Chapter 1. Bad Luck, demonic arm.


"Ugh…" The jackal named Jack groaned, laying on asphalt ground, his body feeling numb with a buzz going in his ears. His vision cleared as he raised his head, looking around, witnessing that he was in the middle of a massive car wreck, a few cars crashed into each other, others displaced and cluttered at the intersection. Next to him was a toppled-over semi truck with its contents scattered about around him, it being a bunch of heavy machine parts. His senses were slowly returning, hearing the flicker of flames and the distant sound of sirens, feeling something wet near his right arm. Feeling his head with his left hand, he began to notice the lack of movement from his other appendage, trying to move his fingers but unable to. Turning his head, he placed his gaze on the arm, his eyes widening and the sense of pain rushing with a kick. His right arm from the elbow down was crushed, twisted, and broken beyond recognition, his fingers placed where they shouldn't be able to, his bones mashed and snapped in more than just a few places, tears in his flesh that show off those broken pieces, his lucky sleeve ripped to shreds. "AAAAAAAGH!" He screamed in pain, holding his elbow and writhing around in turmoil, tearing up to the overwhelming sensation. Memories of how this happened flooded into his brain.

School had just ended and he had bid his friends goodbye, riding back home on his moped. The weather was nice, sunny, and warm, and traffic was going as smoothly as could be. For a rare moment, Jack, the most unlucky Jackal in the world, felt at ease. It was short-lived. They were either drunk, not paying attention, or something else because they went right past the stop light and right to Jack. They both tried to veer off to avoid collision only it led to Jack hitting the rim of the car next to him, tumbling him off his vehicle and onto the moving hood of the first, rolling off it and sending it spiraling in the air. What made matters worse was the turning semi-truck that attempted to stop at the last second, screeching but slipping due to its heavy cargo, the driver making a turn to avoid impact. They failed and the truck tipped over with its load breaking, the contents of it flying out. The unlucky jackal fell to the ground just in time for his right arm to be crushed by a rolling machinery part, destroying his arm. He was unconscious by the time he hit the floor so he didn't register it happening to him, his body already overloaded in pain.

"AAAGH….REEAAGH!" Jack continued to scream, feeling all the wounds he had throughout his body. He saw a firetruck enter the scene, quickly attempting to pull mammals out of the wreckage and put fires out. Reaching out with his left arm. "Help….HELP!" He cried out desperately, but none of them even turned his way. "Please!" He cried out again.

*Thump…thump*

Both the sound and the vibrations of something heavy came thumping his way from behind. His ears picked up the sound of a frog croak albeit more raspy and deep. Hoping it was some kind of rescue he looked back only for that hope to be dashed and instantly replaced with fear. Jumping towards him from behind was a giant sickly black toad. Its front arms were nothing but bone being held together by dark veins and tendons, having blood-red eyes with a third in the middle, and curled spikes on its back. It looked down at Jack and let out a croak, rubbing its lips together.

"What…..the…hell?" Jack wasn't one to curse but the situation called for it. Before he could further question anything, it launched its tongue out at him, darting right for his chest. Time slowed down for the jackal, slowly observing it go towards his chest with his brain going a mile a minute. 'It's…trying to kill me!?' He thought. 'No…nononoNONO!' In a quick and impressive move in his state, he pushed off his barely good arm and rolled out of the way. He looked at the impact, the muscle going straight through the road and imagined that to be him if he hadn't moved. It pulled its tongue back and looked at him like a fly to be snacked on, about to try again. Jack tried to rise but couldn't, one of his legs broken and a knee twisted, to say the least. The best he could do was crawl, limping on his arm and his messed up knee, ignoring the pain the best he could by making death the worst option. Its tongue shot out again and he vaulted forward, further ruining his leg as he sure felt something crack. "Agh!" He cried out. The monster came closer and he was getting backed into a corner of wrecked vehicles. Growing desperate he grabbed a broken pipe and pointed it to the creature. "St-Stay back!" It didn't even take his threat seriously, only looming closer. "GO AWAY!" He threw his sorry excuse for a weapon and managed to hit its middle eye.

