Chapter 31 · Shadow of the Hunter

"Get out of my head!"

I slammed my fist against the cold metal of the wall, the vibration rattling up my shoulder. But the voice didn't stop. It wasn't just a voice anymore; it was a presence, a cold, shimmering layer of static that felt like ice water pouring into my skull.

"You're fighting the inevitable, Kael," Nyx whispered. Her voice didn't come from my ears. It echoed in the space where my thoughts used to be. "The crystal is stabilizing. If you keep resisting, you'll shatter your own nervous system."

I looked down at my left arm. The skin was gone. In its place was a translucent, jagged growth of obsidian crystal, pulsing with a faint, violet light. It looked beautiful. It felt like a thousand needles were being driven into my marrow every time I breathed.

"I didn't ask for a goddamn upgrade," I spat, leaning my forehead against the wall. The metal was freezing, but my arm was burning. "I asked for a way to kill Victor, not to turn into a fucking lamp."

"The evolution is the only way to survive the next tier," Nyx replied.