the inevitable end

Season 2: The smell of death

Light woke up to the sound of the ground shaking, a noise louder than he expected, like the roar of a giant beast. The ground beneath his feet trembled as if trying to destabilize him. He felt his new power react to this rumble, his senses sharply tuned, and the abilities he acquired from the parasite alerting him to the approaching danger.

He ran towards the sound, and the closer he got, the more the ground trembled until he reached a scene he had never seen before: thousands of ants marching in a straight line in the middle of the desert, a line that seemed endless, all moving as if programmed for the same goal. The ants' eyes glistened in the sunlight, adding to the grandeur and mystery of the scene.

Light approached cautiously, following the giant ants' tracks. The giant ant he had fought earlier had given him a glimpse of these creatures' strength, and he didn't want to face an entire army of them without a plan.

After several hours of tracking the ants, he arrived at towering mountains, but they weren't natural; they were artificial. The mountains looked like they were built with advanced technology, carved with precision to appear as impregnable fortresses. Light couldn't help but wonder about the identity of the beings who built these mountains and the purpose of having such a vast number of ants here.

As he tried to get closer, the ants suddenly surrounded him, as if they were waiting for him. Several giant ants jumped towards Light, grabbing him with their strong limbs before he could cast any spell to defend himself. He tried to resist with all his might, using every spell he knew, but the ants were more organized and stronger than he anticipated. They knew every move he made as if they predicted it before he executed it.

After a fierce battle, he found himself bound by an unbreakable force. He asked the parasite in his mind anxiously, "Why don't you help me? Where is your power now?"

The parasite replied with a voice filled with frustration, "I exhausted my energy controlling your madness. I can't do much now. We are in real trouble."

Light was taken through underground passages, dark and cold. He could feel the ants' eyes watching him from every corner, their movements' sounds filling the air. After a long time, they arrived at a large hall, where he was thrown before a colossal creature.

It was the ant queen, her body enormous and terrifying, her eyes glowing with a frightening blue light. She spoke in a deep, calm voice that carried a tone of sarcasm and mockery: "Are you the little rat who dared to attack my kingdom?"

Light tried to stand and face her with all his courage, but he was tired and exhausted. He said in a broken voice, "I didn't know you were this strong... What do you want?"

The queen smiled in a creepy way and replied, "You, and your new power, will become part of our army. You cannot escape, and we will exploit your abilities for our benefit."

Light felt terrified. He hadn't expected to face such a fate. He knew he had to think quickly to find a way to escape, but he was completely trapped.

At that moment, the parasite spoke again, but with a tone of hope: "There is still hope. If we can gradually control the flow of the new power as we discussed earlier, we can restore your strength and control it better."

Light asked eagerly, "How long will it take?"

The parasite replied, "It will take some time, and there may be moments of intense pain. But if you're willing to endure that, we can get out of here stronger."

Light agreed immediately, realizing that this was his only hope. The parasite began the process of transforming the energy slowly, and Light felt the pain increasing gradually. But he endured, knowing that each passing moment brought him closer to regaining his strength.

While the parasite worked on transforming the energy, Light began planning his escape. There were several giant ant guards around him, but he noticed they had specific weaknesses. If he could regain his full strength, he could exploit those weaknesses to break free and escape.

After long hours of pain and tension, Light began to feel the power flowing through his body. The energy was restoring his vitality and strength in a way he had never experienced before. He began to feel more capable of moving freely, and his bonds started to weaken.

Light seized this moment, casting a powerful spell that broke his restraints and shattered the guards around him. The battle was fierce, but this time he was prepared. He used everything he learned from his new abilities and from the parasite to confront the ants.

During the fight, Light felt the energy flowing through his body smoothly, moving with incredible speed and strength. He managed to destroy the guards and move towards the exit of the passages.

As he ran towards freedom, the queen watched him with burning eyes of anger. She screamed, "You won't escape us so easily!"

But Light didn't stop. He knew this was his only chance to escape. He kept running, using all his abilities to fend off any attack from the ants chasing him.

Finally, after a long and arduous battle, Light managed to reach the surface. The sun was setting on the horizon, its red rays coloring the desert. He breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew this wasn't the end. He had a long way to heal, and a bigger battle to ensure his new powers wouldn't lose control over him again.

Looking at the horizon, he decided it was time to start his new journey, to find a way to balance between power and control. His journey had just begun, and he knew there were many challenges ahead. But he was ready, and with the parasite by his side, he was confident he would face anything that came his way.

In the days following the battle, Light couldn't help but wonder why the ant queen could speak. He turned to the parasite in his mind and asked, "How can the ant queen talk?"

The parasite replied in a calm and knowledgeable voice, "It's because of her power. The stronger the beast, the more intelligent it becomes. Just like the dragon Lilith. Her immense power gave her the ability to speak and think complexly."

Light nodded, absorbing the information. The idea that power increases intelligence was new to him, and he knew this meant that future challenges would be more complex.

Light began his journey again through the desert, aiming for an unknown but hopeful destination. They traveled for two months, crossing vast stretches of sand and dunes without finding shelter or food.

As time passed, fatigue began to creep into Light. The lack of food and water made him feel extremely weak and reduced his ability to use magic to create water. The parasite tried to help him as much as possible, but eventually, it decided to enter a state of sleep to conserve Light's energy.

The parasite said before sleeping, "I'll go into hibernation to save your energy. Be careful, don't rely too much on your magical powers now."

Light advanced through the scorching sands, his eyes scanning for any hope of finding water or food. One day, as he walked under the blazing desert sun, he saw a mirage on the horizon. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't resist the false hope the mirage offered.

Light ran toward the mirage with all the strength he had left, hoping to find something to quench his thirst and restore some energy. But he soon realized that the mirage was a trick, and his strength began to fail him. He stumbled and fell onto the scorching sand, his body exhausted and his mind clouded.

At that moment, he felt utterly alone. The parasite was asleep, and there were no signs of life around him. All he could hear was the hot wind howling around him and the smell of the hot sand filling his nose.

Light lay on the sand, his eyes staring at the vast blue sky. He couldn't move, and he began to feel that his end might be near. But he didn't give up hope. He started to gather his thoughts, trying to find any way to survive.

He began to remember his training and his previous days, trying to recall every technique he had learned and every piece of wisdom he had heard. He gathered what little strength and willpower he had left and started trying to draw moisture from the air very slowly, attempting to create a few drops of water.

The process was slow and painful, but after hours of continuous effort, Light managed to gather a few drops of water. They weren't enough to quench his thirst completely, but they gave him hope and the strength to continue.

At that moment, he heard a faint voice in his mind, the parasite waking up slightly and speaking in a weak voice, "Don't give up. We are stronger than we think. Keep going."

The parasite's words were a powerful motivator for Light. He gathered all his strength and tried to stand up again. He had to find shelter, a way out of this desert hell.

He continued to walk slowly, trying to focus on each step he took. He knew that staying in one place meant death. After hours of continuous effort, he saw a shape on the horizon that looked real, not a mirage.

He began to walk toward the new target cautiously, hoping with all his heart that this thing was real. As he got closer, the outlines of what he saw began to take shape. It was a small oasis, with palm trees and real water.

Light reached the oasis and collapsed next to the water, drinking until he was quenched and regaining some of his strength. He knew this wasn't the end of his difficulties, but he felt hope renewing in his heart. He lay under the shade of a palm tree, allowing himself a moment of rest, knowing that the road ahead was still long and arduous, but he was now ready to face it .

[to be continued]