The Entity Chosen.

chapter 16

As the trial reset, the fog thickened, swirling around Liriyal as the Entity settled deeper into her body, pressing its dark influence into every part of her, guiding her actions with sadistic precision. Her fingers twitched, her blood-red eyes narrowing as the Entity's will coursed through her veins, a sinister, almost gleeful energy flooding her senses. It had given her a new weapon, one that gleamed with a cold, malevolent purpose: a scythe, long and curved, its blade blackened like obsidian, its edge as sharp as death itself.

The scythe felt natural in her hands, an extension of her body, her soul. She tilted her head, a calculating smile spreading across her lips, her gaze sharp and predatory as she swung the weapon experimentally, feeling the weight and balance. The Entity's voice echoed in her mind, urging her on, pushing her to embrace the weapon, to savor the control it promised. She could feel its excitement at the hunt, the anticipation of her next kill.

"Let's see how they dance for us now, hmm?" the Entity whispered, its tone rich with cruel amusement, winding through her thoughts, guiding her every step. Liriyal's smile, her eyes flashing with dark intent as she began to move, her steps silent, each one measured, calculating. She was no longer merely hunting; she was orchestrating their suffering, every movement deliberate, each step meant to corner, to frighten, to break.

Jake, Felix, Kate, and Yui were scattered throughout the trial grounds, huddled by generators, their hands trembling as they worked. They could feel the sinister energy in the air, the weight of Liriyal's gaze pressing down on them, yet they dared not look up, each one trying to focus on the task, hoping to escape before she found them. But Liriyal had become something far more menacing, a shadow in the fog with purpose and control, her mind sharp and calculating, each step a careful maneuver to isolate them, to trap them.

Liriyal found Jake first, crouched beside a generator, his fingers fumbling with the gears, his gaze flickering nervously to the shadows around him. She slipped through the fog with a deadly grace, her eyes fixed on him, a twisted smile pulling at her lips as she watched him struggle, entirely unaware of her approach. She raised the scythe, her fingers tightening around the handle, savoring the anticipation, drawing out the moment until he felt the weight of her presence behind him.

He turned, his face draining of color as he saw her standing there, the scythe gleaming ominously in her hands, her blood-red eyes glinting with dark amusement.

"Hello, Jake,"she murmured, her voice dripping with mock affection, as though speaking to an old friend. "Didn't think I'd find you so soon?"

He stumbled back, his mouth opening in a choked gasp, but she advanced slowly, the scythe swinging in a lazy arc, her movements patient, almost teasing. She tilted her head, watching him with a calculating gaze, savoring his terror, drawing out his fear like a spider savoring a fly caught in its web.

"Run," she purred, her voice soft, seductive, filled with a chilling delight. "I'll give you a head start. But make it good, Jake. I'd hate for this to end too quickly."

Jake scrambled to his feet, bolting into the fog, his footsteps pounding against the ground as he ran, his breaths shallow and panicked. But Liriyal followed with a calculated precision, her steps unhurried, each one designed to keep him within reach, to let him feel the creeping dread as she closed in on him, her presence a constant shadow at his back.

From the shadows, Yui and Felix watched in horror, crouched behind a rusted vehicle as they saw her silhouette gliding through the fog, her scythe held with a deadly elegance, her movements graceful and terrifying. Yui's fists clenched, her expression a mix of anger and fear.

"She's... she's toying with him," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "This isn't the Liriyal we know. It's like she's... enjoying this."

Felix's face was pale, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "It's the Entity. It's... inside her, using her, controlling her," he murmured, his voice tight with dread. "She's not herself. She's something... else."