The masochists

Elara moved through the streets of Varos with newfound purpose. The city pulsed with unseen energy, a current of emotions winding through the people like invisible threads. She could feel them now—their fear, their anger, their pain. It was intoxicating, but she was learning to restrain herself, to control the hunger that lurked beneath her skin.

Rael walked beside her, silent but watchful. He had been testing her, pushing her limits, making her understand what she had become. But tonight, the test felt different.

"Where are we going?" Elara asked, keeping her voice low.

Rael's eyes flickered toward the end of the alley. "You've learned to feed. Now it's time to learn why you must fight."

Elara's brows furrowed. "Fight what?"

Rael didn't answer. Instead, he gestured toward the street ahead. A figure stood in the dim glow of a flickering streetlamp, their posture tense, their aura thrumming with something unnatural.

Elara stiffened. "Who is that?"

Rael exhaled. "Someone who wants to claim your power."

The figure stepped forward, and the air around them warped. Shadows coiled at their feet, moving with the same unnatural fluidity that Elara had come to recognize in herself. A Soul Bonder—another like her.

Or something worse.

"You're new," the figure said, their voice smooth, amused. "And yet, you carry yourself like you belong here."

Elara didn't flinch. "Who are you?"

The stranger chuckled. "The real question is, who are you? A nameless Bonder, stumbling through the dark, trying to control something she barely understands?"

Elara's fingers curled into fists, the markings on her arms pulsing in response. "If you came here to talk in circles, I'm not interested."

The figure's smirk widened. "I came here to make you an offer."

Rael tensed beside her. "Don't listen."

Elara's heart pounded. "What kind of offer?"

The stranger spread their arms. "Power. Purpose. A place among those who truly understand what it means to be a Soul Bonder. Not the scraps he's been feeding you." Their eyes flickered toward Rael with thinly veiled disdain. "Join us, and you'll never need to struggle for control again. You'll become something greater."

Elara hesitated. A part of her wanted to hear more—to understand what they meant. But the way Rael stood, rigid and silent, told her everything she needed to know.

"Not interested," she said.

The stranger sighed. "A shame."

In an instant, they moved.

Elara barely had time to react before the world around her erupted into darkness. The ground beneath her feet cracked as shadows lashed toward her, tendrils of void-like energy seeking to ensnare her. She threw herself to the side, rolling as the attack missed by inches.

Rael's voice rang out. "Don't hold back."

Elara's instincts took over. She extended her hands, and the shadows obeyed, surging forth to counter the attack. The air between them pulsed as their powers clashed, tendrils of black energy intertwining in a violent dance. The sheer force of it sent tremors through the alley, cracks splitting along the pavement.

The stranger's laughter echoed through the chaos. "Good. You do have potential."

Elara gritted her teeth, forcing her energy forward. The hunger within her flared, eager to consume, to take everything this opponent had. But she fought against it, reining herself in. She wouldn't lose control.

Not now.

With a final surge, her shadows lashed forward, breaking through their opponent's defenses and striking deep. The stranger staggered back, their form flickering, unstable.

They grinned. "Interesting." Then, as suddenly as they had appeared, they melted into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.

Elara's breath came in ragged gasps. "What the hell was that?"

Rael placed a hand on her shoulder. "That," he said darkly, "was your first real enemy."

Elara stared at the empty space where the stranger had stood, her body still thrumming with residual energy. She had won this fight.

But she knew now—this was only the beginning.