Chapter Three

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Everyone stood in complete silence for long seconds, all eyes lying on Asriel, while his were solely on Frisk. She stared back at him with guilt. She had got up and dressed because she wanted to go outside the cabin for a few moments to use the bathroom, but as she reached for the front door, the five men had appeared on the threshold. She'd immediately turned to run but didn't have enough time to get away before one of them grabbed her and placed the weapon on her throat, threatening her to not make any sound and now they were all there, quiet as a tomb.

The man standing in the far right turned to face Asriel; he seemed to be in his late thirties, with brown hair, thick beard, shaded skin and bright blue eyes; he looked at Asriel with curiosity, as opposed to the rest of the group, who looked startled, confused, and even frighten by the monster's presence. It was to be expected; after all it was rare for monsters to venture beyond the borders of their land, thousands of miles away. Most of the time, the two species would rather stay within their own territory and leave each other alone.

- Well this is something you don't see everyday boys, a real life visitor from the Monster Kingdom. What are you doing here pal? You're far away from home, is she with you? – He spoke with a deep voice, pointing to Frisk. But Asriel didn't answer; his eyes were locked on the man holding Frisk and the knife. The man with blue eyes noticed.

– Hey sorry for doing this but, you know, I think you can imagine how unpleasant it is if you came home after days of work and you found out two strangers are roaming the halls. Is really rude – He said. Asriel finally turned his gaze away and looked at the man. Frisk though Asriel was gonna murder him by just the way he was staring at him, his eyes burning red with hate.

- We found this place by accident, we were lost in the forest and didn't know where to go, we just needed a place to stay for a while, we didn't mean any harm- She tried to explain.

The five men looked at each other, not very convinced, one of them even spat on the ground, but another one, a boy who didn't look older than nineteen, looked almost convinced, he didn't seem like he wanted to be there in the first place, and remained apart from the group, hidden in the shadows; when Frisk glance at him, he immediately avoided her gaze. The man with blue eyes looked at her and then turned to Asriel one more time.

–Is that true pal? – He asked.

But once again, Asriel didn't reply, just stared at the human.

–Let her go– He said, his voice sounding hoarsely and threatening. He felt the entity inside his mind moving nervously.

The atmosphere began to change around them; Frisk felt a cold shiver run down her spine, despite the room suddenly feeling warmer and heavier, like an invisible force was pushing them down. Asriel's magic was clearly at play once again, but this only served to increase Frisk's anxiety. She felt a memory slowly crawl to the surface of her mind, wanting to escape the prison of her subconscious, but she didn't let it. But the man, who was clearly the leader of the group, didn't seem bothered by Asriel's tone, if anything, he looked intrigued.

– That's really not a nice tone to use when you're in foreign land my friend, even less in another man's home. What should we do with these thief folks? – He said casually to his friends.

–I say we take whatever they have and kick them out, I bet they already ate all the food we work so hard to find – Said the one holding Frisk, he sounded tired but above all, angry; Frisk could feel his breath on her neck.

–I won't ask you again, let her go – Asriel growled. Sparks began to appear around the palm of his hands and face, electricity filling the air. Upon seeing this, the other humans became visibly nervous, some exchanging worried looks, while others seemed anxious for a fight, the tension was rising. Frisk looked at the young boy in the corner, visibly scared, going back and forth Asriel and the man with blue eyes.

– Ash wait! – She pleaded her friend before searching for the eyes of the bearded man-. Listen, you don't have to do anything; we were starving, we didn't have much of a choice, I'm sorry we took your food, but you would have done the same thing, that's what you do isn't it? You're homeless like us and that's why you're here– She spoke as calmly as she could with the cold blade still against her skin. The room felt quiet once again, all eyes pacing between Frisk and the leader of the group, with Frisk looking at him directly. After what felt like an eternity, the man caressed his beard with one hand in a thoughtful gesture; he shrugged and spoke in a steady voice.

– You're right of course, every one of us has had to fight to survive in this hellhole, so we understand how hard it can be out there– Frisk and Asriel felt a wave of relief, the young monster even allowed himself to relax a little, maybe this could work out without anyone getting hurt? –. But even though you say you were desperate, it doesn't change the fact that now we have to replenish what you two took, which means going out there again, spending energy and resources we don't have. I'm sure you have seen how hard it is to get anything in this forest or in the city; so I'm afraid that we can't just let you go without some kind of payment– He added firmly.

