Chapter 57 – An Ocean of Blood

The night air was cool against Talia's skin as she sat cross-legged on the sandy beach, her glaive laid across her lap.

The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale light over the water and illuminating the scattered remains of the Slashing Crusters she and Keanu had defeated earlier.

The rhythmic sound of waves lapping at the shore provided a soothing backdrop to her concentration.

Talia closed her eyes, focusing her attention on the weapon before her.

The Star Glaive, a gift from her mother and unlocked by her father, felt alive in her hands.

Its surface was cool to the touch, but she could sense a warmth emanating from within, as if the weapon itself had a beating heart.

Taking a deep breath, Talia began the process of channeling her vitality into the glaive.

She visualized her life force as a river of crimson energy, flowing from her core and down her arms.

As the energy reached her palms, she willed it to seep into the weapon, filling it with her essence.

At first, nothing seemed to happen.

The glaive remained inert, showing no signs of absorbing the vitality she was pouring into it.

Talia furrowed her brow, concentrating harder.

She refused to give up, pushing more and more of her life force into the weapon.

Suddenly, she felt a shift.

It was subtle at first, like a slight change in the air pressure around her.

Then, gradually, the sensation grew stronger.

The glaive began to vibrate softly in her hands, its surface warming to match her body temperature.

Encouraged by this response, Talia redoubled her efforts.

She channeled more vitality, drawing deeply from her reserves.

The crimson river in her mind's eye surged, becoming a torrent that flowed relentlessly into the glaive.

As she poured more of herself into the weapon, Talia began to feel a strange connection forming between her and the glaive.

It was as if the boundary between her body and the weapon was blurring, the two becoming one entity.

She could sense every curve and edge of the glaive as clearly as she could feel her own limbs.

The vibration intensified, and the glaive's surface began to emit a faint, pulsating glow.

The light was the same deep red as the energy Talia was channeling, giving the weapon an otherworldly appearance.

The air around her seemed to thicken, charged with an invisible power that made her skin tingle.

Time lost all meaning as Talia continued to pour her vitality into the Star Glaive.

She was vaguely aware of the moon's slow journey across the sky, but it felt distant and unimportant compared to the task at hand.

Her entire being was focused on this connection, this merging of self and weapon.

After a while, Talia began to feel the strain of her efforts.

Her muscles ached from sitting in the same position for so long, and a dull throb had started behind her eyes.

Just when she thought she couldn't continue any longer, something within the glaive seemed to click into place.

The vibration ceased abruptly, and the red glow around the weapon intensified for a moment before fading away completely.

In its wake, Talia felt a new awareness of the weapon, as if it had become an extension of her own body.

Slowly, cautiously, she opened her eyes.

The beach around her looked exactly as it had when she began, but Talia knew that something fundamental had changed.

She lifted the glaive, marveling at the fact that it felt lighter and more responsive in her hands.

As she examined the weapon more closely, Talia noticed subtle changes in its appearance.

The blade seemed sharper, its edge gleaming with an almost malicious glint in the moonlight.

The shaft felt smoother, as if it had been polished to perfection.

And there, near the base of the blade, a small symbol had appeared - a red star surrounded by swirling lines that resembled waves.

"Did it work?" Keanu's voice startled Talia out of her reverie.

She had almost forgotten he was there, so focused had she been on the glaive.

Talia turned to face her friend, who was sitting a short distance away.

Keanu looked tired but alert, his eyes fixed on the glaive in her hands.

"I think so," Talia replied, her voice hoarse from disuse. "It feels... different. More alive, somehow."

Keanu nodded, a mixture of curiosity and concern on his face.

"You were at it for an hour. I was starting to worry I would have to drag you back while you were unconscious."

Talia blinked in surprise.

Had it really been that long?

The sky was noticeably lighter now, the first hints of dawn coloring the horizon.

"I didn't realize," she murmured, then shook her head to clear it. "But I think it was worth it. The glaive feels more powerful now, more in tune with my abilities."

Keanu stood up, brushing sand from his clothes.

"That's great, Talia. But we should head back now. We don't want to be too exhausted for whatever Professor Iakopo has planned for us."

Talia nodded absently, her attention still mostly on the glaive.

She rose to her feet, surprised to find that despite the long hours of immobility, her body felt energized rather than stiff.

"You're right," she said. "We should go back. But first, I want to try something."

Before Keanu could respond, Talia took a stance, holding the glaive out in front of her.

She closed her eyes, reaching for that new connection she felt with the weapon.

