The Devil In Me (2026)

The transformation was subtle. It started with a newfound appetite. Elias, usually content with tea and toast, began to crave raw, iron-rich flavors. Then came the confidence. At the local pub, he found himself speaking with a silver-tongued cruelty that silenced rooms, dismantling the egos of strangers with a single, devastating sentence. He felt a terrifying, surging power—the thrill of being the sharpest blade in the room.

The breaking point arrived when a wealthy collector, Mr. Sterling, came to claim the Chronometer. Sterling was a greedy man who spoke to Elias like he was part of the furniture. As Sterling reached for the clock, the room grew impossibly cold. the devil in me

The first time Elias touched the gears, a spark jumped. It wasn't static; it felt like a cold needle stitching itself into his thumb. The transformation was subtle

The glass shattered. A sound like a dying bird echoed through the workshop, and the shadows collapsed into dust. Sterling fled, leaving the door swinging on its hinges. Then came the confidence

But as he leaned in to wipe a smudge of blood from the glass, his reflection didn't move to help. It stayed still for just a fraction of a second longer than it should have, and winked. The clock was broken, but the door stayed unlatched.

Just as the shadows touched Sterling's throat, Elias caught a glimpse of himself in a polished silver tray. He looked monstrous—not because of any physical change, but because of the pure, unadulterated joy on his face as he prepared to do something terrible.

“Let him have it,” the Elias-part of his brain screamed. “He doesn't deserve the time he’s been given,” the Devil sang.