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The group huddled together as the faint dripping sound of water came from wreckage around them. They had planned on climbing up through the hole the demon and Alban had fallen through the previous day. They decided to rest and grab a small bite from the MRE that had been stashed in these offices. They wanted to give Alban time to return to himself or at least they hoped he regain some of his previous quirkiness. There was also a matter of great importantance that UkI wished to discuss with Kyo.
For now the four of them sat in a quiet circle pulling over tables and hunkering down with sky and stars above them and Fulgur garbing the emergency fire blanket to wrap around Uki causing Kyo to giggle slightly but return to rubbing her soft finger nails threw Alban's matted brown hair. His chest slightly rising and falling as he seemed to be resting peacefully now.
Alban had washed most of the blood out using the bathroom sink and they all had brushed their teeth and cleaned their faces and each had gotten a cup of water to drink from the offices water dispenser. Lucky for them they were on the side of the lab where regular humans had worked. Now with the security bots being allowed to use lethal force, some of the other experiments getting lose escaping or otherwise, not to mention the gaint bloodlust filled demon running amuck most of the staff had been evacuated which in itself was a blessing. She'd gladly cut down anyone who stood in their way but stupid humans were worthless and boring....they all should die screaming in the same agnoy they had inflicted. Kyo was horrified at the notion that had crossed her mind. Sighing sadly in the silence of the room she let herself not focus on thoughts simply letting the person in her lap smell filter through her senses and fill her with hope.
Fulgur's pov
Now on second day after the Demon was released into the lab and two days prior to him confessing his feelings for a certain purple haired man with hetachromea eyes had everything change. He remembered the hardship his lover had been facing daily despite his attempts to make him as comfortable as possible, Uki had created a diversion and making a hole in the walls to save all he could from the slaughter once the robots had been turned on to erraction mode. The scientist did this to remove all evidence of misconduct and experimentation on the "others" of the world. The human government could wind up being libel to the shifter council and others. Fulgur had helped organize and fully committed to helping the "others" escape but he had noticed a change in his lover, that made him quickly concerned especially after Dr. Shoto began showing an interest in his powers beyond that of man. Not that they were in a closed relationship but when those things tend to get Uki hurt it made Fulgur see a bit red.
So when he had found his lover the prior morning he had broken their plan and had started early he himself had started causing mythem to ensue around them all. Now he was watching and holding Uki's form as he grew colder to the touch even though him being a vampire didn't have much warmth to begin with. When he had gone to rescue Uki while Alban had searched for Kyo, Uki seemed to have changed due to the encounter with the demon although he hadn't mentioned anything. Uki hadn't been the same warm motherly self since the demon had been released. Uki was always...hungry. Drinking Fulgur dry to the point of dizziness, which Uki had to rip away from Fulgur in order to stop himself one eye almost red with hunger. Uki had stopped joking around, smiling, he seemed angry, cold even at times. Something in this lab was causing each of them to change.
Uki was becoming dark, enjoying watching the semi alive robots die and get ripped apart. He also seemed unphased when they had to take out some armed scientists who were resisting their advance. Uki seemed to be losing the humanity inside him and Fulgur couldn't figure out why. Till this night when Uki had laid the story out for the entire group. The upcoming ritual where he'd have to transport Kyo to what he could only describe as a hell plane for souls. He had to inhibit the Demons anger and other creatures in order to keep the portal open. It was clearly effecting him.
Later after dinner
Kyo pov
Soon it was time to go complete the ritual that Uki said was needed in order to set balance to the universe.....images of an alternative time had started to settle in her head one where her and the browned hair boy flirted and fought... ahh it hazy she wa ted to scream but she had a mission to complete she wanted to save everyone and she had a ritual to complete.
Kyo inhaled deeply, letting out another breath, before she grabbed onto Uki's pale and cold hand, letting the Vampire lead up the falling stairs as they made their way back out finally to the test field the cold air nipping at both their skins. They watched Fulgur and Alban walk towards the tree line the sun was on its way down but still hadn't set so the two of them hung back in the main room surrounded by the pod that has once held the demon. Kyo lies in the open capusel now and closed her eyes giving Uki one last look squeasing his hand. A portal in her mind opened,
"Close your eyes, and focus on me." She heard Uki soft voice deep within her mind.