Frisk felt her SOUL sink and her face going pale. She glanced at Asriel, whose momentary relief has been replaced once again by distrust and anger. They weren't getting out of here anytime soon.

–What about that locket? – Asked another one of the men, he stood a few steps away from Frisk, he was tall and muscular with deep grey eyes, and was wearing a worn black coat with a torn scarf around his neck. Everyone turned to him in confusion. He pointed at Frisk with a large hand covered with calluses.

– That necklace is made of gold, you can obviously tell; we can sell it in the city for really good money that would make things even– He explained with eyes fixed on the locked around Frisk's neck. Asriel felt a knot in his stomach and Frisk immediately tensed up against her captor's grip.

–No! You can't have that, please! It's a personal belonging, it has a special meaning – she stuttered, looking at the bearded men with pleading eyes, but he didn't flinch.

–Actually, I think it's a fair trade, with that kind of money we would be out of the streets in no time, nobody has to get hurt, don't you think so, pal? – He asked Asriel, a smug smile on his lips that only fuel Asriel's anger.

If they took Frisk's locket, or even his own, that still hanged around his neck, inside his shirt, then they'd know what was inside of it, they'd know exactly who they were. Who he really was. He couldn't let that happen.

–We're not giving you anything.

–I don't think you're in position to say anything, monster– Said the man, looking almost amused.

The tension was once again palpable; all the humans were looking at Asriel in an almost fighting stance. He had to act now, he could take care of them, he knew he could, with his powers none of them were a match, but Frisk...

–Ugg I'm fucking tired of this! Just give us the stupid necklace and be done with it! –Said the man holding the knife. He abruptly pulled Frisk back, sinking the knife deeper into her neck while his other hand aggressively tried to reach for the heart locket. The sharp weapon cut the flesh and Frisk let out a shocked cry.

Asriel saw red.

With an inhuman growl, Asriel lunged at the man, holding the wrist that had the knife, and then punching him so hard he was thrown back against the wall; it all happened so fast, the rest of the group didn't react until their partner's unconscious body fell to the floor.

–You fucking bastard! - They yelled, and everything blew up.

Asriel felt how they threw themselves at him, trying to subjugate him; the one with the torn scarf almost hits him but he dodged it, other two were holding his arms, but with a powerful swing, he shook them off; the three humans hit the ground hard but were quickly back on their feet. Asriel growled again, hands turning into fits.

Frisk fell to the ground offhandedly after Asriel's attack, her vision became a blur for a moment; she could feel a trickle of blood going down her neck and bruises beginning to form, yet all of her pain was forgotten when she realized the battle that had started; she saw the three men attack her friend. She called his name and tried to get up but her knees weren't responding, she tried again and managed to stand, but when Asriel dodged another attack from one of the men, she quickly realized she wouldn't be of much help like this, she needed something else to help, and so she stumbled past the battlefield to the hallway. It was dark, but she managed to get to the room where they'd found the bottles earlier. There, she reached out to pick one of the heavy, thick branches lying on the floor when, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed the back of her hair and pulled. Frisk screamed as she was carelessly pushed against the wall. A sharp pain blinded her. Her hands flew to her head in an attempt to mitigate the pain. She blinked a couple of times, her eyes finally adjusting to the blackness just in time for her to throw herself to the side, barely skipping a punch directed towards her face; she felt with a loud noise and looked over her shoulder.

The menacing figure of the bearded men was standing above her, his eyes almost glowing in the darkness. Frisk caught a faint grimace on his face.

–Does that necklace mean so much to you girl? Are you really ready to die for it? - He said, sounding actually curious. But Frisk rolled to her side and kicked him in the stomach. He staggered backwards with an angry yelp, hitting the glass bottles and breaking them, the alcohol splashed the floor. She tried to take advantage of the distraction to find the branch or anything that she could use as weapon. She could barely see anything, she had to act fast! Her hands moved forwards and she felt something rough against her finger. Found it.

But before she could do anything else, the man grabbed her wrist, forcing it in an unnatural angle to make her turn around; his other hand was wrapped around her arm to lift her above the ground and slam her entire body against the wooden blanks. The air was knocked out of her lungs and her head exploded with pain; she stayed there, unable to move as the figure above her kneeled beside her. Her back arched as her body tried to recover from the impact. She caught a breath of air when cold fingers closed around her throat, squeezing. Panicking, she clung to the man's arm, but she was weak, her small hands only scratching his skin. Her frame began to burn, her head pulsing while her eyes looked around desperately. Her mouth opened in a silent cry as she tossed her right arm to the side, trying to hold something in the dark; her fingers brushed the surface of an empty glass bottle, however the object had landed just out of her reach and no matter how much she stretched, she was still too far.

