From the suffocating darkness surrounding Kevin, something watched—an unseen presence, tracing his every move. It lurked, patient and calculating, its gaze like cold fingers trailing down his spine. It studied his emotions, drinking in his every word. And the moment it saw an opening, it seized it.
"Why does he fight like a—"
"Like a mindless beast?"
A voice—new, sharp, eerily confident—sliced through the silence, finishing the thought Kevin hadn't voiced aloud.
His breath hitched. His head snapped toward the source.
"Who?" The question slipped out before he could stop himself.
Nothing.
Silence.
A prickling tension crawled up his spine, slow and insidious. The air thickened, the darkness pressing closer. He couldn't see it, but something had changed—something was wrong.
Still unaware, he didn't notice the invisible barrier contracting around him, slowly closing in until its radius shrank to less than a step. Transparent. Imperceptible.
Until it was too late.
Kevin spun on the spot, pulse hammering against his ribs. His gaze darted through the void, searching—desperate.
And then—
"BOO."
A breath of sound. A whisper against the abyss.
"You lost."
Two steps away, a figure identical to Kevin materialized out of thin air. A grin stretched across his face, wide and gleeful, as if he had just won a grand, private game.
Instinct seized control—Kevin bolted backward.
Just one step.
Pain exploded across his back as he slammed into something solid—something invisible.
"Sh#t."
His heart nearly leapt from his chest. His fingers curled, his legs tensed, ready to move—to fight—but the being simply stood there, watching him with that insufferable smirk.
"Looks like I've got no choice, huh?" Kevin thought, gritting his teeth.
For a moment, he stayed still, assessing. This wasn't just a copy—this was something else.
His reflection stared back at him, but the similarities ended there.
Its eyes—his eyes—weren't green. Instead, dark green lightning crackled in the sockets, pulsing like the heartbeat of something ancient and volatile.
Yet the creature didn't move. It stood with unnatural ease, watching, its grin never wavering.
A challenge.
A game.
Kevin refused to blink. If this thing wanted to play mind games, it had picked the wrong opponent.
They stared at each other, neither flinching.
Seconds stretched into eternity until the weight of the silence grew unbearable.
Kevin tore his gaze away.
"HA! You lost again."
Kevin snapped his attention back to the being's smug expression, his face deadpan.
"Sorry, but I like girls," he said, an apologetic shrug paired with mock sincerity.
Of course, it was just an act—but the slight twitch in the being's grin didn't escape him.
Kevin's lips curled ever so slightly. "Got you."
"Want to hear something interesting?" The being chimed, voice bubbling like an overexcited child.
Kevin studied him—the creature wearing his face, speaking in his voice, yet acting with unsettling amusement. The sight was wrong. Repulsive.
"Why don't you tell me who you are first?" Kevin countered, his voice cool.
Normally, he wouldn't risk provoking something like this. But given his current situation? The danger was already sky-high.
Besides… what was the worst that could happen?
Death?
Considering he wasn't even sure if he was alive now, the stakes hardly mattered.
"Ooooh, someone's feisty." The being chuckled, amusement dancing in its glowing eyes.
"It's not like I can't tell you, but… where's the fun in that?"
Kevin's eyes narrowed. Enough of this.
Before he could snap back, the being continued.
"You do realize I just saved you, right?"
Kevin blinked. Saved?
"What?"
"Come on, my boy, take a proper look at yourself."
Kevin hesitated. He glanced down at his hands—pale, trembling slightly, yet… off.
Something inside him shifted. Twisted.
"One of the most destructive forces is slithering through your very soul, roaring, fusing with you—and this is what you're worried about? My identity?"
The words sent ice down his spine.
"Should I call you foolish or dangerously brave?" You decide.
Kevin's mind reeled. Soul? Power? Saved? What kind of lunatic spoke like this?
None of it made sense.
And yet, standing here, feeling the strange hollowness in his chest, he couldn't deny—something was wrong.
"If you supposedly saved me, why am I here like this?"
The being's grin stretched wider, dark amusement leaking into his expression.
"Isn't it obvious? Because you are the one who integrated with the Seed."
"What seed?"
"If you don't know, figure it out yourself."
The flippant words grated on Kevin's nerves. Frustration sparked beneath his skin, hot and volatile.
