As the lab plunged into darkness, chaos erupted.
Scientists screamed. Guards shouted. Flashlights flickered to life, casting long, sharp shadows against the walls. Some guards used their powers to generate light, hands glowing with magic or technology—but none of it pushed back the growing sense of dread.
Everyone was on edge, frantically trying to understand what caused the power outage. But few realized the truth in time.
The monsters they had been experimenting on... were free.
One by one, people began to vanish. Bloodcurdling screams echoed through the halls as figures were dragged into the shadows. Panic turned to terror.
Deven, unaffected by the darkness, walked among them like a phantom. His night vision cut through the pitch black, allowing him to watch the fear build in their eyes. He decided it was time to give them something real to be afraid of.
He spotted a group nearby—three guards, three scientists. Tightly clustered, paranoid, attacking anything that moved in the light. They were tense, breath ragged, nerves frayed.
But then, quietly, one of the scientists was gone.
No sound. No struggle. Just missing.
The remaining two scientists noticed and looked up, dread dawning on their faces.
Above them, rows of spinning teeth rotated like a grotesque drill.
A moment later, blood exploded down upon them. They barely had time to react before the thing dropped—shredding them into chunks, its rotating maw grinding through flesh and bone like wet paper. Screams were cut off as the entire group was torn apart.
Deven continued his silent stroll through the crumbling facility, releasing every monstrous experiment he passed. One after another, cells were unlocked. Abominations spilled into the dark, taking their revenge on the humans who had caged them.
But then he stopped.
Something... pulled at him. A strange connection.
Inside one of the reinforced cells sat a Rift Walker. Unlike the others, this one was different—fragile, misshapen. Its chitinous shell was cracked in places. It had clearly been experimented on far more than the rest.
Weakened. Abused. On the verge of death.
Deven stared at it, unsure why he felt compelled. Then a thought crossed his mind:
If I gain power by consuming others and mimicking their abilities… what happens when a monster that doesn't mimic anything consumes one that does?
Without hesitation, Deven tore off one of his own fingers. He held it up to the Rift Walker, who tilted its head slightly, unresponsive. With a sigh, Deven stepped forward and shoved the blackened finger into its mouth.
It swallowed.
Deven stepped back, watching closely.
The Rift Walker began to twitch—then tremble. Its fragile form morphed, its broken shell shedding like old skin. It grew in size and structure, its limbs reshaping, armor plating forming over its body. When it was done, it resembled something regal—a knight draped in black, insectoid armor fused with the likeness of a royal guardian.
Deven gave a faint smirk and turned to leave. But before he stepped through the doorway, he heard a voice behind him—a deep, guttural growl, rich with newfound strength.
"I heed a name for this new form… that my creator has given me."
Creator? Deven thought. He hadn't created anything—only offered strength. Still, he let it slide.
"Fine. Let's go with... Kaethrel."
The creature kneeled, bowing its head.
"I, Kaethrel, swear to protect my creator from the lowly mortals."
Deven stared at him for a moment, expression unreadable.
He said nothing—and continued walking. Kaethrel followed without question, the silent knight to a growing storm.
As the two walked, they watched scientists and guards being brutally slaughtered by the very monsters they once experimented on. Deven stepped over a mangled corpse, reaching down to take an ID card from a dead scientist's jacket. With Kaethrel silently following, they made their way through the carnage until they reached a set of elevator doors.
Using the stolen ID, Deven activated the panel. The elevator hummed to life and carried them upward. When the doors opened, they were greeted by the sight of a dense forest—and two figures waiting just beyond the treeline.
Dr. Octavis stood with a deranged smile, beside a massive guard clad in thick, reinforced armor.
"Did you really think I'd let you escape so easily?" the doctor said, laughing lightly.
"You two are my precious experiments. I've worked on you for years. There's no way I'm letting either of you leave."
Deven raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"I appreciate the concern," he said flatly, "but to be honest, I don't care what you think."
Octavis blinked, then sneered. "Hah? What did you just say?"
"I'm actually glad you stayed instead of running like a coward."
The insult struck a nerve. Octavis's expression twisted in rage.
"Coward? You think I'm a coward?!"
"Yeah. That was my assumption. But since you're here now, I won't have to waste time hunting you down."
Octavis's eye twitched. "Why the hell would you want to hunt me down?"
"Because you're my first target. I want that brilliant little brain of yours," Deven said calmly, "so I can understand how to kill the rest of your kind."
For a moment, Octavis was silent. Then he burst into manic laughter.
"Ahahaha! You're funny—I'll give you that. But it's too bad I'll have to put you down."
The massive armored guard charged forward, aiming directly for Deven. But before the blow could land, Kaethrel stepped in, effortlessly catching the attack with one hand.
The guard growled and leapt back, now cloaked in a dark red flame. With a roar, he lunged again—but this time Kaethrel pulled a pitch-black sword from his own arm and blocked the attack.
The two clashed, blow for blow, their battle shaking the ground beneath them.
Octavis glanced sideways at Deven, grinning. "Looks like they're evenly matched, don't you think?"
Deven closed his eyes briefly.
"Yes," he muttered, "but not for long."
When he opened them again, his gaze was cold and lifeless, eyes as dead as the corpses below.
"Stop wasting time, Kaethrel. We don't have long before reinforcements arrive."
Kaethrel nodded. "Very well, Creator."
With a single fluid motion, Kaethrel disarmed the guard and sliced clean through his neck. The armored body collapsed to the ground with a metallic thud.
Octavis's smile vanished.
"No... no, no, no, NO!" he shouted, trembling. "This can't be happening. The lab... my work... my experiments!"
He clawed at his own skin, laughing and screaming at once, before bursting into flames. His entire body ignited and twisted, reshaping itself into a being made entirely of fire.
Kaethrel instinctively moved in front of Deven.
"Stand back," he warned.
But Deven raised a hand.
"Move."
Kaethrel hesitated.
"But, Creator—"
"I said move."
Silently, Kaethrel obeyed, stepping aside.
Octavis, now a flaming creature of rage and desperation, lunged forward.
"I'M NOT LETTING YOU TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME!"
Deven's right arm morphed into a long, blackened limb. His fingers curled into clawed points. As Octavis flew at him, Deven caught him by the face and slammed him into the ground.
"Why aren't you burning!?" Octavis screamed. "You should be hurting from this—!"
"Thanks for letting me eat you," Deven said coldly.
Octavis's eyes widened in horror as Deven's jaw unhinged, splitting open to reveal rows of jagged, unnatural teeth.
Before Octavis could say another word, Deven began to devour him alive—bit by bit—until nothing remained.
Just as darkness always does.