COVELENT: XenoTrait

Chapter 38: Understanding Fear

"Yahhhhh—!" The scream tore out of Felix’s throat before he could stop it.

He staggered forward, clutching his chest as his body shook violently. His lungs burned, his muscles trembling.Every nerve still screaming from what had just happened.

But he was standing, ’im still standing...

I’m alive.’ he thought.

"I... I did it..." he screamed out.

His voice came out uneven, fragile and a laugh followed. It was thin and unsteady, "I survived..."

His legs nearly gave out as he tried to stand. He forced himself to breathe through the lingering pain, each inhale sharp as if the acid still clung to his insides.

Then he noticed it, "The forest..." His voice dropped, "...It’s changed."

Darkness had swallowed everything the only thing that was left was illuminated by the moon and yet he could still see.

Not vaguely, not barely but perfectly.

’My vision actually got much better than before... wow.’ he thought.

Every tree that stretched into the distance, he could see in razor detail, the grooves in bark, the veins in leaves and even the twitch of insects hidden beneath the grass.

Nothing could escape his line of vision. Felix blinked slowly.

"...What...?"

He raised his hand, turning it under his gaze and he could see it every crease, every scar, every faint tremor in his fingers...it was all clear.

His eyes narrowed, "...That bird..." His jaw tightened, "The thing that almost killed me..."

A faint smirk pulled at his lips. "...Guess you weren’t useless after all."

A cold breeze slipped through the trees. Felix stiffened instantly.

Night in this forest wasn’t silence. It was an ever present presence always accompanied by an unexplainable pressure. Like something unseen pressed in from every direction, waiting and watching.

He exhaled slowly, "I need... shelter." He moved quickly as if he was being chased but stayed careful..... Evert step controlled and deliberate so as to not alarm any near animals.

He tracked every sound to see weather it was a threat to him or not. Every shift in the wind did not go by without him checking it out.

The deeper he went, the thicker the forest became and the worse it felt.

To him nothing was safe, nowhere was safe until finally Felix stopped, "...Too risky." he mumbled.

He turned back and the path behind him felt... known. His sharpened vision guided him back without hesitation.

Back to the only thing he understood. "The corpse."

The massive eagle lay where it fell, it was still but he could remember the way it felt to be attacked by it.

Felix stared at it for a moment then nodded slightly, "...Yeah."

A tired breath escaped him, "This is the safest place I’ve got....

At least here I don’t have to worry about it attacking me."

He stepped closer and the smell hit him immediately, there was a faint rotting smell accompanied by the smell of wet feathers laced with iron-heavy blood.

His face tightened, "...Doesn’t matter."

He pressed both hands into the torn opening where he had escaped from, the flesh gave way and he pushed in.

His fingers sank deep, tearing through muscle as resistance dragged against him.

He gritted his teeth and bit down. Flesh tore between his teeth. Blood filling his mouth, it was warm and metallic, it coated his tongue, his hands and his arms but he forced himself deeper.

Past the muscle, past sinew until he reached a sturdy bone. His fingers brushed against ribs.

Felix paused, breathing hard, "...Good."

He planted his foot, braced his shoulders, and pulled.

The rib resisted for a bit then a cracking sound erupted from them.

"Agh—!" Felix groaned. The ribs finally gave way but Felix did not stop. He broke rib after rib one after the other.

Each tear was heavier, each movement from his side slower. His breathing got harsher, sweat mixing with blood as it ran down his face.

When he finished, an opening had formed, crude and jagged, but it was enough.

Felix crawled out of the bird again and descend down to a small cave.

He dragged loose ribs into place, stacking them around the entrance, blocking wind and narrowing the exposure.

"It’s not stable..." He exhaled, "...but it’ll do."

Felix stepped inside and lowered himself onto the dry feathers he had gotten from the carcass.

His gaze drifted upward, ’...You almost killed me...’

A pause.

’...and now you’re keeping me alive by providing shelter.’

His body gave out and the darkness took him instantly.

Morning came slowly.

"Aahh..." he yawned.

Felix groaned as he pushed the rib barrier aside and stepped out.

The forest stretched endlessly, "...Yeah..."

He flexed his fingers, "This...this is different."

His eyes sharpened with an intensity, "I just need to know how different."

He saw a stone by the edge of his eye and it caught his attention.

’ It’s quite solid and dense....it’s perfect.’

Felix stepped forward, ’ man...this is a pretty large stone.’

Felix planted one foot into the ground shifting most of his weight there, he pulled back his arm...let out a breath and struck it.

