Damon crashed into the ground with a sickening thud. The impact sent black sludge splashing around him, the vile substance coating his skin like oil. The smell invaded his lungs instantly, thick and rotten, carrying the scent of decay, blood, and something far worse that no words could truly describe.
It felt familiar.
Not because he had experienced the smell itself before, but because he recognized the despair tied to it.
The corruption seeped into him through every pore, every breath, every exposed wound. It slithered through his veins like living poison, twisting his flesh and intoxicating his soul.
Every pore was another doorway for it to enter.
Damon coughed violently, black mucus splattering onto the ground as he forced himself upright. His vision blurred for a moment before stabilizing.
