The Awakening

On his way home late at night, Sebin was lost in thought as he navigated the streets of the city. He had grown accustomed to the quiet hours of evening when the world seemed to slow down and allow him to focus on his own thoughts. The soft glow of streetlights cast long shadows behind him, and the sound of distant music drifted through the air.

However, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was being followed. At first, he thought it was just paranoia. As he continued on his way, his ears perked up from footsteps behind him. Sebin quickened his pace, weaving through the alleys and side streets in an attempt to shake off his pursuer, but to no avail. The footsteps drew ever closer and soon Sebin found himself at a dead-end.

A large shadowy figure towering over him turned around the corner. Their fangs shone eerily in the dim light, bared in gleeful anticipation of sinking them into their cornered prey. Sebin’s fighting instinct kicked in, as he readied himself. He swung wildly, using his razor-sharp claws and tail to try and fend off the attacker, but every punch and kick was met with ease. Sebin realized with growing despair that his strength and agility was easily outmatched.

He stumbled backward, desperate to find an opening. As his opponent closed in, so seemingly did the walls of the alleyways. In a fit of desperation he surrounded himself in a pillar of his own fire breath to shield himself. As he felt the heat of the raging flames around him, his terrorized mind went hazy. His breath heaving, heart pounding out of his chest, every muscle in his body tensed. Sebin felt as if the embers of the flames around him were coursing through him. Intense, beating heat that felt like it consumed him.

It was not going to end here. Not like this.

Suddenly, Sebin felt the grip on his mind slip. Burning green eyes glared at his opponent from inside the pillar, followed by a deafening roar. As if guided by an unknown force, he cut through the flickering pillar that surrounded him. The alleyway was bathed in a fiery glow, as the swinging motion hurled the flames directly at his opponent, who winced back in surprise. The flurry of attacks that Sebin followed up with turned the tables in his favor in a flash. Blow after blow Sebin’s opponent was losing the upper hand in their struggle.

Beaten and battered, his opponent attempted a final lunge at him. With almost supernatural reflexes, Sebin evaded his attacker and immediately pinned them down with a swift grab of their head. As Sebin locked eyes with his assailant, the sinister look on their face had changed to terror. In the blink of an eye, Sebin channeled the raging flames inside him and dealt the last decisive blow with the release of a devastating explosion from his hand.

Sebin slowly rose to his feet while his adversary lay motionless on the ground. With the danger passing, his mind started to clear. He staggered out of the alley, seeking support from the walls. What had just happened? Sebin touched his head, still in a daze, but something immediately felt off. His hand felt different. Hard and burning hot. As his blurred vision cleared, he saw a hand that was not his own. His forearms had turned into charcoal-black limbs, veined with fine vessels that glowed like smoldering embers. Had he burned his hands without realizing it? But wow was there any feeling left in them?

A flickering lamp cast its electric light on Sebin, and he raised his arms to shield his eyes. As he slowly got used to the brightness, he lowered his arms again. What he saw in the reflection of a shop window made him recoil in shock: He was staring into the blazing green eyes of a terrifying creature whose hair was flaming in the wind. Instinctively, Sebin touched his head, but he could hardly feel the blue flames. When the initial shock subsided, he stepped closer. The flickering flames in the corners of his eyes danced around his fingers as he felt for them.

Sebin’s exploration of his reflection was interrupted by the sudden sound of approaching sirens. The fight must have alerted the residents of the neighborhood. As if by second nature, Sebin climbed the outer walls of the buildings around him, his new, reinforced claws piercing them like butter. Once on the rooftops, he watched the bustle in the alleys below him. He decided to make his escape before he was discovered. As he rose above the city rooftops on his wings, the thoughts racing through his mind kept him unaware of the force with which he was racing through the air. In no time at all, he reached his apartment and landed on the balcony. Luckily for him, he had forgotten to close the balcony door when he left the house that morning. This saved him from having to break into his own home. He had barely taken a few steps into his apartment when he was overcome by a deep exhaustion and collapsed on his sofa.

The next morning, Sebin woke up with a start. His heart was still racing from the vivid memories. Realizing he was at home, he sighed in relief. He sat up slowly, rubbing his face as he tried to get rid of the shakiness. The normal shape of his hands, as he had always known them, was a welcome sight, but his head was still spinning. Had it all been just a bad dream? The memories of last night’s encounter seemed too real, too intense. The fire imbued in him, the sudden rush of power, the heated glow of the flying embers.

Just as he was starting to catch his breath, his phone’s alarm pierced the air. Sebin groggily turned it off and swung his legs off the couch. His mind was still foggy, but he knew he had to get moving. He shuffled to the kitchen, flipping on the TV as a distraction. The morning show droned on in the background, its cheerful chatter a stark contrast to Sebin’s growing unease. As the morning show switched over to the news report, however, Sebin’s world came crashing down:

“Burned Alive: Arson Victim Found in Alley. Authorities Scramble for Leads.”

As the crime scene photos crossfaded over the screen, realization sunk in that last night hadn’t been a dream. Panic welled up inside Sebin as he realized that a wild, bloodthirsty beast lay dormant inside him. The thought sent shivers down his spine. Frantically, he paced back and forth in his apartment, struggling to accept his new reality.

No, it couldn’t be. He could never take a life.

He collapsed onto a chair at the kitchen table, burying his face into his hands as if trying to hide from the truth. Sebin’s thoughts were consumed by the realization that he had tapped into a power he didn’t understand, much less seemed to be in control of. The thought sent him spiraling into a vortex of anxiety and desperation.

He needed answers. If he ever were to tap into this power again, he feared he could become a threat to himself and others. There had to be a way to keep this power in check. And Sebin was determined to find it.

Overdrive Form

When Sebin enters Overdrive Form, his strength and abilities skyrocket and his physical appearance undergoes significant changes.

He initiates the transformation by engulfing himself in a blazing pillar of flames. His hair ignites into a frenzy of blue flames that flicker in the wind, while the corners of his eyes burn with long, intense green flames. His arms and legs morph into carbon-black instruments of destruction, crossed by pulsating veins that glow like flowing lava. In order to complete his transformation, Sebin inhales the flames that surround him to channel the heat into his own body.

His limbs aren’t the only thing getting tempered in the flames, Sebin’s remaining scales also gain increased resilience. The scales on his chest become a plate armor, at the center of which flickers a diamond-shaped crest, showing only a glimpse of the intense heat that burns beneath.

The unprecedented heat his fiery transformation imbues his body with can be felt even from a distance. The risks of being in close proximity to Sebin during Overdrive are dire: a direct hit from his magma-infused limbs causes severe third-degree burns. Sebin’s ranged attacks are equally devastating, as he becomes able to unleash fire blasts directly out of the palms of his hands.

Although he can endure high temperatures as a fire dragon, this internal combustion still puts considerate strain on his body. Sustaining this form for more than a couple hours bears the risk of causing permanent damage to himself. He therefore only taps into this power as a last resort.

Attacks