Ficool

Chapter 6 - Chapter 5: I Don’t Want to Die

Flames climbed the sides of broken buildings, painting the world in orange and blood. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of decay—burnt flesh, melted plastic, and something else. Something alive.

Rian's boots slid across shattered glass as he ran, pulling Nara by the hand. She was coughing hard, her small frame trembling with every breath.

"Come on, Nara! Don't stop!"

"I—I can't—"

Her voice broke. She stumbled, almost falling, and Rian caught her before she hit the ground.

Behind them, a low roar echoed through the street. Not human. Not even close.

Rian turned, his stomach twisting.

The thing that came crawling through the fire wasn't like the other Hollows. It was massive—its body built from dozens of fused corpses, skin stretched tight over bone, glowing veins pulsing purple through the rot. Its jaw hung open, too wide, dripping black liquid that hissed when it hit the ground.

It screamed.

The sound shattered windows.

Rian's ears rang, his vision shaking.

"Nara, go!"

She shook her head weakly. "No… I'm not leaving you."

"Don't argue! Run!"

He pushed her toward an alley, gripping the broken metal pipe in his hand tighter. His knuckles went white.

He turned back to face the creature. His heart was slamming against his ribs. You can't fight that.

He knew it. But his body moved anyway.

The Hollow charged, the pavement cracking beneath its weight. Rian ducked, rolling aside, swinging the pipe into its leg. Metal clanged uselessly. The thing barely noticed.

It backhanded him. The world spun.

He hit a car hard enough to dent the door. Pain exploded through his chest. He tried to breathe but couldn't.

"Rian!" Nara screamed.

She ran back toward him before he could shout for her to stay away.

The creature turned toward her, its hollow eyes glowing faintly.

"NO!" Rian pushed himself up, but his body refused to move fast enough.

The monster's arm swung down—like a hammer falling.

Nara tried to dodge, but she wasn't fast enough. The blow hit the ground beside her, and debris exploded outward. She was thrown against the wall, her body hitting with a sickening crack.

"...Nara?"

No response.

Rian's chest went cold.

He crawled to her, hands shaking. Blood soaked her shirt—deep red spreading from her side.

"No, no, no…" He pressed his hands against the wound. "Stay with me, Nara. You're gonna be fine. I'll fix this."

Her lips trembled. "It… hurts."

"I know. Just breathe, okay? I'll find help. I'll—"

"There's… no one left."

"Don't say that." His voice cracked. "Please don't."

The Hollow roared again. It was coming closer, slow and heavy, dragging the broken pieces of itself forward.

Rian looked at her, then at the monster. His mind screamed.

He couldn't fight it. He couldn't carry her. He couldn't do anything.

And then, the voice returned.

You want to save her?

He froze.

You can. Just give me what's left of her.

"No…"

She's dying anyway. You can't stop it.

"Shut up."

All that pain, all that fear—you could make it stop. You could make her part of you. She wouldn't leave. She'd stay. Forever.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop it."

Say it, Rian.

The Hollow's shadow loomed over them, blocking the firelight.

Say it.

He looked down at Nara. Her eyes fluttered open, cloudy with tears and pain. She tried to smile, weakly.

"Hey…" she whispered. "Don't cry."

"You're gonna be fine," he lied.

She exhaled, slow and heavy. Her eyes began to lose focus.

And then—she stopped breathing.

Everything went quiet.

The Hollow didn't matter. The fire didn't matter. The world might as well have ended again right there.

Rian just stared at her, his mind empty.

Then something inside him snapped.

He screamed.

It wasn't just anger—it was grief, despair, everything he'd been holding in since the day the sky cracked open.

The voice whispered again.

Do you want her back?

"Yes."

Then eat.

The air shifted. Purple light bled out of Nara's body, faint at first, then stronger, swirling in the air like smoke.

Rian couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

He reached out.

The light touched his skin, warm and soft—like her hand used to be.

And then it sank into him.

He gasped. The world tilted.

Every nerve in his body caught fire. Memories flashed—her laugh, her hand in his, her voice calling his name. Then pain. Then silence.

The Hollow lunged, but Rian didn't even flinch.

Something erupted inside him.

Black tendrils of energy burst from his arm, wrapping around the creature's throat. It screeched, struggling, but Rian's eyes were already glowing—one violet, one pitch black.

"Don't touch her," he said, voice shaking with something inhuman.

The tendrils tightened. The Hollow convulsed, its skin splitting open as streams of light poured out.

Rian pulled—and the light flowed into him.

The monster collapsed, empty and lifeless.

And Rian stood there, breathing hard, surrounded by the fading glow of two souls—the creature's and Nara's.

He fell to his knees beside her body. His hands trembled as he touched her face.

It was still warm.

But there was no light left in her.

He had taken it all.

His body shook. "Nara… what did I do?"

The voice was quiet now. You survived.

He looked at the ruins around him. The burning sky, the dead streets, the endless night.

I didn't survive, he thought. I killed her.

But somewhere deep inside, beneath all the horror and the guilt—he could still feel her. A faint warmth. A flicker.

Her voice echoed, soft and broken.

Rian…?

He froze. "Nara?"

No answer. Just silence.

But he knew he'd heard it.

He held her lifeless body tighter, tears mixing with the rain and blood.

The city burned around him, but he didn't care.

He had crossed the line he swore he never would.

And there was no going back.

Above him, the cracked sky pulsed once, glowing brighter—as if mocking him.

Rian looked up, his face blank, empty.

The whisper came again, slow and satisfied.

Now you understand, Devourer.

He didn't know what that meant. He didn't care.

He just held her until the fires went out, until the dawn came gray and silent.

When he finally stood, the warmth inside him pulsed again. Faint. Fragile.

Her voice whispered one last time, barely audible.

It's okay… I don't want to die.

Rian's hands clenched. His jaw trembled.

"You won't," he said quietly. "You're part of me now."

He turned toward the horizon—toward a world that no longer had a god, or mercy, or light—only him.

The first and last Devourer.

More Chapters