"Talia," Keanu said, his voice carrying a note of warning. "Maybe we should save the experimenting for later. When we're rested and have backup. Please, let’s go."

But Talia wasn't listening.

The power thrumming through the glaive was intoxicating.

She wanted - no, needed - to see what this new connection could do.

"It's fine," she assured Keanu, though her eyes remained fixed on the glowing blade. "I just want to try one thing. To see how it works now."

Before Keanu could protest further, Talia cut herself and coated the weapon, then swinging the glaive in a wide arc.

The blade left a trail of crimson light in its wake, the energy coalescing into a crescent-shaped projectile that shot towards a nearby boulder.

The impact was far more intense than Talia had anticipated.

The boulder didn't just crack - it exploded, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.

Talia and Keanu ducked instinctively, shielding their faces from the debris.

I couldn’t do that before, Talia reasoned. It seems like the glaive can now extract more power from my blood.

As the dust settled, Talia stared at the place where the boulder had been, now nothing more than rubble in the sand.

"That was... impressive," Keanu said, his voice tight with poorly concealed alarm. 

Talia nodded slowly, the rush of excitement fading as the reality of what she'd just done sank in.

"Let’s go now," she relented. "I got carried away. Let's just head back."

As they turned to leave, Talia caught sight of something that made her pause.

One of the rock shards from the exploded boulder had cut a shallow gash on Keanu's arm.

A thin line of blood was visible against his skin.

Without thinking, Talia reached out, her fingers brushing against the wound.

As soon as she made contact, she felt a surge of energy unlike anything she had experienced before.

It was as if a floodgate had opened, releasing a torrent of power that threatened to overwhelm her senses.

In that moment, a new skill materialized in her mind.

[Star Glaive has unlocked a new Skill!]

[Ravenous Wounds has been unlocked!]

The world around Talia seemed to fade away, her entire being focused on the blood seeping from Keanu's cut.

She could feel its vitality, its potential, calling out to her.

Without conscious thought, she activated the new skill.

The effect was immediate and terrifying.

Keanu's eyes widened in shock and pain as the small cut on his arm suddenly deepened and widened.

Blood began to flow more freely, and Talia could sense the life force being drained from her friend's body.

"Talia!" Keanu's voice sounded distant and distorted. "What are you doing? Stop!"

But Talia couldn't stop.

The power flowing into her was overwhelming, clouding her judgment and pushing all other thoughts aside.

She could feel herself growing stronger with each passing second, her own vitality swelling as she drained Keanu's.

It wasn't until Keanu stumbled, his face pale and drawn, that the gravity of what was happening finally broke through Talia's trance.

With a tremendous effort of will, she wrenched her hand away from his arm, severing the connection.

Keanu collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

The cut on his arm had grown to an angry, gaping wound, blood still flowing freely onto the sand.

"Keanu!" Talia cried, horror and guilt washing over her as she realized what she had done.

She reached out to help him, but Keanu flinched away from her touch.

"Stay back," he gasped, his voice weak but firm. "Just... stay away from me right now."

Talia felt as if she had been slapped.

She stared at her hands, which moments ago had been instruments of such terrifying power.

What had she done?

How could she have lost control like that?

"I'm sorry," she whispered, though the words felt woefully inadequate. "I didn't mean to... I didn't know what the SKill was… I…"

Keanu didn't respond, focused on tearing a strip of cloth from his shirt to bind his wounded arm.

His movements were slow and clumsy, his strength clearly sapped by Talia's unintentional attack.

As the full impact of what had just happened hit her, Talia felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

She might have nearly killed Keanu.

All because she couldn't control this new, terrible Skill.

"We need to get you help," Talia said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "We should go back to the city, find someone-"

"No," Keanu cut her off, his voice stronger now but still laced with pain. "I’m fine. But you need to go. Now."

Talia blinked in confusion.

"What? I can't just leave you here like this. You're hurt-"

"Because of you," Keanu interrupted, his eyes meeting hers for the first time since the incident.

What Talia saw there - fear, mistrust, a hint of revulsion - made her heart clench painfully.

"Keanu, please," she began, but he shook his head firmly.

"Listen to me, Talia," he said, his voice low and urgent. "What just happened - it's not… Just… I’ll make my way back in a moment. Just go, please."

Talia wanted to argue, to insist that she could control it, that it wouldn't happen again.

But the memory of that overwhelming hunger, the intoxicating rush of stolen vitality, was still too fresh in her mind.

She couldn't trust herself, not right now.

“I’ll see you back at the base, you go first,” she muttered, sitting on the sand, distraught, as she watched Keanu slowly walk away from her.