No…No…I have to do something, don't let it end like this! She thought desperately, her entire frame shaking. The dark shape above her squeezed his grip, crushing her neck. Her lungs now felt on fire, a fog began to cloud her mind yet her arm was still moving.

Get the bottle! Just a little bit more! Get it or you'll die! Her mind screamed, she felt like she would split in half, her neck was gonna be ripped apart.

Suddenly, a call, deep within her SOUL, answering her plea. Her chest glowed in an opaque red color as the power flowed through her veins, towards her right arm. Frisk felt the familiar tickling sensation, the rapid beat of her SOUL and she stretched again, as far as she could, and her arm stretched beyond its limit…

Her hand closed firmly around the glass.

The man's gaze caught the light on her chest and his eyes became wide open as realization struck him, but he was unable to do anything as Frisk's arm rose, crashing the empty object against his skull. The bottle shattered, hundreds of fragments scattered around the room, some falling on her chest and hair. She watched as the man with blue eyes remained still for a long second, then slowly, too slowly, bend to the side and collapsed next to her, where he remained, unconscious, a large cut crossing his face.

The moment the pressure disappeared from her neck, Frisk breathe deeply, like she would suck all the air from the room, she coughed a couple of times, a hand gently touching where the man had grab her, it hurt badly. She stayed there on the floor, catching her breath.

/ / /

A punch after another. Asriel felt the taste of blood in his mouth as a blow struck him, making him stumble. Another punch was directed to his stomach and yet one more to his chest; he fell on one knee, feeling dizzy. He felt the presence of the men surrounding him. One of them took one of his horns, yanking his head back and a knee crashed against his chin.

"Ash!"

He fell backwards, holding his balance with his elbow.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Use your magic!"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man with the scarf taking one of the wooden chairs. His vision was clouded, his lungs hurt, he barely registered the three figures in front of him when the chair was smashed against his head. The pain exploded as he was thrown back, splinters covering him. His head hit the ground and a grunt escaped his lips. Cuts now covered his face, blood trickling down. He coughed red, the three men were now muttering between them.

–What should we do with him?

–Kick him as his friend out, what else?

–But what if he comes back with more monsters?

–There are no more monsters idiot, they live on that kingdom of theirs, on the other side of the world.

–But this one doesn't! What if he has other friends and they come back for revenge?

Asriel tried to stand; he could barely see the humans in front of them, the only source of light being the old oil lamp casted away in the corner.

–You two do whatever you want, I think I'm gonna keep that girl, haven't been with one in a long time.

Asriel froze. He heard the man's lewd tone, the one with the scarf; he could almost sense him smiling widely. His stomach turned and he felt sick.

–You're…you're not serious are you? – It was the young boy who was speaking, his voice raspy with fear. He had been the only one who didn't wanted to fight, never once approaching Asriel nor his partners.

–Of course I'm serious, and don't look at me like that kid, if you behave maybe I'll even share her with you.

At these words, darkness began to cloud Asriel's mind, his entire frame trembling with a hatred he had only felt once before, a long time ago. Memories flowed his mind, of bodies lying on the ground, of claws tearing through flesh and bone and of screams of mercy he didn't have.

Destroy them.

A different voice inside his mind whispered to him.

They want to hurt Frisk again, you need to stop them.

His hands trembled, sparkling and glowing with fire magic, his entire body shaking with need, a thirst so powerful Asriel thought he would pass out. It asked for blood.

Kill them, you have to kill.

–No...No– Asriel mumbled, trying to fight the voice.

–No? Hehe, don't worry pal, I'll take good care of her- Said the man, thinking Asriel was talking to him-. You on the other hand, won't be so lucky- He approached, lifting his leg to kick the monster in the face, but the attack never reached its target.

A clawed hand closed firmly around the limb, tightening its grip until the man screamed in pain. He tried to break free with no use, so instead he tried to throw another punch at Asriel, who easily dodge it. It was there, the three men saw his eyes.

Big, flaming red, full of hatred, rage and blood lust.

