Chapter 67: The Parasite's Hunger
The world was not as simple as the citizens of the Sectors believed. Beyond the neon lights and the fortified walls, the true source of power remained hidden in the bowels of the earth. Deep within the jagged, lifeless peaks of The Petrified Land, lies the Vane Core—a pulsating heart of raw, cosmic energy. From this ancient source, Vane energy leaks into the world like a slow-poisoning gas. In some humans, this energy finds a home, turning them into the elite warriors known as Vaners. Others, who cannot control the flow, are branded as Cursed Vaners, walking time bombs of unstable power.
But most of the energy simply drifts through the air, invisible and silent. When this "Open Vane" energy concentrates in a single location, it begins to rot the very fabric of reality. It coalesces into nightmares—demons, devils, and monsters whose strength is determined solely by the volume of Vane they have absorbed.
The cycle of death is even more twisted. When a Vaner or a Cursed Vaner dies, their body doesn't rot. It hardens into a grey, lifeless statue before disintegrating and teleporting back to The Petrified Land, feeding the Core. However, for those at Level 0, 1, or 2, death is unpredictable. There is a fifty-percent chance that instead of returning to the Core, the dying soul fragments into a Parasite. These invisible entities are spectral leeches that instantly seek a host. They merge with a human's nervous system, capable of speaking to them, granting them forbidden Vane power, or in the worst cases, corrupting their mind until nothing of the original human remains.
The Kimo Residence: Mina's Bedroom
Mina sat on the edge of her bed, the soft light of her room providing a false sense of security. She was still thinking about Ren, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity. The silence of the house was absolute—or so she thought.
"Little girl..."
The voice was a dry, rasping whisper that seemed to echo not in the room, but directly inside her skull. Mina jumped, her heart leaping into her throat. She gripped the edges of her mattress, her eyes darting frantically from the shadows in the corner to the space behind her wardrobe.
"Who... who's there?" she stammered, her voice trembling.
She leaned over the side of the bed, peering into the darkness beneath the frame, expecting to see a prankster or a hidden speaker. "If this is a joke, Lai, it's not funny! Come out right now!"
"This is no prank, child. Look all you want, you will find nothing in the shadows. For I am not beside you... I am within you."
Mina froze. The voice was cold, vibrating against her spine. She felt a sudden chill wash over her, a localized frost that seemed to originate from her own chest. "Within me? What are you talking about? Get out! Get out of my head!"
"Stop your whimpering," the voice hissed, sharper now. "I am Michael. I was once a Vaner of the Academy, a warrior of renown. But fate is a cruel mistress. In my final moments, I did not return to the Core. I became a Parasite, and your body was the nearest vessel. I am the voice in your blood, the shadow in your marrow."
Mina's face turned deathly pale. She had heard stories—whispers in the Academy hallways—about the Parasites. Creatures that lived inside you and slowly hollowed you out. "A Parasite... I have to tell Dad. He'll know what to do. He can remove you!"
She scrambled toward the door, her hand reaching for the handle, but her legs suddenly locked in place. It wasn't that she was frozen in fear; it was as if her muscles had stopped obeying her commands.
"Stay your hand, Mina," Michael growled. "If you speak a word of my existence to that man—or anyone else—I will shred your vocal cords from the inside. I can stop your heart with a single thought. Do not test me."
Terrified, Mina retreated to her bed, sinking onto the pillows. Tears blurred her vision. "What do you want from me? Why me?"
"I am hungry, girl. Being a Parasite is a state of eternal starvation. I need sustenance to stabilize my form within your Vane channels. If you do not feed me, I will have no choice but to start consuming your internal organs. Your liver, your lungs, your heart... they look quite appetizing from where I am sitting."
Mina gasped, clutching her stomach as if she could feel him lurking there. "No! Please, don't! Tell me... what do you eat? I'll get you whatever you want."
"Raw meat," the voice replied, a hint of dark satisfaction creeping in. "And blood. Fresh, red, and rich in iron. It is the only thing that can satiate a Parasite's thirst."
"Raw meat? Blood?" Mina whispered, her stomach churning at the thought. "But... where am I supposed to get that? Dad will notice if things go missing from the kitchen. I can't just... I can't do that!"
"I do not care for your excuses!" Michael roared inside her mind, causing a sharp, stinging pain behind her eyes. "Find it. Steal it. Kill for it if you must. But feed me within the hour, or I shall begin my feast with your own flesh. Move, girl! My hunger will not wait!"
Mina stood up, her movements shaky and robotic. She looked at her reflection in the mirror—she looked the same, but she felt like a hollow shell. Driven by a primal fear for her life, she slowly opened her door and crept toward the kitchen, her mind racing for a way to satisfy the monster living under her skin without alerting her father.