In a dark underground tunnel.

A horrendous creature was munching on something that resembled human skin. Crimson blood was trickling down from his teeth to the corner of his lips.

Munch! Munch!

The sloppy noise echoed in the suffocating dark tunnel, where even the presence of the sunlight might not have made much difference.

A few rotting bugs and maggots were squirming near the creature’s feet, feasting on the remnants of what had once been flesh. The air reeked of decay, a pungent blend of iron, mold, and death.

The creature’s eyes, an eerie black that glowed faintly in the dark, flickered as it tilted its head. Something had disturbed its feeding.

Click! Clack!

The sound of footsteps filled with carefulness and fear echoed in the empty air. It bounced off the damp walls, faint but distinct.

Munch.

The creature froze mid-bite, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. A human scent. Fresh. Warm.

A long tongue slithered out from its mouth, licking away the blood from its chin.

The creature turned toward the faint source of the noise.

Drip. Drip.

Water leaked from the pipes above, forming puddles that mirrored the faint shimmer of its eyes.

It started walking, each step accompanied by the crunch of bones beneath its feet.

Somewhere deeper inside the tunnel, a flashlight flickered. A petite figure donned in a cloak walked inside with hesitant steps.

The cloaked figure’s face was obscure due to the dim light and the heavy hood drawn low over it.

"Da...damian?" The voice filled with caution and terror sounded like a lamb entering a wolf’s den. Its one hand was holding a plastic bag.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The next second, the creature lunged toward the cloaked figure.

"Ahhh!" The cloaked figure wailed like a banshee; its shrill voice echoed in the tunnel, making the scene resemble a horror movie’s intro.

However, the expected pain didn’t come; instead, the creature took away the plastic bag and started to munch on the contents of the bag.

By now, the cloaked figure had collapsed on the ground with a ’thud,’ its eyes widened in fear, and its strength was drained by the terrifying creature’s current state.

The creature certainly didn’t resemble a living figure at all... it was more of an animal...

The creature ignored the cloaked figure’s fear and judgmental gaze and finished up the meal with sloppy noise filling the cloaked figure’s heart.

However, it still called out in a hesitant voice, "Damian... how... how long... are you going to... make me bring... this food?"

"Damian" licked the blood on his teeth and murmured,

"Damian?" The figure called out again, finally attracting ’Damian’s’ attention. However, instead of answering the figure, ’Damian’ moved toward the cloaked figure like a predator eyeing its prey.

The cloaked figure slowly moved backward in fear before it hit the wall. The erratic heartbreak of the cloaked figure could be heard by ’Damian,’ and an eerie smile appeared on his face.

As if the fear of the cloaked figure was pleasing him.

"Soon... this will end... And I... will return to normal... just half a year more..." His voice was deep, raspy, and carried deep pride.

The cloaked figure trembled, clutching its chest as though its heart might leap out. "You said that last month too..." Its voice cracked, laced with desperation and guilt.

Damian’s smile faltered. The eerie gleam in his eyes dimmed for a brief second... replaced by something human. Guilt. Or perhaps hunger masquerading as sorrow.

He turned his head slightly, avoiding the cloaked figure’s gaze. "Do you think I want this?" he whispered, voice trembling but still carrying that unnatural depth. "Do you think I enjoy the taste of flesh?"

His claws flexed against the concrete, scraping harshly as his body tensed. "Every time I feed... I remember their faces. The screams. The blood. It never stops."

"Then let me help you, Damian! Let me find another way!" The cloaked figure proposed.

Damian’s head snapped toward her, and the faint glow in his eyes flared again.

"No!" he roared, the sound echoing violently down the tunnel. A few loose stones tumbled from the ceiling.

Seeing the cloaked figure getting scared, he softened his voice, "This disease... You don’t understand... just listen to me, alright? I will... repay you!"

The cloaked figure’s shoulder slumped before it gave a faint nod.

"Now go and hunt more for me." Damian coaxed and watched the cloaked figure standing up with trembling feet and slowly leaving.

Once the cloaked figure was completely out of sight, Damian’s eyes flashed. Slowly, he lay on the ground and murmured, "My powers are awakening... soon... I will rule this world! Haha!"

The eerie, harsh laughter echoed in the tunnel.

Midway through, the laughter died down, and Damian felt energy rising in his body.

The next second, Damian’s body levitated in midair, and a dark mist started to swirl around. "Good... I am advancing... I am finally advancing! I am just half a step away from becoming an immortal! My experiment succeeded! When those people arrive here, they will regret ever humiliating me!"

His voice was laced with dark promise, and he murmured, "I just need to confirm that little pink’s identity. If she is... then I can feed on her energy."

There was a silence before the sound of ’tsk,’ ’tsk’ echoed, laced with regret. "If only... I had let her wear the ring first..."

Click. Clack!

The footstep filled with confidence and determination echoed through the tunnel, cutting through Damian’s eerie laughter like a blade through silence.

A lazy smirk tugged on Damian’s lips. He flipped his eyes, now trained at the ground, and he murmured, "You are early here."

A pair of black boots came into view; unlike the petite figure before, this figure was robust.

"I searched the Brimstone mountain for the 10th time, and there is no wooden box." The figure’s voice was tinged with frustration and irritation.

"Hm... so someone must have truly picked it..." Damian murmured, his mannerism not resembling a human’s at all. "Who dares to take away my temporal storage?"