Celestial: Origins

2:9

Chapter 9: The Descent into Darkness

Túŋši Aká’s body trembled with the aftermath of his rampage. His breath came in ragged gasps, the once serene forest now a frozen wasteland in the wake of his devastation. The village that had been his home, that had welcomed him and Hi no ha, was buried beneath ice and snow, crushed under the weight of his rage. The remaining humans had fled in terror, leaving behind nothing but the frozen bodies of their kin, their homes shattered into ruins.

He stood among the ruins, his heart pounding with the weight of what he had done. His claws dug into the frozen ground, steam rising from his nostrils as he tried to catch his breath. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions—grief, guilt, anger, and something else, something darker that he couldn’t quite put into words.

His thoughts were torn between the memories of his hatchlings, Hi no ha’s laughter, the warmth of their family, and the vision of their lifeless bodies lying skinned and headless in the cave. The images flashed before his eyes, over and over, like a haunting melody that he couldn’t escape.

"How did it come to this?" he asked himself, his voice a low growl that echoed in the silence.

The answer was there, lurking in the darkest corners of his mind, whispering to him in a voice he hadn’t heard in ages. The shadows from his past life, the rage that had once driven him to wage war against humanity, stirred within him once more. It was a familiar feeling, like an old wound reopening, the pain flooding back in an instant.

"They deserve it."

The voice was soft at first, barely a whisper, but it grew louder with each passing moment, filling his mind with thoughts that weren’t entirely his own.

"They took everything from you, Túŋši Aká. Your family, your happiness... They took it all. And now, you have the power to make them pay."

Túŋši Aká shook his head, trying to banish the voice, but it clung to him like a parasite, burrowing deeper into his thoughts. He clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together as he fought to hold onto the last threads of his sanity.

"I didn’t want this," he growled, his voice strained. "I only wanted to protect them..."

But the darkness didn’t care. It was a part of him, a part he had buried deep, but it had never truly left. It had waited, biding its time, and now it saw its chance. It surged forward, filling the cracks in his soul, feeding off his grief and rage until it was all he could feel.

"They deserve to suffer, just as you have." The voice was clearer now, no longer just a whisper but a roar in his mind. "Embrace it, Túŋši Aká. Embrace the darkness, and you will have the strength to avenge them."

His vision blurred as the rage took hold. His heart pounded in his chest, and his blood felt like fire coursing through his veins. He could feel the transformation beginning, could feel his body twisting and contorting as the darkness manifested itself in physical form.

His wings, once graceful and strong, began to warp and elongate, the feathers turning black and jagged, like the wings of a demon. His scales, once a brilliant shade of blue, darkened to an oily black, shimmering with a sickly sheen. His claws grew longer and sharper, curving into deadly hooks that dripped with a dark, venomous substance.

His head, once noble and dragon-like, twisted into something grotesque. His jaw elongated, splitting into three sections, like the maw of some nightmarish creature. Acidic saliva dripped from his fangs, hissing as it hit the frozen ground. His eyes, once filled with warmth and intelligence, now burned with a dark, unholy fire.

Túŋši Aká’s transformation was complete. He was no longer just a dragon. He had become something else, something darker, something monstrous.

"Good," the voice in his mind purred. "Now, you are ready."