Demon's Children

Cataclysm

And then, Arty felt it again: that cold voice in his head, slicing through his mind like a knife.

"Ah, 'Arty'. The girl has tamed you." Viddako slowly walked into view from amidst the trees. The demon was bigger than the boy remembered; he stood on the creature's shadow as it loomed over him. "And now they come again. For you. For them. For her. Will you hide and let that happen?"

"Go away." He replied, knowing better than to argue with the beast. It just laughed in response, its cackle sending shivers down the spines of everyone there.

"Artyom. So scared of himself. Will you be able to bear the weight of her corpse?" Arty's eyes shot wide, and he suddenly found himself struggling to breathe.

"N-No..." He muttered, not as a response, but as just in denial to his words. He knew what the insidious beast planned - he could not let it win. And yet...

"You've learned to hate, little pup. The hounds come to slaughter without conscience, and I can taste your contempt towards them." The beast's opressive aura was choking the boy. He stumbled, but Viddako continued to talk while circling him. "It strengthens me."

"S-Stop...!"

"It will never stop. You will be hunted until the day you die. You all will, as long as the hounds live. There is only one way to escape this torment."

"N-NO!"

"TEAR THEM APART. REMIND THEM OF FEAR, AND TEACH THEM THAT HUNTING US MEANS DEATH."

Lin and Red would make it to the ship just in time to witness Artyom starting to lose it. To the two vessels, the 'symptoms' were clear as day. Red did not know what the boy's deal was, but from her friends' frightened expression, she could sense that it was dangerous.

As they entered the spaceship to take a rest, Red saw a boy freacking out, screaming at what looked like nothing 'so, that one must be the vessel' She thought not really taking seriously at first before sensing a horrible spinechilling feeling travel across her body. Something was clearly wrong and it wasn't the whole persecuting situation, at least not all of it.

"ARTY!"

June cried out, as she saw what was happening to the boy she loved so much. She couldn't stand to see him like this and even though all she wanted was to run towards him to wrap her arms around him and make him become is normal sweet self again, she was frozen in place. Her legs just wouldn't move, and wouldn't even carry her. She sunk to the ground, crying as her knees gave out. It was unbearable to watch, but she tried to anyways, even though the tears were blurrying her vision profusely.

"ARTY! LISTEN TO ME, YOU GOTTA STOP!"

She screamed, with all of her might, hoping her words would reach him and stop him from going on this rampage he was about to go on. June didn't want any more people to get hurt. And it wasn't needed either, they were almost safe, all they needed was to get in the ship and fuck off as quickly as possible.

"ARTY, STOP IT! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! FIGHT HIM! WE CAN JUST LEAVE AND EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE FINE!"

June shouted, tears streaming down her face and her voice cracking every other word. It didn't matter, she just needed her words to reach him. To stop him. To calm him down. To get him to come with her.

Red saw her friend cower a bit and a purple girl scream words to the boy, but what called her attencion the most was her demon's reaction, she was... genuinely impressed and... happy... but how could she not be? She could also sense the sweet sweet taste of fear, hate, d̷̏̿e̷͛́ṡ̵͝ṗ̴̿a̸͌̆i̴̛̊r̸̿̅, it was what she was made of, it was what her people were made of, she didn't know who this boy had the unfurtunate luck to get stuck with, but she couldn't wait to meet them.