Kill

The one with the scarf screamed, Asriel lifted him off the ground by the leg, throwing him to the other side of the room like he was a rag doll. He fell over another wooden chair, crushing it. The other man shouted a curse, launching at Asriel with fists high. The monster saw him coming and quickly avoided the attack; his arm shot forward, grabbing the man's neck in an iron grip. Next, Asriel slammed the human against the wall with such force he actually he heard the man's skull crack, his eyes rolling to the back of his head for a moment: he was about to pass out. But Asriel wasn't going to let that happen.

He tightened his grasp, and his palm began to glow with fire. The human's eye shot open, his mouth twisted in an awful grin as he screamed, feeling his skin melting; he tried to hit his captor, attempting desperately to break free, but Asriel didn't flinch, he couldn't even feel the punches, his eyes piercing through his victim. He heard the screams, the cry for help, he heard him beg for mercy. But he didn't stop. All that Asriel could see was red.

An gruesome, contorted grin appeared on his face, his fangs showing as he squeezed his grip just a little more, before lifting the human up and throw him aside, he fell to the ground and stayed there, unconscious, smoke rising from his body.

A disturbing, guttural scream came out of Asriel's mouth as his entire frame was being covered in fire, his eyes glowing bright red. He pushed his hands forward, his head back, and an explosion of magic shook the entire cabin, fire spreading everywhere and to every room.

–YOU. WON'T. TOUCH HER! – His scream was heard as the fire began to consume the house.

/ / /

Frisk finally managed to get up, only to realize in horror that fire magic has covered the entire house, which was now rapidly consuming.

–Asriel? Oh my God, what are you doing?! - She asked out loud before running to the room with the food stack. The place wasn't going to survive this, so she needed to act quickly and take everything she could before finding Asriel. She started to cough, the smoke blinding her vision.

/ / /

He saw something move out of the corner of his eye, when he turned, the glow of a knife passed inches from his face. The man that had attacked Frisk was back on his feet, swinging his weapon violently at him. Asriel avoided another blow with his arm and launched at the man with a snarl, but the human was quicker than he expected, managing to move aside in time; he struck again, the blade cutting through Asriel's jacket and reaching his skin. Asriel let out a horrible scream and spun around, hitting him in the chest with a fiery hand; the impact send the man to the ground, he coughed blood a couple of times but recovered, seemingly unaffected by the fact that now he had a broken rib. Asriel stopped and looked at the human carefully, like he wasn't standing in the middle of a burning house; his hands were shaky, his face glowed from the sweat and was now breathing with difficulty, but most amusing of all, his eyes betrayed his fear. Asriel gave him a mocking smile, his fangs showing and a cruel laugh escaping his lips. The dark voice inside him whispered to him.

Kill him. You need to kill

He stepped forward, slowly, his tall frame looming over the man, who, despite his injuries, raised the knife and charged against him. They fought, crashing against the furniture and avoiding the pieces of burned wood that began to fall from the ceiling. The smoke soon covered the entire place, suffocating them, but still, the man persisted, even managing to strike him in the chest. Asriel's vision was far sharper than a normal human being, so he easily moved toward his opponent; large stars formed around Asriel, which began slashing the human's skin, exploding and becoming dust. The cries of pain pierced his ears but at the same time, it was like he couldn't hear them. His mind was blank, the only thing he could feel was the thirst, drowning every other emotion or feeling, it burned inside him like the fire he had just created, making him crave for the man's SOUL, for fighting, for blood.

The man fell to the ground once again, his frame covered in blood, he still hold the knife firmly in his hand, but he didn't got up this time; his clothes began to catch fire, but Asriel wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Instead, his blood filled eyes found the terrorized figure of the young boy, staring at him from the far corner.

Frisk felt she was going to faint, she wouldn't stop coughing, but she forced herself to keep her eyes open as she made her way through the hallway. She coughed harder as she entered the living room, stumbling every few steps; she tried to see beyond the smokescreen, and when her sight finally adjusted, she felt a cry caught in her throat. Asriel stood there, surrounded by bodies...his right hand wrapped around the young boy's throat as he hold him high above the ground. The flames casted a dark shadow over her friend's silhouette, his glowing eyes and his disturbing grin made him look like a demon...

–No! –Frisk screamed, running toward the monster, barely dodging a flaming piece of wood falling from the roof. He reached Asriel and immediately began to shake him, pulling from his sleeve–. Ash! Ash stop it! You need to stop you're killing him!

At first, he didn't even seemed to feel her presence; he just continued to stare at the dying human in his grasp, so Frisk took his face in her hands and force him to look at her.

