Love, Basketball and Demons

Chapter 14: Confrontation

The air in the business school lecture hall was thick with tension, like a dense fog that had crept its way through the cracks and settled amongst the group. Boon leaned against the desk barricade they had constructed to protect themselves from Ethel, who was lurking in the halls. The dim emergency lights cast eerie shadows across his face as he stared at the door, his jaw clenched.

"Where is Zack?" Deb murmured anxiously, wringing her hands as she paced back and forth. Rob, equally worried, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to provide some semblance of reassurance. "He'll be back soon," he said softly.

Ahmed couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was amiss. "Boon," he called out, his voice wavering slightly. "Did you check the fire extinguisher we gave Zack? Are you sure it's working?"

"Of course I checked it!" Boon snapped, his eyes narrowing with irritation. But deep down, a heavy knot of guilt weighed upon him. He knew he hadn't inspected the extinguisher as thoroughly as he should have. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as the realization gripped him; he may have just sent Zack to his death.

Meanwhile, Zack stood in the janitor's closet, his heart pounding like a caged animal desperate for escape. He stood face to face with Gluttony, the monstrous embodiment of one of the seven deadly sins. Zack slipped the keys into his pocket, his gaze never leaving Gluttony.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through him as he seized the fire extinguisher, yanking the pin free and aiming it directly at the towering creature. This was it - his moment to create his escape. His finger squeezed the handle, but instead of the anticipated blast of foam, there was only a hollow click. He stared in disbelief, his heart sinking as he realized the extinguisher was empty.

"You didn't even check your weapon before you came here?" Gluttony taunted, its voice dripping with malice like poison from its fangs. As it spoke, Zack lifted his hands attempting to create another shield like he had before, but nothing seemed to happen. A twisted grin spread across the creature's face, and Zack knew he was in trouble.

Gluttony lunged its grotesque form into a blur of darkness, pinning Zack to the cold linoleum floor. Panic surged through him as he struggled to break free, his muscles straining against the weight of the monster bearing down on him, not even his vessel strength seemed to make a difference. It was pointless; Gluttony's strength far surpassed his own.

"Let me give you a taste of your true power," Gluttony hissed, its breath hot and rancid. The creature leaned in close, whispering an ancient incantation into Zack's ear. He felt the words seep into his very being, their dark power igniting something within him that yearned for release.

Back in the lecture hall, Boon pressed his hand to his throbbing temple. The sudden headache had come out of nowhere, but stranger still was the faint echo of an incantation that seemed to reverberate in his mind. His thoughts drifted back to Ethel and the creature who seemed to be stalking him, wondering if they had done something to him.

In the janitor's closet, the transformation seized Zack, forcing a howl of agony from his throat. His bones shifted and cracked as his body took on its demonic form. His fangs elongated, his claws grew sharp and deadly, and his eyes blazed with pink fire. A sinister desire to kill bubbled up inside him, driving him towards the lecture hall where his friends were trapped.

"Zack will find those keys, Deb. Don't worry," Rob's reassuring voice echoed through the hallway as Zack approached the door, keys in hand. The sound pierced through Zack's dark thoughts, halting him just before he unlocked the door. Memories flooded his mind: kissing Deb under a starry sky, sharing laughter with Rob, confiding in Rob during moments when his powers threatened to consume him.