The Woman is coming.

I'm so happy.

She only hits the subjects she likes and I'm her favorite.

I can't wait to have her attention again.

I smell her. Her greased hair, her dirtied shoes, her keys. Her foot-

𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶ ̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖿̶𝖫̶𝖮̶𝖶̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶

-steps echo past every cell. Mine is secluded from the rest. Behind a big, rusty door, my separate cell sits-

𝖫̶𝖾̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗄̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝖾̶𝗍̶𝗁̶ ̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗍̶𝗈̶

-alone. Alone. Alone. Loneliness is a curse I was meant to burden. Maybe-

𝖬̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗈̶𝗎̶𝗍̶𝗁̶ ̶𝗐̶𝖺̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝗋̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶ ̶𝗍̶𝖺̶𝗌̶𝗍̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗒̶𝗈̶𝗎̶𝗋̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶

-this was my destiny from the start. Even if it was, my mind is a deep blackness. I can't remember-

𝖤̶𝗆̶𝗉̶𝗍̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗀̶𝗋̶𝖺̶𝗒̶.̶ ̶𝖤̶𝗆̶𝗉̶𝗍̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗀̶𝗋̶𝖺̶𝗒̶.̶ ̶𝖤̶𝗆̶𝗉̶𝗍̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗀̶𝗋̶𝖺̶𝗒̶ ̶𝖤̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗒̶𝖾̶𝗌̶

-anything beyond this cell. This is my home. The Woman is my keeper. She treats me well. I'm fed when I'm good. Punishment is-

𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗉̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶!̶ ̶𝖨̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗎̶𝗋̶𝗍̶𝗌̶,̶ ̶𝗂̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗎̶𝗋̶𝗍̶𝗌̶!̶ ̶𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝖼̶𝗋̶𝖺̶𝖼̶𝗄̶ ̶𝗈̶𝖿̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶

-rare. She's come to take me outside, hasn't she? Her stomps grew nearer and nearer. The metal unlocked my useless cage.

𝖲̶𝗄̶𝗂̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗋̶𝗈̶𝗍̶𝗍̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶𝖯̶𝖾̶𝖾̶𝗅̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶.̶ ̶𝖨̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗋̶𝗈̶𝗅̶𝗅̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗈̶𝖿̶𝖿̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗍̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝖽̶ ̶𝖿̶𝗅̶𝖾̶𝗌̶𝗁̶

Foaming at the mouth, I pounced to the corner. My body jerked with each breath I took. What's going on? Why can't I communi-

𝖨̶𝗍̶'̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗈̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖺̶𝗇̶𝖽̶𝗌̶.̶ ̶𝖧̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶,̶ ̶𝖧̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶,̶ ̶𝖧̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶,̶ ̶𝖧̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶

-cate? Why can't she understand me? The shock collar sewn into my neck pinched me, giving me a sorry excuse for an electric current. The facility didn't understand my magic, but they did understand torture. No matter how many times they dug into my brain, they could never find-

𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗋̶𝖾̶𝖽̶ ̶𝗀̶𝖺̶𝗍̶𝖾̶

-the "science" behind my monstrosity. I scratched at the collar, clawed at the collar, but it dug its way deeper and deeper into my throat. I spit up blood onto the floor, hacking and coughing to try and release my lungs from the torture. The Woman stared down at me, remote in hand. She grabbed me by my tattered shirt and dragged me out of the cell, tossing me into a more mobile one. I stayed put. Escape was unnecessary. She shut the cage and draped a black cloak over it. Crawling on all fours, I scratched the red wood of the mobile box cell. The Woman threw on her white coat, grabbed the handle of my cell, and pulled me outside. I could feel nothing but the bumps and digs of the ground beneath me. I could hear nothing but the whispers in the hall, the whispers in my head, and the whispers under my own breath. I laughed the whole way there, caught up in conversation with myself. The dark language we spoke to each other was-

𝖨̶𝗍̶ ̶𝖼̶𝗈̶𝗆̶𝖾̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖼̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗋̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗇̶𝖽̶ ̶𝖼̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗋̶,̶ ̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝖿̶𝗂̶𝗅̶𝗍̶𝗋̶𝖺̶𝗍̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶ ̶𝖻̶𝖾̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶.̶ ̶𝖨̶𝗍̶'̶𝖽̶ ̶𝖻̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗈̶ ̶𝖾̶𝖺̶𝗌̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶ ̶𝗃̶𝗎̶𝗌̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗄̶

-exhilarating. Each syllable sent shivers through my cold body. Each word floated through my lungs. I was in love with the language. It kept me company.