His fist drove into the stone and it shattered as it’s fragments scattered across the ground.

Felix froze, "...I did that."

A slow grin spread across his face, ’my serum worked.’

He grabbed another stone, it was big enough to fill his entire hand. He squeezed his hand and the stone crumbled.

"...Again..."He said, "I need to test my strength."

Felix turned to a strong tree with a thick stem.

’Its thicker, I believe it’s stronger too....this is a real test.’

He stepped closer, raised him arm.

His breathing had now slowed. Then he thrust forward.

His hands punched into the trunk.....Felix’s eyes widened as he pulled back.

The wood tore apart with a splintering crack. Felix stepped back, staring in awe, "...No way..."

A quiet laugh slipped out of him, "...No way." He smiled in disbelief.

Later, he sat on the ground his legs crossed, staring at his hands.

He was opening and closing them, "...Strength...this is awesome."

His gaze lowered, "...But what else? If there is anything else...hmmm."

His fingers traced his arm up and down, ’ Nothing.’

But he remembered very clearly, ’The fall, that grotesque rat and the big bird. Each time...

Something had always been there, Something that is keeping me alive....

But why...?’

He stood slowly. "...Speed." He lowered his stance and focused, he went in a standard running position...he stayed still for a few seconds and ran off.

His body surged forward as it got faster and faster each time.

Then he stopped, "Haah... haah... haah..." His chest heaved violently, his throat burned.

He turned back expecting much but the distance...was short, too short, "...That’s it?"

Frustration tightened his expression, "...Strength increased..."

He wiped his face, "...But speed..."

His jaw clenched. "...and stamina..." His legs trembled slightly, "...changed slightly."

Time passed... roughly about a few several hours.

Felix carved marks into trees as he moved, mapping his path.

Night fell again but the darkness didn’t matter as he could still see.

That’s when he noticed it moving cautiously in the bushes, a porcupine.

Felix slowed, "...lemme go around...?"

He glanced behind him but the marks he left behind were gone.

His gaze returned forward, "...No...how on earth did I lose them."

He stepped closer with cautious step’s...he took one step at a time but then...

The porcupine tensed up its body tightening then the spikes exploded off the porcupine.

Spikes shot toward him.

"...Agh!" he groaned in pain as it detonated through his hand and stomach area as the quills buried themselves deeper within him.

Blood followed instantly as it flowed out of every spot.

Felix staggered back, clutching his side but the porcupine did not waste time it only advanced as it launched more quills towards Felix.

Felix turned and ran."Haah...!" he took harsh breaths as he attempted to run away.

Branches snapped underfoot as he ran then his leg buckled.

"Agh...!" he groaned as a quill had pierced his calf.

He hit the ground hard, rolled off but he forced himself up and quickly turned.

But the porcupine was closing in.

His breathing was ragged as blood ran down his arm.

"...You’re out..." His eyes locked onto it, "...of needles."

The porcupine lunged but Felix moved first.

His hand snapped forward, grabbing its head.

It twisted violently in retaliation. Felix’s other hand locked onto its body.

He grabbed it properly lift it up and threw it on the ground. As soon as it hit the ground Felix followed up with his feet as he stomped it out.

Felix looked at it and thought, ’ damn why are all the animals here so aggressive...well anyway I guess this is the food I got for now.’

"Ghh!" the sound erupted as Felix sank his teeth into it’s flesh. It tore and warm blood flooded his mouth.

The creature thrashed as a last attempt but Felix didn’t stop.

He bit again and again until It went still. Until it was just silence.

Felix let the body drop as all that was left were mostly just bones.

"Haah... haah..." he took in a whiff of breath.

Blood covered him but not all of it was his. Back at the den, he collapsed inside and sleep took him instantly.

Morning came.

Felix sat outside, staring at the ground, "...That was close."

His hand moved to his side as the wounds were already closing.

"...Too close."

His eyes lifted slowly, "...Why didn’t it happen?"

His voice lowered, " it happened at the fall, the rat and the bird..."

A pause.

"Each time... something protected me."

His fingers clenched, "...But yesterday?...

Nothing."

His breathing slowed as his mind replayed everything.

Every moment, every sensation and every emotion he felt.

Then his chest tightened, his pulse quickened.

That feeling, that pressure.

His fingers trembled, "...Fear..." The word came out quiet and dry, "...Fear."

He stood slowly. "...That’s it."

A grin spread across his face, it was sharp, "...So that’s what triggers it."

His fingers curled tighter, "...The closer I am..."

His eyes darkened, "...to death..."

Something shifted inside him, "...the stronger I become."