He clenched his fists, sucking in a breath—but nothing filled his lungs. No sensation. No air.
Only the abyss.
And the creature, still grinning, waiting.
Watching.
"Alright, you won't tell me. Fine. Then just answer this—why me?" Kevin's voice was edged with frustration, his tone sharper than before.
A chuckle.
"Calm down, boy. Anger kills sanity, and sanity keeps people alive. You do understand that, don't you?"
Kevin didn't answer. He lunged forward, aiming to seize the being by the throat—but the unseen barrier halted his movement mid-step.
"Why is this so close to me now?" The realization hit him hard.
He turned his glare toward the smirking figure wearing his face.
"Did you do this too?"
"Let me out, you bastard! Then I'll show you what real anger looks like!" Kevin's voice tore through the space.
Laughter—deep, rich, mocking.
"Ignorance is such a blessing for beings like you." The being grinned, amusement flickering in his unnatural eyes.
For the first time, he moved. His hand rose, fingers brushing against the barrier—slow, deliberate, inspecting.
His gaze locked onto Kevin.
"You know, boy… this thing? It's not my creation."
"It's yours."
"For you."
"Want to know why?"
Without warning, the being flicked his fingers against the barrier—light, barely a touch.
Crack.
Kevin's breath caught. His eyes widened as fractures spread across the surface like a spiderweb.
And then, pain.
A searing agony exploded through his body, forcing him to his knees. He clutched himself instinctively, but the torment wasn't localized—it was everywhere. Like dozens of nails driving into his flesh all at once.
A voice seeped into his ears.
"See? Useless as it is, this barrier—your barrier—is the creation of your own will, trying to keep me away." The being crouched, watching Kevin with fascination, careful to maintain distance from the damaged, slowly healing barricade.
Kevin gritted his teeth, breathing heavily despite the lack of sensation.
"Why are you doing this to me?" His voice was strained, barely holding together.
The being sighed, tilting his head as if Kevin had asked something ridiculous.
"Don't take it personally, boy. If not you, then someone else in your lineage—either you or your future son."
The words sent a ripple of unease through Kevin.
"By sheer coincidence—" the being's grin widened, "—fate decided you'd get the privilege over him."
"What the fu#k are you talking about?" Kevin snapped. "I'm not even married!"
"Yet," the being corrected, amusement lacing his tone.
Kevin stiffened, something in his gut twisting.
"What do you mean?"
The being didn't answer immediately. His grin lingered, but his eyes… they held something deeper. A knowing.
"It looks like your father never told—" His words cut off abruptly.
A sudden tremor ran through his form. Cracks splintered across his body, dark veins of energy pulsing beneath the surface. He let out a slow, controlled breath.
A sigh.
"Looks like we don't have much time left together."
He exhaled, irritation flickering across his face. "Since I'm getting erased faster than expected, let me just dump everything you need to know."
Kevin tried to push himself to his feet, but the pain was still there, thrumming through his bones.
"If you want to keep your sanity intact, never rely on your regeneration."
"What—"
"Beyond a certain threshold, your soul becomes the fuel for it. Every time it happens, madness is born as a byproduct. If it surpasses your 'will'—if it becomes too much to control—your 'will' will make a choice."
"It will abandon your mind."
"Your brain will be left to fend for itself, while your soul retreats for protection."
"Then you'll end up back here." His voice dropped, dark and final.
"And madness will take control of your body."
"Like a mindless beast, clawing for a cure to a soul it can never truly fix."
Kevin stared at him, heart pounding. The weight of those words sank in, slow and suffocating.
"Why are you telling me this?"
The being's grin faltered for the first time.
He blinked, as if searching for an answer. Then his smile returned, though weaker than before.
"Because, boy…" he paused, looking at Kevin with something almost akin to pity.
"Unlike me, who has existed for this one moment, you will have to survive for fate to play her game."
"You are no longer free, boy. You are now a prisoner of it."
"That's why you are also an important piece for it."
"And if you die just because of lack of information, won't the fun get disturbed?"
Before Kevin could speak, the being ended the conversation.
"Keep going, boy; who knows, one day you will be free."
Crack
Right in front of Kevin, the being's whole body collapsed, broken like a fragile glass getting destroyed under the sheer pressure of unknown power.