"GRAOG!" It yelled in pain, taking the spike out, blood trickling from the small wound. Angrily, it glared at Jack and breathed in, rearing its head back.

Jack couldn't run, he had no way of jumping out of the way, nothing to shield him, and no one to help him. He was gonna die, right there, life flashing before his eyes, remembering all his friends and his mother before it lashed its tongue out, going straight for his head. He closed his eyes and braced for the end.

Only for it not to come.

"Ah ah ah!" A voice said, cutting the beast's tongue before it could make contact.

"ARGHRA!" It yelled in pain, reeling back from its sliced tongue.

"Huh?" Jack opened his eyes and looked up. Before him stood a red jackal the same height as him with longer straighter ears, dangerously sharp claws, and shorter yet smoother fur. He wore a long red shirt that went down to his knees and was tied around his waist with a red trim on the edges.

"Beat it." He said to the monster in a calm yet threatening way. It backed away before scurrying off, leaving him alone with Jack.

"Wh-...who are-?" When the red jackal looked back he was stunned by his pitch-black eyes and red-dotted pupils, his razor-sharp fangs shown in a smile.

"I'm impressed," He turned around, stepping in front of Jack, "Practically on death's door, and yet," he knelt, "you put up such a good fight. Well, good considering your condition."

"D-...death's door?"

"Oh, you hadn't noticed huh? Well sorry to say but…you're not exactly gonna live through this."

"...What?"

"Ysee whatever happens to you isn't something you're gonna survive. The fact that you can see me is proof of that."

"Wh-" Jack's mind was trying to process this and it was not liking it, "What are you talking about?"

"You're dying dude," He rolled his eyes, "You're hanging in by a thread but it's about to snap and send you to the afterlife."

"No…no no! You're lying! I'm still alive, my heart's still-" he felt his chest and was traumatized by its slow and weak beat. "It's…. it's still…it's…why?"

"Feels weak doesn't it? By the time they find you, you'll be laying here like a corpse with them wondering how they missed you."

"No…" He started to cry, "No I don't…I don't wanna die." Tears came rushing out. "Please! Please, you gotta save me!"

"I don't gotta do shit. I just gotta wait here and see you croak."

Despair filled his being. "You…you can't be serious…please I'll….I'll do a-"

The red jackal hushed him with a finger on the nose. "But…you are lucky."

"Wha?"

"Because I am gonna save you…I can revive you, give you…a second chance." He tapped his nose.

"Really?" A bit of hope came back.

"Mhm. Thing is this won't be the same life."

"What do you mean?"

"What's your name?"

"Uh, Jack."

"Jack. My name is Damian. I can give you this second chance at life but it won't be the same life. If you accept this your life will be VASTLY different from your current, nothing will be the same. So you have two choices." He held up a finger, "You can die here, your normal life ending the way you've always had it, or," he brought up another finger, "you can live and be in a completely different lifestyle than you know. Either way, your normal life will be over."

"My normal life?"

"Yep. So…what's your choice?"

"..." Jack didn't think long about it. His life wasn't exactly a normal one, as far as he could remember he's always been plagued with such bad luck that it was like a curse, but still, the thought of his friends and family strived him to want to keep living, even if it'll change things in his cursed life. He looked at Damian with determination and gave his answer. "I want to live!"

"...Heh…alright." Damian took a grasp of Jack's disfigured arm, raising it up

"Ow! What are you do-?" What Damian did next cut off his sentence and replaced it with a showing shriek. The red animal cleanly sliced off his arm from the elbow down, blood splattering out the opening. "AAAAAAH!" He gripped his stub in agony.

"Sorry, should've warned ya." Bringing the mashed appendage to his mouth, he slid it down his tongue, swallowing it whole and in one gulp.

Even in pain, Jack found his action disturbing only for his mind to return to pain once Damian shoved his claws into his opening. "AAAH! WHAT ARE YOU- UGH!" From where his claws were inserted was a boiling heat that trailed up and throughout his body.

"Don't worry. It'll be over soon." He smiled mischievously.

"GROAAAG!" Jack's body felt like the inside of an inferno, the pain becoming too much to bear as he was losing consciousness. As his vision blurred and faded, the last thing he saw was the melting body of the red jackal.


