Zeon woke choking on dust.
The cold floor bit into his back like teeth. His head throbbed, every nerve sparking like he'd been struck by lightning. The air stank of ozone, blood, and something else...something wrong.
Aurelion was gone.
Not a body, not a scrap. Just a melted indentation where she'd cradled his head… and died.
Silence throbbed like a warning, and then...
> [SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE]
Welcome, Zeon Dusk.
[Desire Core Activated.]
[Tier 0: Subject Compatible. System Online.]
[Class: PARASITE—Feed. Adapt. Survive.]
[Status: Stable]
~Welcome to the New World. It doesn't love you back.
He blinked. Swallowed.
"What the hell…" His voice was hoarse, barely audible over the buzzing silence.
But there was no time to contemplate. Alarms screamed through the Ascension Center, their pitch jagged and frantic.
The floor quaked again, harder this time. From down the corridor, he heard something unnatural. A wet, heavy growl followed by a scream. Human... brief.
Another scream followed, then crunching bones. And silence.
Zeon froze.
[WARNING: ASCENSION CENTER BREACH DETECTED.]
[EXTERNAL HAZARD LEVEL: HIGH.]
[MOBILITY ADVISED.]
The wall to his left exploded.
A body slammed through it. A guard, uniform shredded, ribs open like a torn bag of meat. Zeon scrambled back, hands scraping the glass-coated floor. The guard's twitching hand stretched toward him… then fell limp.
And through the smoke walked it.
Lithe, humanoid...but wrong. Desire-beasts weren't supposed to make it past the exterior grid. This one… had.
Its skin was bone-white, glistening like oil. No eyes. Just a vertical slit that opened across its face, revealing a maw packed with glass-needle teeth. It was twitching. Breathing. Smelling.
Hunting. It's target must have been Aurelion, but she wasn't here anymore. And the only person who actually was here...
"Shit. No. No. Nope." Zeon bolted.
He didn't look back. Didn't need to. The guttural snarl behind him said enough. He ducked into a corridor, weaving past sparking lights, overturned tables, bodies.
> [Warning: Lifeform Detected.]
[Entity Identified: Desire-beast "GLUTTON."]
[Threat Level: HIGH.]
[Tier: ??? ]
— Combat NOT ADVISED.
"You think?!"
Zeon had no plan. No destination. He just ran.
He tore through the hall, dodging debris and bodies. The corridors were unfamiliar, rearranged, melted, wrong. Some glowed with inscriptions he didn't recognize. Temples of metal and bone.
He didn't stop.
Not even when the screaming stopped.
Not even when the growling got closer.
Not even when the walls began to breathe.
Until...
He slammed into a sealed door.
No handles.
No escape.
He turned just as the Glutton rounded the corner, dragging a ruined console in its teeth.
He was trapped.
"Shit. Shit!" His voice cracked as he stumbled back.
The creature tilted its head. Smiled in satisfaction and even did a celebratory dance as Zeon's fear spiked. Or at least that was what it looked like.
Fear...it was something to feed on. It would have eaten him anyway, but now he was all that more delectable.
> [System Event Detected: Near-Death State.]
[Scanning for compatible trait…]
> [Compatible Trait Located: "DEATH LUST."]
[Source: Aurelion, TIER 5.]
[Extraction Potential: PARTIAL.]
Zeon didn't need to be asked. "Proceed!"
A new feeling burned behind Zeon's ribs.
Something cold.
Sharp.
And hungry.
---
> [TRAIT ACQUIRED: "Death Lust" – Status: Unstable]
— The closer to death you are, the harder you are to kill.
— Pain tastes like power. Bleed more. Survive longer.
---
He didn't understand it.
Didn't care.
The Glutton lunged.
He ducked. Barely. Pain seared across his side as claws sliced through his shirt.
But he was already moving, faster now.
His body was on fire, but not falling.
He was bleeding, but alive.
He grabbed a piece of broken pipe and with every force he could muster, jammed it into the creature's side.
It screeched, more in annoyance than pain.
He pulled it back.
Then again. Harder.
> [DEATH LUST ENGAGED.]
His vision blurred. Colors sharpened and shadows lurked in the corners of his eyes. Every wound fed him. The pain didn't fade at all, instead it made him feel empowered.
For once, the fear wasn't heavier than his limbs. His fear was fuel.
"I'm not dying today, you piece of shit."
He screamed. Slammed the pipe into the thing's eye, repeatedly. Blood gushed out, drenching Zeon but he didn't stop...he couldn't.
It shrieked. Twitched.
And died.
Collapsed in a pile of steaming meat and broken tech.
Zeon dropped the pipe. He tumbled back and hurled.
He hadn't eaten anything for two days now, so he didn't have much luck with that either.
When his gut finally relaxed, he leaned back and he laughed...or choked. Even Zeon wasn't certain.
> [FIRST KILL.]
[PARASITE CLASS EVOLUTION — TIER 1 UNLOCKED.]
You feed on what others discard. Death is your feast.
You have survived your first hunt. Barely.
Trait Slot Filled: [Death Lust (Unstable)]
New Ability Unlocked: Instinct Echo (Locked)
---
He leaned against the wall, clutching his side. The bleeding wouldn't stop.
But he was alive.
"I'm not dead…" he whispered.
> [CONGRATULATIONS.]
[YOU'VE REACHED THE STARTING LINE.]
'AND YOU'RE STILL PATHETIC.'
That could have been his mind or the system. He chuckled. Or sobbed. Again, it was difficult to tell.
[Warning: Tower Breach Expanding. Ascension Tower Unstable. Evacuation Protocol Suggested.]
Zeon staggered to his feet. "Suggest all you want. I'm getting the hell out."
He didn't know how. He had no map, no guide, no friends.
Then he heard it.
A woman's voice. Weak. Pleading.
"Help… please… someone..."
He turned.
There, half-buried in rubble, was a girl in a torn uniform, eyes wide with terror.
Behind her, another creature that was much bigger and cloaked in a shell of red armor emerged through the smoke, hindered by a transparent wall.
Its eyes locked on Zeon, and it began a frantic attempt to break through.
[Warning: Lifeform Detected.]
[Entity Identified: Desire-beast "Feral Lord."]
[Threat Level: High]
[Tier 4 – Carnal Dominator ]
— Estimated Combat Survival Rate: 2.7%
The red beast roared, and another system notification popped up.
[Compatible Host Detected]
Subject: Female Resonant
Status: Critical
Tier: 1 – Unawakened Desirer
Bond Potential: Volatile
Trait Synergy: Unknown
Emotional Resonance: Weak but Rising
> Warning: Forced bond may lead to Host degradation or system instability.
Initiate Bond? [Yes] [No]
Zeon's breath caught. He could choose to run, flee and save himself.
After all, up until a moment ago, she stood a better chance against... anything really, compared to him.
And he would have, he was no hero. But this wasn't survival anymore.
This was evolution, and evolution always had a cost.
He stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Let's see how much I can take before I break."