Leonard kept mumbling, clawing at his wound in disgust. Suddenly, he froze, his hands trembling as he slowly touched his lips, then brought his fingers before his eyes. The moment he saw the blood smeared on them, he nearly couldn't accept it—his body curled in on itself as he desperately gagged, digging into his mouth and retching. But aside from stomach fluids, there was almost nothing he could vomit.
The relentless hunger that had plagued him for years had disappeared entirely, but instead of relief, it only dragged him into a bottomless pit of despair.
What was even more terrifying was the transformation happening within his body.
Hesitant, afraid, he lifted his shirt—only to see that his left side, from his ribs down to his abdomen, had begun to change. The skin there had turned slick and somewhat decayed, and something resembling a small strand of seaweed had sprouted from the flesh.