"Give me a hand!" One of the dog firefighters shouted, pulling a bunny out of a car.

"I'm coming!" A bear answered from the truck, having just settled someone down. He rushed to his cohort but paused for a second when he noticed something. "Hey!" Waving at his crew to get their attention, he pointed outwards. "Someone is lying over there by the truck!"

"What the-?" Another bear did a double take, looking at a beat-up jackal laying against the truck's remains. "How'd we miss him!?" He took some others with him to go grab the jackal. He took his right arm while the others took his left and his legs, placing him on the stretcher, and quickly guiding him to the ambulance car.


Zill the bat and snake hybrid, his girlfriend Kayla the kangaroo, Spam the red fox, and Vanexa the purple feline all rushed into the lobby of the hospital, moving quickly to the front desk.

"Excuse me miss!" Zill got their attention.

"Yes?" The goat nurse replied.

"We're friends of a jackal named Jack and we heard he was here! Can we see him?" He said with major concern.

"Let's see…" She searched on his computer, trying to be quick but calm as she could see him nervously bouncing in his spot. "Ah, he's in room 204, it's on the second floor."

"Thanks! C'mon guys!" He went with them all to the elevators, getting to the second floor and speed walking to the room and knocking on the door.

"Come in." Jack's voice called to them from inside.

They all entered and collectively said in unison; "Jack!"

Jack lay on his hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his body and his right leg hoisted up and in a cast, waving and smiling at his friends. "Hey guys."

They were quick to surround him.

"You ok dude!" Zill asked in concern.

"I'm ok. Could be alot better." Jack chuckled.

"What happened?" Spam asked, curiously.

"Well I was driving home and next thing you know a car comes across my side, knocking me off, and well…the rest is…kinda blank. It's a miracle I survived."

"I'll say, but I'm glad you did!" Spam smiled.

"You're gonna make a song out of this aren't you?" Vanexa commented, giving the fox the side eye.

"No…maybe…"

"Songs aside, I'm just glad you're in one piece. I saw some pictures of the aftermath and it was not pretty!" Kayla cringed, remembering it.

"Yeah…one piece." Jack glanced at his right arm.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head, looking back at them. "N-no It's nothing."

"Your arm hurting, dude?" Zill asked.

"No, it's fine. Anyway, the doctor should be back with my x-rays later today, but I don't think I'll be back at ZPA for a while. Sorry." He said in sorrow.

"Hey don't worry about it," Kayla patted him on the head.

"We can bring you some textbooks so you don't fall behind!" Spam volunteered.

"I can ask about bringing any assignments so you don't have to stay after for any makeup," Vanexa added in her usual monotone voice that carried some care.

"I'd appreciate that." Jack smiled. "Oh! After school! I'm gonna miss band practice!"

Zill chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's not like we got a concert anytime soon, so don't worry about it."

"Yeah but…I wanted to try those new drums." He slouched.

"They're not going anywhere, they'll be ready to be played as soon as you get back."

"Well…I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right." He laughed with the others.

*Grrrrrl*

Jack blushed when his stomach let out a loud rumble. "Uh, sorry. Guess I'm hungry."

"We can go to the cafeteria to get you some food."

"Can you?"

"Sure, what would you like?"

"A double cheeseburger with some fries."

*Blrrrp*

"Uh…make it a triple," Jack sheepishly added.

"You got it, Jacko!" Kayla assured him.


"Mph, mmm!" Jack groaned in delight, eating up a mini pizza. He was much hungrier than he or anyone thought, having asked for more food after finishing the last, his friends looking at him with shock. Licking the cheese free from his lips, he finished the last bite. "That was good." He sighed. "They got any desert down there?"

"Desert!?" Spam exclaimed.

"You can NOT be serious," Zill joined.

"What?" Jack said, confused.

"Dude, you had like two cheeseburgers, a massive burrito, three taco bowls, a loaded grilled chicken sandwich, all with sides might I add, and a pizza and you're asking for dessert!?"

"I…" He looked over at the trash, seeing it filled with go boxes, blushing with embarrassment, "guess I was hungrier than I thought."

The doctor knocked on the door. "Jack?"

