Cormac leaned back in his chair, his belly full but his hunger far from sated. He wiped the back of his hand across his greasy lips, a dark grin spreading across his face as his thoughts drifted from the mountains of food before him to something far more tantalizing: the Gaia energy source. The very heart of Corintopia, the lifeblood that had kept their so-called utopia running, and a source of power beyond imagination.
It gnawed at him, that his Sinister 7 brethren could bask in their own twisted desires, but no one seemed to have the same burning need for what Cormac craved—consuming Gaia itself. The power. The endless, overwhelming power that was hidden away. But where?
"Where did you hide it, Delson?" he growled under his breath, his sharp teeth grinding together as his fingers drummed impatiently on the table. His Orc and Pigmen shades continued to scurry about, bringing food and drink, but Cormac's thoughts were elsewhere.
For all the food, drink, and wealth that surrounded him, none of it could compare to what Gaia could provide. That source of energy—it was the ultimate feast. A power that could make him unstoppable. If only he could find it.
"I know it's here somewhere," he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the table. His mind raced with possibilities. Delson Sr. had hidden it well, that much was certain. But Cormac would find it. And when he did, he would devour it. He would make it part of him. He would become the ultimate being, the embodiment of hunger and power, one that even Tel-Nu could not challenge.
His twisted grin widened as his thoughts drifted further into his fantasies. "Oh, Delson… you think you're so clever, don't you? Hiding Gaia from me, from all of us. But you can't hide it forever."
A snort of laughter escaped him as he imagined Delson Sr., the proud leader of the Core 7, watching in horror as Cormac consumed everything he held dear—starting with his most prized possession, the power of Gaia.
But that wasn't all.
"Oh no," Cormac whispered, leaning forward, his voice low and menacing. "I'll save the best part for last."
His eyes gleamed with malice as he imagined it. Delson Sr., on his knees, broken, begging for mercy. But there would be none. No, Cormac would make him watch. Make him watch as he devoured his son, Delson Jr., first. Slowly. Painfully.
"The look on your face," Cormac muttered, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. "The agony in your eyes. It'll be delicious. Almost as delicious as your son."
He could already see it. The twisted grin on his face grew even wider as the scene played out in his mind. Delson Jr., helpless, writhing in pain as Cormac consumed him bit by bit, feeding off the power that coursed through his veins. And Delson Sr., powerless to stop it, forced to watch as his son was reduced to nothing more than a meal for the insatiable glutton.
"And then," Cormac growled, his fingers digging into the table, "then I'll consume you, Delson Sr.. You'll be the last. The final course."
He chuckled darkly, his stomach groaning in anticipation. It would be glorious. The ultimate feast. Gaia, Delson Jr., and finally, Delson Sr.—all consumed by his insatiable hunger. And once they were gone, there would be nothing left to stop him.
"I'll be unstoppable," he whispered, his eyes narrowing as his thoughts turned once again to the power source that eluded him. "But first… I need to find it."
The frustration gnawed at him, even worse than the hunger. Delson Sr. had hidden Gaia well, but it wasn't hidden well enough. Cormac knew that much. It was only a matter of time before he found it. And when he did, the world would bow before him.
"No one can keep it from me forever," he growled, clenching his fists. "Not Delson. Not the rest of the Sinister 7. And certainly not that fool Tel-Nu."
His teeth bared in a savage grin as his thoughts turned to Tel-Nu, the one being that still stood in his way. But Cormac wasn't worried. Not really. Because once he consumed Gaia, once that immense power became part of him, not even Tel-Nu could stop him.
"I'll find it," he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. "And when I do… I'll devour everything. And everyone."
His eyes gleamed with malice as he pushed himself away from the table, standing up to his full, towering height. His Orc and Pigmen shades scurried back, their eyes wide with fear and awe as they watched their master. They could feel the hunger radiating from him, the endless, insatiable need that drove him to consume everything in his path.
"Find it," he ordered them, his voice booming through the hall. "Find Gaia. And when you do, bring it to me."
The shades nodded, scrambling to obey, their grotesque forms moving quickly as they disappeared into the shadows. Cormac watched them go, his dark grin never fading.
"It's only a matter of time," he muttered to himself, turning his gaze toward the distant horizon. "Soon, I'll have it all. And then… then I'll feast on the universe itself."
His stomach growled in agreement, a deep, rumbling sound that echoed through the hall. Cormac chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with the twisted satisfaction of knowing that the ultimate feast was still ahead of him.
"More," he whispered, licking his lips. "I need more."
And with that, Cormac turned his attention back to the world outside. Gaia was out there, hidden somewhere within Corintopia. But not for long. Soon, it would be his. And once he had it, nothing would stand in his way.
Not even Tel-Nu.