Chapter 133: The Mutation
Thelma Zane’s POV
“I’m feeling a bit cold.” Leviathan’s mocking tone rang out as she glanced at the toothbrush embedded in Ryan’s shoulder, her lips curling into a sly smile. The wound oozed blood steadily, the sight grotesque against the backdrop of her eerie nonchalance. “Aren’t you going to put me down? After all, this is your classmate’s body. He might die from blood loss.”
“What’s the point of preserving a body when its soul has been stolen?” I countered sharply, refusing to be drawn into her twisted games. “Ryan’s soul is in your hands. Will you show mercy and release him?”
Leviathan’s laugh was low and mocking, shaking her head with deliberate slowness. “Mercy? How quaint. Demons are greedier than dragons, my dear. Mercy is not a currency we trade in.”
The wail of police sirens outside the window sliced through the tension, a signal that help had finally arrived. My phone buzzed with a notification confirming the arrival of the werewolf grandmasters alongside the authorities.
Leviathan’s eyes flickered with amusement. “Oh, how fleeting our time together is. It seems our little gathering is drawing to a close.”
“What are you planning now?” My voice was tense, every muscle in my body poised for her
next move.
Ignoring me, she calmly removed the toothbrush from Ryan’s shoulder and rose with unsettling grace. Her voice turned honeyed as she said, “Consider this an introductory gift, a little morsel of information for free. It’s been far too long since we last met, after all.”
Her words sent a chill racing down my spine. “What are you talking about? Who’s reuniting with you after a long time?”
A sickening transformation began to ripple through Ryan’s body. His skin cracked and decayed, blackened veins spreading across his form like spiderwebs. Leviathan’s voice deepened, the mocking cadence still unmistakable.
“My dear, you destroyed the formation. I could have claimed every soul here, but instead, I got just one–and it’s far from satisfying. Still, a deal is a deal. I’ve taken someone’s payment, so I must fulfill their request, limited though it may be.”
I struggled to keep my composure. “What request? What are you talking about?”
Leviathan’s darkened gaze seemed to pierce the very walls. Her attention fixed–beyond the room, as though observing someone unseen. My gut churned with dread.
Before I could act, black smoke began to pour from Ryan’s lifeless body, its fetid stench filling the air. The malevolent cloud surged through the crack beneath the door, escaping into the
Chap 133 The Mutation.
chaos below.
“No!” I bolted for the stairs, my heart pounding in terror.
By the time I reached the ground floor, the smoke had already targeted its next victim. It swirled through the panicked crowd like a predator and plunged into Dorothy’s body with terrifying precision.
Dorothy was thrown backward onto the sofa, her body convulsing violently. Blood streamed from her eyes, her pupils dilating until they consumed her irises entirely.
“What have you done to her?” I screamed at the lingering traces of smoke, my voice raw with fury and desperation.
Leviathan’s disembodied laughter echoed around us. “Relax, my dear. I’ve merely given her a little help. That eye of hers–it’s truly extraordinary. Even I can’t help but envy its power. But treasures like that always come with a heavy price. If you’re so curious, go to the Rocky Mountains. The answers await you there.”
The villa’s front door burst open, and the werewolf grandmasters stormed in. Through the chaos, I glimpsed the battle raging in the courtyard. Strange, writhing creatures clashed with the police, their gelatinous forms evoking the nightmarish image of boneless insects.
My breath hitched as I connected the dots. The caterpillar carcasses left behind by the demonic ritual–the transformation was unmistakable.
Leviathan’s laughter rang out again, taunting. “Do you like my little gift? Consider it a token of our blossoming relationship. Until we meet again, my dear!”
The black smoke dispersed suddenly, slipping through cracks and crevices, leaving only its chilling presence behind. I reached out instinctively, as if I could grasp and contain it, but my hands closed on nothing but air.
. 15
Her final words echoed ominously. “Go to the Rocky Mountains and find the answer.”
Before I could process what was happening, a sliver of the smoke veered toward me and entered my mouth. The icy chill of it was unlike anything I had ever experienced, as though. liquid nitrogen coursed through my veins. My chest tightened in agony as the coldness spread, invading every organ.
I dropped to my knees, clutching my stomach as searing pain twisted inside me. My vision blurred, and my body trembled uncontrollably. Darkness claimed me before I could fight it.
When I awoke, the sterile white of a hospital room greeted me. I blinked against the harsh overhead lights, the sluggish fog in my mind gradually lifting.
To my right, Dorothy lay unconscious in the bed beside mine, her pale face marked by faint traces of blood around her eyes.
Chary The Militan
I shifted, and the pulkof numerous tubes and wires tethered to my body stopped me short. Machines beeped steadily around me, their golden runes glowing faintly. I recognized the handiwork of the werewolf grandmasters immediately.
“Is anyone there?” My voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and unfamiliar to my own ears.
The soft chime of the call bell brought someone rushing into the room. My parents appeared, clad in full protective gear, their expressions filled with anguish.
“Oh, my sweet child…” My mother’s voice cracked, tears streaming down her face as she reached for me but stopped short, held back by the layers of protection.
“What happened to me? What’s wrong with Dorothy? Why all these machines?” My weak questions seemed to intensify her sorrow. She sobbed harder, forcing my father to gently guide her out of the room.
When he returned, his face was grave. Sitting beside me, he took a deep breath before speaking. “Thelma, the demon’s presence contaminated you and Dorothy. It’s changed your blood… mutated it into something unrecognizable.”
I stared at him, uncomprehending “What? That’s impossible!”
My sudden movement sent sharp pain radiating through my body, the tubes pulling taut. The golden runes on the machines glimmered in response, as if suppressing some unseen force
within me.
“Believe me, child,” my father said solemnly. “The grandmasters are working to purify your blood, but the process is slow and dangerous. You must rest. Your life–and Dorothy’s- depends on it.
As the weight of his words settled over me, I felt a chill deeper than any physical cold. Leviathan’s parting taunt echoed in my mind.
The Rocky Mountains held the key to everything. But at what cost?
