The neon glow of the motel sign flickered against the rain-streaked window. Alex sat at the edge of his bed, methodically cleaning his weapons. His fingers worked on autopilot, dismantling and reassembling the handgun while his mind churned through everything he had learned in the past few days.
Something was off about this case. The bindings in that house weren't meant to trap an entity—they were meant to restrain something already here. And yet, whatever had been there had managed to escape, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake.
He leaned back, exhaling heavily. 'What the hell am I dealing with?'
The question rattled around in his skull as he reached for his journal, flipping through the pages filled with scribbled notes. Blood rituals, summoning glyphs, protective sigils—none of it matched exactly what he had seen. He needed another perspective. Someone who understood the deeper nuances of supernatural workings.
Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts until he found a name he hadn't called in a while. With a deep breath, he tapped the call button.
It rang three times before a familiar voice answered.
"Alex. Didn't expect to hear from you."
"Yeah, well, I need a second opinion, Caleb."
A pause. Then, "This about that thing in Missouri?"
Alex's grip on the phone tightened. "You heard?"
"Of course I did. A case like this? It's got hunter circles talking. Some think it's a wraith, others say demon. What do you think?"
Alex hesitated before answering. "I don't think it's any of those. There's something different about this one. The symbols—it wasn't a summoning. It was a cage."
The line went silent for a moment. Then Caleb exhaled sharply. "Damn. You sure?"
"Positive."
"That means whatever was inside got out."
"Yeah," Alex muttered. "And it's still hungry i guess."
By morning, Alex had a plan. It was dangerous, but he didn't have a choice. He had to draw the thing out.
He found himself standing in an abandoned barn, miles outside of town. It smelled of rotting hay and old wood, the air thick with dust. The location was perfect—isolated, easy to contain a fight if things went sideways.
'Which probably will.' Alex chuckled.
He began carving symbols into the floor with a piece of chalk, reinforcing them with salt and a few drops of his own blood. Protection, restriction, banishment—layers of security in case things escalated beyond his control. The last thing he needed was to accidentally unleash something worse.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, he was ready.
Hours passed. Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. Alex remained still, his senses on high alert.
Then, a voice kind of like a whisper.
Low. Raspy. Just outside the barn.
His fingers tightened around the grip of his weapon as he turned toward the sound.
The shadows shifted.
"Clever," a voice murmured, hollow and echoing. "But you're too late."
A figure emerged from the darkness—tall, humanoid. Its limbs were elongated, its face featureless except for deep-set eyes that seemed to drink in the light. The temperature in the barn plummeted.
Alex's breath came out in a mist. "Who bound you?" he asked, voice steady despite the tension coiling in his gut.
The thing tilted its head. "A fool," it said. "One who thought they could control what they did not understand."
"And you killed them."
It smiled. "They weren't the first."
Alex's grip tightened. No more talking. He moved.
A shot rang out, silver bullet aimed straight for its chest. But before it could connect, the creature blurred, reappearing behind him.
'Too fast'.
He barely had time to throw himself forward as claws raked through the air where he had just been standing. Rolling to his feet, he reached into his coat and hurled a vial of sanctified oil. It shattered against the creature's form, igniting in holy flame.
It screeched, stumbling backward, but the fire didn't seem to consume it—just slow it down.
Alex took the opportunity. He lunged, pressing his hand against its arm.
The world tilted.
Visions slammed into him—a past that wasn't his. Rituals in the dark. Screaming voices. Pain. Hunger. It was all very quick but
the sensation was suffocating, an overwhelming flood of memories. But buried beneath it, he felt something else—power.
His own abilities surged to the surface, latching onto the thing's essence. Energy crackled, flowing into him, filling the gaps in his understanding.
The creature howled, its form flickering violently before lunging at him again. But this time, Alex was ready.
He sidestepped, drawing a blade coated in purified silver. A deep cut slashed across its torso, and it shrieked, staggering. Alex didn't give it time to recover—he followed up with a series of precise strikes, each one imbued with the newfound energy coursing through him.
The creature faltered, its movements sluggish. The absorption process was taking a toll on it, weakening it in ways it didn't understand. Alex pressed the advantage, driving his blade deep into its chest and twisting.
A burst of energy exploded outward, sending him flying backward. When he scrambled to his feet, the creature was gone—reduced to nothing but ashes drifting in the barn's dim light.
Back in his motel room, the only light coming from the flickering neon sign outside the window. Alex sat at the small wooden desk, absently spinning a silver dagger between his fingers. His mind buzzed with everything he had gained from the last hunt—both the power and the knowledge.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand down his face. 'What the hell is going on ?'.
The new abilities felt foreign but potent, like holding a live wire in his bare hands. He needed to test them, to understand them. But recklessness wasn't an option. Every advantage he gained had to be controlled, refined. Otherwise, he'd be no better than the things he hunted.
His gaze flicked toward the panel floating in his mind's eye.
Abilities:
- Psychometry (Advanced): Access deeper memories, even fragmented ones.
- Power Absorption (Active): Draw power from defeated entities.
- Dark Vision: Perceive supernatural entities even when they attempt to hide.
- Enhanced Senses: Heightened hearing, smell, and vision, adapted from the Wendigo.
- Accelerated Healing: Minor wounds mend quickly, borrowed from a Skinwalker.
- Enhanced Speed and Reflexes: Unnatural quickness and agility, refined from past hunts.
"Power absorption." Alex muttered.
That was the most concerning. It meant he wasn't just taking knowledge—he was fundamentally changing himself. And that kind of thing came with consequences.
A knock at the door snapped him from his thoughts. He tensed, grabbing his gun before approaching cautiously. "Who is it?"