Chapter 17: A Pause Before the Storm Part 2
(Zaphro's POV)
The air grew heavy as the masked figures circled around us, their dark energy practically radiating. Their presence wasn't just menacing—it was suffocating. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn't help but feel that this was the moment I'd been dreading, the moment when my power would either consume me—or consume everyone else.
"We need to handle this quickly," Verillion said, his hand already on the hilt of his weapon, ready to spring into action. "They're not ordinary players."
Shion stepped forward, his own weapon drawn, eyes narrowed. "Zaphro, stay focused. They're after you. We can't let them take you."
One of the masked figures stepped closer, his voice cutting through the tension. "The Demon Angel... you have no idea what you've become, do you?" His words sent a jolt of dread through me.
"I know exactly who I am!" I snapped, trying to force a calm I didn't feel. "And I'm not going anywhere with you."
The figure chuckled darkly. "You don't have a choice."
Without warning, he lunged. His movements were quick, almost impossibly so, and before I could react, he was upon me, his energy crackling around his hands. I raised my own hands instinctively, the dark energy flaring to life around me, meeting his with a violent clash. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, sending cracks through the dirt beneath our feet.
But it wasn't enough. The masked figure pushed through my defenses, his dark energy overwhelming mine. I could feel myself starting to lose control again—the darkness inside me surging, trying to break free.
"Zaphro, snap out of it!" Dan shouted, breaking through the chaos and striking one of the other masked figures with a precise hit. "Focus!"
The reminder snapped me back. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. My hands trembled, but I could still feel the connection to the dark energy—the glitch that was slowly twisting me into something else.
"I'm not letting you control me," I muttered under my breath. Then, channeling everything I had, I forced the power back. My energy surged, wild and untamed, but now I was the one wielding it.
"Enough of this!" I shouted.
With a burst of force, I sent the masked figure flying backward, slamming into the ground with an explosion of energy. The others hesitated, clearly surprised by the power I was unleashing.
"Zaphro, you need to stop," Shion warned, his voice urgent. "That's not you—this power… it's not stable!"
But I couldn't stop. The darkness within me was rising, and I could feel it overtaking my senses, taking me further down a path I didn't want to go. The world around me began to blur, my vision narrowing as the dark energy swirled like a storm.
One of the masked figures, seeing his comrade down, stepped forward. His voice was low and threatening. "You're playing a dangerous game, Demon Angel. You don't even know what you're unleashing."
Just as I was about to react, I felt a sudden force tugging at me—no, pulling me back.
"Zaphro!" Verillion's voice rang out. He dashed toward me, his sword slicing through the air as he cut through the enemies trying to flank me. He wasn't just fighting them—he was pulling me away, dragging me back from the brink.
The sensation was jarring, as if something inside me was snapping back into place. The power was still there, but I was no longer just a vessel for it. I could feel it—myself—pushing through the storm.
"I'm not your puppet," I growled, shaking off the lingering darkness.
The masked figures seemed to take a step back, sensing the shift in me. The one who had spoken before glared at me from beneath his mask.
"You can fight it all you want," he said, his tone almost pitying. "But there's nothing you can do to escape your fate. You're already ours."
With a final, chilling laugh, the masked figures retreated, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as they'd appeared. It was over—at least for now.
---
The Aftermath
The battle was over, but the weight of what had just happened lingered. We stood in the wreckage of the village square, breathless and on edge. The masked figures were gone, but the unease still hung in the air.
"Zaphro…" Shion said softly, stepping forward. "Are you okay?"
I nodded slowly, though I didn't feel okay. "I... I think I almost lost control again."
Dan placed a hand on my shoulder, his expression serious. "You did. But you pulled through. That's what matters."
I glanced around at the others—Accel, Verillion, Aryus. They were all looking at me with a mix of concern and determination.
"We can't let this go," Verillion said, his voice firm. "We need to find out who these people are. Why they're after Zaphro. This isn't over."
I agreed, but a part of me wondered just how far I'd have to go to stop the darkness within me from taking over completely.
Shion was right. It wasn't just the Demon Angel that was a threat. It was the very glitch in the system that was starting to consume me—and I had no idea how to stop it.
---
(Zaphro's Inner Breakdown)
As we made our way back to the safezone to regroup and recover, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease gnawing at my insides. The power inside me—it was growing. And with each passing moment, it felt like I was losing more of myself.
In the back of my mind, I heard the echo of the masked figure's words:
"You're already ours."
It wasn't just a threat. It was a truth.
And that was the most terrifying part.
---
Author's Note:
The storm is only beginning to form. Zaphro's fight with the masked enemy was just the beginning of a much darker conflict. As the game's glitches continue to spread, Zaphro's battle with his own power becomes more complicated, and the shadows of the Crimson Order grow closer. The truth about his class, and the role he plays in the unfolding events, will soon be revealed—but at what cost?