The winding corridor to the 34th floor pressed close around Michael and Valencia as they descended, each step echoing with a low, reverberating hum. Shadows clung to the walls, and the air was dense, holding a sharp tang that Michael recognized too well—a metallic scent, heavy and unmistakable.
Valencia's breathing grew ragged as they neared the end of the staircase, her crimson eyes flashing with a fervor she struggled to contain. Michael glanced her way, catching the hunger that darkened her gaze.
"Valencia," he whispered, concern clear in his voice.
She tensed, hands clenching at her sides. "Michael… I can't… It's getting stronger. The hunger, the need…" Her voice wavered, the control she clung to fraying at the edges. "I don't know how much longer I can hold back."
"I'm here," he replied softly, reaching out to steady her. "We'll get through this floor together. You're not alone."
The words seemed to anchor her, but her gaze lingered on him, her restraint visibly slipping as her fingers flexed, barely holding herself in check.
They stepped onto the 34th floor and entered a cavernous chamber, filled with dark pools that lay stagnant on the uneven ground. Strange veins of a blood-red mineral threaded through the rocky walls, pulsing faintly, casting eerie patterns of light that illuminated the still liquid. It was like stepping into the lair of something ancient and hungry.
Then they saw it.
Across the chamber, hunched over one of the pools, was a creature unlike any they had encountered before. Its shape was vaguely humanoid, with elongated limbs and a bloated torso that dripped with dark liquid. Its skin was pale and mottled, marred by veins that pulsated like the walls, feeding into the pools at its feet. Its eyes were hollow yet alive with a dim red glow, fixed on them as they entered.
Michael tensed, raising his coilgun. "Stay close to me," he murmured, his gaze never leaving the creature.
The creature's lips twisted into a grin, exposing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. It lifted a bony arm, and dark tendrils slithered from the pools, rising like snakes before lunging toward them. Valencia leaped back, her wings unfurling, but she was distracted. The creature's aura, thick with the smell of blood and decay, was fueling her hunger, pushing her to the edge.
Michael fired a shot from his coilgun, the metal projectiles piercing through the tendrils, shattering them mid-air. The weapon's tendrils wrapped around the creature, each barbed coil digging into its flesh as the coilgun began to drain it of its energy. But this creature's blood was no ordinary life force—thick and tainted, it seemed to resist, making the draining process slower, more agonizing.
The creature snarled, wrenching free from some of the tendrils. Dark, sludgy liquid seeped from its wounds, pooling at its feet. It raised its hands, summoning an orb of blood in each palm, which it flung towards them in a deadly arc. The orbs transformed mid-air, twisting into sharp projectiles that hurtled toward Michael.
Reacting quickly, Michael spread his gray, angelic wings, using them as a shield as they wrapped around him like a cocoon. The projectiles splattered against them, sizzling upon contact, but his wings remained unscathed. With a swift push, he took flight, hovering above the creature, sending another barrage of coilgun projectiles at its head.
Below him, Valencia was fighting a different battle. The creature's energy permeated the air, fueling her bloodlust until she could barely think. She was consumed by the need for blood—Michael's blood. Her gaze fixed on him with a desperate hunger, her control slipping by the second.
"Michael…" she choked, her voice a strained whisper.
He heard her, glancing down with a flicker of concern, but his focus was pulled back to the creature as it let out a feral roar, splitting its misshapen jaw wide. It slammed a hand into the ground, sending ripples of energy through the pools, stirring up more dark tendrils that clawed their way toward him. Valencia, distracted by her own struggle, barely noticed one snaking toward her until it wrapped around her ankle, pulling her off balance.
With a grunt of frustration, Michael swooped down, slicing through the tendril with a precise shot before catching her arm. Her gaze met his, and he could see the torment in her crimson eyes.
"I… I can't control it," she whispered, her voice shaking. "It's too strong."
He nodded, his expression understanding. "Take what you need."
She hesitated only for a moment, then leaned in, sinking her fangs into his neck. Her grip on his shoulder tightened as she drank, the touch of her fangs sharp, but familiar. Michael felt his vision blur momentarily as her thirst poured into him like a storm, her desperation palpable. His blood seemed to steady her, each pull calming the raging hunger inside her.
As she drank, he kept his weapon trained on the creature, firing another shot to reinforce the coilgun's draining tendrils. He felt the weapon thrum with power as it siphoned the creature's corrupted life force, dark purple energy swirling around the barrel.
Valencia pulled away, her breathing heavy, her eyes sharper, more focused. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice steady once more. She stood taller, her own strength seemingly replenished.
They turned to face the creature together. It had weakened, its movements sluggish as it struggled against the coilgun's tendrils, which dug deeper into its flesh, barbed coils locking into place. The creature thrashed, but the tendrils held firm, draining it steadily, mercilessly.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Valencia surged forward, her wings beating behind her in a blur as she closed in on the creature. Her claws sliced through its outstretched limbs, severing them as dark liquid sprayed across the cavern floor. She was relentless, every strike precise, fueled by the satisfaction of her regained control.
The creature let out one final shriek, the sound echoing off the cavern walls as Michael's coilgun completed the draining. Its body sagged, collapsing to the ground as the last of its corrupted life force left it.
Michael landed beside her, steadying himself as the energy he had expended caught up with him. Valencia's crimson gaze softened as she looked at him, a flicker of guilt crossing her face.
"I… I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "For nearly losing control."
Michael wiped a trace of blood from his neck, offering her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to apologize. I told you, I'm here for you."
She took his hand, holding it tightly, her expression fierce. "As long as you're by my side, I can control it."
They shared a moment of quiet understanding, their bond strengthened by the battle, by the trust they had built between them. Then, they turned toward the exit, prepared to face whatever awaited them on the next floor. The darkness around them felt a little less oppressive, their footsteps steady as they continued their descent.
They knew that the battle with her bloodlust was far from over, but as long as they faced it together, they could survive—even in the deepest shadows of the dungeon.