CHAPTER 24, The Fragment That Wants to Consume Me
The schoolyard had become a battlefield.
Broken concrete covered the ground.
Cracked walls leaned dangerously.
Shattered glass glittered beneath the dark sky like fragments of ice.
Students had already been evacuated far from the area, but panic still echoed in the distance. Sirens could be heard somewhere beyond the school gates.
Yet in the center of all the destruction—
Everything revolved around two figures.
Jay.
And the crimson fragment standing before him.
—
"…Only one can remain."
Those words echoed inside Jay's mind like a curse.
He stood motionless, staring at the fragment.
Its expression remained calm.
Almost emotionless.
As if speaking about life and death meant nothing.
But to Jay—
Everything had changed.
Until now, he thought recovering the fragments meant becoming whole again.
Healing.
Understanding himself.
But this…
This was different.
Every fragment carried its own identity.
Its own will.
And eventually—
They would fight to survive.
—
Inside his mind, the shadow spoke quietly.
"This is the truth the seal was meant to hide."
Jay's fists tightened.
"…Why would anyone create something like this?"
The shadow remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"Because the original you was too dangerous to exist whole."
—
Jay's heartbeat slowed slightly.
Not from calmness.
But shock.
"…Too dangerous?"
"Yes."
The shadow's crimson eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
"The seal did not weaken you."
A pause.
"It divided you."
—
Outside—
The crimson fragment took another step forward.
The pressure in the air intensified immediately.
The ground beneath its feet cracked deeper.
"You still hesitate," it said calmly.
Jay's eyes narrowed.
"You talk like you already won."
The fragment's faint smile returned.
"…No."
A pause.
"I simply remember what we truly are."
—
BOOM.
—
The fragment vanished instantly.
Jay's instincts exploded into motion.
He twisted sideways barely in time—
A fist passed beside his face—
And the shockwave behind him obliterated part of the school building instantly.
—
Jay counterattacked immediately.
His fist glowed crimson as he struck forward.
This time—
The fragment blocked.
—
BOOM!
—
The impact shattered the ground beneath both of them.
A violent wave of force exploded outward, sending debris flying across the schoolyard.
Jay gritted his teeth.
The fragment wasn't moving at all.
It blocked his full-strength attack effortlessly.
"…Slow," the fragment murmured.
Then—
It grabbed Jay's arm.
—
Jay's eyes widened.
Too strong.
—
BOOM!
—
The fragment slammed him into the ground hard enough to create a crater beneath him.
Pain shot through Jay's entire body instantly.
But before he could recover—
The fragment's hand closed around his throat.
Lifting him effortlessly into the air.
—
Jay grabbed its wrist immediately, struggling against the crushing pressure.
The fragment stared into his glowing crimson eyes silently.
"…This weak version of us disappoints me."
Jay's expression darkened.
"…Shut up."
Crimson energy exploded from his body violently.
—
BOOM!
—
The fragment was forced backward for the first time.
Jay dropped to the ground roughly, coughing heavily.
But he didn't stop.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
He attacked again.
—
This time his movements were faster.
Sharper.
More instinctive.
Crimson energy wrapped around his arms like burning smoke.
—
Inside his mind—
The shadow watched carefully.
"…You're synchronizing too quickly."
Jay ignored it.
Right now—
His focus was entirely on survival.
—
The fragment blocked another punch.
But this time—
Jay twisted mid-attack and drove his knee directly into the fragment's side.
CRACK.
For the first time—
The fragment actually staggered.
—
Its crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
Jay didn't hesitate.
He continued attacking relentlessly.
Punches.
Kicks.
Explosive bursts of crimson energy.
Each strike faster than the last.
The schoolyard shook violently with every impact.
—
But slowly—
Something changed.
—
Jay's movements became colder.
More efficient.
Less human.
—
He stopped hesitating.
Stopped thinking.
Stopped feeling.
—
Inside his mind—
The shadow's expression darkened.
"…Jay."
No response.
"…Jay."
Still nothing.
—
Outside—
Jay attacked again.
This time with enough force to completely destroy the ground beneath the fragment.
Dust exploded upward.
Concrete shattered.
Shockwaves spread across the entire school.
—
And then—
Jay smiled.
—
Not naturally.
Not emotionally.
Coldly.
—
The fragment noticed immediately.
And for the first time—
It smiled back.
"…There you are."
—
Inside the darkness—
The shadow moved instantly.
Appearing directly in front of Jay's consciousness.
"Wake up."
Jay's real consciousness flickered faintly.
But the violent instinct consuming him continued growing stronger.
—
Outside—
The fragment and Jay collided again.
BOOM!
Another explosion of force erupted outward.
Nearby trees snapped apart instantly.
Windows shattered across distant buildings.
—
The fragment grabbed Jay's fist mid-attack.
But this time—
Jay grabbed the fragment's arm simultaneously.
Both froze for a split second.
Crimson energy surged wildly between them.
—
Then—
FLASH.
—
Suddenly—
Jay saw something.
—
A battlefield.
Endless destruction beneath a blood-red sky.
Mountains split apart.
Cities burning.
Thousands running in terror.
And standing in the center of it all—
Was himself.
—
Not this weak version.
Not incomplete.
—
Whole.
—
His crimson eyes glowed like endless fire.
Power distorted the world around him.
Everything near him collapsed simply from his existence.
—
And beside him—
Stood the crimson fragment.
Kneeling.
—
"…So this is the truth," Jay whispered unconsciously.
—
The vision shattered instantly.
—
Jay staggered backward.
Breathing heavily.
The fragment watched him carefully.
"…You remembered something."
Jay slowly looked up.
"…You served me."
Silence.
Then—
The fragment smiled faintly again.
"…No."
A pause.
"…I was born from you."
—
Those words hit differently.
Because suddenly—
Jay understood.
This fragment wasn't random.
It carried a specific part of him.
His power.
His destruction.
His instinct to dominate.
—
And worst of all—
That part of him still believed it was superior.
—
The fragment stepped forward again.
"…Join with me."
Jay's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…What?"
"If you merge with me willingly…"
A pause.
"…you may survive."
—
Inside his mind—
The shadow reacted immediately.
"Reject it."
Jay's fists tightened.
"…And if I refuse?"
The fragment's expression remained calm.
"…Then eventually…"
Its crimson eyes deepened.
"…I will consume you instead."
—
The air grew heavier again.
More dangerous.
More unstable.
—
Jay stared at the fragment silently.
His thoughts racing.
Because deep down—
He could feel it.
This fragment wasn't lying.
It genuinely believed itself to be the superior existence.
The version that deserved to survive.
—
And perhaps even worse—
A small part of Jay's own instincts agreed.
—
Inside his mind—
The shadow stepped closer.
"Do not listen to it."
Jay's breathing slowed slightly.
"…Why?"
The shadow's eyes narrowed.
"Because power without restraint…"
A pause.
"…is what destroyed us the first time."
—
Those words echoed deeply.
Destroyed us.
Not the world.
Us.
—
Jay slowly lifted his gaze toward the fragment again.
His crimson eyes glowed steadily now.
Controlled.
Focused.
—
"…I'm not becoming you."
The fragment stared at him silently.
Then—
Its smile slowly disappeared.
—
"…Then you choose conflict."
—
BOOM.
—
The pressure around the fragment exploded violently.
Dark crimson energy covered the entire schoolyard like a storm.
The sky itself seemed to darken further.
—
And for the first time—
Jay realized something terrifying.
—
The fragment still wasn't fighting seriously. 🔥👁️