I Devour the Leftovers

Chapter 9: Thorne's Inspection

Two days passed. Kaelen consumed the remaining high-grade crystals. The Vyre larva entered its Pupa stage. His arm was now encased in a hard, chitinous shell that pulsed with a rhythmic, purple light. He felt stronger, faster, and more aware than ever before.

He stayed in the boiler room, claiming it as his domain. The Scroungers stayed away, terrified of the "Metal-Armed Devil."

The door to the boiler room burst open.

It wasn't Gorran or his cronies. It was Archmage Thorne.

He stood in the doorway, his robes immaculate despite the soot and grime of the lower levels. His eyes, cold and calculating, swept the room. They passed over the broken barricade, the dented boiler, and the shattered padlock.

Then, they landed on Kaelen.

Thorne walked forward, his boots clicking on the metal floor. He didn't speak. He just stared at Kaelen's arm.

"The Vyre is progressing," Thorne said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Stage 2. Pupa. Faster than I anticipated."

Kaelen said nothing. He stood his ground, his body tense. He was stronger now, but he knew he was no match for a full Archmage.

"You've been feeding it," Thorne observed. He sniffed the air. "High-grade crystals. Not the usual refuse."

Kaelen didn't deny it. "I need to eat."

Thorne's lips curled into a thin, cruel smile. "Indeed. You are a remarkable specimen. Your will is stronger than I thought. Most hosts would have been consumed by now."

He stepped closer, reaching out a hand. Kaelen didn't flinch. Thorne's fingers traced the edge of the chitinous shell on Kaelen's arm. It felt like ice.

"The Pupa stage is critical," Thorne murmured. "It is when the Vyre begins to rewrite your genetic code. Your body is becoming a vessel. A weapon."

He looked into Kaelen's eyes. "Do not get complacent, boy. The Vyre is not your pet. It is a god. And you are its altar."

Thorne turned to leave. He paused at the door.

"I will be watching your progress," he said. "Continue to feed it. Make it strong. And when it reaches maturity... I will harvest it."

He walked out, the heavy door slamming shut behind him.

Kaelen stood alone in the boiler room. The coldness of Thorne's touch lingered on his arm.

The Archmage didn't see him as a person. He saw him as a farmer sees a crop. Something to be grown and then reaped.

Kaelen looked at his mutated arm. The Vyre was growing. It was evolving.

Thorne wanted to harvest it.

Kaelen's eyes narrowed.

Over my dead body.

He would become stronger. Strong enough to kill Thorne. Strong enough to keep the Vyre for himself.

He had a new goal. And he would not stop until it was achieved.