"Come in."

The moose practitioner entered with a stack of papers. "I'm here with you Xrays." He noticed the trash can. "Whoa did I miss a party?"

"No, just a gorging." Spam joked.

"That was all you?" The doc said in surprise with a gaze towards Jack.

Jack awkwardly shrank back at that gaze. "Uh…"

"Well, accidents like this do tend to work up an appetite." He shrugged off, relaxing the jackal and heading to the whiteboard. "Anyways, here's your X-rays." He placed three separate pictures up against the board, one of his chest, legs, and left arm, the diagrams showing off his broken bones, and the damage done to his right leg.

Jack cringed, counting the broken ribs, noticing the fractured wrist, and the snapped leg bone. "Ouch."

"It could've been a lot worse for you, y'know. You're lucky it didn't."

"Heh, lucky…yeah." He rolled his eyes at the notion.

"I don't see him walking for a while." Kayla analyzed.

"He won't, but thankfully it won't take too long to heal. Might be able to move in a boot after a short while." The doctor spoke.

"That's good!"

"How long will he be here?" Vanexa asked.

"I'd say about a week and a half til we can release him since he's currently home alone. When that happens he'll have to be very careful."

"Don't worry, we can visit and check up on him," Spam assured.

"That's good to know."

Zill realized something and decided to speak. "Hold on, doc. What about his right arm?"

"Well…about that." He slid out one more X-ray. "We apparently hit an…error."

"An error?" Jack questioned in concern.

Placing it on the board, he let them take a look for themselves. "Take a look."

The gang was both confused and shocked. The X-ray of his right arm was frazzled with static and covered in some dark black noise, obscuring what should've been his arm.

"Whoa…." Zill breathed out.

"What…happened?" Kayla asked.

The moos shrugged. "Honestly, we don't know, nothing was wrong with the machinery. This is a first for us."

"That's really weird," Spam said.

"Don't make a song out of it." Vanexa chastised.

"I wasn't gonna."

"We're gonna try again tomorrow," The moose announced, "Hopefully it was a one-time deal."

"Yeah." Jack was unsure when he said that.

"Anyways, sad to say but visiting hours are almost up." He said while taking the pictures down.

"Aww, ok." Kayla pouted.

"Well come see you tomorrow man." Zill smiled at Jack, getting his things and taking his girl's arm.

"Thanks. Take care guys!"

"You too! Seeya!" He, along with everyone else, left.

"I'll come by later with some medicine." The doctor told him before leaving him alone.

"Ok." Jack was now alone and leaned back on his bed. "..." He raised his right arm and gave it a quick inspection. "Was it…" Memories of a monster frog and a red jackal played in his head, "...just a dream?" He wondered. Shaking the thoughts away he turned on the TV, trying to relax.


The TV was playing a sitcom, the moon was half and rising with the blackening sky, and Jack was peacefully sleeping through it all, filling the room with sounds of his snoring along with the gags of the show. A finger pressed on the remote for the TV, turning it off and a hand reached for his face, lightly slapping his cheek.

"Hey." A voice called out to him.

Jack's eyebrows twinged but he didn't wake.

The hand slapped against his face a bit rougher. "Hey."

"Mmm." He looked annoyed but still slept.

"..." The hand reeled back and gave his face a hard slap. "Wake up!"

"Gah!" Jack shot up. "Wh-what!?"

"Wake up bud!"

"Wha-?" He looked around, seeing no one.

"We got things to do so wipe the spit off!"

"Who's," He looked around his bed to see if anyone was hiding, "who's there?"

"Where ya looking?"

"Who's talking right now? Where are you?" He grew increasingly confused, hearing the voice but not seeing the person. While looking around he realized the voice sounded familiar.

"Snrk, I'm not there." He said in a singing tone.

"That voice…Damian!?"

"Aw, you remembered me."

"You…you exist!?" Jack said in shock, remembering what he thought was a dream.

"Course I exist! I'm offended you'd say that!"

"So that wasn't a dream!?"

"You mean that time you nearly died and I saved you? Nope, it was real."

"Where are you?" He kept looking, getting frustrated.

"Heh, guess you did faint when I merged with you."

