The Entity Chosen.

Chapter 7

The Entity relished the moment, feeling Liriyal's broken will like a delicate thread finally snapping. It settled into her, a perfect union of malice and control, flowing through her veins as naturally as blood. Liriyal's thoughts had been reduced to mere echoes, fragments drifting in a sea of darkness. She was aware but only distantly, like watching from behind a veil, a passenger with no control, no fight left to give.

It guided her steps up the basement stairs, each movement smooth and precise, as if her body were molded to fit its desires. Her expression, once alive with defiance, was now eerily calm, her eyes devoid of warmth, her posture stiff and obedient. The Entity knew that the other survivors would be scattered, working on their own tasks, oblivious to what had just transpired in the basement — and that thought sent a thrill through its dark consciousness.

At the top of the stairs, Liriyal's body paused, surveying the twisted landscape of the trial grounds. The distant hum of a generator reached her ears, faint but persistent. Through her eyes, the Entity caught sight of Claudette, crouched over the generator, her fingers moving deftly to repair the machine. It felt the simmer of anticipation, the knowledge that it now had an agent on the inside, someone who could approach without immediate suspicion. Liriyal's form moved forward, her steps calculated, smooth as shadow.

Claudette looked up at the sound of footsteps, her face breaking into a momentary smile of relief. "Liriyal, thank goodness. I thought you'd—" But her voice trailed off, confusion clouding her expression as she noticed Liriyal's vacant stare, her stiff movements.

"Liriyal?" Claudette's voice was tentative, a flicker of fear creeping in. "Are you... all right?"

The Entity pushed Liriyal's lips into a small, empty smile, one that didn't touch her eyes. "I'm here, Claudette," it whispered, its voice slipping through Liriyal's, a dark undertone just beneath the surface. "Let me... help."

Claudette's hesitation was brief, but the Entity saw it, noted it. It urged Liriyal closer, letting her hand rest on Claudette's shoulder in what might have seemed a comforting gesture. But the touch was cold, possessive, like the grip of a hunter on its prey. It sensed Claudette's growing discomfort, and it savored it, pushing Liriyal to lean in closer, her face devoid of warmth.

The generator sparked, the noise startling Claudette, who stepped back, her gaze flicking nervously between Liriyal and the machine. She opened her mouth to speak, but the Entity allowed Liriyal's hand to tighten, just a bit, on her shoulder.

"There's no escape," Liriyal's voice whispered, hollow and chilling, her face inches from Claudette's. "Not for you. Not for anyone."

A tremor ran through Claudette as she pulled back, breaking Liriyal's grip. She stumbled away, her breaths quickening as fear took hold, her eyes wide and disbelieving. She had faced killers, endured horrors, but something in Liriyal's gaze was different — a darkness she had never seen in her friend.

And then, in a moment of pure calculation, the Entity released Liriyal's body, letting her drop to the ground, limp and trembling. The sudden absence of the Entity's control shocked her senses, a flood of fear and shame rising as her mind sharpened, painfully aware of what had just happened. She could see Claudette's horrified face, the realization that her friend had become something sinister, a tool of their tormentor.

"Claudette..." Liriyal managed, her voice weak, pleading, as she tried to reach out, but her hand barely moved, weighed down by the exhaustion and terror coursing through her.

Claudette took a step back, her gaze a mixture of sorrow and fear. "Liriyal... what's happening to you?"

But before she could answer, the Entity slammed back into her, pulling her strings once more. Her body jerked upright, her head turning in a sharp, unnatural movement to face Claudette, whose own fear had escalated. Claudette turned to run, her footsteps echoing as she sprinted into the mist, leaving Liriyal alone once more with the Entity.

"See?" the Entity whispered inside her mind, its voice filled with dark amusement. "They will abandon you. They fear you now. You are nothing without me."

Liriyal's heart ached, her fragmented thoughts twisted by the Entity's influence. Every flicker of connection she felt with her friends seemed tainted now, marred by the knowledge that they saw her as something monstrous. The Entity savored her suffering, feeding off her despair, winding its presence tighter around her until she could barely think.

With the other survivors dispersed, lost to their own tasks, the Entity drove her onward, directing her to wander the trial grounds, searching for the others. It forced her to appear at the edge of shadows, catching glimpses of Meg, Feng, and Dwight, letting her approach just close enough to unsettle them before fading into the mist again. It enjoyed using her as a weapon to sow distrust and fear, tearing down the bonds she had with the others, isolating her completely.

By the time the trial was nearing its end, Liriyal's will was in tatters, her body a shell moving on the Entity's whims. Her friends cast wary glances at her, their expressions tinged with confusion and fear, each of them sensing that something terrible had taken root within her.

As the last generator sparked to life and the exit gates powered up, the Entity allowed Liriyal to stand back, watching through her eyes as her friends raced toward freedom. It allowed her to feel the full weight of her separation, the crushing realization that, even if they escaped, she would remain, trapped within its grasp.

The survivors threw one last look in her direction, but none dared approach, uncertainty clouding their eyes. With that final, lingering gaze, they disappeared through the exit, leaving Liriyal alone in the Entity's realm.