Chapter 18: Shadows in the Abyss
Pod's body hit the ground with a sickening thud, the taste of blood filling his mouth. Every breath was a struggle, his chest heaving as he forced air into his lungs. The sky above him was dark, swirling with clouds that mirrored the chaos below, as if nature itself was responding to the nightmare unfolding in the streets.
Ryan…no, not Ryan anymore. The beast that had once been his best friend stood in the center of the destruction, surrounded by a swirling vortex of black energy. His figure had mutated grotesquely—arms stretched impossibly long, muscles bulging beyond recognition. His once-human face was contorted into something monstrous, eyes now burning pits of darkness.
Pod staggered to his feet, his entire body screaming in protest. His mind raced as he tried to process what had just happened. The blindfold...he had broken it, but instead of freeing Ryan, it had unleashed something even worse. Whatever shred of humanity had been left was gone now, consumed by the Choujin power.
The civilians—those who hadn't already fled—were running, screaming, scrambling over debris in their desperate attempts to escape. Pod's heart ached for them, for the people he had sworn to protect, but how could he protect anyone from this? His best friend had turned into a walking apocalypse.
He clenched his fists, feeling the residual energy from his earlier strike pulsing through his veins. The power he had absorbed from Ryan was potent, swirling within him like a storm just waiting to be unleashed. But could he control it? Could he even come close to matching Ryan's destructive force?
A loud crash brought him back to the present. The mutated Ryan had slammed his fists into the ground, sending shockwaves through the city, splitting the streets open and causing buildings to collapse in his wake. He was moving toward the heart of the city now, where even more people were trapped.
Pod knew what he had to do.
With a deep breath, he forced the fear down, focusing on the power inside him. He couldn't let it consume him like it had Ryan. He had to use it, channel it, if he had any hope of stopping this monster. The city was counting on him.
As Pod sprinted toward Ryan, memories of their friendship flooded his mind. All the times they'd spent together, the laughter, the plans for the future. And now, here they were, torn apart by a power neither of them fully understood. He grit his teeth. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
He leapt onto a crumbled wall, launching himself into the air with the force of his legs, his body moving faster than it ever had before. The wind rushed past his ears as he closed the distance between himself and Ryan, drawing on every ounce of strength he had left.
"Ryan!" Pod shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. But the beast didn't react. It was as if Ryan was buried deep inside, completely unreachable.
Pod landed in front of Ryan, blocking his path. "I'm not letting you take another step!"
Ryan's head snapped toward him, those dark, hollow eyes locking onto Pod. For a moment, there was silence. Then, with a roar that shook the very air, Ryan charged.
Pod braced himself, every muscle tensing as Ryan's monstrous fist swung toward him. Time seemed to slow. Pod's enhanced senses flared to life, and he could see the raw power behind the blow, feel the devastation it would cause if it landed. But Pod wasn't going to let it.
With a burst of energy, Pod sidestepped the attack, his body moving in perfect sync with his instincts. He spun around, planting his feet firmly on the ground, and drove his fist into Ryan's side, releasing the energy he had stored from their earlier clash. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, knocking Ryan off balance.
For a brief second, Ryan staggered, the dark energy around him flickering.
It wasn't enough.
Ryan roared again, swinging wildly, his massive arm slicing through the air. Pod barely had time to react, ducking just in time to avoid the blow. The ground behind him shattered, sending chunks of debris flying.
Pod knew he couldn't keep this up. Ryan was too strong, too fast, and every second they fought, more of the city fell into ruin. He needed to find a way to end this, and fast.
As he dodged another attack, Pod's mind raced. There had to be a way to reach Ryan, to pull him back from the brink. But how? The blindfold had been the key, and now it was gone, leaving only the pure, unfiltered rage of the Choujin power.
A sudden memory flashed in his mind—something Jane had said, back when they were first learning about the Choujin injections. "The power feeds on what's already inside you. The more you use it, the more it shapes you."
What if Ryan's transformation wasn't just about the power, but about what was inside him? The darkness that had been festering, the jealousy, the pain, the fear—all amplified by the Choujin serum. Maybe...just maybe, if Pod could reach that part of him, the part that was still Ryan, he could pull him back.
But how could he break through the storm of rage that had taken over?
Ryan lunged at him again, but this time, Pod didn't dodge. He stood his ground, summoning every ounce of courage he had left.
"I know you're in there, Ryan!" Pod shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "I know this isn't who you are!"
Ryan's fist came crashing down, and Pod raised his arms to block, bracing himself for the impact. Pain shot through his body as he absorbed the blow, but he held his ground, refusing to back down.
"You're my best friend!" Pod yelled, his voice rising above the chaos. "And I'm not giving up on you!"
For a split second, Ryan hesitated. The dark energy around him flickered again, and in his eyes—just for a moment—Pod saw something familiar.
A spark of humanity.
It was fleeting, but it was there.
Pod gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain that wracked his body. He could do this. He had to do this.
"Come on, Ryan," Pod whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of everything they'd been through. "Come back."
But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the spark was gone, swallowed by the darkness once again.
Ryan roared, his power flaring to life with renewed intensity, and Pod knew he was out of time.
The final battle had begun.