"Merged!"

"Yep."

Jack's right arm raised on its own and the palm faced him. "Huh?" In the middle of his hand, a slit came across. "What the-!?"

The slit opened and curved into a smile, revealing a pair of sharp teeth. "Hi."

"...AAAAAAH!" He screamed in terror, moving his hand away.

"Whoa there, chill man!"

"WH-WHA-WHA-WHAT THE HELL!?" He continued to scream.

"Quit your screaming!"

A nurse came in, having heard his scream. "What's wrong!?"

"M-M-M-MY HAND!" Jack pointed at his hand where the mouth was.

"Let me see!"

"THERE WAS A- THERE WAS….A MOUTH! IT WAS…TALKING!"

"A talking mouth?" She curiously inspected his hand, holding it gently. "There's nothing there."

"WHAT!?"

She placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm. "Deep breaths." Easing his hand back to him, she showed his palm. "See. Nothing there."

"I…" Not seeing the mouth, he eased forward, looking closer. "It was…right there."

"You just had a bad dream." She smiled sympathetically at him.

"I…I could've sworn that…" Flabbergasted, he leaned back, feeling lost.

"Want some tea? It could help ease those rattled nerves."

"Um…" He shook his head and made a small smile. "No, I'm ok. Thanks."

"Ok, sweetheart. Try and get some rest." With one last pat, she left him alone and went back to her desk.

Jack took a deep breath. "It was…just a dream."

His palm came up to his face and the mouth reappeared, scaring him. "It was not."

"A-" Before he could let out another scream, his hand clamped on his lips.

The mouth appeared behind on the back. "Stop screaming!"

"MMPH!" Jack tried to scream and pull his arm off but it wouldn't move.

"Will you chill already!"

"HHMP MMPH!" Jack tried to move his arm off his mouth but was unable to, barely making it budge.

"I'll move when you stop screaming!"

"MMMNG…HNNNM…" Defeated, he slouched back and took a huff, slowing his hyperventilating.

"You done?"

"..." He nodded.

"You're not gonna shout when I get off, are you?"

He shook his head no.

"...Good!" His right hand released and pulled back with the mouth reappearing on his palm. "Go ahead with the questions, but make them quick."

"How are you in my arm!? What was all that from the accident!? What…what are you!?" Jack had so many questions, trying to remain calm but freaking out internally.

"So first, I'm not in your arm, I AM your arm. As for what I am, I'm a demon."

"A…a demon!?"

"Yep, I'm a red jackal demon. Well, I'm the arm of a jackal right now, but still."

"You can't be serious." Jack nervously smiled, hoping this was some prank.

"How else do you explain this?"

"I…but..demons don't exist."

"Hi, name's Damian, I'm a demon." Damian waved.

"Not funny. But if you're a demon what are you doing as my arm?"

"You wanted to live, didn't you? So I merged with you and that mashed-up arm of yours seemed like the best place to do it."

"Is…that why the X-rays couldn't scan my arm?"

"Nah those devices can't really pick up a demonic presence like me."

"This is insane." Jack rubbed his head, feeling a migraine coming.

"You done? We gotta get moving." Damian moved the tray out of the way and the covers off Jack.

"Wh-what are you doing? Move where?"

"Remember that Croak Hopper?"

"Croak what?" He noticed his arm reach for the straps that held his leg up. "Wait, don't mess with that!" He tried to pull back but Damian managed to yank forward and grab the chains. "No, stop!" It was too late, the arm unlatched the slip. He braced for a shock of pain to run up his leg but it didn't come, his foot hitting the bed but painlessly. "Huh?" Opening an eye to see and believe, his leg did indeed fall but it didn't hurt. "Why…it doesn't hurt?"

"Why would it? You've already been healed."

"What!?" He looked at his arm flabbergasted.

Damian gestured to his leg. "Try it, but be quick."

"..." Jack started by wiggling his toes. Next, he slid his leg back, applying some pressure by stepping it on the bed but feeling no pain. Flabbergasted, he raised and sat on the side of the bed, slowly getting down on his supposed broken leg first, feeling nothing wrong with his left one, fully standing and taking and stepping in place. "What…the…hell?" He cursed in astonishment.

