Devour Vol 2 Ch 4: Crimson And Black, The Coming Of Gold!

Conrad pushed himself up from the couch, his legs unsteady beneath him. He cast another glance at the TV, the horrific images of destruction still flashing on the screen. Egypt, Paris—entire cities obliterated. He couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't stop wondering if it all had something to do with the two... beings currently occupying his kitchen.

He wouldn't call them human. Not after everything he'd seen, and definitely not after everything they'd done.

The more he thought about it, the harder it was to breathe. His heart thudded against his chest, and his palms were slick with sweat. What was he even supposed to say to them? What could he say to beings who might have the power to destroy the planet with a flick of their wrists? And, most importantly, why the hell were they here?

Why him?

He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the tremor in his voice as he took a hesitant step toward the kitchen. "Sooo..." he began, forcing a smirk he didn't feel. "How can I help you naked women today?"

His nervous laugh was as shaky as his knees, but it was all he could muster.

The two women stopped talking immediately, both of them turning their heads to look at him in unison. Their smiles were eerily similar—mischievous, predatory, as if this was all a game to them and Conrad was the unwitting pawn.

The taller of the two stood with a grace that made Conrad's stomach twist. She had long black hair that fell in smooth waves down her back, her posture elegant and composed, her expression calm. Yet there was something about her that made him uneasy. She exuded an air of maturity, but the more he looked at her, the more he felt like he was falling into her eyes—like she was drawing him in, pulling him under.

His chest tightened, and he realized with alarm that he was actually struggling to breathe. He tore his gaze away, gasping slightly, and the sensation vanished as if it had never been there.

The other woman, still seated, was completely different. Her hair was shorter, wilder, and she had a kind of tomboyish vibe to her that contrasted sharply with the elegance of her companion. Where the black-haired woman radiated a quiet, almost overwhelming authority, this one felt chaotic, unpredictable. She leaned back in her chair with one leg draped over the armrest, grinning at him like she was waiting for him to slip up so she could pounce.

Conrad's stomach churned, but there were... silver linings, if he could call them that. For one, his dad wasn't home. If his dad had been here to see two naked women in their kitchen, he'd never live it down—assuming they didn't, you know, obliterate the house.

The other silver lining was far more primal. They were gorgeous. Freakishly, unnaturally beautiful. Like supermodels or actresses, but with a kind of magnetic allure that made even their flaws—if they had any—seem perfect.

Still, their beauty didn't erase the obvious danger they posed, and it definitely didn't make him feel safer.

Conrad barely had time to react when the crimson-haired woman suddenly turned her piercing gaze on him. Her fiery eyes bore into him, making his skin crawl. She tilted her head slightly, her long crimson hair shimmering as if it was alive.

"Are you afraid?" she asked, her tone devoid of sympathy.

Before Conrad could muster an answer, the black-haired woman—who had been watching him like a cat sizing up a mouse—let out a soft giggle. "Of course he is. Look at his face," she said, her voice light and teasing, but her eyes carried that same unsettling depth Conrad had come to dread.

Conrad stayed silent, clenching his jaw as he refused to give them the satisfaction of a response. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs, but he forced himself to keep his breathing steady.

The crimson-haired woman leaned back in her chair, her lips twitching into a smirk. "I don't get it," she said, glancing at her dark-haired companion. "What does the little one see in this mortal?"

Conrad blinked, the question pulling him out of his haze of fear. "Who?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice.

The crimson-haired woman's smirk vanished instantly, her eyes narrowing. "Silence," she commanded, her voice sharp and authoritative.

Before he could even think to respond, her body began to emit a deep crimson glow, the air around her rippling like heat waves. The energy surged outward, slamming into Conrad like a freight train. He was hurled across the room, crashing into the wall with a dull thud. His body was pinned there by an invisible force, his arms and legs splayed out awkwardly.

"Ah, crap," he muttered, wincing as he tried to move, only to realize he couldn't.

The two women ignored him entirely, their attention turning to each other.

"We could just destroy this planet," the black-haired woman suggested, her tone casual as if she were discussing dinner plans.

"Hmm," the crimson-haired woman mused, tapping a finger against her chin. "It is tempting. There's so much life energy here, more than I've seen on most planets. And it's such a tiny thing. Hard to believe it could hold so much."

Conrad's eyes widened, his fear spiking as their words sunk in. "Wait, destroy the planet?!" he blurted out, but the pressure pinning him to the wall increased, silencing him once again.

As the two women continued their unsettling discussion, the sound of creaking wood and a distant rumble began to fill the room. At first, Conrad thought it was just his imagination, but then the ceiling above him groaned loudly.

With a deafening crash, a figure burst through the roof, sending splinters of wood and plaster raining down into the kitchen. Conrad instinctively squeezed his eyes shut against the debris, but when he opened them again, his breath caught in his throat.

Standing in the middle of his destroyed kitchen, bathed in golden light, was the woman he'd seen before—the one with the flowing blonde hair. Her eyes glowed with an intense, otherworldly energy, and her golden locks billowed around her as if carried by a wind only she could feel.

The black-haired woman raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh, look. It's our little sister."

The crimson-haired woman leaned forward slightly, a faint sneer on her lips. "Well, this just got interesting."

The newcomer's eyes narrowed as she fixed her glowing gaze on the two women. "Crimson. Darkness," she said, her voice sharp and commanding.

Conrad, still pinned to the wall, couldn't help but let out a weak, exasperated laugh. "Oh, sure, now it gets interesting."