some broken hum from an old machine that forgot what it was supposed to do.
"You done?" I asked.
They kept going, quieter now.
Almost pitiful.
I snorted. "Guess that's the difference now, huh?"
I tapped my temple, slow. "You can whisper all you want. There's nothing left in here for you to break."
For a moment, the air felt still again — empty, quiet, perfect.
I grinned and looked up as the system screen faded away.
"Taint, huh?"
I chuckled, low and calm. "If that's all it does… then I'll take more."
Then it hit me.
"…Ah, shit."
A small laugh slipped out as I ran a hand through my hair. "I forgot to ask them why."
The grin stayed for a second, then faded.
I should've dragged it out. Made them talk. Made them useful before they vanished.
Now they were gone. Not dead — just erased.
And their answers went with them.
I crouched down, pressing my palm to the dirt where they'd been. Still warm from the Void Eater.
"Why'd you send them, Mei Lin…" I muttered.
"Was it you? Or someone whispering in your ear?"
The wind brushed past, cold against my cheek, carrying the leftover stink of dried blood on the ground.
No answer. Just silence — like even the air had nothing left to say.
I let out a slow breath, eyes half-lidded, voice barely there.
"Fine. Then I'll come ask you myself."
The warmth in my chest started to rise again — not anger, not hate, just that same slow burn that comes before hunger.
"If you send more," I said softly, "I'll devour them too. Every one of them. Until it's your turn."
"Next time…"
My voice was barely above a whisper.
"…I won't forget."
I looked up.
The sky was clear — stars scattered everywhere, the moon bright and cold above me.
Guess it was always there… I just never cared to look.
It felt strange. Calm.
For once, nothing moved, nothing screamed.
Just me, the cold air, and that light falling over everything like it didn't care what happened below.
Still… it looked beautiful.
I wondered how much better it'd look once every piece of trash down here was gone — when the world finally shut up and went still.
Now that… that'd be beautiful.
Then I heard it again, slipping through the quiet, soft and crooked, like something alive in my heart.
Then make it so…