Shit. Shit.
Where is it? I frantically searched my body, scanning every trace of energy for the parasite—Ramus' words echoing in my head. The consequences if that thing latched onto my Nexus…
And of course, there it was. Moving slowly, yes, but comfortably, making its way straight toward the center of my power. Luna must've lost her hold on it some time ago, and now it was almost there.
I didn't hesitate. I gathered every ounce of Beast Force I could muster and surged it through my channels, sending it barreling toward the energy caterpillar creeping toward its prize.
#
'I just ate… so why am I starving?'
I floated through the vast tunnel, relief washing over me. I'd finally escaped. That monster was probably going to get me soon enough, so I have to move fast.
My body… it needed repair. I had already started bu—wait… I hadn't started yet. What was happening?
I crept closer to the source of energy ahead, instincts guiding me the same way they always had. But something was different now. A heat pulsed ahead, one that was fierce, unfamiliar, and irresistible. Its draw wrapped around me like gravity, dragging me toward it.
I didn't take much longer to find it, a nucleus of energy, spiraling with incredible speed and power, but that wasn't what captivated me.
It was the scent.
A divine aroma of power flowed through me, making my whole form shudder in anticipation.
I had to get closer. The remnants of my red energy still lingered around the violet power, acting like a garnish to this main course. I knew this would push me to evolve, to reach a level I'd only dreamed of.
But something itched at the back of my mind. Despite the lure, the creeping desire that pulsed from that power, I knew what it was doing. It seduced you. Drew you in. Then compelled you to destroy yourself.
I froze. Wait… how did I know that? I should stop. I need to stop.
I glanced around, reassessing. I could just hunker down here for a while. The energy flow was constant. I could recover a bit, investigate this strange new force slowly, then move on and find a way to reclaim my physical body. No more rash decisions. That's what got me into this mess.
But what if Luna got me again?
That damned parasite. Okay, maybe I intruded on her territory, but still, couldn't she have shared? It's not like she knew I usually killed my hosts. Nooo, just had to strike first. No warning. Typical.
Luna.
Her name echoed through me and then came the haze.
A surge of pain rolled through my form as thoughts that were foreign, fragmented, and... human flooded into me. I was tormented by sensations tied to limbs and organs I didn't even have.
WHAT IS THIS?!
"Hey! Stop messing around! I'll kill you!" I finally managed to shout, wrestling control back from the overpowering ego now sharing this space.
"Who's there?" the mind cried out, our energy body twitching, power sparking as it searched for the intruder, me.
"In your mind," I said firmly. "And I'm telling you to stop."
Our form tensed. Sparks crackled with apprehension.
"Who are you?"
The creature was clearly intelligent, cautious, and calculating, but most alarmingly, it had resisted the lure of Precursor Energy. Something I hadn't been able to do, and that kinda willpower was terrifying.
My own mind had been overwhelmed by it until now, barely able to insert a small bit of my own knowledge, much less fight back. The indecision of its plans gave me the opportunity I needed to insert myself fully.
But the other thing, the really concerning thing, was that my Precursor Energy had the same hypnotic pull for it that it once had for me. I was inside it now, feeling what it felt, and yeah… it was the same.
'I'm the person you're inside of,' I said, trying to mask the tremor of panic under my words while praying Luna was on her way.
The parasite… relaxed. Just slightly.
'Oh, is that it? You're not the first telepath I've encountered.'
It started drifting toward my Nexus again, abandoning the idea of gradual recovery in favor of gambling on the jackpot swirling at the core of my being.
No. No.
'WAIT!' I shouted internally, scrambling. 'Sure, you could eat all that but then what? One moment of power, then you're stuck hunting again. And besides… Luna is my friend. She won't let you go if I die.'
It paused. 'And if I don't… you kill me anyway.'
I tried to shake our head, but I had no control over the body, none. It was in total control, but I pressed on. 'I just told you a parasite is my friend. My partner. Think about that for a second. You can guess why.'
A long beat.
'Benefits,' it said flatly.
Not wrong these days I guess. It had started out as a messed-up curiosity, but hey, lots of relationships start weird. No need to explain that to him. 'Exactly. I can be of use to you and you can be useful to me too.'
'Let me guess. First benefit: I don't die.'
'Correct.' It might not be immediate, but if this thing latched onto my Nexus, the outcome was certain. My life would start bleeding away, second by second.
I shifted gears.
'You devour energy. I can give enough of it so that you won't grow hungry, and there'll be more to come. You've lived in humans before, right? You know our energy structures can be different right? Designed so that they have purpo—'
'I'm aware,' he interrupted, cutting me off with an eerie calm that left my thoughts spinning. How much did this tiny thing actually know?
I forced myself to sound confident. 'Good. I'm going to fuse them all and create a wellspring of infinite power for you to drink from... Of course, only if you help me.'
We looked around, sharing the same eyes, and he scoffed. 'You're barely functioning. And your "infinite power" tastes like bland soup. Your uniqueness is… minimal.'
That one hit. Not because he was wrong, but because he knew about Elemental Force or at least that I had a 'bland' form of power.
'And you think that's an accident?' I pushed back. 'Stop being so small-minded.' Okay, maybe not the best insult considering his size, but still, this guy clearly wasn't running on lizard brain instincts.
Then something shifted. He stirred something within this body and I felt it. My perception stretched, not my eyes, but something like them, traveling through the channels of my body, threading through the streams of energy like a breeze through a canyon.
It was incredible. If I could share in this ability like I could with Luna's sight...
Through it, I saw her roots, sprinting through my inner pathways, racing toward our position like vines hunting prey.
'Make your choice,' I said, voice hard. 'Kill me and die with me, or work with us. Help us. Grow with us. Doesn't sound like a bad deal, does it?'
A pause. 'Only if it's real,' he said. 'I've been a slave before. I won't be one again.'
'Does Luna seem like a slave to you?'
'Who knows? I certainly don't.'
The roots were getting close, but if he made a break for my Nexus, he'd get there first. Every second stretched into an eternity and trepidation sank into me.
Finally he spoke, 'Stop her.'
I yanked my awareness back to my own body. 'LUNA, STOP!' Immediately, her roots froze mid-charge. I could feel their tension through my veins.
'You got it?' she asked, cautious but hopeful.
'Not exactly… but it's handled.' At least, I hoped so.
Thankfully, he hadn't moved, still nestled in place like he was waiting. I didn't trust him, not yet, but a ceasefire was a start. Still, the way he thought, analytical, cunning, and aware, it was simultaneously terrifying and fascinating.
How did something like this evolve a mind so sharp? So independent? I shoved the question aside.
First step: communication.
Intent shaped my power. Luna and I had learned that a while back, so I focused, breathed deep, and recovered a thread of Beast Force, just enough to ignite a connection. I dyed it with Precursor Energy, then I split it: one strand for Luna, one for our new… guest.
No tricks this time. I just wanted to talk. No way I was going to get outwitted by an energy worm twice in a row.
The thread landed, and my sight flickered to Luna's abilities. I tried to mimic the other power from the worm as the Beast Force hit it, but beginner's luck was not my specialty unfortunately.
I sighed and focused on the new connection. 'I'm Peter.'
'I know.' Luna responded sarcastically. Of course. Either completely unaware of what I was doing, or very aware and just being a bag of sass. Honestly, either fit.
I thought the situation might be complicated like with Luna, requiring me to name her but apparently not, as a quick response confirmed two things.
Luna was unaware considering her transition of color to an orange that flashed to purple of extreme surprise.
And a name.
'Wyrem.'