–Asriel! We need to get out here! The house is burning you need to stop now! Please! – She pleaded, voice filled with dread.

Crimson eyes met hers, wild with hatred and bloodlust, but she didn't back away, she wasn't afraid. She stood on her toes and pressed her forehead against his, whispering soft words to him, her hands calmly caressing his fur, not breaking eye contact. Then, after a few long seconds, Asriel blinked at her, his expression softened, the rage vanished from his eyes; he looked at the human he was still holding and dropped him to the ground offhandedly, like he had just touched something burning. The young boy had burn marks all over his body but was still breathing. Frisk let go of Asriel and looked around, the house was crumbling down, the fire engulfing them, they had no time. Asriel took her arm and was about to guide her to the exit, but she stopped him.

–Ash wait! We need to get them out!

–What?! – He looked at her in disbelief-, No! We don't have time.

–We can't leave them here! They'll die!

–WE are going to die if we don't get out now!

He tried once again to pull her by the arm, still she didn't move; he turned and gave her a look of despair.

–Frisk please!

–I'm not leaving them, and if you don't want to help me I'll carry them outside myself! - She shouted, looking right at him. She saw how his jaw clenched as a frustrated growl escaped his lips, but then, he crouched to pick up the unconscious bodies lying on the floor. She was about to help him, yet Asriel insisted for her to get out and wait for him outside.

– I can carry them, go – Was the only thing he said.

Frisk nodded, turning and searching for the exit as fast as she could, covering her face with the sleeve of her sweater while trying to see through the fire and smoke. The door was almost completely destroyed, so instead Frisk just ran towards it, crashing against it, her body easily wrecking the rotten wood. Frisk tripped, barely holding her balance as she ran towards the cold night, the deep darkness was an almost shocking contrast compared to the inferno she just experienced. She fell on her knees, coughing violently, all the while the sounds of burned wood filled her ears. She turned slowly, her eyes itching.

Before her eyes, the place that had been their home for only a day was falling apart in a horrendous ball of fire, casting shadows among the trees. Frisk clenched the heart locket around her neck as she frantically looked for Asriel. With a final crack, the cabin collapse on itself, the flames engulfing what little was left.

–Ash! – Frisk screamed.

She stood there, still, and then, a small explosion followed by a winged figure that bursted out of the scorching remains, landing a few steps from her. Asriel kneeled, his large wings disappearing from his back as he placed the four men on the ground before stumbling backwards, as if trying to get away from them as fast as he could. And just like that, the forest fell into a strange silence; the only sounds were the crackling of the house's remains.

Frisk let out a loud sigh of relief, running towards her friend, but he stepped back even further, a hand raised to tell her not to come close to him yet. Frisk compiled reluctantly, knowing well what was going on inside his mind. Asriel's expression told her he was still fighting the thirst, the one that makes him crave for the power of human SOULS, for battle and for power, the one that almost made him kill all of those men a few minutes ago. It made him aggressive, impulsive and incredibly difficult to control. So Frisk stood there and waited, patiently watching as Asriel took long deep breath, with a hand over his chest and his eyes fixed on the grass; he was without a doubt arguing with the entity inside him.

All of a sudden, Asriel's face rose and looked at her, eyes wide with horror.

–Ash? – Frisk took a step toward him–. Ash what's wro…?

She never finished her sentence, for without a warning, Asriel shot his left arm forward, palm open. A loud thunder resonated in her ears, a ball of light came out of Asriel's palm and the world became white. The lighting moved like a snake, changing colors, from green, to orange, to red, purple and back again; it passed right next to Frisk, looking for something behind her. Frisk felt the rush of electricity hit every part of her before she caught the smell of burning hair; she heard thunder once again before the forest fell quiet again. Frisk blinked, not sure of what had just happened, why would Asriel use his magic like that? She slowly turned around and the answer came in the form of a body lying on the grass, lifeless, the torn clothes told her he was the tall man with the scarf, but she couldn't recognize his face, as the powerful attack had disfigured it in a horrific way. Frisk lowered her gaze and saw that the man was holding a knife in his right hand. Somehow the man had regained consciousness, took the weapon and had been just seconds away of killing her.