Uki chanted something, and Kyo felt the demon tighten her hold onto her wrist. The heat amplified, and she felt as though they were floating, gliding through a pathway the demon opened up. She wanted to open her eyes and see, but she kept them closed, as the demon in her head had instructed. No one needed her accidentally getting lost in purgatory on the way to the Demons domain.
Then Irzeal quietly told her, “open your eyes,”
She found Uki smiling at her his eyes glowing in the darkness like a star up in the night sky.
Uki smiled at her, “We are here. You did amazing, sweetie.”
She shook off what was binding her and Uki image suddenly disappeared and she felt her memories flood her like a 4k movie. Kyo's earliest memories were training with Irzeal, of learning how to wield a sword, how to fight with her bare fists, how to endure pain. The limits of her small human body as well as that of her furious white wolf. She learned everything about herself, long it would take for her to succumb to starvation or dehydration, how much blood loss she could handle, or potential poisons or resistance she had. She even once had skull cracked to see how she fared under brain trauma all done by Dr shoto for his demon slayer agenda. So being in this spirit world should be a walk in the park. Right?
"Pain is the basic of life," Irzeal would say impassively, standing behind kyo in her an exact copy of her body like she was looking in the mirror but her skin was pale and eyes black and no color seemed upon her flesh or hair. In Irzeal hand held it's weapon while blood streamed down from Kyo eye sockets, Kyo own weapon just a simple dagger was held loosely at her side, "You must accept it, to eagerly endure agony for me, your queen" said Irzeal
"For you," Kyo said, small crimson-painted fingers wrapping around the hilt of sword that Irzeal had held. Breath short and wet kyo straightened up, gripping the weapon with both hands as kyo turned in the direction of the keeper's voice in this case Uki’s voice.
"Yes. Her will is all," they said in unionson.
Pain and loneliness were all kyo had known so the complete darkness she was in now was nothing beside, the keeper or Uki calmly keeping her appraised of her progress as they grew closer to the center of where the ritual would take place.
The ritual would be inside the spirit realm or domain taking place in a building whose interior is large, that had long wooden benches lining both sides of the red carpeted aisle, flower petals scattered atop of them. At the beginning of the aisle is a archway decorated with scarlet fabric and black fabric and it leads down to the altar at the end of it, where a pair of golden intricately designed goblets stand. She couldn’t deny that Irzeal does have pretty good taste, taking a moment to look around at the various flowers and other decorations around the infinite domain. She felt like she was out of the lab and in some mysterious places only she knew about in stories only to remember again that she is down in the depths of the spirit plane where wondering souls met strong demons or angels. She really wasn't sure what Irzeal was all she knew is that she had been with her for quite some time.
Irzeal stood as Kyo walked forward with the sword she had manifest at the gateway of entering the domain. Irzeal with her gloved hand reached for it slicing open the back of Kyo hand. Despite it being her first time here Kyo had already learned that flinching and crying was not to be tolerated and would only result in further pain. While Irzeal being a part of Kyo was not permitted to kill her, she had learned there were many, many things that could be inflicted upon herself before her life was in any genuine danger. Irzeal knew these limits well.
"Focus upon knitting the wound," Irzeal informed her, their voice as dry and toneless as it has always been.
Kyo nodded, eyes focusing on the injury even as hot blood began to drip onto the stone below but Irzeal had captured it in the globets. It was like visualizing a zip, to urge the fix the severed nerves, muscle and skin of the split flesh. If she stopped to focus she would heal faster than the passive rate she had learned to in the middle of a fight. It was a disappointment, due to her diluted blood she knew, that even to heal this size wound it required focusing. The bleeding ceased and with fading steam the torn flesh healed. Irzeal watched, impassively, as kyo licked her hand clean of blood before flexing her fingers to confirm she had restored the injury properly. The blood that had been split had been shared between the two goblets that had adorned the alter Irzeal had been careful not to let any of the burgundy liquid hit the ground.
