Twins Are Forever

Hunted

The pistol clatters across the floor, slipping from her companion's hand. The princess's heart hammers in her chest as she raises her rifle and fires at the parasite, emptying every last bullet in a panicked scream. Her ears ring, the hollow click of the empty chamber marking her rifle's last breath. Trembling, she lowers it and stares at the creature she thought was finally subdued, his right shoulder missing and his ribcage exposed.

With an eerie calm, the parasite rises, his eyes locking onto her. He staggers forward, his outstretched hand dripping with dark, oozing blood. She takes a step back, trying to stifle a scream.

The parasite lunges. Just as his foot snaps forward in a deadly kick aimed directly at her, her companion moves faster, blocking the blow and absorbing the impact. They're thrown backward, Kairi crumpled to the floor, unconscious, after the parasite's brutal kick. Her body lay motionless, blood trickling from her mouth. The princess crawled over to Kairi, her heart racing as she checked for signs of life. Relief washed over her as she felt Kairi's shallow breath. She gently cradled her friend's head, whispering, "Hold on... please hold on." But with the battle still raging, the princess had little time to dwell on Kairi's condition.

The princess clenches her hands, heart pounding, still cradling Kairi's head against her chest. As she feels the warmth spreading through her fingers, a soft glow flickers along her skin, startling her. "What...?" she whispers, staring at her hands in disbelief. The parasite, still adjusting to its new host, cocks its head at the sight, eyes narrowing. It notices the magic sparking at her fingertips and begins to creep toward her, its movements slow and unnervingly deliberate, like a predator closing in for the kill. The air thickens with tension as the princess's gaze shifts between the glowing magic and the approaching threat, her pulse racing.

Panicking, the princess gasps, the sudden realization that she might be the only one left to stop the creature washing over her. Desperation surges within her as she clutches Kairi tighter, focusing everything she has left into a desperate push of magic. The air around her thickens with the force of it. Thinking on its feet the parasite hurls some debris at the princess- instinctively she pushes out her hand to shield herself however instead she deflects the attack and sends the parasite crashing into the wall on the other side of the room along with numerous loose objects in the room making a large open space, the energy ripping through the room like a storm.

Slowly, the parasite struggles back to his feet. He looks up as bits of the ceiling crumble away, the blood-red moon casting an ominous light through the broken roof. With his gaze fixed on her, he straightens, an unsettling smile spreading across his face. "Good effort, princess. But you're too dangerous to leave alive now."

The princess's heart races in her chest as she watches him rise. His once-missing shoulder has begun to heal, his movements unnervingly steady as he turns toward her, eyes glinting with a dark promise. "I'll make this quick, so you can at least die knowing how much of a threat you could have been," he sneers, flexing his hand into a fist, his black blood dripping from the exposed ribs.

The air grows thick with tension as he advances on her, each step calculated, a predator closing in on its prey. But the princess is not backing down. Her hands tremble with the remnants of her magic, a raw, unrefined power that's burning through her veins. She swallows hard, trying to gather her strength, her eyes flicking between the parasite and her unconscious friend.

Suddenly, the parasite lunges forward with blinding speed, its claws aiming for her throat. The princess, with the last of her energy, raises her hands, sending out a frantic burst of gravity magic. The force shatters the ground beneath them, cracking the tiles and sending the parasite tumbling backward, slamming into the far wall with a sickening thud.