Her mind began to spin, her body shaking uncontrollably as Asriel approached her, she heard him say something but she couldn't make out the words, everything around her seemed to have lost any sound. She felt his strong hands on her shoulders and when she looked up, Asriel's wings were on his back once again. He was about to fly, she understood; he spoke again, and even though she still couldn't hear him, she knew what he meant. And so, Frisk automatically wrapped her arms around Asriel's neck as he put his arms behind her back and legs, picking her up bridal style, she hid her face on the base of his neck, closing her eyes tight, the wind hit her when he flapped his wings just as they took off, leaving behind the wrecked cabin along with the survivors...or what was left of them.

Frisk didn't look; she just stayed still in Asriel's grip as they flew away to never come back.

/ / /

Ariel didn't know for how long he flew; the moon still shone high above them and the stars covered the firmament but he was sure he had been flying for at least half an hour, in which direction, he wasn't sure, he just wanted to get Frisk out of that place as fast as he could; she hadn't spoken a word yet and that made him nervous. He looked down, searching for a place, and begun descending among the giant trees. By this time they were far away from those humans.

He flapped his wings as he touched the ground; he glanced at Frisk, who was hiding her expression in his neck, so he gently caressed her cheek with his nose. She looked up at him, her brown eyes shone in the darkness with fear and worry, it made his SOUL shrink. Carefully, he put her down and summoned a fireball to break through the blackness surrounding them. His hands then cupped her face to make her look at him.

–Are you ok? Did they hurt you? – He asked in a whisper.

–No…No…I'm fine – She answered in the same tone. She sounded lost, like she didn't quite comprehend what was happening, maybe she was in shook, after what she saw him do….

Asriel pushed away the thoughts and concentrated on delicately examine her frame, looking for any signs of injury. He found one around her neck, handprints already forming nasty bruises on her soft skin. Rage found its way back to him, making his hands trembled. How dare they? How dare they try to hurt what was most precious to him? To take her away from him again? He placed his palms on her injuries and a green glow emerged from them. He stayed still and in complete silence as he healed her, trying not to think of what he would've done to the man that had hurt his Frisk.

"Your Frisk…."

The entity inside him hasn't said a single word since the thirst took over him and now, it sounded almost if hearing the voice, Frisk placed her hands above his, gently leading against them. Asriel felt a warm shiver ran down his spine.

–Ash….

–Yes?

Frisk took a couple of seconds to find her words, probably because her neck still hurt and she didn't want to force her vocal cords.

–The man...the one with the beard, he was unconscious, I left him on one of the rooms I...I don't know if he got out before... –Her voice became almost inaudible, if it wasn't for the fact his hearing was sharper than most people, he wouldn't have heard her. Asriel focused his attention on his work, not wanting to think too much on the matter.

–He seemed like the strongest of them all, I'm sure he got out in time –He said, not convinced in the slightest. His eyes met Frisk's and he knew she didn't believe it either; her eyes were filled with regret.

–They attacked us Frisk, they threatened you, we did what we had to do, there was no other choice –He told her, voice soft and gentle, for he knew Frisk wouldn't stop feeling guilty even though there was nothing else they could've done. Silence fell upon them once again; the only sounds were their breathing and the nocturne animals somewhere around them. Asriel let go of her neck when he was sure his magic had successfully healed her wounds and caressed her cheek with his thumb, she was covered in soot, same as him, no doubt. She looked at him and slowly reached out with her right hand, placing it on his chest, where one of those men had cut him, she stroked it softly….

It started from his SOUL. It spread across every part of his body, burning his veins like fire and crushing his SOUL. Pain.

Asriel's body tensed up, his eyes wide open with fear. His body arched back in an unnatural angle as an agonizing bellow escaped his lips. The pain was everywhere, he couldn't think, couldn't move, he felt like he was being burned from inside out. He fell on his knees and barely registered Frisk kneeling beside him, talking to him, calling his name.

She pulled on his jacket and he didn't resist when she took it off, or his shirt; he was melting. The cloth fell on the grass, leaving Asriel's back bare: it was covered, almost entirely, by dark marks that described circles, swirls and long curvy lines across his skin, like tattoos. Frisk was saying something to him, but he could barely make out the words above his own screams; she must have noticed, because next, Asriel felt her hands cupping his face, guiding him close to her and he immediately buried his face in the curve of her neck. She hold him there, caressing his back and neck, talking to him as they waited for the pain to end.

–I'm here, I'm here, it's going to be ok – She said over and over next to his ear.

Time seemed to stretch to infinity, with the agony and the fire in his veins being the only things unchangeable. His SOUL was beating at an inhuman pace and Asriel just wished to die, to do anything to make it stop, but all he could do was stay in Frisk's embrace, trembling, with eyes close. He tried to concentrate on her breathing, at least to distract himself from this hell.

