He squeezed.
The Leech didn't pop. It imploded , collapsing into a black pinprick of nothing, sucked into the void-fragment that lived in his sternum. For a single, glorious second, Kael felt full—not with light or hope, but with a cold, satisfying absence . The kind that didn't need to feed because it had nowhere left to fall.
The designation was "Ex-Load Leech." Officially, it was a classified parasitic entity, a biological weapon engineered in a forgotten war. Unofficially, it was the last thing a soldier felt before their luck ran out.
He was becoming a hollow doll, a man-shaped void. Panic should have surged, but the Leech took that too. All that remained was a quiet, terrible acceptance. Just lie down , a soothing voice whispered—his own voice, but wet and empty. You’ve been tired for so long.
The world dimmed first—the neon purples and toxic greens of the jungle bled into grayscale. Then the sounds: the constant insect drone faded to a distant hum, then silence. Kael gasped, trying to claw at his own neck, but his arms felt like they were moving through honey. The Leech was siphoning his intensity , the raw electrical fire of his consciousness.
He squeezed.
The Leech didn't pop. It imploded , collapsing into a black pinprick of nothing, sucked into the void-fragment that lived in his sternum. For a single, glorious second, Kael felt full—not with light or hope, but with a cold, satisfying absence . The kind that didn't need to feed because it had nowhere left to fall.
The designation was "Ex-Load Leech." Officially, it was a classified parasitic entity, a biological weapon engineered in a forgotten war. Unofficially, it was the last thing a soldier felt before their luck ran out.
He was becoming a hollow doll, a man-shaped void. Panic should have surged, but the Leech took that too. All that remained was a quiet, terrible acceptance. Just lie down , a soothing voice whispered—his own voice, but wet and empty. You’ve been tired for so long.
The world dimmed first—the neon purples and toxic greens of the jungle bled into grayscale. Then the sounds: the constant insect drone faded to a distant hum, then silence. Kael gasped, trying to claw at his own neck, but his arms felt like they were moving through honey. The Leech was siphoning his intensity , the raw electrical fire of his consciousness.
