Chapter 46: kill them all

The men around her stepped back, eyes wide with horror.

"What the hell is this...?" one of them muttered, his voice shaking.

Blood tendrils pulsed, forming grotesque, writhing masses that floated ominously around Iris. Her small frame hunched, head bowed, as if something inside her had snapped.

"Shit! Kill that brat!" one of the fake Heroes barked, raising his weapon.

But before they could react, Iris lifted her head.

Her eyes—once soft and pleading—now gleamed with an unsettling emptiness. A twisted, eerie smile curled on her lips, and the shadow behind her grew darker, its grin stretching wider.

The fake Heroes hesitated, their hands trembling on their weapons.

"This... this isn't a child," one whispered, stepping back in terror.

"No," another stammered, sweat dripping down his face. "It's a monster."