He counted fifty breaths when he finally noticed a change: The pain was decreasing, the burning sensation disappearing, leaving his body numb, and soon, Asriel felt another sensation slowly crawl up his rapidly beating SOUL.

The power.

It was like millions of ants moving under his skin, but the sensation wasn't uncomfortable at all, quite the opposite; Asriel felt his muscles tense and grow stronger, his horns becoming larger, hard as stones; his fangs and claws sharp like knifes; his eyes could now see the smallest dust particles in the air or the tiny bugs crawling on the ground like they were in front of him. Every one of his sense had been maxed out. Asriel lifted his head, pulling away from Frisk only a little to look at his right shoulder. There, one of the marks had moved. Like ink across paper, it had slowly expanded over his shoulder, going down his arm in a thin spiral and stopping on his elbow.

They both stared at his new mark and Asriel felt sick; he shook his head with a growl and closed his eyes to read his SOUL, even though he already knew what he would find:

HP: Increased

Attack: Increased

Defense: Increased.

L.O.V.E: 9

Level of Violence, the way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt, increasing every time a monster takes a life, granting them with an incredible power and abilities, but also cursing them with an eternal thirst for blood and conflict. The more L.O.V.E a monster gains, the more powerful they become, and the more their body changes, with dark marks spreading across their forms, branding them as killers.

Asriel opened his eyes and sat there, watching the new mark on his arm like it was some kind of disgusting creature clinging to him; he took his sight away from it, not wanting to look at it anymore, the guilt clutching his SOUL. Two soft hands caressed his face; when he looked, Frisk was still there, with tears running down her cheeks, a sad smile on her small lips. After everything that has happened, what he did...after what he had become, she was still there, still looking at him like he was some kind of angel instead of the horrendous creature he really was, holding him like her life depended on it.

Despite everything, she was still there.

–Frisk…– He spoke, his voice deeper than before, raspy–, I'm sorry….I'm so sorry, I didn't have a choice... He wanted to kill you, he was about to…I couldn't let him.

She hushed him with a gentle touch on his lips, shaking her head.

–No Ash, you're right, they weren't going to stop, you did what you had to, I know– She spoke in a whisper, Asriel could hear the regret in her voice but even so she didn't pull away, she only took his hands and help him to his feet, wrapping her arms around him tightly, he immediately did the same. They held each other for a long moment, the other's presence the only comfort they could find. When Asriel broke the hug, he looked around, his sight was sharper now, but he still couldn't see pass the darkness, the fireball above his head only showed him the nearby trees and bushes.

–I guess is back to berries now, we lost what was left of the food in the fire –He said resignedly.

–Well, not really– Said Frisk looking in her pockets, Asriel frowned at her but then his expression transformed into surprise when the girl showed him an apple, two bags of chips, a granola bar and the rest of the berries he had found not even a day ago. This could last them at least a couple of days if they were smart, and they could always look for more berries here in the woods. It was better than nothing. He smiled.

–You're always the one with quick thinking.

–I wasn't thinking exactly, I just reacted– Frisk said, shrugging and Asriel couldn't help but rolls his eyes, still smiling.

They agreed it would be best to keep flying to avoid any detection until morning, that way they could start to look for food and a new place to stay. Asriel didn't remember in which direction was the city he'd seen before, so he decided to go with his instinct. He summoned his wings once again and shot to the dark sky with Frisk secure in his arms. He didn't know what was waiting for them the next morning, nor did he care too much about finding out, the only thing he could think about was the fact that he'd almost lost Frisk that night, a mistake he would never allow himself to make again, no matter what he had to do; he would protect his angel, his reason to live. And if he had to take another life, in turn risking gaining more L.O.V.E, he would do it, no matter how much he hated it.

/ / /

In a city hundreds of miles away:

The loud sound of the horn could have destroyed his ears...if He had any.

The powerful machine sped up, roaring as it sliced between the two cars with ease. He almost passed a red light, not that he minded that much anyway. He caught glance of a couple of angry people, bawling insults at him and a guilty smile appeared on his face. That was close.

He sped up again with a quick movement of his hand, zigzagging between cars and trucks like a blur with a life on its own. The rumble of the engine and the incredible size and form of the lustrous instrument draw the attention of every passerby, leaving behind a trail of amazed faces and looks of envy.