Irzeal stood proud infront of Kyo and a shadow of a man entered her field of vision...it was Uki he looked pale in the light of the archway. His radiant power dwindle. Irzeal smiled as she came up behind him on the alter garbing the cup in one hand holding the sword kyo held in the other forcing kyo to plung it deep into the vampires rib. Kyo's face morphed with grief as tears soaked her cheeks as she watched Uki face twist with pain and a slight groan ringing in her ears yet in actuality it was probably silent. He closed his eyes as she felt power radiating off of him. Tears swirled in his eyes as Kyo let go of the sword and held on to him helping lay Uki on the alter steps while the now for sure demon Irzeal simply laughed swirling the blood that had even a purplish tint to it into the goblets. Kyo sniffled and wiped the tears on the back of her hand rage building inside her. "Why" her voice cracked. She held onto Uki one hand holding his weakening grip and the other pressing into the wound to stop the bleeding trying to use her powers to heal him.
Uki kept his eyes closed, kept his power in check from healing him he let the magic and the universal gift divide and split inside him and some of it drain from his body in essence. Kyo couldn't see it but not only had his blood filled that cup parts of his soul and power filled them. He spoke softly hearing Kyo pleading words forcing himself to grip her hand tightly.
"It was the only way....all the possibilities I saw, all the futures my power allowed me to see the only answer was this one. The only possibility." He muffled out lettings go of her hand. He let himself drift out of the spirit realm back to the waking world. He'd awake there crying out in pain pressing into the wound he didn't actually have a wound there as that place didn't physically manifest but the pain did and by god it fucking hurt. "Shit...this hurts." He forced himself to his feet stumbling along his magical power gone he was a simple vampire the universal power that had been gifted to him had been stripped away.
Dragging himself towards the tree line Uki reflected on what had happened the past two days in their escape attempts. He had to get to Fulgur and Alban had to make sure they were safe and then he'd gladly lay down his life. He no longer could see the future his powers dwindle to that of a fledgling vampire. He also felt an insane amount of hunger. A hunger to ravage and kill. It honestly shared the shit out of him but he pressed on. He heard the faint sounds of a struggle deep within the test field forest.
Kyo's Pov
Kyo sobbed as Uki body turned to ash in front of her. She knelt on the ground as irzeal only chuckled standing above her at the alter her long thin fingers with black nails clung to the goblets. Irzeal had her sliced her own hand out of Kyo perhivery filling each globlet and had swirled them around so now both goblets contained a mixture of all three of their bloods. Kyo knew what was going to happen next. Uki had explained to her prior to beginning this. She took deep inhales her own wolf whimper inside her head and in her soul knowing full well that she was going to have actually have two full time beings inside her. The through of having Izreal's blood thirst and cruel thoughts circling through her brain 24/7 caused terror to fill her. She looked back down at where Uki had been. He had given his life for her.......no.......not just her but for Alban and Fulger and all the other supernatural's.
Kyo growled low in her throat and tightened her hands into her fist as she looked at Irzeal deep into the creatures' eyes and wanted to lash out and kill her but knew she'd only wind up hurting herself.
Irzeal was just glad to have her other half corporatizing with her. Izreal inhaled over the goblets in her hand the power contained within them driving her crazy. Izreal nodded and handed the goblet to Kyo standing trumphmently before her as she watched Kyo drink the contents down her face twisted as the warm burgundy color liquid coated her throat with the taste of copper and peonies flowers. Izreal watched as Kyo held back a gaging cough at the rough taste. Her wolf was used to this taste so in essence Kyo was as well. Not outright having drank it before.
Irzeal voice spoke softly, stroking Kyo tear streaked cheek. “It’s about power,” she said. “The same reason I’m enslaved in this realm. Some people crave power. They crave to dominate. And I’m no different in that sense. Maybe this is my karma.” she stopped for a moment. “I physically hurt the people I care about most, if they let me.” Izreal turned looking out the window through the ornate decorations of the room at the blackened sky of the realm.
Irzeal shook her head as she took her own drink and then embraced Kyo as Kyo let out the first of her painful screams. Izreal began her ascent to the surface as Irzeal grew in power bonding with Kyo's life force and resegregating within her.
