The cold, metallic scent of blood clung to the air, lingering like a sickening shadow. Alastor moved through the narrow, dimly lit hallways, his steps swift and calculated. Each heartbeat hammered in his chest, a drumbeat of urgency. He'd torn through the cultists like paper—each strike a blinding flash of cosmic energy—but none of it mattered. The only thing that did was Rachel.
Her cry still echoed in his mind, raw and desperate. "Alastor!" Her voice, trembling with fear and desperation, haunted him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think beyond reaching her.
Closer.
The hallway stretched before him like a labyrinth, each turn seeming to mock him, to slow him down. His energy burned brighter, a fire in his chest that drove him forward. Nothing could stand in his way. Not anymore.
His hand brushed against his pocket, and with a subtle flick, Alastor pulled out his phone. With a practiced motion, his thumb pressed against a familiar number—one he'd hoped never to call. The screen flickered for a brief moment as it connected, then he spoke, his voice cold and steady, barely more than a whisper. "The address is 1423 Wyckoff Street, at a warehouse."
There was a pause, a faint hum on the other end, followed by the muffled sound of a voice acknowledging him. "Understood."
He didn't need to say more. The message was clear. The clock was ticking.
The sound of a door slamming ahead caught his ear, followed by the unmistakable scrape of a lock sliding into place. Alastor's stomach twisted. No.
Without a second thought, his fist slammed into the stone wall beside him, shattering it in a burst of energy. Dust and fragments rained down, but it didn't slow him. His cosmic power surged, sparking brighter, more intense, as he pushed forward.
Inside the sterile room, the air was thin, suffocating, and cold. Rachel could barely stand. Her body was shaking, every muscle exhausted, bruised from the constant struggle. Levanzo shoved her toward the wall with a cruel laugh, his grip on the Starbreaker blade tight as it hummed with dark energy. The weapon radiated an unsettling, palpable power, its twisted magic like a pulse in the air, pulling at the very fabric of reality.
"Let's see how long your defiance lasts," Levanzo taunted, his voice low and mocking. He took a step closer, bringing the weapon's jagged edge within inches of her throat.
Rachel held her ground, despite the fear gnawing at her insides. Her breath was ragged, her heart hammering in her chest, but her resolve never wavered. I won't break. I can't. She had to hold on. For Alastor.
Levanzo's laugh was a twisted thing, the sound bouncing off the walls like a living nightmare. "You think you're going to stop me? You think your friend is coming to save you?" He grinned, an expression devoid of warmth, and raised the Starbreaker, its dark aura crackling with dangerous energy. "This time, he's too weak."
The words barely registered. A scream died in her throat, but the weight of fear pressed her down, stealing her voice. She couldn't stop what was coming. She couldn't stop him.
Then—crash.
The sound of the door splintering into pieces. Alastor's energy flared, a surge of power that shook the very walls. Rachel's breath caught. He's here. Her pulse quickened, a spark of hope igniting within her.
The figure that stepped through the doorway wasn't just a man. Alastor stood there, bathed in an otherworldly glow, his dark eyes burning with fury and purpose. His presence filled the room, an unyielding force of nature. His cosmic energy crackled around him like a living storm, dark and powerful.
His gaze locked onto hers, and in that instant, Rachel saw something she hadn't before—something that made her heart skip. This was no ordinary man. This was the power that had been hidden from her all this time.
Alastor's voice was like thunder, low and resonant. "Let her go, Levanzo."
His words seemed to vibrate through the room, vibrating with cosmic energy. Every inch of him was suffused with power—raw, untamed. Rachel's mind struggled to process the enormity of it. She had seen Alastor fight before, had felt the force of his strength, but this—this—was different. He wasn't just strong. He was something beyond her understanding. Something... ancient.
Levanzo sneered, raising the Starbreaker blade high. "You think you can stop me? You've always been a fool, Alastor. You and your empty threats."
But Alastor didn't flinch. His eyes were locked on Levanzo, the full weight of his power coalescing, suffusing the room with a pressure that made the air itself tremble.
"You're wrong," Alastor said, his voice steady and unwavering. "I know what you've been doing. You think you're in control, but you're just a puppet. And that machine of yours? It's not the answer."
Levanzo froze, his grip on the blade tightening as he glanced over his shoulder. There, hidden in the shadows of the room, stood an ominous, hulking structure—a dark machine, encased in black metal, veins of purple energy pulsing within it. The cold hum of its power filled the air, its twisted form almost alive, like a creature born of metal and darkness.
Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she stared at it. Her mind struggled to comprehend the sight. "What is that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Levanzo's grin widened, but it wasn't one of amusement—no, it was something darker. "That," he said, gesturing to the monstrosity, "is my power. The source of everything."
The machine loomed, its pulsing core surrounded by a series of energy conduits that throbbed with unholy life. In the center, a strange, hollow pod stood ready to receive a sacrifice. A cruel device, meant to trap and drain the life force of its victim.
