10 Corruption

Three men stand before Lucian and Layla. Devilish smiles stretch across their faces as their mouths begin to drool at the prize before them. Their eyes pinpoint on Layla as if they are trying to burn holes in her childish curves.

"Oh...What do we have here?" The man in the center creepily murmurs.

Before Lucian, all of the men look as if they are the worst dregs of society. As pure criminal thoughts almost seep out of their twisted minds as their smiles stretch wider.

The man in the center looks to be in charge of the group, as he is the biggest. A deep scar runs over his eye, only accentuating his scary appearance. On his left stands a man with a slim build, his skin tugs against his bone as if he hasn't eaten in weeks. The man on the right is slightly smaller than the man in the center, with very similar looks, almost as if they are related.

"Click!" The boss clicks his tongue at his men.

They begin moving towards Lyla and Lucian as the pair's eyes widen at the incoming danger.

"Rollo, grab the boy and keep him away from Juren and me." The boss commands.

Rollo's smile cracks as his expression turn to slight anger.

"Always giving me the last pickings, Duren. I call first taste next time!" Rollo replies angrily.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Lucian shouts in defiance.

"It's not your concern, little boy. We just want to check over the girl to make sure she's...Healthy." Duren replies with a crooked smile and a wink.

Duren and Juren grab Layla without struggle, as she is too frozen by fear to move. The fear clenches her vocal cords with an iron grip as she attempts to scream.

"Ahh--" Layla tries to scream while Juren grabs her mouth, smothering her cries for help.

'No no no...Not again. What can I do...I can't stop this filth...not with this body. Why can't I be stronger? Why am I so weak?'

Rollo suddenly kicks Lucian with force, incomprehensible for his small stature. Sending Lucian to the ground with a thud.

"Now, stay down." Rollo shouts at Lucian in a commanding tone.

"Why...?" Lucian murmurs.

"Because you're weak." Rollo says insulting Lucian as a scare tactic.

The shock of the situation still runs through Lucian's bones as he sits on his ass, barely conscious of what's going on around him. He looks to Layla. She's trying her hardest to break free from the thugs hold over her and trying to stop them as they begin to rip her clothing to shreds. With the sundown, the darkness of the street hides their presence from any onlookers from the main road.

'No one can see, and nobody will help us. We're just some privileged kids on the wrong side of town. Why would they care if they saw us...'

The reality of the situation continues to flood his mind as Lucian's perception of the situation transforms. Layla's figure rapidly changes into Julie's. Julie. The thugs begin taking on the faces of those from his memories.

Julie's screams echo through Lucian's ears as his eyes swell with the tears he was never allowed to shed.

"Stop! Don't do this!" Lucian shouts as he tries to rise.

Another kick sends Lucian flying back to the ground. Rollo doesn't stop there. He grabs Lucian by the collar of his shirt, slamming his head against the wall of a nearby building with such force it almost knocks Lucian unconscious.

His ears ring with the screams of Julie echoing through his mind. The situation goes hazy.

Rage.

A rage burns within Lucian as his tears turn red with the fire of his hatred.

'I don't care if I die. I won't let Julie die again. I'LL DIE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS..'

"What part about stay down, don't you--" Rollo shouts.

Before he can finish speaking Lucian, grabs Rollo's shoulders and pulls him in with such force that Rollo's grip breaks. Now latched on to Rollo. His mouth opens wide as his teeth bare down on Rollo's neck. Clamping his jaw down, his teeth begin to sink through skin and flesh as he tears through to his prize. The Adam's Apple. Gripping down with all his strength, Lucian tears Rollo's throat apart. Ripping a chunk of it out and spitting it on the ground.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Lucian shouts in feral rage.

Rollo releases his grip on Lucian as he falls to his knees, his vision going black and the light fading from his eyes.

Lucian loses himself in his rage. His mind funneling every possible way to end their miserable lives, to save Julie.

'Ding!'

'A section of the "Main Quest" has been completed.'

'Your rewards have been placed in the Quest Screen.'

'Ding!'

'Your rage and killing intent has reached extreme levels. Corruption increases.'

'Ding!'

'Corruption Index has reached 100% percent.'

'Evolution will now commence...'

Black flames engulf Lucian as he screams in rage and then in pain.

"AGH!"

A wave of pain engulfs Lucian's body as his bones begin to crack and reform. His muscles tear and restrengthen. His skin stretching in an attempt to fit the new body. Finally, his eyes shed tears of blood as the color of his eyes changes from blue to red, causing tears of blood to flow down his cheeks.

The two remaining thugs and Lyla look at Lucian in awe as the transformation progresses. Their eyes, unable to move as they watch every bone move through the boy's skin.

'Evolution is now complete.'

'Warning: For 24 hours after evolution your body will be exponentially stronger before your new powers adjust.'

Lucian pants with an exhausted rage, the pain still coursing through every inch of his body.

Then suddenly, his screams cease, with Lucian rising calm and composed as his mind takes on a logical sense of the situation.

'All stat points to magic.'

'Magic Stat has been increased to 12.'

'This should be enough. Everything feels clearer now.'

'Lightning Affinity has been added to your magical proficiencies.'

'It won't be like last time.'

Lucian's eyes suddenly ignite with a red light as a sense of his newfound powers comes to mind.

An eruption of small streaks of lightning begins to flow along the entirety of his body.

Time passes slower for Lucian as the lightning engulfs him.

"I don't know what you're thinking, kid, but we are aura users. Some weak shit like that will do nothing to us." Juren remarks to Lucian, unimpressed, as he begins to walk forward.

"You took out our trash. Now stay out of the way if you don't want to get hurt-"

Lucian darts forward faster than most eyes can follow.

Layla watches the scene unfold in absolute shock.

Lucian's hand now sticks out through the thug's back, holding his heart.

"Sorry, what was that?" Lucian says, erupting with a fit of laughter, as he crushes Juren's heart in the palm of his hand.

Dropping the heart, he closes his hand into a fist and pulls his arm from the man's chest. Juren's body falls to the snow, turning it red with blood.

"Now-" Lucian begins.

"Don't move, or I'll slit the girl's throat." Duren says, interrupting Lucian, a blade pressed against Layla's neck. Tiny drops of blood flowing down the edges of the blade.

'This isn't good. I want to test these powers more. I guess she'll just be collateral damage.'

Lucian dashes forward with even greater speed. His hand bore towards Duren's throat in a knife-like shape.

"Clang!"

Lucian's hand clashes against Duren's blade as he deflects the killing blow. A red mist drifts off of the blade.

"You're strong." Lucian says with a cold, logical tone. His eyes full of killing intent, now inches from Duren's face.

Duren's grip on Layla loosens as his focus is drawn to whatever Lucian's next move may be.

Layla suddenly kicks her head back, hitting Duren and allowing her to escape to safety.

"Ugh! That one hurt a bit. Feisty. This'll be fun." Duren says, jumping back to avoid any subsequent strike from Lucian. As a small line of blood spreads from his lip.

"You wanna play boy? Then let's play!" Duren shouts with defiance as his veins bulge, and the red mist extends to every portion of his body.

A tremor of great power hits against Lucian's body.

'Perfect.'

Lucian hunches down in a predatorial stance, preparing for his next move as instinct begins to take over.