Chapter Text
For all its life, Seek had been told that it didn’t have a soul; admittedly, most of those came in the final life moments of would-be monster hunters, spitting their venom moments before they were consumed. It, however, had no reason to doubt such a statement; it felt neither remorse nor compassion towards the insignificant little vermin that scuttled before it. Once living, breathing creatures reduced to meat and blood, ready to be consumed without a second thought. Only something soulless could be so cruel.
Evidently, that was not the case.
Had Seek not had an eternity of imprisonment in this world, it might not have known what the red line connected to its body was supposed to signified. Fortunately, they’ve had plenty of time to peruse the numerous volumes and texts to be found in this hotel, if only as a time pass. Human words could be so… dull, but they told it all it needed to know.
Seek had a soul. Not only did it have a soul, but it had a soul mate. A life form that was destined to be theirs. A life form that was irrevocably bound to them, for all eternity. Wasn't that an exciting thought?
They'd be weaker than them, of course; Seek wouldn't have it any other way. Their fated partner would have to rely on them for all things: security, protection, nourishment… and in exchange, they'd give Seek everything. It's not like they'd even have a choice to.
Seek knew something was amiss instantly; with eyes all over the place, it would be near impossible for it to miss anything. The moment it laid its eyes on… you, it knew. It knew that you belonged to them. Only them. It was only a matter of time before you fell into its grasp.
Admittedly, it had expected you to enter its embrace willingly, but much like others of your kind, you ran. Whether or not you noticed the tie of fate linking the two of you together or not did not matter; Seek was not opposed to hunting down that which belonged to them.
You… You got away…
Frustration dug into the very fibre of its being as it slammed against the door, a futile effort to break it down whilst it was under the blessing of a divine. To be denied that which was theirs… seething was an understatement. If one of the mindless beasts that roamed these halls killed you before Seek was able to catch you, there would be hell to pay.
Seek was pleasantly gleeful when it saw you again. Surviving all the other monsters that came before you, the Figure especially, as well as being to outrun them once: perhaps you were not as pathetic as other humans could be. Good, if you were as fragile as some of them could be, it might not have been worth the effort to keep you around in the end.
You were cautious as you walked through the corridor; this was going to be just like before, you just knew it.
As if on cue, as you neared the end of the corridor, the entity that had chased you once before began to pool out of the ground and rise up. The humanoid body broke its way out of the undefined mass and was to give chase.
But this time, its demeanour was completely different. It was slower to rise, and the stare from the singular eye on its head felt more hardened than ever. You weren't going to let it bother you, you just needed to run.
Bursting out into a sprint, you booked it towards-
"I don't think so"
Your entire body is suddenly jolted backwards, like some unseen force just yanked you backwards. You let out a groan as your back collides with the ground, skidding back somewhat. Panic stricken, you try to get back onto your feet, only for it to happen for a second time.
"What did I just say?"
Despite the heavy, laboured breaths that leave you as you lie on your back, the steps of the entity echo clearly in your ears as it approaches you with an amble gait.
As the monster that stalked you through these halls enters your vision, a smug look in its singular eye, you can only glare angrily back up at it.
"I much prefer to savour the chase, but this is a prize that I won't let slip through my fingers again" it states. In a blur of motion, it has yanked you too your feet, arms held painfully against your sides.
"Let go of me!" you demand, trying to shake yourself free. Seek just laughs at your futile efforts.
"And why would I do that, when you- " It releases one of your arms, though tightening the grip on the other, and raises its now free hand, displaying before your very eyes the thing that linked the two of you together. The shock that washed other your eyes was simply delicious. "-belong to me, hmm?"
"That's- that's not possible!" you exclaim, dumbfounded. You didn't want to believe your eyes. You couldn't. The very notion was making a pit form in your stomach.
Seek simply laughs at your denial, short, cutting and harsh.
"Oh, but it is!" They reply. Taking the little red string, it wraps it so tightly around your neck, tying it off. A leash for it to use on its little pet. "Now be a good little mate, and come with me" Seek lets go of your arm and begins to walk past you, yanking on the string hard the moment even the slightest bit of distance forms between the two of you; lurked forwards, you almost collide with their back.
"No!" you shout. With one hand you try desperately to claw at the tight string around your neck, whilst lashing out at the entity with the other.
Seek is having none of it; they roughly grab both your wrists to cease the dissidence, and bring their face to be within inches of your own. That singular eye is all that you can see.
“As much as I am one to appreciate a more… resilient partner, these token resistances will stop. Now” Seek spits out, each passing word making you feel smaller and smaller, and so, so weak. After a few seconds of a stare down, it angrily releases your wrists, letting your arms fall down to your sides.“I could make your life so much easier; isn’t that what all you humans want? An easy life. You’d want for nothing. All you need to do, is submit”
You don't say anything; like a deer in head lights, all you can do is stare back at the entity. Of course you don't want to submit to this things will, but you've been given sparsely any other options.
Seek takes the lack of further protest as a sign of compliance, and turns around again.
"Good, now come along, I suspect you are dying to know where I will be keeping you" It says before dragging you off to a new, darker corner of the hotel.