The Entity Chosen.

chapter 17

Back at the camp, the survivors huddled in uneasy silence, their faces drawn, their expressions reflecting the lingering fear and grief that hung heavy in the air. They had gathered around the fire as they always did, but this time, there was no relief, no sense of safety. Liriyal's absence loomed over them, a haunting reminder of what the Entity could take, of what it could twist and destroy.

Kate was the first to break the silence, her voice quiet and trembling. "She... she didn't even look like herself. It was like her eyes were empty, like she was... gone." She rubbed her arms, shivering despite the warmth of the fire, her gaze distant as she recalled the blood-red eyes, the eerie smile that had replaced her friend.

Yui stared into the flames, her face hard but her hands trembling as she clenched them into fists. "That wasn't Liriyal. It was... something else. She didn't just want to hurt us — she wanted to terrify us, to make us feel powerless." Her voice cracked, and she looked down, unwilling to let the others see the fear in her eyes.

Felix shifted uncomfortably, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of it all. "Why would the Entity... do this?" he murmured, barely audible. "It's never... it's never turned one of us into..." He trailed off, his throat tight, the words too horrible to finish. He looked at the others, his eyes filled with a quiet desperation, searching for answers he knew they didn't have.

Jake shook his head, his voice grim. "Because it can." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group, his face etched with sorrow. "The Entity took her because it could, because it wanted to show us... that none of us are safe. It doesn't care about our bonds, our friendships. It only wants power, control... and what better way to break us than to turn one of our own against us?"

The words struck a chord, and a heavy silence fell over the group. Each of them understood the truth of it, the cruel reality of the Entity's power, and the horror of knowing that any one of them could be next. The realization settled deep within them, the fear a constant, unyielding weight.

Kate's voice trembled as she spoke, barely above a whisper. "I... I keep wondering if there's a way to save her. To bring her back." Her gaze flicked to the fog beyond the campfire, a faint hope in her eyes, but it faded as quickly as it had come. "But... I don't know if there's anything left of her to save."

Jake's face hardened, and he shook his head slowly. "That's not Liriyal in the fog," he said, his tone laced with finality. "The Entity took everything from her, twisted her into... into something else. We have to accept that... she's gone."

The fire crackled, casting long shadows over their faces, each flicker a reminder of Liriyal's blood-red eyes, her eerie smile, the sadistic pleasure that had filled her voice. The silence weighed on them, thick with sorrow, fear, and the haunting realization that this realm held no mercy, no reprieve from the horrors it could unleash.

Yui clenched her jaw, her face pale as she tried to steady herself. "We... we can't just forget her," she whispered. "I know what Jake's saying, but... that was our friend. She was one of us, and she would have fought for us."

A tear slipped down Kate's cheek as she nodded, her voice barely holding steady. "She's... still out there somewhere, in the fog. And no matter what, I can't let go of that."

The survivors looked at one another, their expressions a mixture of fear, grief, and a reluctant determination. They understood that the Entity had turned Liriyal into something monstrous, but they couldn't bring themselves to believe she was lost completely. Despite the darkness that had claimed her, despite the blood-red eyes and the sadistic smile, a part of them clung to the hope that maybe, somewhere beneath the Entity's control, a sliver of their friend remained.

But as they settled into the uneasy silence, each of them haunted by the memory of what they had seen, the fire crackled, and they heard it — a faint, distant hum drifting from the edge of the fog, the familiar melody of her song twisted and haunting, echoing through the darkness.