Rachel's heart raced. "Sacrifice?" she whispered, the pieces slowly coming together. "You... you're using people for this?"
Levanzo chuckled darkly, stepping toward the machine as if it were a prized possession. "Not just any people. The strongest, the ones with the most potential. They feed my power, Rachel. They give me everything I need to ascend."
Rachel's eyes widened in horror as the realization hit her. The disappearances—the victims who'd been taken, lost to the world. "You've been taking them all this time... feeding them to that thing?"
"Exactly," Levanzo replied, his voice filled with an unsettling pride. "Each one of them adds to my strength. I use their life force to power the machine, to fuel the Starbreaker, to gain everything I need. And now, you—" he turned to Rachel with an almost predatory look in his eyes, "—you'll be the next one."
Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the machine, its ominous glow pulsing like a heartbeat. The realization hit her with the force of a freight train. "So that's why… the disappearances… all those people… including Sarah..." Her voice wavered, trailing off as her mind raced to connect the dots.
Her stomach churned as she stepped back, her body quaking. "But why? Why are you doing this?"
Levanzo's gaze turned cold, calculating. "Power is everything, Rachel. You wouldn't understand. People like you—weak, ignorant—never understand what it's like to be at the top. The world doesn't work on kindness. It works on strength. And I'm taking it, no matter who gets in my way." His voice dropped to a low growl, full of venom. "And I won't let anyone stop me."
Rachel's eyes were still locked on the machine, the horror of its purpose sinking in. "So, you've just been... murdering people for your own gain?" She could barely breathe, the weight of the truth crushing her.
Alastor's gaze flicked to Rachel, a deep sadness reflected in his eyes, but there was no hesitation in his movements. He stepped forward, his voice now a force of pure, unrelenting power. "You should have never used them, Levanzo."
Levanzo's eyes flashed with fury. "You can't stop me, Alastor. You think your power is enough? I've already sacrificed enough to destroy you."
Before Rachel could react, Levanzo activated the machine, and the hollow pod began to glow with dark energy. Tendrils of purple lightning arced from the machine, wrapping around Rachel's body with inescapable force. She gasped, the energy pulsing through her veins, suffocating her.
"No!" she cried, struggling against the energy, her limbs locked in place. "You can't—"
Alastor moved faster than a blink, his power surging through the room like a tidal wave. "No! You won't have her, Levanzo. This ends now!"
He surged forward, his cosmic power exploding outward, overwhelming the room with sheer force. The machine sputtered and cracked under the intensity of his attack, but Levanzo wasn't done yet. With a dark laugh, he pressed forward, directing the Starbreaker at Alastor, the dark blade glowing brighter than ever before.
Rachel's breath hitched as she watched Alastor's power erupt, his cosmic energy consuming the room and shattering the machine with a force that made the air tremble. For a brief moment, she stood frozen, absorbing the sheer magnitude of what he was capable of. But before she could fully process it, the room was filled with the sounds of the machine's destruction, its dark energy spiraling out of control. Alastor stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Levanzo, his voice low and unyielding. "This ends now."
Alastor didn't hesitate. He was ready. His form blurred with inhuman speed, and in an instant, he was upon Levanzo. His fist struck like a comet, a devastating blow that sent Levanzo crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact. The sheer force cracked the stone, leaving the air humming with latent energy.
Levanzo slumped momentarily, dazed but still clutching the Starbreaker. Alastor took a step back, hesitating. His gaze flickered to Rachel, her wide eyes locked on him. For a moment, he questioned if he should go further, if she was ready to see what he truly was capable of.
But the Starbreaker blade still pulsed with dark magic, and Levanzo's eyes glimmered with malicious resolve. Alastor knew there was no other choice.
He closed his eyes, his breath steadying as he made his decision. The air around him grew heavy, charged with an almost unbearable tension. He reached inward, into the very core of his being, drawing upon the strength he had always kept restrained.
When his eyes opened again, they shone with a calm intensity, steady and unyielding, with the sheer weight of his presence enough to make the air feel suffocating.
Rachel gasped, sensing the shift. She had always suspected there was more to him—his quiet restraint, the way he always seemed to hold back—but this was beyond anything she could have imagined. This wasn't a display of light or energy. It was raw, unfiltered power.
Levanzo pushed himself from the wall, his sneer faltering as the oppressive aura pressed down on him. Still, he forced a mocking grin and raised the Starbreaker once more. "You think standing there like a statue will save you?" he spat.
Alastor didn't respond. His gaze locked onto Levanzo, calm and unwavering. The air seemed to ripple as he took a step forward, the tension building with every movement.
Levanzo swung the Starbreaker in a wide arc, the blade crackling with dark energy. Alastor moved faster than Rachel's eyes could follow, his hand shooting out to intercept the weapon mid-swing. He caught the blade barehanded, the dark energy sputtering and hissing on contact with his skin.
