2. Pain

It took me just a few moments to make my choice, the hardest path called to me for some reason. The thought of spending the rest of my life in the Soul Society made me feel a sick feeling on my guts.

Having made my decision, I searched through Karakura town. I needed a secluded spot, far from the sensors of Soul Society and the residents Quincies and former Shinigamis.

I finally found a place far from the city. Looking around, I could only see little animals scurrying around. The anticipation and anxiety of what I was about to do was nearly unbearable.

I knew becoming a hollow would come at a great cost, but my desire for power within me eclipsed any hesitation. Besides, it was the only fast way to protect Orihime and make a real difference in the world with my own hands.

Yet, as I prepared to start, a heaviness settled upon my body.

Taking a seat on the cold ground, I closed my eyes, steeling myself for what was to come. My fingers gripped tightly around the chain protruding from my chest tightly.

I took a deep breath and began to pull. The first link of my soul chain resisted. With determined resolve, I tugged at it, feeling a surge of agony course through me.

Link by link, waves of pain washed over me, but I gritted my teeth and continued. It was a slow and agonizing process, but I knew it was necessary.

The pain intensified as I felt something changing deep within me, a corruption taking hold. My soul writhed and twisted, reshaping into that of a hollow. My body convulsed with each spasm of pain while my teeth dug into my lips, drawing blood.

Slowly, I felt the chain breaking away, and my chest became empty, hollow. It was then that I realized that what used to chain me to my mortal body was slowly gathering in front of my face, transforming into my hollow mask.

As the transformation progressed, my muscles grew denser while my upper body, arms, and chest turned a deep shade of red, while my lower half became a dark gray.

In the center of my chest, where the chain used to come from, I now sported a hollow hole. It was a constant reminder of what I had become, and the insatiable hunger that now consumed me.

A sense of terror mixed with excitement washed over me as my mask covered my face and I completed my transformation into a hollow.

I had become a serpent-like creature with a skull-like hollow mask with big teeth. Fortunately, I had managed to keep my hair, which now stood out against the rest of my body.

However, this transformation was not without consequences. I could feel how my soul had lost something important, something that would become my future power.

For now, Its absence left me unsettled.

The pain and hunger still gnawed at me, but I pushed them aside, determined to complete my self-imposed mission.

With another deep breath, I focused my mind, channeling all my willpower into opening a Garganta to Hueco Mundo with my hands.

Using my fingers, I pulled the fabric of the world, opening a dark tunnel.

The portal shimmered before me, full of untamed energy. I boldly stepped through, full of excitement.

A barren white desert landscape stretched out before me, unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Stretching my senses, I could feel how I was surrounded by powerful beings everywhere. Their growls and snarls echoed through the arid air.

Using my new lower body to move awkwardly, I could feel sand crunch under me. It was an exhilarating and intimidating experience to move without a pair of legs.

Yet, I knew that I had to be cautious, as I was now in a world where danger lurked around every corner.

Suddenly, the air grew tense as two of the presences approached me, making their intentions clear.

"Here he is!" A female pink stag-like hollow, the color of evil, announced, eyeing me hungrily.

My new enemy's eyes were filled with a ravenous hunger that made me frown.

"A newborn is just a light meal." A hunched, rat-like and less intelligent hollow said to the pink one with a chuckle.

As they closed in, a disorienting feeling of madness and hunger filled with my newfound spiritual sense.

With a roar that echoed across the barren desert, I made my intentions clear. I was hungry, and I was willing to fight to satiate that hunger and survive.

I needed more power, and I knew that I would stop at nothing to achieve my ultimate goal of joining the ranks of the Espadas.

I stared down my adversaries, ready to unleash the full extent of my new hollow powers and prove that I was a force to be reckoned with to the surrounding enemies.