A Bit... Hollow

I drop to the floor in exhaustion. I was surprised I was able to actually pull off such a summoning despite the average mana levels I had. Breathing heavily, I gaze at my summon. It appeared to be humanlike, a man in his mid-twenties with sloppy black hair where some fell in-between his eyes. He was scrawny, with a pair of blue eyes stared at him, piercing the seemingly unbreakable barrier protecting him.

I looked at this new summon with a bit of confusion. I wanted a demon from a realm different from the usual demons that often appeared. This one looked like a normal human, except for the chain on his chest.

Then, I understood. In order for the spell to work, it must have suppressed this demon into a weaker human form and the chain was binding him.

Standing shakily and brushing the dirt off my prison attire, I address the demon before me.

"I know you are confused demon, but rest assured you will be soon freed to do as you please. I only ask one thing of you. End everyone in this pitiful town. Take revenge in my place. On my death, this barrier will expel, allowing you to roam.

I don't know your capabilities so; I must warn that there are a group of people who specialize in hunting of your kind. I can see that you are bound in human form right now, so the least I can do is return you to your natural form before I get executed."

I was sure that this was a demon, I could tell by the unnatural look he was currently giving me. His eyes tracked each movement I made and showed a predatory glare that he didn't even try to hide. I was glad that, as the summoner, I was protected from him as long as the barrier was up.

Walking over the barrier that contained the demon, I confidently reached in and pulled on the chain on the demons' chest. The demon's calm demeanor instantly changed into one that unnerved me further. Demons were weird creatures that took pleasure in the pain of humans, so I instantly recognized the look of pure ecstasy that it had on its face.

In disgust, I continued to pull on the chain that was giving up quite the resistance. If I had any kind of mana left, I would have used magic to assist. After a few minutes of pulling, the chain exited his chest suddenly and I fell backwards on the ground as it dispersed into nothingness.

From within the barrier, I watched as the demon began a metamorphosis. Its entire frame began to grow taller and bulkier. Huge claws take the place of his hands. A hole appears where the chain used to be in its chest. A mask with two horns on either side of its head and dangerous looking teeth appeared that formed into a sinister grin.

It looks down slowly back at me and I look into its eyes as fear overtakes me, causing me to back up from it. Remembering that I'm safe while it's in the barrier, I regain my composure.

"I'm assuming that this is what you normally look like." I say trying to play off my earlier display of fear. It makes no notion to respond and as I make another attempt to strike up a conversation but movement outside the door makes me freeze.

I looked at the ritual and barrier with an obvious demon inside and remembered that they would clearly see what I've done and ruin my plan for revenge. In a panic, I quickly dash around the cell, trying desperately to think of a way to hide this. Last second, I throw my blanket towards the barrier, but it falls short, flapping to the ground in front of it as the door opens.

Two guards enter in and survey my room as I remain frozen in fear. With their eyes clearly on the ritual, they approach me. Without a word, one of them strikes out, punching me in the nose. The unexpected pain makes me take a step back as the other punches me in the stomach, making me drop to the ground.

"Trying to summon another one right after the first, eh?" One guard says.

"Good thing we came when we did and stopped you." The other says as he pulls me to my feet and places the cuffs on my hands. Being forcefully led out of the cell, I look back in confusion at the clear as day demon hanging in the middle of the room, wondering how they didn't see it.

As I get lead to the stage, I begin to heavily doubt that they didn't actually see it. Surely they were going to reveal that they knew what I was up to and debunk my plan last second.

But as I get pushed down to the chopping block, I start to think, 'Maybe they actually didn't see it. If so, how?' My thoughts get interrupted as the executioners axe comes down and my vision darkens.

As the beating of my heart completely stops, the magic takes effect, and a barrier is dispelled. As the figure of the man who was the cause of my most recent pain gets dragged away out of the cell, I take a second, as new feelings dominate right now.

First, a feeling that I know all too well that I started feeling immediately after killing the doctor. Emptiness. Behind all this pain that was slowly subsiding, was emptiness, a void like something was missing, but I didn't know what.

But a new feeling was rising, something that I thought I had control of. A hunger. Unlike any other that I've ever felt before in my life. I felt that if I didn't eat anything, I would fade out of existence.

Suddenly, the barrier keeping him contained fades and he drops to the floor. He felt a relief wash over his body, as a substance was being absorbed into his body, but it wasn't enough. He needed something else to sustain his hunger, whatever this was, clearly wasn't enough. Standing to his feet, he didn't notice his new stride as he waddled out of the cell in search of food.