"You done?"

"H-how am I…this is impossible!"

"Gawk about it later. Now slip that off before it gets here." Damian pointed at his cast.

"Slip it off?" Jack asked confused before registering the "It getting here" part, "Wait, it?"

"Hurry!" Damian chastised.

"Ok ok!" He sat back on the bed and carefully slipped off the cast, placing it on the bed. "There."

"Great," The arm thrusted out to the window, pulling Jack along, "now come along!"

"H-hey, where are you taking me?"

Damian pulled them to the front of the curtains, pulling them out of the way and letting them have a clear view of the outside. "Ok, first things first." From his arm came an opaque red pulse that went all around them.

"Huh?" The pulsation of red seemed to wash away all the color around him, making everything except them gray and dull. "What the hell? Wh-what happened!? What did you do!?"

"I'll explain later, but for now close your eyes."

"Eh?"

"Close them!"

"I…Ok?" He closed his eyes.

"Now…I want you to think of yourself as a demon."

"...What?" He opened his eyes and looked at his arm skeptically.

"Just do it! Or no color!"

"..." With an annoyed groan, he closed his eyes again. "How do I think of myself as a demon?"

"Just think demonly things and apply that to yourself."

"This is stupid."

"Do it quick, it's literally almost here."

"What is-? Y'know what, never mind. Demonly things right?"

"Yep!"

"Hmmm…demonly…demonly." He thought of demon-like things and tried envisioning them for himself. "Hmmm." While he focused he felt a tingle around his body and felt changes mostly on his head. "Why do I feel…different?"

"Cause you changed to your demon side."

"My wh-?" Opening his eyes he caught a glimpse of a different arm. From the elbow up, his arm turned a charcoal black, growing three times its regular size and becoming more muscular with sharp and rigid claws. "...AHHH!" He nearly jumped back in surprise.

"I'm gonna let that scream go, cause it's understandable."

"What the hell happened to my arm!?"

"Did you expect me not to change too?" Damian pulled back. "Now come one!" With a thrust, he punched through the glass and sent them out with the force.

"Huh?" Jack blinked a few times before falling with a scream and landing with a thud. "OW...Ugh." He raised, getting on his hands and knees, surprisingly not that hurt from a two-story drop. "That…didn't hurt as b-" He froze when he saw his reflection in the broken glass. The sclera of his eyes was pitch black like the dark depths of a chasm with blood-red pupils in the center, with black streaks trailing down his eyes, the fur on the sides of his head hardened and curved, gaining a light red color with his fangs growing and becoming much more deadly. "What…the hell!?"

"That's like the fourth time you said that."

"What happened to me!?" Feeling around his face, checking that all the changes were true. Surprising him further, the glass that was shattered moved and pulled itself back together onto the sill it was on. "What is going on!?" He was starting to go crazy.

"Calm down will ya? This ain't the time."

"Why not!? I'm going insane h-"

Something came crashing down right in front of him, cutting off his sentence and taking his attention. Fearfully gazing at it, Jack saw a familiar face or rather monster that had a wounded middle eye. It was the frog that appeared at the traffic accident and it looked angrily at Jack.

"That's why," Damian answered calmly.

"...What…the…hell!?" Jack said with a wide-eyed and shocked face.

"Five."

"RAOKIT!" The frog ribited and roared at the same time, swinging at Jack.

"AH!" Jack jumped up, jumping higher than he wanted or ever could, soaring at least five stories high. "What the-!?"

"Do not say hell again!" Damian shouted.

The beast's tongue launched out and grasped him, pulling them towards its sharp tooth mouth.

Damian reeled back, "Hold on!" Swinging down he clawed its tongue before getting chomped. It screamed in pain and let go, flipping them over its head. Jack groaned and raised, looking at its back. The spikes straightened and launched out a volley of bony needles from its tips. Damian aimed forward and emitted a stream of dark red flames to burn and break them apart, startling Jack."Get ready to jump back and punch!"

"What!?" Jack looked at his arm with confused shock. The frog leaped up and dived in. With a scream, Jack jumped back, going a few yards back and nearly sliding to a fall.

"Too far, dude!"

