The Demon of Desire: the rise of the slum rat

The deeper they ventured into the Hollow Verge, the more the world seemed to distort. The ground beneath Mikhael's feet felt brittle and fragile, cracking slightly with each step. Above them, jagged shards of rock hovered in defiance of gravity, glowing faintly with residual magic.

Shirone shivered as an icy wind swept through the area, carrying with it faint, indistinct whispers. She stopped and glanced around, her golden eyes wide. "Do you hear that?"

Mikhael slowed his pace, his crimson eyes narrowing. The whispers were faint but insistent, an otherworldly chorus that seemed to come from every direction.

Kael raised a hand, signaling for them to stop. "It's the Verge," they said, their voice low. "It tries to get into your head. Don't listen to it."

Shirone's ears twitched nervously. "What does it want?"

Kael shrugged, their sharp gaze scanning the shadows. "Who knows? It feeds on fear, ambition, and doubt. It'll use whatever it can find in your mind to twist you."

Mikhael's hand moved instinctively to the artifact at his chest. The whispers felt familiar, echoing the same seductive tone the artifact had used during his trial.

A Rift in the Path

The group came to a halt as the ground ahead of them split into a massive chasm. A faint green light glowed from its depths, casting eerie shadows across the broken terrain.

Kael knelt at the edge, inspecting the fissure. "We can't go around this," they said, their tone grim. "And trying to climb down is suicide."

Shirone crouched beside them, her claws flexing. "Is there a way across?"

Kael nodded slowly. "There's a bridge—of sorts."

They pointed to a series of floating stone platforms that stretched across the chasm. Each one was irregular in shape and size, hovering in place with faint magical energy.

Mikhael eyed the platforms, his expression unreadable. "And if they collapse?"

"Then we fall," Kael said simply.

Shirone gulped. "That's not exactly comforting."

Crossing the Chasm

Mikhael went first, his movements precise and measured. He leaped from one platform to the next, the faint hum of magic beneath his feet making the air around him feel heavy.

Shirone followed closely, her smaller frame allowing her to land lightly on each platform. Kael brought up the rear, their focus split between maintaining their balance and scanning for threats.

Halfway across, the whispers grew louder, their tone shifting into fragmented words.

"Turn back..."

"You're not strong enough..."

"Leave this place..."

Mikhael ignored them, his focus unwavering. But when he reached the next platform, the whispers took on a sharper, more personal tone.

"You failed them..."

"You couldn't save her..."

"You're weak..."

Mikhael froze, his breath catching. The image of a young girl flashed in his mind—her face obscured but her voice achingly familiar.

"Help me, Mikhael..."

Shirone's Intervention

"Mikhael!" Shirone's voice snapped him back to reality.

He blinked, realizing he was standing at the edge of the platform, dangerously close to falling. Shirone landed beside him, her golden eyes wide with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Mikhael said quickly, stepping onto the next platform.

Shirone frowned but didn't press further, leaping after him as Kael landed behind them.

A New Threat Emerges

As they neared the end of the chasm, the green light below them surged, and a deep rumble echoed through the air. The platforms began to tremble, their magical hum growing erratic.

Kael cursed. "Something's coming!"

The green light coalesced into a massive, serpentine creature that burst from the depths of the chasm. Its body was covered in jagged scales that glowed with corrupted magic, and its eyes burned with malevolent energy.

"What the hell is that?" Shirone shouted, her claws extending.

"A Verge Wyrm," Kael said grimly. "And it's hungry."

The Battle on the Platforms

The wyrm lunged at them, its massive jaws snapping shut inches from Mikhael. He activated Shadow Step, reappearing on a higher platform and slashing at the creature's head with the artifact blade.

The blade cut deep, but the wyrm's wounds closed almost instantly, glowing veins of magic knitting its flesh back together.

"It's regenerating!" Shirone shouted, leaping onto the wyrm's back. She raked her claws along its spine, drawing sparks and ichor.

The wyrm thrashed violently, forcing Shirone to retreat as Kael hurled a series of explosive orbs at its underbelly.

"We need to disrupt the magic!" Kael shouted. "Those glowing veins—it's using them to heal!"

Mikhael's Gambit

Mikhael's crimson eyes locked onto the wyrm's glowing core, nestled just beneath its scales. The artifact pulsed against his chest, its whispers urging him forward.

"Power... control... destroy it..."

He activated Charge, the artifact blade glowing brighter as he poured his energy into it. With a burst of speed, he leaped onto the wyrm's back, dodging its thrashing tail as he drove the blade into its core.

The wyrm let out an ear-splitting roar, its body convulsing as the corrupted magic within it began to unravel.

"Now!" Mikhael shouted.

Kael hurled their strongest explosive orb at the core, the resulting detonation ripping the wyrm apart in a flash of green light.

Reaching the Other Side

The platforms trembled violently as the wyrm's remains fell into the chasm, its magic destabilizing the area.

"Move!" Mikhael barked, leading the group in a desperate dash to the other side.

They reached solid ground just as the last platform crumbled, leaving the chasm behind them. The group collapsed in exhaustion, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"That... was insane," Shirone said, her voice trembling.

Kael nodded, wiping sweat from their brow. "And it's only going to get worse."

Mikhael stood, his crimson eyes fixed on the distant glow of the Verge's heart. "Let it."

The chapter ends with the group pressing forward, the shadows of the Verge growing darker with each step.