𝖨̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗐̶𝖺̶𝗅̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗐̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗄̶𝗎̶𝗅̶𝗅̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗈̶𝖿̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗏̶𝗂̶𝖼̶𝗍̶𝗂̶𝗆̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗐̶𝗁̶𝗈̶𝗅̶𝖾̶

The road always seemed to wind on forever. Winding and winding, bumping and bumping. The steady noise.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

No, stop it! I can't...I can't...My claws scraped their way down my face, leaving every mark they could possibly make. I thrust my fingers into my throat, toying with the burning flesh inside. Just stop the noise.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Stop the noise.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

STOP TH𝖤̶ ̶𝖭̶𝖮̶𝖨̶𝖲̶𝖤̶!̶

The red gate seduces its victims. Those who come near diediedie. Their blood is the waterfall. Their bones, the bridge. My nostrils are flooded with the ominous black odor it used to stain my purity. His eyeseyeseyes are the fire that burns the steel gates shut. As he fades, so will the lock.

𝖲̶𝗍̶𝗈̶𝗉̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗇̶𝗈̶𝗂̶𝗌̶𝖾̶,̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗍̶𝗈̶𝗉̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗇̶𝗈̶𝗂̶𝗌̶𝖾̶,̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗍̶𝗈̶𝗉̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗇̶𝗈̶𝗂̶𝗌̶𝖾̶!̶ ̶𝖨̶ ̶𝗌̶𝖼̶𝗋̶𝖾̶𝖺̶𝗆̶𝖾̶𝖽̶ ̶𝖿̶𝗈̶𝗋̶ ̶𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝖶̶𝗈̶𝗆̶𝖺̶𝗇̶,̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗍̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗅̶𝖿̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗀̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗌̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗐̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝖽̶𝖾̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗐̶𝖺̶𝗅̶𝗅̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶ ̶𝗀̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝗋̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗍̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝗇̶𝗍̶𝗂̶𝗈̶𝗇̶,̶ ̶𝖻̶𝗎̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗄̶𝖾̶𝗉̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗎̶𝗉̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝗋̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖾̶𝗍̶𝗂̶𝖼̶𝗎̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗎̶𝗌̶𝗅̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗉̶𝖺̶𝗍̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝗋̶𝗇̶𝖾̶𝖽̶ ̶𝗉̶𝖺̶𝖼̶𝖾̶.̶ ̶𝖲̶𝗁̶𝖾̶'̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗇̶𝗈̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝗄̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶.̶ ̶𝖫̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝗄̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖾̶!̶ ̶𝖫̶𝗈̶𝗈̶𝗄̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖾̶!̶

Let the blood deliver me from my evil. I don't deserve to be trapped behind this sanity. Lose-

𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝖼̶𝖾̶𝗅̶𝗅̶ ̶𝖼̶𝖺̶𝗆̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗇̶ ̶𝖺̶𝖻̶𝗋̶𝗎̶𝗉̶𝗍̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖺̶𝗅̶𝗍̶.̶ ̶𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝖺̶𝖽̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗇̶𝗈̶𝗂̶𝗌̶𝖾̶𝗌̶ ̶𝖽̶𝗂̶𝖽̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶𝗈̶.̶

-yourself to the flood you created. Quit the fight and let me win. Let me consume your bo-

𝖳̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝖺̶𝗏̶𝗒̶ ̶𝖼̶𝗅̶𝗈̶𝖺̶𝗄̶ ̶𝖺̶𝗋̶𝗈̶𝗎̶𝗇̶𝖽̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝖼̶𝖺̶𝗀̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗐̶𝖺̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗉̶𝗎̶𝗅̶𝗅̶𝖾̶𝖽̶ ̶𝖻̶𝖺̶𝖼̶𝗄̶,̶ ̶𝗋̶𝖾̶𝗏̶𝖾̶𝖺̶𝗅̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶ the light from the outdoors.

