896: Story 896: The Chosen of the Maw 896: Story 896: The Chosen of the Maw Lucas stood motionless as the Maw’s burning, soulless eyes locked onto him.
His body trembled, but not from fear—from sothing deeper, sothing primal.
The infection inside him pulsed, whispering its twisted secrets.
He could feel it… calling.
Mia grabbed his arm.
“Lucas, move!
That thing will tear you apart!”
But Lucas didn’t run.
He understood now.
The Maw wasn’t just a mindless beast.
It was sothing greater—sothing aware.
The others didn’t hear the voices like he did.
They couldn’t feel the hunger.
Lucas slowly raised his hands, his infected veins pulsing black and red.
“I… understand you,” he whispered.
The Maw tilted its head.
Then it spoke back.
A horrid, guttural language, the sound of bones scraping together, of flesh knitting itself anew.
Evelyn’s breath caught in her throat.
“No.
That’s… impossible.”
“Lucas, what the hell is happening?” Reaper growled, his machete still dripping with black gore.
Lucas turned to them, his pupils fully dilated, black tendrils twitching beneath his skin.
“I see everything now,” he muttered.
“The infection… the Flesh Cult… the Devourer…” His voice dropped to a reverent whisper.
“We were never ant to fight it.
We were ant to join it.”
Mia took a step back.
“No… no, this isn’t you.”
But Lucas wasn’t listening.
He stepped forward, standing before the Maw, his body no longer trembling.
The beast lood over him, its claws twitching, considering him.
Then, slowly… it lowered its head.
Reaper clenched his fists.
“He’s submitting to it.”
A Pact with the Abyss
Hale groaned, struggling to his feet despite his damaged cybernetics.
Blood dripped from his ruined shoulder, but his glare remained fierce.
“Enough of this.” He raised his plasma rifle, taking aim at Lucas.
Evelyn shoved the barrel down.
“Don’t,” she snapped.
“Are you insane?” Hale spat.
“He’s turning into one of them!”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No… this is different.
He’s not like the others.”
Lucas slowly turned to them, and for the first ti since his infection, he smiled.
But it wasn’t a grin of madness.
It was certainty.
“I can control it,” he said.
“I can lead us through this.”
Reaper scoffed.
“You expect us to trust you after you just played kiss-the-monster?”
Lucas ignored him.
He turned to the Maw and spoke again in its tongue.
The Maw chuckled.
Then… it stepped aside.
The entire tunnel rumbled, and the remaining Veinborn creatures recoiled, backing away.
Mia’s breath hitched.
“You just made a deal with it…”
Lucas turned back to them.
His pulsing veins receded, his body stabilizing.
“I made a deal for our survival.”
Hale gritted his teeth.
“And what’s the cost?”
Lucas’s smile faded.
“…I don’t know yet.”
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