Ophidian's Genesis (UNDER REVISION)

CHAPTER 14

For the first time since her "death," Seline ventured out into the night, assuming her new identity as "Sierra." With the aid of Alana's glamour magic, she was rendered completely unrecognizable. Oscar, her trusted guide, accompanied her, and together they strolled through the bustling night market in one of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods, blending in as a couple amidst the throngs of people.

The teen readjusted her hood, "This is scarily near my old neighborhood, Oscar." She mumbled to the older man as he held her hand whilst they walked. "It's your first time so neighborhoods are easier to scout around." Oscar said to the girl, ignoring her words.

"How safe is this?" Seline raised a brow, nervously following the older man. "This is the easiest kind in our line of work. Totally safe." Oscar pulls the girl to an elevated step on one side of the bazaar, watching the crowd surf around from booth to booth.

Seline looked around the crowd, Oscar looked down at the girl with wandering eyes, "Spot anything off, you tell me, and we'll get them." He mumbles to her.
The teen girl nods and keeps on watch, "What are we looking for exactly?"

"Uh... ranging from humans to chimeras." The older man lit up his cigarette and took a hit from it as Seline went confused, "I thought chimeras only take forms in animalistic shapes?" The girl's eyes roaming the crowd, never leaving a watchful eye over them.

"The more matured Chimeras get creative." Oscar replied with indifference, his hand on his hip as he smoked. The girl tucked a stray hair behind her ear and adjusted her hood, "Won't we look suspicious this way? I mean... the hood and all."

He held his cig in between his index finger and thumb before speaking,
"Your death is still fresh. Keep it on."
Seline's head turned to face the older man, "I thought Alana had us drink glamour potions?"
"Those can only take us so far. Eyes back on the crowd." He gently turned her head back to the crowd.

Immediately, her eyes caught a distorted face amongst the crowd, holding a woman in his arms that looked very familiar to Seline. Her brows furrowed, "Oscar..." She points to the man whose disguise failed—the flesh of its face seeming to 'melt' like black candle wax.

The man hopped off the elevated step, "Let's go, kid." He pats Seline's back, gesturing her to follow him before wading through the crowd and the teen followed obediently.

Seline struggled to run through the crowd, trying to keep up with Oscar. Only it felt suffocating to trudge through, like walking through highly viscous liquid that consumed her lungs as she got closer to the target—at the same time she lost sight of Oscar. Her breath went heavy, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

It was as if she was swallowed by darkness at that moment. In a flash, it was just her in an unknown plane of shadows. In front of her was the chimera shaped as a man that held a woman in its arms. "Stop right there!" The girl managed to shout out.

However, time stopped for Seline as she felt horror slithered in her veins.

Her eyes widened and whispered out the word, "Mommy."

The chimera dissolved, its illusory form melting away to reveal its true, abhorrent essence: a giant grotesque amalgam of black, viscous matter. Countless limbs writhed beneath a multitude of eyes, while a gaping maw, lined with jagged teeth, dominated its monstrous visage.

In its embrace, is her mother, Melanie. Hypnotized, as it seems. Her eyes were almost lifeless and in a trance. Seline's lip quivered in fear for her mother's life but quickly realized she couldn't just stand there and watch this monster devour her mother's body.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through Seline as she lunged at the monstrosity. Her violet eyes ignited with a fierce determination, and from her back erupted her tendrils, sharpening into lethal blades. With a flurry of strikes, she severed some the chimera's limbs, but before she could savor her victory, the appendages coiled around her, its unexpected power surprising the young woman.