The wind slashed through the empty streets like an icy blade.
Above, a sickly moon floated, half-covered by thin clouds like dirty fingers stretched across the sky.
Seth walked slowly, followed by Victor.
They had reached the edge of Sector 3, where the ruins of an old factory were slowly crumbling into oblivion.
The concrete was cracked, and from the rusted iron skeletons hung cables like broken veins.
"Here," Seth whispered.
Victor stopped, scanning the area with his red eyes, which glowed faintly in the darkness.
He said nothing. He didn't ask. He just waited for the command.
Part of Seth screamed in silence seeing him like this.
But another part... another part knew there was no time left for regrets.
He raised his hand and, in a low, clear voice:
"Victor, attack that wall."
Victor flinched slightly, like an animal at the sound of a chain, then lunged forward.
With brutal strength, he clenched his fist and slammed it into the concrete.
A dry sound, like a small explosion.
The walls trembled. A deep crack spread out like a spiderweb.
Seth crossed his arms over his chest, evaluating.
"Enough to kill a normal man on impact... but you don't even have a scratch," he murmured.
Victor turned to him, breathing heavily, hot steam pouring in thick waves from his mouth.
"Jump," Seth ordered, pointing to a concrete platform almost seven meters high.
Victor tensed his legs, muscles bulging and twisting under his dark skin.
In a burst of pure power, he leaped.
He landed on the platform with a dull thud, cracking the cement beneath him.
Seth raised an eyebrow.
Strength, endurance, agility.
He was a weapon.
But there was something else... something boiling in the air around Victor.
Seth felt the latent, barely controlled power.
"Victor," he called out, "come down!"
Victor jumped without hesitation, landing in a cloud of dust.
Seth slowly approached him.
"Inside you... something burns."
"Do you feel it?" he asked, his voice low.
Victor tilted his head slightly, waiting.
Seth stepped closer and touched his chest, feeling the animal heat within.
"Focus. Think of fire. Of destruction. Of protection."
Victor closed his eyes.
For a moment, nothing.
Then, from deep within him, a thin breath of fire, like a weak flame, escaped his mouth.
Weak at first, but real.
Seth gave a bitter smile.
"You are more than demon. You are a living torch."
Victor collapsed to his knees, exhausted by the effort.
Seth knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Victor... do you want to test your limits further?"
Seth's voice was low, almost challenging.
Victor looked up, a spark flickering in his gaze.
Was it pride?
Or maybe pure instinct.
"Yes," the demon answered, his voice deeper than ever before.
Seth spread his palms and gave a slight nod.
"Then come."
Without warning, Victor unfurled his wings.
From his back, two massive, demonic wings, dark red like old rust, burst out, stirring the air.
Cables and dust from the factory whipped around in a chaotic vortex.
In an instant, Victor soared into the sky, leaving behind only an explosion of dust.
Seth raised an eyebrow.
"Beautiful..."
Victor dived down like a lightning bolt, attacking.
The first strike—a claw aimed straight at Seth's head.
Seth dodged with a barely perceptible movement, feeling the tip of the claw slash the air next to his face.
The second strike—a leg wrapped in fire, arcing over toward his head.
Seth raised his arms in a block, sliding a few meters across the floor under the tremendous impact.
He stopped and smiled.
"Good. Faster, Victor!"
Victor screamed—a short, piercing shriek—and launched himself again.
Flying, spinning in the air with impossible agility, he unleashed rapid attacks from all directions: claws, kicks, wing strikes sharp as blades.
Seth danced between them.
Each step, each dodge, each counter seemed... calculated.
Victor spiraled downward and launched a final desperate attack—both claws crossed, aiming for Seth's chest.
Seth finally struck back.
With a motion swift as a snake, he grabbed Victor's wrists midair.
He tensed his muscles and, with a shock of pure force, slammed Victor into the ground.
Dust billowed in thick waves.
Victor groaned, trying to rise, but Seth was already above him, knee lightly pressing against his chest.
"Enough," Seth whispered.
Victor grinned, blood trickling from his mouth, but... happy.
"You're a monster..." he said with a short, guttural laugh.
Seth released him and helped him up.
"And you will become one too," Seth said, seriousness returning to his eyes.
"But one born of choice. Not of darkness."
Victor clenched his fists, still trembling with adrenaline.
"One more time?" he asked, a rebellious spark in his voice.
Seth smiled broadly.
"Anytime, brother."