Frankly, I could barely think at that moment. My instincts were consumed by rage and the need to kill all these disgusting creatures.
The skinless finally moved—the second, seeing that stealth would not work, pounced at me, the ceiling behind its powerful legs destroyed in a shockwave. With its full power putting it in motion, it no longer moved slowly to my eyes. And yet that didn't matter; it couldn't turn in air.
Moving in a flicker, I slid under its projectile form. With the claw-knife in my hand, I drove it straight into its chest. If there was resistance, either I didn't feel it or I didn't care. The knife went in and its own momentum caused the damage. Cut from its collar to its crotch, it was disemboweled, a rain of black guts falling on the floor and steps. Any that threatened to mar my body were incinerated by the flames surrounding me.
It wailed, preparing to attack me, but I was no longer there. Moving with a grace that didn't belong to me, I danced between the dozens of husks. The knife flashed; my other hand grabbed and punched. Embers of burning skin covered the room; their skulls were crushed, their spines severed, their own bony arms used as weapons against one another.
[25 seconds]
The faint scraping of claw against the floor gave away the position of the first skinless, prowling between the husks for an opportunity to catch me by surprise. I dashed straight at it. It realized and met me with its own strength. Its claws flashed, striking at my masked face.
I heard a low, rumbling chuckle coming from Ithas. He found the creature's struggle amusing.
Before they touched the mask, the bony claws caught fire and melted, the flames spreading up through the muscles of the creature's arm and ravenously devouring it. The claw in my hands moved, bisecting the skinless' head. I kicked its remains into the crowd of husks.
'One down.'
[Behind]
My head swiveled.
The statue was flying in my direction—the last remaining skinless had taken a surprisingly smart move. I slid under it, leaving it to fly uninterrupted into the crowd of husks, crushing a dozen before it slammed into the far wall of the church and demolished it, making the building start to lean to one side.
The skinless was upon me before I could rise, a whirlwind of claws coming at me. I dodged them, but many left cuts on my skin. The flames healed them instantly, burning away the black toxin of the madness left on the wounds. But the injuries were sobering—and infuriating. Letting go of the claw-knife, my hands, like vices, gripped both of the creature's long arms and pulled it in. My masked face, like a battering ram, met the creature's. It wailed as the mask burned through its flesh and bones alike. The white smoke of burned meat rose; it took me a few seconds to end the creature like this, but I did not have the presence of mind to care.
[19 seconds]
[Take their cores]
The flames enveloped the creature's body, devouring it like a swarm of locusts and leaving the clear, spotless core. I grabbed it and sprinted toward the other body; the number of husks was only increasing, the sound of the fight echoing through the city.
[That one swallowed the core]
In my vision, a husk was highlighted. My hand went through its body, grabbing the core as it slid toward its stomach. Closing my hand around the core, my arm ignited, turning the husk around it into ash.
'I have to escape now.'
I ran out of the church's doors, my arms flashing and turning husks into burning pyres left and right.
'I don't want to meet Owl like this. I need time. I'll go to the other hideout.'
Fueled by the strange power of the mask, I started running through the streets. A short trail of flame and afterimages was left in my wake. I was too fast for any husk to react, and any that did was turned into ash floating on the wind.
[10 seconds]
I went by the library. I avoided the clothing store, so as not to set it on fire while inside. I made my way through back alleys and sprinted through the streets. I had never run so fast while feeling so slow. Each stride took me 5 meters (16 feet) ahead but felt like a normal step. As much as I enjoyed this feeling of power, I could feel it being drained at an extraordinary pace.
I turned into the alleyway with the old tree and benches, one of them still destroyed after my first scuffle with husks. The flames were snuffed out before I made it to the back door, and I opened it.
[3 seconds]
I made my way up the stairs and into the attic. I was much slower now.
[1 second]
I pulled up the stairs, closing the attic behind me and darkening the room. To my surprise, the storm lantern was still attached to my belt, burning faithfully. I removed it, attaching it by the hook to the ceiling.
[Zero. Rest now, Luke. There will be much to do soon.]
Fatigue hit me like a train: the strength in my muscles gone, the soothing power faded. I felt sore and tired, my eyes heavy. I bundled myself in Owl's old bundle of blankets. My consciousness faded easily, slipping into the world of dreams.
I was back to where I started my adventure in this terrible place, but I couldn't be more different now.
Fire and chains haunted my sleep—a nightmare of an eternal prison where, no matter what I did, I could not leave. And yet I tried, over and over, for an eternity.
ººº
I woke up feeling more sore than I ever had. Every part of my body hurt, down to my bones. I could barely move without letting out a grunt of pain. My hand moved to massage my temples, only to find a rough mask on my face; its surface was craggy, its texture like sandpaper.
The images of the carnage I'd wrought came flooding in, as well as the feelings I had before almost dying. I let out a long sigh.
I groaned as I sat up with my back against the slanted ceiling of the attic. My backpack was gone, my clothes were in shambles—everything hurt.
'At least I'm alive.'
I scanned my body: my leg was completely healed; there were no signs of the slashes inflicted on me by the skinless; my back, aside from my torn clothes, was in perfect shape. I looked perfectly fine but felt terrible.
Moving across the attic with great difficulty, I greedily drank from the water tank. After wiping my mouth, I sat back again.
'Are you there?' I asked in my mind—half expecting a response, half hoping one didn't come.
[Yes]
The deep voice resonated within my mind, making me flinch.
'What happened back at the church? What was that?'
[You were infused with the power of the mask and cleansed the maddened creatures.]
'And... can I do that again?'
[Yes. For a price.]
'What price?'
[A sacrifice of pain.]
'Is that why I feel so sore right now?'
[No, this is simply your body reacting to over-strain. A sacrifice of pain is different.]
Talking to Ithas was... weird. I didn't know how to put it, but it felt like he answered me out of obligation instead of trying to continue a conversation.
'What should I do now? Is there a way to get rid of this soreness?'
[I recommend you rest further, hydrate properly, and eat. I detect the presence of several "scavengers" in the lower floors of this building.]
'What about the mask—can I remove it?'
[You can. I would highly advise against that, however.]
'Why?'
[You are infected with the madness. It is trying to reach your soul as we speak. I am acting as a shield until you are able to extinguish it yourself. I can do so only while you wear the mask.]
My heart went cold. I froze on the spot.
'How can I do that? Why can't you remove the madness yourself?' I almost stuttered a thought.
[I can. However, that could damage your soul and cripple your progress. Should you reach the level of "Soul Control," you can use your own soul to fight the madness and resist it. That process can also be beneficial for your development.]
'Hells. What have I got myself into?'
'There's no use thinking about this now. I have to solve my current problems before I do anything else.'
I got up, ignoring my soreness as much as I could. I let down the attic stairs.
'Time to hunt.'