Book One – Chapter 10

As the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ persisted in their invasive act of extraction, the darkness surrounding Midnight suddenly thickened and tightened. An unnatural warmth coursed through her veins, escalating into a searing heat. Tremors wracked her form, a response to the unsettling energy now forcibly etched into the crevice that remained where her essence had been torn. Alongside their relentless extraction of Midnight’s essence, the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ infused something back into her. It was an enigmatic exchange, a symbiosis of darkness and an indiscernible substance. Midnight struggled with the ambiguity of this intrusion — what were they doing to her, what were they giving?

Their gestures, their language, their presence — if the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ indeed communicated — she was unable to decipher their intentions. They took from her, and in return, they forced something upon her, into her, a cryptic exchange devoid of explanation. As the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ continued their ministrations, Midnight perceived subtle yet profound changes within herself. A hunger awakened within her, a craving for something beyond her comprehension. It clawed at her insides, demanding something she could not name. In exchange for the stolen essence, the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ bequeathed her the feeling of darkness lurking beneath her skin, an elusive, pulsating presence.

Suddenly, the presence of the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ intensified, inundating Midnight’s senses with a maelstrom of emotions, complex and contradicting amalgamations of indifference, amusement and desire merged into alien sensations beyond her grasp. It was as if the creatures shared a collective consciousness, an intricate network that transcended her understanding. Overwhelmed, Midnight staggered under the weight of uncountable words bearing down on her. Were they talking to her? Was this a ritual?

Abruptly, everything ceased. The DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ released their hold on Midnight, their forms dissipating into the darkness. From one breath to the next, she stood alone in the narrow cavern, trembling, her ebony fur bristling.