Janet's hand moved in a blur, the blade slipping out from her side in one swift motion. Before Blaze could react, she drove it deep into his chest. Blood erupted in a crimson arc, spraying across her face, her clothes, and the bar counter. The metallic tang filled the air as the surrounding patrons froze for a split second, their drunken stupor giving way to sudden horror.
Then, chaos exploded.
Screams erupted, the sound piercing through the heavy bass of the music. Glasses shattered as people scrambled away, overturning stools and knocking into each other in their frantic rush to the exits. The bartender ducked behind the counter, hands over his head, as patrons trampled one another in their desperate flight from the sudden violence.
Janet stood over Blaze, her breath coming in ragged gasps, tears streaming down her cheeks. The fury and resolve that had driven her to this moment drained away, leaving only the hollow ache of loss. For a moment, she just stared at him—her brother, the monster she could no longer save—lying in a pool of his own blood, eyes wide and lifeless.
She turned away, choking back a sob, and pushed through the terrified crowd, her vision blurred by tears. The screams, the chaos, the pounding music—it all became a distant roar as she stumbled out into the cold night, leaving behind the bar, the blood, and the memories of the brother she once knew.
The bar gradually fell silent, the patrons having fled, leaving only overturned chairs and the lingering scent of blood. Blaze lay there, unmoving, his body a lifeless husk sprawled on the stained floor. But then, a faint golden light began to emanate from his pocket, casting a soft glow in the dimly lit bar.
The small flute he always carried glowed brighter, a warm, otherworldly gold that bathed his bloodied form in its radiance. The light twisted and stretched, forming a shimmering halo above his head. And then, with a pulse of energy, the light sank into his chest.
His wounds began to heal, the torn flesh knitting itself back together at a speed visible to the naked eye. The blood that had pooled around him was absorbed back into his skin, leaving only the faintest stains on his clothes.
A shuddering breath escaped him as his eyes snapped open, the once blank gaze now alight with something far more sinister. Slowly, Blaze sat up, a terrible, vicious smile creeping across his lips, his expression twisted and demonic.
"I win," he muttered, his voice low and filled with cruel satisfaction. The words hung in the air, a promise, a curse, as he rose to his feet, ready to hunt down the sister who thought she had killed him.
Blaze arranged a altar, smearing his blood on the altar, before drawing a complicated symbol and started to chant the spell he had memorized.
He placed the flute in the altar, which melted into a sparks on light, then Blaze laid down in the middle of the altar, at first nothing happened... But as time went by, black mist started to erupt from the altar, covering him, making him feel as if he was taking a cold iced bath.
Suddenly Blaze felt the influx of informations into his head, and the addition of something to his body, he knew instantly that he had gained an ability.
Blaze lay on the cold ground of the ruined bar, blood pooling beneath him, but his lips curled into a triumphant smile.
He had fulfilled the final requirement to obtain the demonic technique. The forbidden ritual demanded he be killed by someone of his own bloodline, and Janet had unknowingly completed the ritual for him.
He'd stumbled upon this ancient technique in a crumbling grimoire years ago, gathering all the necessary components with ruthless precision. The stolen flute had been the last piece, a catalyst for the ritual's completion, but it was his sister's blade that sealed his rebirth.
As the golden halo from the altar enveloped him, his wounds began to close, the blood seeping back into his veins, flesh knitting together at an unnaturally rapid pace.
His eyes snapped open, glowing with an eerie golden light, and he let out a low chuckle that grew into a mad, echoing laugh.
Blaze stood, peeling off his blood-soaked clothes and setting them aflame by overturning the lantarns. The entire bar ignited in an inferno, the firelight dancing in his cold, reborn eyes. He turned and walked away, leaving behind the screams of patrons caught in the blaze.
His mind swirled with the new power he had claimed: the Heaven Devouring Ability. He could feel it coursing through him, a dark hunger that could consume anything—abilities, life force, souls. The possibilities were endless.
Filled with a twisted sense of euphoria, Blaze wandered the quiet streets until he found a small, unsuspecting house. With a predatory grin, he kicked open the door, the wood splintering under his boot. The family within turned to the sudden noise, eyes wide with shock and fear.
The first to meet his gaze was a little girl, her bright blue eyes shimmering with innocence. She clutched a pink teddy bear, her smile wide as she mistook him for her father returning home.
"Are you an angel?" she asked, her voice filled with awe. "You're so beautiful."
Blaze's smile was disarmingly gentle, his eyes a cold contrast to his sweet expression. "Yes, little one," he cooed. "An angel sent just for you."
Before she could react, her older sister stepped forward. She was a stunning young woman, her figure shapely and elegant, eyes the same striking blue as her sibling's. She was taken aback by Blaze's ethereal beauty, her cheeks flushing red.
"Who... who are you?" she stammered, her voice catching in her throat.
Blaze's smile widened, revealing a glimpse of the monster beneath. "I am the Heaven Devourer," he said softly. "And I've come to take what's mine."
She blushed hard.
Blaze turned to the little girl, "close your eyes, what will happen now is not to be seen by little girls."
In a flash, he closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around the older sister in a tight embrace. She gasped, her body pressed against his in a way that sent her heart racing. But the warmth she felt was deceptive—her vitality was draining away, her life force being consumed by the Heaven Devouring Ability.
Her youthful skin began to wrinkle, her hair turning brittle and gray as if decades were stolen in mere seconds.
She tried to scream, but Blaze clamped a hand over her mouth, his fingers digging into her cheeks. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes pleading for mercy, but her powers, usually so reliable, were nullified in his presence. She couldn't summon even a whisper of her elemental magic.
Her body crumpled to the floor, shriveled and lifeless, the vibrant beauty she once held reduced to a hollow shell.
Blaze turned his attention back to the little girl, who had been obediently covering her eyes, a giggle still on her lips as she thought this was all some strange game. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the rush of new power coursing through him.
When he opened them, a cold mist escaped his lips as he whispered, "Ah, so this is the power of the Heaven Devouring Ability." He conjured a shard of ice with a flick of his wrist, the deadly icicle glowing with an otherworldly chill.
The girl peeked through her fingers just in time to see the ice arrow hurtling toward her. It pierced her forehead, her small body collapsing with a soft thud. Calmly, Blaze approached, carving out her still-warm heart and placing it in a small glass vial he had brought along for this very purpose.
His grin was one of pure, unhinged satisfaction as he left the house, stepping back into the night. The thrill of his new powers consumed him, filling him with an insatiable hunger for more.