The Entity Chosen.

Chapter 5: A Spark?

Liriyal watched helplessly as her body moved on its own, the Entity controlling her like a predator stalking prey. It directed her gaze across the field where Dwight fumbled with a generator, his fingers moving frantically to fix the gears. Unaware of her approach, he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible above the eerie hum of the trial's landscape.

The Entity chuckled, a low, insidious sound that rattled within her mind. "They are so weak, so fragile," it sneered. "But you... you are my vessel, my perfect instrument of suffering."

Liriyal's vision blurred as her body crept forward, the Entity savoring every second of her dread. She fought to pull back, to scream, to resist, but her body was no longer her own. The Entity's influence pressed against her consciousness, overwhelming, oppressive, filling her with a twisted exhilaration she didn't want to feel.

As she drew closer to Dwight, he looked up, startled, his eyes widening when he saw her expression — that unnatural, vacant stare that betrayed something sinister lurking behind her gaze. "Liriyal?" His voice was laced with fear, his hands trembling as he backed away, nearly tripping over the broken ground.

The Entity forced her to smile, a cold, hollow smile that made Dwight freeze in place. "Are you scared, Dwight?" it purred through her mouth, twisting her voice into something that sounded both familiar and utterly foreign.

Dwight's breathing quickened, his fear palpable, a delicious fuel for the Entity's twisted pleasure. She could feel the Entity feeding on his terror, savoring it as if it were sustenance. Liriyal fought harder, desperately clawing against the Entity's hold, but each struggle felt weaker, her strength fading as the Entity dug deeper, rooting itself more firmly within her mind.

Then, to her shock, she managed to wrestle a small ounce of control, just enough to whisper, "Run... please..."

Dwight's eyes widened, his gaze flicking from her to the surrounding fog, uncertainty etched across his face. But he didn't wait to question; he turned and sprinted into the mist, disappearing just as Meg had. Relief flooded through her, but it was brief, as the Entity's rage filled her senses, a storm of fury and frustration.

"You will not defy me again," it growled, tightening its hold, suffocating her remaining will. "I offered to fill your emptiness, and you dare to resist?"

Pain shot through her mind like needles, every nerve screaming as the Entity punished her for her defiance. Her body dropped to its knees, her fingers clawing at the dirt as she gasped, her mind reeling. It felt as though the Entity was tearing through her soul, dismantling her from the inside out.

"You are nothing without me, Liriyal," it hissed, each word dripping with contempt. "You sought to fill your void... and now, you belong to me."

She sobbed, the sound raw and choked, her own voice barely recognizable under the Entity's oppressive influence. Every piece of herself she tried to cling to, every memory, every fragment of her former self, felt like it was slipping away, consumed by the darkness that now filled her. She could feel it sifting through her mind, mocking her memories, twisting them, turning every happy moment into something bitter and distorted.

And then, through her despair, the Entity forced her to her feet, guiding her toward another distant sound: the faint cry of a struggling generator. This time, it was Claudette, her brow furrowed as she worked, oblivious to the danger that now approached.

The Entity tightened its control, flooding her with a hunger for destruction, a need to strike down the fragile hope these survivors clung to. It moved her forward, slowly, savoring the anticipation of the next encounter, filling her with its insatiable desire to watch them suffer.

But as her body moved, Liriyal's mind drifted, numbing itself, receding deeper into the corners of her mind to escape the agony, to find refuge from the Entity's influence. She found herself focusing on faint memories — memories of laughter, of her friends' faces unclouded by fear, of moments shared around the campfire, where they had spoken of survival and hope.

The memories brought with them a flicker of warmth, faint but resilient, as if reminding her of the person she'd been before the Entity's corruption. Clinging to that warmth, she felt a faint pulse of resistance rekindle within her, like a dying ember refusing to be extinguished.

"They are mine," the Entity hissed, sensing her resolve, flooding her senses with darkness. But this time, she didn't back down, didn't succumb to the void pressing in on her.

With the faintest defiance, she fought back, her mind pushing against the Entity's hold, even as it gripped her tighter. The Entity roared in anger, trying to force her to break, to submit, but she clung to that small spark, that lingering memory of who she was, of the friendships she refused to betray.

For the first time since the Entity's possession, Liriyal felt a flicker of strength, a fragile but growing defiance. And as she took another step forward, that glimmer of resistance flared, pushing back against the Entity's influence, forcing it to loosen its grip, even if just slightly.

With the trial still raging around her, with her friends fighting to survive, Liriyal knew this battle was far from over. But now, buried beneath the Entity's darkness, she had something precious to hold onto: a reminder of her humanity, a weapon against the void threatening to consume her.

And though the Entity prowled within her, raging and relentless, she vowed silently that it would not have her — not completely, not as long as that last spark remained.

I believe in you Liri! You got this! Also as always I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter