Levi opened his eyes abruptly, the first sensation hitting him like a hammer—pain, searing and relentless pain that ran all over his body.
"Arhhh..!!"
It was as if his body had been dumped into molten lava and his bones were being shattered by an iron hammer.
The agony was all-consuming, yet what struck Levi more was the absence of energy in his body, where his essence flowed.
The small reservoir of energy that he had gained after the contract with the demon king was completely drained! It seemed like his innate ability had ruthlessly consumed every drop of essence in his body.
But this wasn't his immediate concern.
Right now, Levi was utterly defenseless. He didn't know where he was, but his instincts screamed danger. If someone were to attack him now, he wouldn't even have the strength to raise a hand in defense.
"Grahh..."
The groan slipped out, more a whispered exhalation than a scream. He couldn't even muster the strength to shout, let alone move. Instead, he lay there, gazing up at the sky, dark clouds swirling ominously overhead.
"Where... am I?"
Levi's mind slowly pieced together the fragments of his memory.
He knew what had happened…..The moment he activated his trait ability, something monstrous and terrifying had taken over his mind.
He hadn't even been able to think. It was as though he had been trapped inside his own body, helplessly witnessing long-buried memories play out in his subconscious.
'Mother...'
In the midst of the nightmare, he dreamt of his mother, one whose fac Levi had almost forgotten. Although it was a dream, her warm embrace was still vivid in his mind.
But with that memory came a flood of others, painful and unwelcoming memories. Levi shook his head, pushing the memories aside.
"I swear I'm never going to use that ability again."
He muttered with resolve, though the cold, calculating part of his mind forced him to focus on the present.
Where was he? How had he ended up here? The questions still loomed large, but no answers followed.
The sky didn't have the twin suns or even the blue moon which made him realize that he was no longer in Paradise.
With great effort, Levi managed to turn his head, scanning his surroundings. Strange trees stood tall, their surfaces glowing with an eerie light. The landscape was alien, unfamiliar.
'This... this isn't Earth.'
The realization hit him hard. He couldn't see a light in the long long distance, nor the artificial air purifiers deployed by the government. Although there was a chance that he may be in some abandoned area - he couldn't any monsters either - so he eliminated that thought.
Then, he remembered something- when he activated his trait ability the providence had shown him some messages.
He wasn't able to see them then but now he was curious to know what they were. Just as he thought of them, new runes materialized before his eyes.
[You have activated your trait ability - Demonic Transformation]
[Your mindpower is severely lacking...]
[Your inner demon has forcefully arisen!]
[You have awakened an innate ability - Shadow Self]
Levi's eyes narrowed as he read the messages.
"Inner demon? What the hell is this?"
He understood what the message said, but accepting what they meant was another matter entirely.
An inner demon is a manifestation of his darkest fears and suppressed emotions, a malevolent force lurking within him. Yet, at that moment when the demon had taken over, all Levi had felt was an uncontrollable rage.
Infernal rage that couldn't be suppressed.
His mind, still reeling, focused on the new ability. He concentrated, and more information about the innate ability opened up.
[Innate Ability: Shadow Self]
[He is you, you are him. What you hide—He wears, what you fear—he confronts, what you hesitate to do—he will do with resolution, what you can't—HE CAN.]
A cold dread settled over Levi as he absorbed the description.
It was vague, almost in the form of a riddle, but the message was clear enough. This Shadow Self was a dark reflection of him, a twin born from the depths of his psyche.
He has seen far too many movies in the government factory manager's cabin to be ignorant of this. So he instantly realized what the ability meant.
But what Levi feared was that he couldn't determine whether this twin was an ally or a foe lurking within himself, waiting for a chance to get control of his body.
But there was also one thing he did grasp: his Demonic Transformation and this Shadow Self were separate entities.
The transformation, it seemed, required a strong mind to control it, and when Levi had failed to meet this requirement, his innate ability had awakened, allowing this dark twin to take over.
'So, the trait ability isn't the problem.'
Well, to say that his body transforming into a towering, two-meter-tall demonic creature with horns and claws wasn't a problem was a bit... delusional. But compared to the horror of having his mind and body forcibly taken over, Levi would take the monstrous transformation any day.
The physical change, terrifying as it was, at least allowed him to maintain some semblance of control. But the thought of becoming a passenger in his own body, watching helplessly as his dark twin wreaked havoc, was a far more terrifying prospect.
'By the demons... I don't want such an ability. Take it back!'
The thought was almost desperate. Who would want to lose control of their own body to a twisted version of themselves? And worse, what if this dark twin was listening to his thoughts even now?
"Are you listening?"
Levi's voice was a hoarse whisper, testing the waters. No response came, though. Even if his twin was watching, how could he know? Would the twin speak through his mouth? The idea was deeply unsettling.
But one thing Levi did find comfort in was the possibility that, if his theory held true, he might be able to use his Demonic Transformation without losing control of himself in the future.
Also perhaps his dark twin could take over his body at any time even without demonic transformation….
'This is so messed up!'
With no response forthcoming, Levi turned back to the messages, sensing there was more to read.
[You have entered the Sanctum - Lunacy of the BlackWings(---)]
"Huh?"
Levi blinked, confusion clouding his mind as he reread the message again and again. But the words remained the same, no matter how many times he checked.
"What in the name of the Demon King is this insanity?"
The wilderness had been his last memory, and now he was in a sanctum?
It was madness, pure madness.
Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Levi shouted into the void.
"You damned dark twin! Where have you landed me?!"
---***---