Chapter 103: In the Dark (4)
The monster approached through the void, its presence a weight in the darkness that pressed against Aziel’s skin like a cold, wet shroud. As it drew closer, the lightning coiling around Aziel’s body grew brighter and more intense, responding to his rising emotions like a loyal pet sensing its master’s agitation. The blue-white energy shot off in frantic arrays, illuminating nothing but more darkness as it arced and twisted in explosive bursts, casting eerie shadows across Aziel’s manic expression.
Aziel pivoted on his heel, muscles tense and ready for confrontation. The lightning crackled wildly around him, popping and hissing as it leaped from his fingertips and danced across his shoulders. His heart thundered in his chest, no longer with fear but with a savage anticipation that bordered on ecstasy. He turned his head to face the darkness where he sensed the monster lurking, eyes wide and searching, teeth bared in a feral grin.
But when he completed his turn, there was nothing there. The void remained empty, a vast nothingness that swallowed his defiance without echo or response. The presence he’d felt so strongly had vanished, leaving him disoriented and cheated of his confrontation.
Until he felt it again.
This time the presence materialized to his right, a heaviness in the air that raised the fine hairs on the back of his neck. Aziel shot his head toward the sensation, instinct taking over as his right hand extended outward. With a thought as quick as the electricity that powered it, he summoned his spear—a weapon born of will and lightning. The weapon formed in his grip, materializing from sparks that coalesced into solid metal, immediately coated with a brilliant shroud of crackling blue energy.
Without hesitation, Aziel hurled the weapon into the darkness, putting all his strength and fury behind the throw. The spear became a streak of light, cutting through the void like a comet. He watched with narrowed eyes as the light of his weapon traveled further and further, illuminating nothing but more emptiness until, eventually, the darkness absorbed it completely. The azure glow faded into nothingness, and once again, the presence of the monster vanished.
Frustration boiled in Aziel’s veins like magma seeking release. The lightning around his body intensified, no longer flowing in smooth arcs but trampling on itself in chaotic patterns that reflected his escalating anger. Sparks flew from his eyes and fingertips as his control began to slip.
"FACE ME!" he roared into the void, his voice cracking with rage.
Aziel spun in desperate circles, searching for any sign of the entity that had tormented him. His eyes darted frantically from point to point, seeking shadows within shadows, movement within stillness. The lightning responded to his emotional state, growing more erratic and dangerous with each passing second.