The Entity Chosen.

Chapter 4: Her Regret

As the fog enveloped them, they were transported to a twisted, forsaken landscape — a place rife with the stench of decay and the sight of warped, rotting structures, echoes of long-lost memories and nightmares. The survivors took in their surroundings with grim resolve, assessing the terrain and each other. Liriyal could feel their silent determination, their steely resolve to survive yet another trial. But the Entity was with her, lurking beneath her skin, thrilled to twist their hope into terror.

Feng gestured for them to split up, a silent signal they'd used countless times before. Meg nodded, eyes flicking to Liriyal, her gaze still laced with concern. But Liriyal couldn't respond; her lips wouldn't move without the Entity's permission. She could only nod stiffly, following the others as they scattered, her movements feeling strange and foreign, as if her body no longer belonged to her.

In the heavy silence that followed, the Entity whispered through her mind, its voice curling with satisfaction. "Do you see how they cling to hope, Liriyal? They run and hide as if it will save them."

Liriyal's heart pounded as she watched Meg crouch behind a stack of barrels, Claudette ducking into a dilapidated shed nearby. She felt the Entity's presence swell with a dark urge, her fingers twitching involuntarily as it influenced her every thought, every impulse.

The Entity pulsed within her, a force of pure malice. "Go to her," it ordered, its command echoing in her mind. "Let me show you how easily they can be broken."

Her body obeyed, creeping toward Meg's hiding spot, each step soundless, her movements unnatural, a puppet's motions strung along by an unseen hand. Liriyal wanted to scream, to warn her friend, but the Entity held her voice prisoner, trapping her scream in her throat. As she approached, she felt the Entity's presence seethe with hunger, eager to unleash its wrath upon the unsuspecting survivors.

The sudden snap of a twig behind them sent Meg whirling around, her eyes widening as she saw Liriyal standing there, her expression eerily vacant. "Liriyal? Are you...?"

The Entity pressed forward, feeding words into her mouth, twisting her expression into a smile that felt alien and wrong. "Run, Meg," it whispered, its voice a sinister undertone hidden beneath her own. 

Meg's face twisted in confusion, but instinct took over, and she darted away, her footsteps echoing through the eerie silence. Liriyal watched, powerless, as the Entity forced her to pursue Meg, her legs moving faster than she'd ever known, her strides unnatural and mechanical. It was as if she were watching herself from outside her own body, helpless to stop the horror unfolding before her.

"Now, let her feel despair, Liriyal," the Entity hissed, tightening its grip on her soul. "Remind her that in my realm, hope is a lie."

Meg stumbled, looking back over her shoulder, her expression a mix of confusion and fear. "Liriyal, please, what's wrong with you?"

Liriyal tried to speak, to warn her, but her voice had been stolen, her will crushed beneath the Entity's hold. She felt her body move against her will, her hands stretching out toward Meg, her fingers curling as if preparing to strike. Inside, she was screaming, begging for the Entity to release her, but the Entity only laughed, feeding on her despair, reveling in her helplessness.

As Liriyal's hand closed around Meg's arm, the Entity's voice whispered through her mind, dark and triumphant. "See how they falter, Liriyal? See how easily they break when they face their greatest fear."

Meg gasped, her eyes wide with shock and hurt as she struggled in Liriyal's grip. The other survivors' cries sounded in the distance as they scrambled to complete generators, their hope flickering like a weak candle in the dark.

But as the Entity held her body captive, Liriyal felt something deep within her stir, a faint, nearly extinguished ember of resistance. She couldn't break free, but she could fight back, if only in the smallest of ways. Focusing all her remaining willpower, she managed to loosen her grip, allowing Meg to break free, stumbling back in fear.

The Entity roared in her mind, its voice thunderous with rage. "Foolish girl! You think you can resist me?"

But even as the Entity tightened its control, Liriyal clung to that tiny spark of defiance, holding onto it like a lifeline. Her body moved forward again, but her spirit wasn't fully broken. Not yet.

As Meg stumbled away, her frightened gaze lingering for a moment, Liriyal met her eyes, and though she couldn't speak, she hoped the desperation in her gaze would be enough to convey her silent plea: Run. Please, run.

The Entity laughed, dark and unrelenting, settling deeper into her mind, feeding off her despair, twisting her fear into fuel. But somewhere within, Liriyal held onto the faint hope that somehow, she could regain control, even if just for a moment.

Meg darted into the shadows, vanishing behind aruined wall, her footfalls fading. Liriyal, still locked in the Entity's grip,felt her heart shatter. She wanted to collapse, to crumble under the weight ofwhat she'd just done, but her body stayed rigid, upright, every muscle tenseand poised. The Entity's influence wrapped around her like shackles,puppeteering her every movement, using her as a twisted weapon against her ownfriends.

Oh. Poor Poor Liriyal :) Hope you all enjoyed!