Lidien’s voice wasn’t loud, but because of the tranquility of the lake, it could be heard noticeably.
The woman in the lake covered her face, then grabbed her clothes hanging on the branch before vanishing from sight.
Yet, Lidien didn’t know... why his 3rd ability given by the Crimson Shard ’Echoes of the Flesh’ which allowed him to read residual memories from biological matter or things with Essence had triggered when he saw her face.
Lidien followed the woman, but like a ghost, she was gone, even with the help of his Incite of Blood.
He chased the woman to where she had vanished, walking with uncertainty without direction or leads, yet he was hoping that something would confirm his curiosity.
"Am I hallucinating?"
Remembering what Lily had said while he chased the Alpha, Lidien shivered down his spine.
"Regretting would never help me in this situation; I need to trust that Lily would find me before she sees me dead..."
He disabled his transformation, his pale skin retreating to normal tone as the visible veins faded, a bone-deep ache settling into his muscles, as if his very sparkline protested the sudden change,
He panted; he was slowly losing strength until only the fatigue was what he could feel.
He knew that if he prolonged his transformation like last time, the pain would be unbearable, or it could cost him his life from overusing his Sparkline.
Lidien sat beside the acacia-like tree.
He slowly looked up and stared at the branches touched by the moonlight, and noticed something hazy slowly coming down.
As his eyes squinted, he saw the hazy form solidify into a familiar silhouette for just a heartbeat before he immediately rolled over to the side.
A small crater formed where he had been sitting... as the dirt and dust settled around the one that had attacked him, the sharp-edged silhouette of the Alpha entered his sight.
The Alpha stared at Lidien like a hunter cornering its prey.
He forced himself to transform back into his Demon form, yet, like a fire that had lost its fuel, he couldn’t use his skill to morph.
Lidien smiled. With just the help of his Incite of Blood, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to fight the Alpha equally.
"Hunting really is in your blood, huh... let’s see who’s the real prey..."
Lidien crouched low and circled the Alpha toward the direction of its hollowed eye. Before the Alpha hardly traced Lidien’s movement, he had already vanished into the shadows.
Springing from a tree, he struck the face of the Alpha with his fist, the impact vibrating up his arm with a satisfying crunch.
The Alpha’s forepaw skidded on the ground from the impact, but it wasn’t enough to knock it out.
As Lidien’s feet touched the ground, he immediately leaped backward to widen the gap between them.
’If I only had my claws--’
But the Alpha didn’t idle for too long before it pounced at Lidien, disrupting his thought.
The Alpha swiped overhead; thanks to the Incite of Blood, Lidien narrowly dodged the sharp claws that tore through the tree bark behind him.
Though he knew his stage was higher than the Alpha’s, he still wouldn’t bet on which was sturdier... his body or the Alpha’s claws...
Lidien’s hands stopped the maw of the Alpha trying to bite his head, forcing it open as he hoped his strength could rip its head from its jaw.
Yet, the Alpha waved its head, sending Lidien flying toward the towering trees.
A tree fell from the impact before Lidien skidded to a stop, his ribs protesting the brutal impact.
Spitting was the only rest Lidien could have as he immediately rolled to dodge another claw from the Alpha.
Lidien’s fingers scrabbled in the soil,
Flinging a handful of dirt and debris directly into the Alpha’s remaining eye. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
As Lidien kneeled, he straightened his right hand, focusing every muscle in it to stiffen it like a dagger...
Lidien knew he couldn’t prolong the fight. Continuously using his Incite of Blood was akin to his Demonic Transformation but weaker in effect, allowing him to use it for a long time... though not infinitely.
He leaped, with all of his remaining strength, and bet everything on this one strike.
His right hand broke with a sickening crunch, yet it pierced through the Alpha’s head as he felt the slimy matter of its brain touch his skin.
The Alpha fell, along with Lidien.
Lidien crawled out from under the dead body of the Alpha and lay on his back, finally free from its weight.
His head was burning; he tried to pull his own hair just to alleviate the pain from overusing Incite of Blood.
Yet, he tried not to make a sound.
He was still in the Bone Orchards, and the last howl of the Alpha... had it been purely a cry of pain, or a final call to its pack? He wasn’t sure, and that uncertainty was danger enough.
Mustering his strength, he touched the still-warm corpse of the Alpha and immediately regretted his decision as a wave of foreign memories flooded his mind.
A soft giggle, familiar yet haunting, made the hair on his arms and neck stand erect.
He scanned his surroundings, but as his ears followed the echoes of the giggles, it only confused him more than helping him find their source.
"Come out... I don’t have any strength left... what are you waiting for?"
Lidien focused again, heightening his senses by overusing his Sparkline with Incite of Blood and Demonic Transformation. As his eyes turned crimson, he could feel his broken hand slowly regenerating, till his nails darkened into claws and his teeth sharpened into fangs.
’Since I’ll die anyway... I’ll let you join me in the end.’
Behind the acacia-like tree, a woman draped in a crimson cloak walked out. She moved with unnatural grace, her steps making no sound on the forest floor.
As the moon’s rays touched her veil, a bright blue eye met his gaze.
"Hi, Lidien... We meet again."