Unmade Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Dark mist

Read chapter 15 of Unmade by churro on NovelPedia.

Vale’s eyes widened as the green creature began to glow, its body radiating a bright, unnatural light beneath the pale sky. The glow pulsed rhythmically, and then its shape began to change. Its back bulged grotesquely, muscles twitching and stretching as though something inside was pushing to break free. Vale glanced toward the chained man beside him. The man sat motionless, one hand resting on his knee, his masked head tilted slightly as he watched the transformation with detached interest. Not an ounce of concern crossed his posture. It was the first time Vale had seen one of these monsters act like this, yet the chained man remained calm, almost bored. “What do you think it’s doing?” Vale asked, turning back toward the glowing creature. The chained man was silent for a while. Then, in his distorted, low voice, he replied, “Bprolyba rgngaich pu.” Vale frowned, trying to decipher the alien words, but before he could think further, something about the creature changed again. Its entire body seemed to expand, not with growth, but with violent pressure. The green scales stretched, trembling, as if about to burst. “What the hell…” Vale murmured, his brow furrowing. The answer came in the next heartbeat. With a sound like tearing metal, black, bone-like spikes erupted from beneath the creature’s skin. They ripped through its glowing scales, spraying dark fluid across the crimson sea. The creature didn’t flinch, it simply stood there, its flesh now crowned with jagged spikes that shimmered with the same green radiance. Vale let out a low whistle. “That’s quite a show, isn’t it?” The chained man cast a sidelong glance at him, then said simply, “Yeah.” Vale blinked in surprise. 'So he can speak properly again.' It wasn’t the first time this had happened, every now and then, the chained man would slip into Vale’s language, as if by accident. The words never lasted long, and they were rarely more than a few syllables, but they were still… comforting, in a strange way. He turned his gaze back to the monster. The spikes now pulsed with light, glowing brighter and brighter in sync with the creature’s body. It was charging, he could feel it in the air, the hum of energy vibrating through the blood around them. At his feet, the three small metallic creatures began to shift nervously, the cat arched its back, the centipede curled protectively, and the thorned lizard, Spike, hissed softly. Whether it was fear, anger, or instinct, Vale couldn’t tell. But the next moment left no doubt. The lizard-monster tilted its head downward, its jaws opening wide. Inside its throat burned a green inferno, spiraling and concentrating into a single point. Vale’s eyes widened in realization. “It’s… producing energy,” he muttered, rubbing his chin. His voice quickened with excitement as he thought aloud. “Of course, it’s bio-energy. The glow indicates rapid energy production, and that buildup will be released through a focused output point, probably as a beam or some kind of discharge.” He squinted, watching the creature’s expanding throat. “A straight-line weapon. Efficient, Precise and Lethal.” He froze as the creature’s gaze, if it even had eyes, shifted toward them. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Vale breathed. “It’s already finished charging.” His body tensed. The monster had locked onto them. “…It’s aiming,” Vale whispered, dread seeping into his voice. “And preparing to fire.” There was no time to think, no time to run. A blinding flash erupted from the creature’s mouth as it unleashed a beam of pure green energy, slicing through the air with unstoppable force. Vale’s heart dropped. “You have got to be fucking with me!” he shouted, diving to the ground. He spread his body over the small creatures, shielding them as best he could. But one, Spike, the thorned lizard, slipped out from beneath him, scuttling forward toward the incoming light. “Spike, no!” Vale reached for it, but the beam had already reached them. The light swallowed everything. He coul