𝖭̶𝗈̶,̶ ̶𝗇̶𝗈̶!̶ ̶𝖦̶𝗂̶𝗏̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝖼̶𝗈̶𝗇̶𝗍̶𝗋̶

Seas and seas of curious eyes angled towards me. One by one, they faded closer, pushing past each other to get a glimpse of the monster in the cage. Cameras clicked and clacked. Nosy reporters and curious bystanders stood at the edge of The Woman's podium. Already riled up by the bumping of the ground, I was hardly in a state to perform for these invasive eyes. They bore holes into my deserving skin.

𝖳̶𝗁̶𝗋̶𝗈̶𝗎̶𝗀̶𝗁̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗎̶𝖿̶𝖿̶𝖾̶𝗋̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶,̶ ̶𝗒̶𝗈̶𝗎̶'̶𝗅̶𝗅̶ ̶𝖽̶𝗂̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶𝗈̶.̶ ̶𝖧̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗎̶𝖿̶𝖿̶𝖾̶𝗋̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝗋̶𝖾̶,̶ ̶𝗌̶𝖼̶𝗋̶𝖾̶𝖺̶𝗆̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗀̶.̶ ̶𝖧̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗌̶𝗎̶𝖿̶𝖿̶𝖾̶𝗋̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗐̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗁̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝗋̶

"Ma'am, have you made any new discoveries on the monster?"

"Excuse me! All of the citizens would like to know if the monster is able to communicate with human speech?"

"Is the monster still dangerous?"

Funny, funny, funny humans. Am I still dangerous? When have I ever been safe to be around?

𝖳̶𝗁̶𝗋̶𝗈̶𝗎̶𝗀̶𝗁̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗎̶𝗆̶𝖺̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗌̶𝖺̶𝖼̶𝗋̶𝗂̶𝖿̶𝗂̶𝖼̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗂̶𝗌̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗈̶𝗇̶𝗅̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗐̶𝖺̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗈̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝗍̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗉̶𝗈̶𝗐̶𝖾̶𝗋̶

The Woman smacked my cage before she began speaking. "We, at the Roseorn Scientific Research Center, have conducted all possible tests on the monster as per the request of our mayor, Don Gotō. It is no longer able to communicate comprehensively and no, it is no longer dangerous. Our facility has it under extremely tight security, so Roseorn has nothing to fear."

The doors are easy to open, the cells are easy to slip through, the people are easy to eat. But it's not the right time. Oh, it's not the right time.

𝖬̶𝗎̶𝗋̶𝖽̶𝖾̶𝗋̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖺̶𝗇̶,̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖺̶𝗄̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗂̶𝗆̶ ̶𝗆̶𝗒̶ ̶𝗀̶𝖺̶𝗍̶𝖾̶,̶ ̶𝗆̶𝖺̶𝗄̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗁̶𝗂̶𝗆̶ ̶𝖿̶𝖾̶𝖾̶𝗅̶ ̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗉̶𝖺̶𝗂̶𝗇̶ ̶𝗁̶𝖾̶ ̶𝗂̶𝗇̶𝖿̶𝗅̶𝗂̶𝖼̶𝗍̶𝖾̶𝖽̶

"That is such a relief to hear, ma'am! Thank you so much for your tireless work at the center! We are forever in your debt!"

And you will be forever in the palm of my hand.

I'll take you over.

Your friends, your family, your lovers.

They're all mine.

All mine to play with.

𝖠̶𝖼̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝖶̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖬̶𝖾̶𝖠̶𝖼̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝖶̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖬̶𝖾̶𝖠̶𝖼̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝖶̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖬̶𝖾̶𝖠̶𝖼̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝖶̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖬̶𝖾̶𝖠̶𝖼̶𝗁̶𝖾̶𝖶̶𝗂̶𝗍̶𝗁̶𝖬̶𝖾̶

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

I can't wait to shatter yours and watch them fade to graygraygray.

~~~

A/N: Really makes you miss the scared fifteen year old from Chapter One, huh? #bringZypherbacktous :') Welp, as we conclude Zypher's story, we're met with a new one...