Back at the lab Kyo's body began to thrash about in the pod she had laid down in. The burning sensation spreading from her toes up to her face as she tried to scream but nothing came out.
Kyo mind form was still standing in the relem facing irzeal unaware of outter body. She had begun to sweat both in the relem and her actual body. Her vision was darking and she dropped the goblet some of the remaining liquid splashing on to the marble alter base. Irzeal reached for her throat gripping it tightly and smiling leaning into her ear whispering "let me in....and when you wake up all of your worries will be gone."
With that Kyo counciouss snapped and when she woke up in the pod gasping for air pushing herself up falling onto the hard to lab floor. Then she was coughing up blood as the fire in her chest started again looking down at her nails with her failing vision her nails extending past her finger tips turning a dark black. She was on all fours her hands tightening poking herself making her own hands bleed causing her breathing to quicken as well than with a shake of her head she stared as her hair changed color and than it all went black she felt like she was inside her own mind not in the other relem but looking from within she felt and saw her body move on it own and it was moving fast, standing and moving from the lab outside as the tree line approached Kyo body out of her control. In the control of another.
Dr. Shoto awakens in the field with the demon who had shifted back from his guerrilla form.
The creature or demon looked confused sweat beaded it's forehead. Shoto’s eyed the tear marks on the creatures dirty cheeks. He helped the creature whose name he had leanred was Vox sit up against the tree. Vox’s lip was bleeding.
Shoto and him ate the small fruit from the test forset silence between them. He had at first been trying to control the demon to use it to accomplish his goal to protect his family but they were gone already killed by a pack of shifters the same pack that the girl was from. Every time he saw her face he grew angry. He wanted to inflict ever single pain the supernatural had caused him on her but his ultimate goal was to have one of his own to control. He wanted the power to dominate but something was changing he looked over at the demon dressed in a typical kimono red similar to its eyes that looked like fire filtering through them. He was surprised it could actually see through them. Thick black hair down to his back and his skin pale as he been in cryo freeze for 50 years and had his DNA improved and changed with that of both the shifter species Shoto had retrieved from long dead species. He chuckled to himself running his nails through his hair. He really had started something he didn't even know what to do. He cleared his throat looking at the demon next to him.
Shoto asked. “what are you exactly"
“It’s best you don’t know. Just know I’m not dangerous. I suppose I could be if I wanted to. But what good would it do me? I just want to live. Is that so wrong?” said Vox.
“So will you work for me?” Shoto asked.
Vox met Shoto’s eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, looking away.
"It does matter,” Shoto insisted. “This world's balance isn't right. And no matter how much I’ve tried to figure out a way to fix it I’m not finding any answers.”
“Doctor-” Vox
“What will happen when I get out and after your gone” Vox said. “Think about it. You have but one lifetime.”
Shoto’s eyes closed with rage as he couldn't get over the fact . “Why are you worried about--” he stopped, trying to hold back. "Listen just do what I need you to do"
“Sweet Doctor,” Vox chuckled shaking his head. He looked confident and reassurancing. He reached out placing his hand on the doctor shoulder, him being a demon and now being a shifter made him quite a bit taller then the man but that wasn't it. It wasn't the extra 4 inch height difference it was the lack of care the demon had. He had all the power and the body of a shifter now but not the motivation or care.
Vox moved now to stand leaning against the tree staring down at the doctor who was still siting against the tree his eyes burning with lust and the evidence in the outline of his simple kimono.
"So tell me Doctor, would you be willing to make yourself feel vulnerable in my presence for the time you have left in order to have me fulfill your desire?"
Shoto’s expression had changed slightly. No matter how good he was at concealing it, Vox could see the fear in his eyes. He didn’t realize his every breath was trembling.
"You are the demon I was looking for, I knew when I first saw you,” Shoto said
“This means we are bounded now. Now, take a nap, Shoto. Rest your head, and think about the life that extends before you.” Vox said kissing Shoto farhead.
To be countined......battle lines have been drawn who will escape the labs alive?