That was ok. He'd spent entire months working on this piece, building it from scratch and swallowing almost his entire salary; all of those sacrifice to create his own custom made sport bike. So if after all of that work and sweat, his masterpiece didn't manage to capture the attention of every single person around, it would mean a personal failure for him.

Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Now he found himself roaming the city streets with no clear destination, not that it mattered anyway. The speed, the sensation of floating, the wind on his face, the freedom…His surroundings blended into a cloud of colors, shapes and sounds...there was nothing like it. After spending months confined in a small garage, the change was more than welcome. His brother was going kill him for not wearing a helmet, but in this case, he didn't care. He felt the magic in his body boil as he headed north, making his way through cars, trucks and other bikes. It was almost pass eleven, everyone was going home after a long day at work, the streets were almost empty, the city falling silent. He took the next curve, leading to the edge of the city. He looked up and gave a sad smile, wishing he could see the stars, but the sky was hiding behind the thousands of city lights. However, he had a solution for that.

The city was surrounded by mountains and forest, a tiny island of concrete in a sea of green; the mountains offered protection against any possible tsunamis and were also an alternative for those who wanted a change from all the rush, the noise and stress of the crowded streets. There was a naturally formed path where the buildings and houses ended; a wooden fence created the division between man and nature, but it wasn't too big, and the neighbors weren't too concern in keeping it, as it was already rotten in some areas and broken on others.

The monster drove between quiet houses until he reached the fence, he looked around to make sure no one was watching, the street was deserted, the windows and doors closed; next he hid the motorcycle next to a nearby tree ringed by tall bushes, he placed broken branches and dry leaves all around the machine, making sure it was well hidden before conceal his own face with the hood on his leather jacket; he turned around, pulling out something from his pockets, a small picture; he unfold it and looked at the person in the photograph with a sad, longing stare then he looked up the path and in an instant, he disappeared, leaving behind a trail of disturbed leaves that had jumped off the ground in the same spot the monster had been few seconds ago. The path ended on top of a hill, there, an old oak tree rested, its enormous branches reaching out to the sky, its leaves blocking the moonlight. The ground trembled around the tree when the tall silhouette of the monster materialized in front of it. He took off his hood and walked a few steps forward, taking a deep breath with arms stretched by his side, face towards the sky and eyes closed. The soft light of the silver moon revealed his skeletal figure, his skull reflecting the stars above; inside his eye sockets, two bright dots shone in a light blue, the pupils moving lazily. The skeleton monster took another breath, sitting down calmly and resting his back on the tree trunk, legs crossed; he brought the picture close to his face, his large phalanges caressing it. There were two people in the photograph, one was a human woman, no older than twenty, with green eyes, long blonde hair and bright smile; the other one was himself but he wasn't paying attention to that.

–I promise I'll be back tomorrow, I won't be late, just wait for me– He whispered to the girl in the picture, laying a gentle kiss on it to turn his gaze at the firmament above him, getting lost in his memories.

AUTHOR NOTE: This chapters are way too long to complete in just one month, but I'll continue to do my best to keep the schedule, and if life gets in the way, I'll let you know, promise.

And yes, in case you didn't figure it out, L.O.V.E works a little different in this AU in comparison to the original game; here only monsters can gain L.O.V.E and when they do, not only do they gain a huge amount of power really fast, but as time goes on they experience a thirst for violence, blood and conflict. The more you kill, the harder it is to maintain your true self, the more you start to think killing is the only way out. Only monsters with a huge willpower can resist the thirst and not get lost along the way. On top of that, your body gets this dark marks that look like tattoos but this one can't be removed no matter what you do. So yes folks, Asriel has killed before, that's why he can fly and has his entire back covered in those marks. You'll find out more of that later in the story.

Aside from LOVE, Determination also works different from the game, Frisk still has the ability to save and load but she can't Reset, as in she can't turn back time to the last Save Point. In this AU, DT works as a special power that changes Frisk's body, allowing her to do things a normal human wouldn't be able to do in other circumstances, for example, DT allowed her to stretch her arms to an impossible distance to grab the bottle. Determination is present in all human, but some have bigger amounts of it in their bodies.

Also, G showed up! Even though I didn't even said his name XD I guess his proper introduction will be in the next chapter. I'll do my best to make him his own character and separate him from the other variations of Gaster!Sans.

I think that's all for now, I hope I explained all the LOVE and Determination thing properly.

See you later guys!