Incubus Awakening: The More I Lust, The Stronger I Become

Selene quickly covered herself inside the robe, twisting forward to face the battle station. "Guh—oh, who is Selene? My name is... Satrine!"

Sabrina smiled. "Oh, how good it is to see you, Selene. Ever since the... well, ever since Logan enrolled in school on your behalf, you stopped coming by to the training facilities."

Sighing, Selene stopped her tight grip on her hood, letting the dark hairs frayed across her cheek fall. "I guess my cover's blown, then. No point in hiding inside this thing." Then, she pulled it off, letting Sabrina get another good look at her.

"My, how you've grown. You're every bit as mesmerizing as I remember, maybe even more." Sabrina's hand was pressed against Selene's face, cold and pale. "I... I'm so glad..."

Sabrina's face squeezed, reacting to the wet of her eyes.

"Oh, Sabrina, I'm no reason to cry!" Selene yelled, pressing her own hands into Sabrina's face. "It's so great to see you too! I wanted to greet you the moment I sat down, but I didn't want to blow my cover!"

Jasmine and Amelia both looked at each other, dumbfounded.

"Do they know each other?" Amelia asked, eyes wide.

"Beats me," Jasmine said, shrugging.

Sabrina looked back at the both of them, tears still running from her eyes. "You guys should be acquainted. This is Selene Reed, a close childhood friend of mine. She's also the sister of Logan."

Amelia went pale, while Jasmine's mouth hung just a bit.

"You don't mean..." Jasmine blurted.

"Oh. My. God. You don't mean... with hair as black as night, a face as nicely shaped as Goddess Kathria herself, and a perfectly toned body... that's Selene, "The Youthful Flash?" The same one who, despite being of our generation, was forecasted to become a Sergeant of the Spirit Executioners at just the age of 10? That Selene?"

Sabrina's face fell at Amelia's words. "Amelia, that is no way to talk to someone you just met—"

"It's fine, Sabrina. But yes, you would be correct. That was me, at one point," Selene said, tone soft yet still maintaining all the same affirmation.

Still, Amelia wasn't yet done. "But then why'd you disappear? Just when I saw you everywhere on national television, you kind of just... blinked off from every appearance. I don't think I've even heard your name outside of controversy in the past few years."

Selene went downcast, twitching at Amelia's words. Sabrina frowned at the sight. "Okay, Amelia, that's enough. You really shouldn't pry into other people's business like that," Sabrina said, hand on Amelia's shoulder.

Then, she looked down to Selene. "But how are you here? This place is reserved for students only, I don't see how you could've entered without having to sneak yourself in."

Selene moved her head side to side. "No, that's not it. Some scribbly guy came to my house, told me what my brother was doing, and helped me here. He was the one who told me to wear the disguise, though."

Sabrina let out a funny snort. "Selene, I'm being serious here—"

"I am serious! It's surreal, even now, but I'm telling you the truth."

"Okay, but what do you mean by 'scribbly'?"

"Uh, how do I explain it. It was like his entire body was a kid's doodle. The black ink moved over his body in real-time, and it felt like he wasn't even human. Still, he was the one who led me here, so I don't want to talk bad about him."

Smiling at what she thought was a joke, Sabrina refocused her attention to the battle station. "Alright, if you don't want to tell me how you got in, that's fine. I want to continue talking to you, but there is still the matter of watching your brother's fight, right?"

Selene lit up with realization, turning to her brother. "Oh! You're right!" Then, once settled, she looked back to Sabrina just once. "But, Sabrina, I have to ask you. Why hasn't Zack used his Gift on Logan yet?"

Selene dropped her head to her hand, wrapped in her fingers. "Hm, to that, I wonder."

"Aaagggghhhh!" Logan yelled, narrowly weaving a jab to the chest. "Woaaaahhhh!" he yelled again, this time, ducking under a roundhouse kick.

Like a dancing storm of wind, Logan and Zack were caught in a close quarters exchange. Zack's fist would miss by inches, leaving Logan just enough time to fix his body before, in an instant, Zack would attack him again.

"You don't understand just how much I'm holding back," Zack said, jumping a dozen feet back. "Each time I punch you, I have to just keep myself from hitting you and taking off a limb."

Logan dropped his hands to his knees, using them as support. "But—huff, why? You could—huff, end this in an instant, and it would be easy!"

Feeling something shift in his pocket, Logan lowered his head even more, granting it an ear.

"Logan, you need to use your mana now! I can feel something surging inside of Zack... more power than you can handle right now!" Pixel screamed, not caring if she was heard by Zack.

It was too late.

Like a piercing bullet reaching for its victim, the very space between Logan and Zack warped. Hastily, Logan swerved to the side, trying best to avoid it.

Although he avoided getting hit somewhere vital, his arm still got caught in its crosshair.

Blood trickled down from removed flesh, evidencing a several-inch hole at the edge of his right arm.

"What the heck hit him?" one guy in the stands asked.

"Who knows, it might be Zack's Gift," another said.

"No, that's not his Gift. It's something else," the third responded.

"You dodged an invisible conjuration like that? You're really something, huh?" Zack mused, stepping forward nonchalantly. "Almost makes me want to savor this moment more."

Logan bit his teeth down. "So is that what this is? Something to enjoy?"

"Why else do you think I let you live for so long? I haven't been using even a fraction of my strength," Zack jeered, folding his knees. "But I think the audience has been entertained enough. Time to end this...!"

Zack leaped through the air with impossible velocity, directing himself to Logan. It was too much for even Logan to handle, feeling his mind hasten to accommodate the speed.

Zack's bullet-like speed fell to a snail's pace, students in the stands with their high-pitched shrills turned slow, voices meshing to a low-pitched groan.

But still, his own body wouldn't move.

Then, his mind raced elsewhere—to past memories. Meeting Selene for the first time, getting his first and only present from his father, and even... to a vow that him and Zack made.

'Is my life flashing before me...?'

Logan could only wallow in the helplessness of his flesh, feeling despair hit him. Then, acceptance.

'I suppose that this was too good to be true, being given a Gift like this. I guess, even then, I can be glad I got to play a bigger part, even if it was for just a day.'

But no, just when he'd found solace in his death, something else panged.

His sister, bloodied with a gaping hole in her chest. The one he gave her.

'No, I can't accept this! I have to live... for her!'

He braved his body through molasses, trying best to break free of the spell trapping his slow movements. But to no avail.

Zack's fist drew near. It crackled intensely, whipping the air with its energy. A blow that he wouldn't survive.

'No... No...! No! No!

NO!!!!!!!!!'

The winds blew as Zack stopped just short of the barrier, looking down at his fist. Behind him was Logan, slumped on the ground.