The monster smiled.
It shouldn't have been possible — its split jaws twitching, the blue glow of veins pulsing brighter, eyes blazing like dying stars. But there it was, twisting its face into a grotesque mimicry of human satisfaction.
Eliel felt a chill crawl up his spine. It's enjoying this.
Before he could react, the creature vanished in a blur. Its weight hit him square in the chest, sending him flying backward through a cracked door. The impact knocked the air from his lungs as he slammed into a desk, splintering it in half.
He coughed, tasting blood. His greatsword clattered beside him, the glow along its blade dimming.
"Eli!"
Through the haze of pain, he heard Patoa's voice. The Jamaican's footsteps echoed down the corridor, fast, uneven.
"Stay back!" Eliel rasped, scrambling for his weapon. "It's fast now!"
But the warning came too late. The creature lunged from the shadows of the broken doorway, its claw slicing through the air. Patoa barely ducked, feeling the wind of it graze his dreadlocks. He hit the floor hard, rolled, and pressed his palm against the ground.
A faint shimmer rippled across the tiles — invisible to the naked eye, but Eliel could feel it.
"Mark set!" Patoa hissed.
The monster spun toward him, its eyes narrowing as if sensing something off.
"BOOM!"
The floor erupted. Shards of tile and black blood flew as the explosion threw the creature sideways, slamming it into the far wall. The corridor filled with smoke and dust.
Patoa panted, sweat dripping into his eyes. "Mi hope dat hurt, yuh ugly demon."
Eliel staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. His chest screamed with pain, but his grip on the sword tightened. "You're getting better with those blasts."
Patoa smirked weakly. "Practice under pressure, mi boss."
The dust parted—revealing the creature already rising again. Its flesh had been shredded, ribs exposed, yet the blue veins stitched themselves back together, pulsing faster.
A low hum filled the air. The lights overhead flickered erratically.
"Eliel…"
"I see it," he murmured. "It's adapting again."
This time, the creature didn't charge blindly. It crouched, studying them, its head twitching in small, calculated movements. When it spoke, the voice was barely human — broken syllables warped through its torn throat.
"...food..."
Patoa's grin faltered. "Ayy mi boss, did dat ting just talk?"
Eliel lifted his blade, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "I wish it didn't."
The monster moved first — not straight at them, but along the wall, claws digging into the plaster as it ran sideways like a lizard. Eliel's instincts screamed; he swung up just in time to block a downward strike. Sparks flew. The greatsword trembled in his grip.
Patoa ducked under the creature's other arm, trying to touch its side. His palm brushed against its ribs, leaving his invisible mark — but before he could detonate it, the creature twisted with inhuman grace, kicking him square in the chest.
Patoa crashed into a locker, metal crumpling under the impact.
"Patoa!"
Eliel's anger spiked. He brought his blade up in a furious arc, cutting deep into the monster's shoulder. It roared, ichor splattering across the floor. The wound glowed faintly, but before it could heal, Patoa wheezed out a word.
"Boom."
Another explosion ripped through the hall, sending the beast stumbling backward. The sound rang in their ears, dust and flame swallowing them both.
When the smoke cleared, Patoa was on his knees, coughing violently. His shirt was torn, his chest bruised. "Mi cyan keep dis up long, mi boss. It drain mi bad."
Eliel glanced at him, chest heaving. "Then we finish it fast."
He focused his breath, trying to steady his body. His vision blurred at the edges, but his will — that stubborn, unyielding spark — burned brighter. He stepped forward, dragging the greatsword behind him, its edge scraping against the tiles.
The creature rose once more, now half-crawling, half-limping. Its face reformed as it growled, veins glowing like molten wires.
I can't outmuscle it forever, Eliel thought. But maybe I can outthink it.
He darted forward. The creature met him halfway, claws slashing in a blur. Steel clanged against bone, sparks painting the air. Eliel ducked low, twisted, and slashed upward through its arm. The limb flew free, hitting the wall with a wet smack.
But the monster didn't stop. It kicked, headbutted, bit, driving Eliel back step by step. Its roar filled the corridor, shaking his skull.
"Now, Patoa!"
Patoa, barely standing, extended his arm — not at the creature, but at the severed limb still twitching nearby.
He smiled weakly. "Surprise, mi monster."
Boom.
The explosion detonated the dismembered limb, sending a shockwave through the narrow hall. The creature was thrown into the ceiling, its spine cracking audibly before it hit the floor in a heap.
For a moment, everything was silent except for the sound of crackling debris.
Eliel stood hunched, sword lowered, every muscle trembling. Sweat poured down his face, his breath ragged and shallow. He could taste metal — his own blood.
Patoa limped over, clutching his ribs. "Mi nuh tink mi can feel mi left side."
Eliel smirked through exhaustion. "You still talking. That's good enough."
They both stared at the creature's motionless form.
"Did we... kill it?" Patoa asked quietly.
The silence stretched. Dust floated lazily in the air.
Then, with a sudden, violent twitch, the creature's body snapped upright.
Its chest pulsed brighter than before — an unbearable blue light that filled the corridor like lightning.
"Oh hell no," Patoa whispered.
Eliel gritted his teeth, dragging himself upright. "Round three."
The creature screeched, the sound metallic and distorted, and slammed its claws into the floor. Cracks spidered outward, blue energy racing along the tiles. The dormitory shook violently, light fixtures swinging like pendulums.
"Back!" Eliel shouted, pulling Patoa behind a doorway as a wave of energy erupted down the hall. The explosion tore through walls, sending chunks of plaster flying.
When the tremor stopped, the corridor was unrecognizable — rubble everywhere, flames licking the walls, the smell of smoke thick and choking.
Through the haze, the monster stood in the center, transformed.
Its body had slimmed down, its movements sharper. The light beneath its skin burned steadier now — intelligent. A predator reborn.
Eliel exhaled slowly. His hands shook around the sword's hilt.
"Mi boss…" Patoa's voice trembled, but his grin returned despite the fear. "If dis ting can level up, we dead fi sure."
Eliel spat blood and smiled grimly. "Then we just have to level up first."
The creature's glowing eyes locked onto them again.
And it moved.