Levanzo's eyes widened in disbelief as Alastor's grip tightened. Veins of crackling energy raced along the Starbreaker, but Alastor stood unfazed, his strength overpowering the weapon's enchantments. With a sharp twist and a surge of sheer force, he snapped the blade in two.
The sound of the Starbreaker breaking was deafening, the shards disintegrating into stardust in his hand. Alastor's voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of his resolve. "Power isn't about what you take, Levanzo. It's about what you protect."
Levanzo staggered back, his face pale with disbelief. "No... this isn't possible. You can't—"
But Alastor silenced him with a glance, the kind that promised he wasn't done yet.
Rachel stared at him, her heart pounding. Her breath caught in her chest as the magnitude of it all settled in. She'd always wondered—always felt there was something he wasn't telling her. The way he deflected her questions, the way he kept certain details just out of reach. It all made sense now.
There was a certain weight to the way he kept secrets, a hidden depth she had only grazed before. Now, standing before her, Alastor wasn't just the man she knew—he was something far beyond her understanding. And in this moment, she saw the truth in the subtle way he had always held himself back. This wasn't the first time he'd done so, nor would it be the last.
Her pulse quickened, but there was no fear in her heart. Only the quiet understanding that the man she thought she knew was just a fraction of the force that stood before her now.
Levanzo's smirk faltered. His eyes flashed with panic for the first time, and Alastor's voice came, cold and deadly, through the crackling energy. "You're not the only one with power, Levanzo."
As the words left his lips, Alastor raised his hand, his fingers curling as though grasping the very threads of the cosmos. The stardust in his palm flared to life, expanding and swirling in intricate patterns, growing brighter with every movement. The air itself seemed to bend and warp as the stars swirled around his body, their light pulsing with a nearly palpable force.
Alastor's gaze never wavered from Levanzo, his power surging outward. The stars shattered the air with a thunderous crash, hurtling toward Levanzo in a torrent of brilliant light. The blasts were precise, each one aiming for a weak point in the alien's defenses. The force of the strikes sent Levanzo tumbling, his body writhing beneath the onslaught.
Rachel stood frozen, her eyes wide with awe and disbelief. She had never seen anything like this—Alastor wasn't just using magic or energy; he was bending the very fabric of the universe to his will. The stars he controlled shimmered with infinite power, as if they were an extension of his very soul.
"Alastor..." she whispered, her voice barely audible as she watched him reshape the battlefield with a wave of his hand.
The light from the stars painted the room in an otherworldly glow, their energy stripping away the darkness Levanzo had been hiding behind. Each strike was more forceful than the last, until the air itself seemed to crack open under the weight of Alastor's power. The alien figure of Levanzo twisted in the storm of starlight, struggling to maintain its form.
Levanzo snarled, his voice a guttural rasp as he attempted to shield himself. "You think this is enough? You think you can defeat me with this?" His voice trembled with rage, and fear.
Alastor, his eyes locked onto Levanzo, spoke in a voice that was nothing short of commanding. "This is not enough—but it's a start."
Before the battle could continue, Rachel's voice broke through the intensity of the moment, calling out in confusion and concern, "Wait, where's everyone else? Uncle Thompson, Jack, Emily—are they okay?"
Alastor paused, his dark eyes flicking toward her. He hadn't expected her to be so worried about them, but it made sense. His response was calm, steady, despite the chaos around them.
"They're fine," he said, his voice low. "I decided to come here on my own."
Rachel's eyes widened slightly, surprised by his admission. She had known he'd made his way through the warehouse alone, cutting down cultists without hesitation, but hearing him say it out loud made her realize just how far he'd gone—just how much he cared.
Levanzo snarled, but before Alastor could strike again, the cultist's form shimmered, rippling as though it were made of liquid. In an instant, he shifted, his features warping, becoming someone—something—else entirely.
Rachel gasped. The creature before her twisted, shifting into a form that looked both grotesque and alien. The smooth skin of Levanzo's human guise gave way to scaled, semi-translucent skin, and his eyes grew larger, glowing with an eerie, unnatural light.
"Taking someone else's identity after their death," Alastor began, his voice calm but edged with precision. "When you mentioned that last night, it clicked. That's not just desperation or cunning—that's instinct, survival. A hallmark of a Zateran, isn't it? You hid it well, I'll admit, but you must've known I'd figure it out eventually."
Levanzo's new form laughed, a hollow, rasping sound that reverberated through the air, like something from the depths of a nightmare. "You did meet my kind a thousand times before. A long time ago, Alastor. But I was hoping you would remember this face."
As the alien creature stood before them, its jagged, clawed limbs reached for the air, the walls trembling beneath its unnatural presence. The creature's face, a twisted amalgamation of sharp features, curved mandibles, and glowing eyes, turned toward Rachel. She recoiled, a scream lodged in her throat, her body frozen in horror.
Rachel could only stare, her body trembling, as the true form of Levanzo—the alien shapeshifter—stood in front of her, a being from another world, one that Alastor had once encountered.