Rivalry

Feeling a rush of fear, Alex understood he was caught. He tightened his hand, using Void's strength. Dark wisps of force moved up his arm, eager to be released.

"Control yourself, Alex!" Cronus's voice echoed in his mind, a sign of reason in the chaos of feelings. "Don't let them take you!"

The security guards charged. Alex responded without thinking, resulting in him shooting a burst of dark energy from his hand and knocking one of the robots into the wall. The metal body crumpled and sparked dangerously.

But the darkness wanted more. A voice in his head tempted him with promises of strength, encouraging him to let it all out. He felt himself almost losing balance.

Suddenly, a flash of blue light from his glove shocked his wrist and a sharp pain that briefly broke the grip of the Void. He noticed Cronus fighting another security guard.

Alex felt a sudden rush of urgency. He needed to get them out of there. Gathering his last bit of strength, he used a final surge of Void energy to break through the containment chamber.

The dark mist inside flowed out and took the shape of a shadowy figure. Alex couldn't believe his eyes – it was just like him, but with glowing red eyes that sent a shiver down his spine.

The newly freed creature let out a terrifying scream. It faced him, like a hunter spotting its target.

At that instant, he felt both fear and a strong sense of duty. This being was created from the same evil that was inside him, a distorted version of himself. He couldn't kill it without possibly releasing the same evil within him.

He came up with a risky plan. He used Void energy again, but this time, he didn't aim for destruction. Instead, he felt a tingling in his arm, like it was stretching and changing shape. Before the creature could respond, Alex's hand stretched out into a long, whip-like arm, sparking with white energy.

The creature stepped back, surprised. Alex struck with his changed arm, the white energy leaving a dark mark on the creature's shadowy body. It screamed in pain, which made Alex shiver.

This was something he hadn't experienced before. Could he control his own body using Void energy? A rush of excitement filled him, but it was quickly replaced by the seriousness of the situation. He couldn't enjoy this new ability for too long.

The creature attacked, its tentacles striking out like snakes. Alex narrowly avoided them, quickly moving his extended arm to block another attack. He could feel the stress on his body in the form of the unusual change's damage.

But he kept going. He wasn't just battling the creature; he was also fighting to control his own power. If he let the darkness take over, he might turn into just another monster in this clinical lab.

With a fierce growl, he concentrated once more. This time, his whole arm transformed, becoming a gleaming, sharp blade made of white energy. He swung it down forcefully, cutting off one of the monster's limbs.

The monster roared in anger as its shape flickered briefly. Alex noticed a hint of weakness like a crack in its shadowy defense. It looked like his control over the Void energy was also affecting the monster.

However, the triumph was brief. The monster restored its lost limb with a glowing light. Alex realized he couldn't continue like this for much longer. He needed a strategy to finish this battle before he was overwhelmed by the strain or the tempting voices of the Void.

As the creature moved closer, Alex channeled his energy one final time. He concentrated on his whole body as he felt that the tingling was growing stronger. Suddenly, there was a bright burst of white light, and Alex was no longer himself.