"S-sorry! I do-" Before he could finish his sentence, the frog lunged from where it dove. "SHIT!" In a panic, he gave a right jab right into its face, blowing it back and through the hospital, crashing it through the lobby.

"Nice punch!" Damian complimented.

"Oh no!" Jack panicked, fearful that he hurt someone, and rushed to the building. "I'm sorry!" He yelled out while getting closer.

"Who you apologizing to?"

"The mammals inside! Oh, I hope they left when they saw that monster!" Stepping through the hole he made, he looked around and hoped no one was seriously injured seeing all the destruction that he caused. However what seemed off to him was the opaque blue figures that looked like mammals, mammals who were acting normal and sitting where the chairs were blown away or even in debris. "Wh-...where is everyone? What are these?" Jack asked, approaching some of the figures, looking at their eyes, noticing they didn't register him there.

"Those are the people you were worried about. As you can see they're fine in the mortal realm."

"Mortal realm? What's the-?" From a pile of broken walls on the other side, the creature's tongue lashed out. "WHOA!" He managed to cross his arms just in time to minimize the damage, the impact knocking him back outside through the hole he came through. "Ow…" Managing to fall on his back, he slowly raised. The frog came out through the opening before it magically started to repair itself. "Did it just-?"

"Think about it later! Incoming!" Damian pointed out at the frog leaping and slamming its claws down.

"EEP!" Jack rolled to the side and quickly got on his feet.

"Duck and uppercut!"

"Huh?" He took a quick yet curious glance at his right arm before putting his attention back on the frog, seeing it swipe at him. Doing what Damian said, he ducked and let it whiff above him, its chin right above him. Squeezing his hand, he raised his left fist right into its chin, knocking it to bend backward, exposing its belly. Without being told to, Jack blindly took the chance. "RAAGH!" With a thrust of his enlarged arm, he pierced his fist into its flesh, rupturing it and rippling through, exploding its guts out through its back along with its spine. The splash of purplish blood on his face made him freeze, witnessing it let out a few weak and bloody groans before it fell back and went limp.

"Nicely done!"

"I…Did I just….kill it?" He asked, taking a step back, processing it all, looking at the blood on his hands.

Damain shook it off his hand and reverted to a normal arm, "Yep. Now enjoy your meal." He gestured at its body.

"Meal!? I'm not eating," something rose out of the deceased body of the frog, "that…thing…" It took Jack's attention. It was a red round globe the size of a bowling ball with a white center and a small tail on the top. The white center pulsed like a heartbeat and the tail would slightly sway, floating right above the body. "What…is that?" His initial shock of killing something was replaced with his interest in the orb, approaching it, stepping over the monster's remains. His eyes were fixated on it, drool slipping down the corner of his mouth the closer he got and his stomach let out a growl. Reaching out, he gently grabbed it, feeling its heat on his palms and pulling it close, licking his lips. He felt a hunger that stemmed from the globe that he held, intending to satisfy it. He opened his mouth, his jaw cracking and bones popping as his maw became larger, widening enough to be able to take it, sliding it down his tongue and filling his largened mouth with it. Slurping the tail in like it was spaghetti, he chewed, the orb squelching like it was a gummy, melting and mashing with each bite. He swallowed it all down, his jaw returning to normal, and letting out a pleased sigh.

"Good?"

"It was delicious…" He said in pleasure. With a shake of his head, he snapped out of his trance, going wide-eyed at what happened. "What….what just happened!?"

"You ate a soul."

Looking at his right arm in shock he let out an exclamation. "I what!?"

"You," Damian pointed, "ate the soul of a demon beast."

"I…ate a soul…like an actual soul?" His mind was racing trying to process it all.

"Yep, now let's get back to our room."

"I…I just…what is going on with me?" He sat down, not even caring he was sitting on a dead body, holding his head in his hand.

"Well, I told you your life wouldn't be the same. Better get used to it cause this is gonna be normal."

"This is?..." He couldn't believe all that was happening, wanting it to be a dream but knowing it all felt too real, the heat of the soul he swallowed still festered in his stomach. "I…have the worst luck."


End.

Next chapter. You're a mutated demon