Zeph approached the translucent barrier that contained the creature, his eyes filled with a cold malice that belied the innocent face of a baby. His tiny hand, glowing with the same ethereal energy that populated his soulspace, extended toward the creature. As he pushed a sliver of that energy through the barrier, the effect was immediate—the creature's body sizzled and smoked where the energy touched it, pain visibly wracking its form.
The creature twisted in agony, but its eyeless face shifted toward Zeph as if sensing the source of its torment. Zeph's lips curled into a cruel smile. "How is your stay at our fine tropical resort?" he asked mockingly.
The creature grunted in response, confused. It had no understanding of what a "resort" was, but it could sense the malice behind Zeph's words. It wasn't fear that swirled within the beast, though—it was hatred, deep and burning. Yet, despite the suffering, it remained defiant.
Zeph, enjoying the effect his soul energy had on the creature, channeled a bit more of it through the barrier. The creature recoiled again, shuddering violently as it felt parts of its body dissolve under the relentless pressure of the energy. "So," Zeph said, his tone sweet with sarcasm, "who are you, and why did you attack me?"
For a moment, the creature didn't respond. It was still biting down the pain, its monstrous form hunched and trembling. Then, with a snarl, it lurched forward, hurling itself at Zeph. The barrier around it pulsed as the creature slammed into it, unable to break through. It fell to the ground with a sickening thud, its body sizzling where it had made contact with the barrier.
"You think you can control me, Terran?" the creature spat, its voice a guttural growl. There was no trace of fear, only venomous defiance. "I am your death. I have killed and eaten billions of Terrans like you—old, young, it makes no difference. And when I get out of this cage, I will kill you both. I will suck the marrow from your bones, feast on your people. You think this is pain? This is nothing compared to what I will do to you!"
Its laughter, manic and filled with bloodlust, echoed through the soulspace. Even as its body continued to burn, even as the energy tore at it, the creature laughed, reveling in its hatred for Zeph.
Zeph's cruel smile faded, replaced with a cold, calculating glare. This thing—the one that had nearly ended his life—dared to threaten him, even now. The fire of rage that had smoldered within Zeph flared to life once more, this time unrestrained. He was done with taunting. Now, it was time to show the creature the true power that lay within him.
With a thought, the barrier surrounding the creature shimmered, then vanished.
For a brief moment, the creature seemed stunned, unsure if it could believe what had just happened. The obstacle that had held it at bay was gone, and for the first time since being imprisoned, it saw a chance at freedom. With a guttural roar, it lunged at Zeph, its grotesque body coiling and writhing as it surged toward him.
But Zeph had already anticipated its move.
With a swift motion, Zeph's small arm, now glowing with white and gold flames, shot forward and struck the creature square in the chest. The impact was like a hammer blow, but it wasn't just the force that hurt the creature—the flames seeping from Zeph's body burned through its flesh, spreading deep within it, setting its very essence alight.
The creature howled, its body convulsing as the flames consumed it from the inside out. But before it could fully react, Zeph's tiny form leaped into the air, higher than any normal toddler could possibly manage. It was as though the very air itself was carrying him, lifting him to unnatural heights. For a split second, the creature watched in confused horror as Zeph came down toward it.
With a fiery burst of energy, Zeph's baby foot, still wreathed in white and gold flames, crashed down on the creature's back, driving it into the serene, white landscape of the soulspace. The ground cracked beneath the force of the blow, and the flames that had already begun to consume the creature intensified, spreading over its entire body like wildfire.
The creature screamed—a guttural, animalistic sound that reverberated through the soulspace as it writhed in agony. Its body, once menacing and full of dark power, now seemed frail as the flames burned it alive. It clawed at the ground, trying desperately to escape the searing pain, but there was no escape. The soulspace itself seemed to magnify the flames, ensuring that every moment was an eternity of suffering for the creature.
Lucian, who had been observing the entire scene with an amused expression, decided it was time to make himself more comfortable. With a simple gesture, the red-black energy from his own soulspace swirled around him, forming an elaborate throne made of dark, crackling energy. He sat down, leaning back as if enjoying a grand spectacle, his eyes never leaving the fiery display before him.
"Well, this is certainly entertaining," Lucian remarked, his voice dripping with amusement as he watched Zeph systematically tear the creature apart.
Zeph, still standing over the burning creature, glanced back at Lucian, his face a mixture of fury and satisfaction. "It thought it could kill me," Zeph said, his voice surprisingly calm considering the wrath that had been brewing inside him moments before. "It thought it could feast on me. It underestimated who I am."
Lucian smirked, leaning forward in his throne, watching the creature continue to burn. "Most do," he replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "But they learn soon enough."
Zeph's eyes returned to the creature, now little more than a writhing mass of burnt. It was still alive, its defiance replaced with desperate survival instinct, its once menacing form reduced to a pitiful, broken thing. But there was no pity in Zeph's heart for it.
He raised his hand, gathering more of the white-gold flames, preparing to deliver the another blow.
Lucian, sensing that the show was getting to its good part, stood from his throne, his figure cloaked in the menacing energy of his own soulspace. "Make it suffer, Zeph," he said, his voice cold. "Let it know what happens when it crosses you."
Zeph didn't need any further encouragement. With a swift motion, he released the flames from his hand, engulfing the creature entirely.