Kael slipped into a restless sleep. Though exhaustion weighed heavily on him, it took a long while before unconsciousness finally claimed him. A strange sensation lingered in his arms, unsettling and unfamiliar.
At last, sleep came.
An unusual dream, unlike any he had ever experienced before, overtook him.
He found himself walking down a long stone corridor. The place appeared abandoned and in poor condition, yet Kael could feel life there, a presence, a power that filled the space between the walls. He did not know what he was searching for, only that he had to move forward.
Eventually, the corridor opened into a vast chamber. It too was carved of stone, worn and ancient, much like the passage behind him. Here and there, green runes glimmered faintly along the walls.
And the room was filled with Rubber Demons.
Along the walls, their muscular forms loomed like dark silhouettes in the darkness. They had broad shoulders and powerful, gleaming muscles, their black skin catching what little light there was. Small, curved horns rose from their heads.
Their green-lit eyes followed Kael as he moved, but the demons themselves remained perfectly still, concealed in the darkness, waiting.
Kael felt a little confused.
He did not know what he was meant to do, nor what would happen next. Yet despite the silent presence of waiting Demons, he felt no fear.
Standing in the center of the chamber, he suddenly sensed something stir in his arm.
He looked down as the rune on the back of his left hand flared to life, glowing brightly. The black rubber around it began to slowly and deliberately spread. It flowed across the back of his hand, slipped down his fingers, engulfed his wrist, and then crept upward along his forearm.
Kael watched. There was no pain or panic, only a pleasant warmth as the substance slowly enveloped and changed his skin.
He examined his transformed hand with quiet fascination.
The skin was glossy, black, and smooth to the touch. The small, pulsating green rune was gone.
But beneath the black skin, he could notice very faint new runic patterns on his forearm and back of hand. They didn’t light up, and they didn’t seem active. They were faint and unfinished, inactive, as if waiting to be completed.
Kael raised his hand. The Rubber Demons did not move.
Then another sensation washed over him, this time across his chest. It felt as though an invisible palm had pressed gently against him.
He startled at first, but the touch carried a soothing calm. Something sweet and alluring pulsed through him, Kael could not name it precisely. For a fleeting moment, he felt as though he belonged there, and the realization carried relief.
The Rubber Demons stepped closer in silence, their presence deepening the sensation.
Kael’s shoulders loosened. He exhaled, content, and woke with a soft sigh.
The first thing Kael realized was that this had not been just a dream.
He lifted his left hand and froze. His forearm and hand had fully transformed into glossy black rubber, exactly as he had seen in his dream.
Carefully, he ran his right hand over it, startled by how smooth and strangely pleasant the surface felt.
He flexed his fingers, clenching his left hand into a fist. The rubber gave a soft squeaking noise. Kael stared, speechless, at what his hand had become.
But he had no time to study it more.
A sharp knock struck the door.
“Of course. Velyr is waiting for me.” Kael thought. “But unfortunately in this state, there was no chance I could comply.”
He jumped out from the bed and began stuffing what little he owned into his bag.
- In the name of the Division of the Flaming Star, open the door! – came the command from outside.
Kael sped up his activity: Survival gear, tools, anything useful was stuffed into his bag. There wasn’t much to choose from, which at least made packing quick.
- Break down the door. – came from below, and there was a huge bang as the door took the first heavy blow.
- Time to go, – Kael muttered.
He climbed into the attic. Hidden there was a narrow door leading into the neighbouring building’s loft. From there, a stair descended into the basement, opening directly into the tangled maze of lower passages one level below.
Kael slipped away without incident, vanishing into the dangerous, familiar depths.
It seemed Primalis Flex would be on a hunt after him from now on.
