Chapter 15:unfolds

The two raced back to Rosa's house, Mike's breathing heavy with confusion and fear. Rosa led him up the porch steps, her hand trembling as she opened the door. The familiar sight of her childhood living room greeted them, but the air inside felt heavier than before. The oppressive silence was deafening.

Mike sat on the old couch, his hands shaking. "Rosa… can you please explain now? What's happening? What's with all this talk about monsters?"

Rosa paced back and forth, her mind racing. "It's hard to explain, Mike, but…" She stopped and looked at him, her expression serious. "You need to trust me. Whatever happens next, stay close to me. I'll protect you."

Mike raised an eyebrow, his nerves getting the better of him. "Protect me? Rosa, you're half my size! What are you even—"

Knock. Knock.

The sound sliced through the room, silencing them both. Rosa froze, her eyes darting to the door. The knock was heavier this time, as if whoever—or whatever—was on the other side wasn't pretending to be gentle anymore.

Mike's face paled. "No. No way. We just left that thing! How—"

"Stay back," Rosa hissed, stepping in front of him.

The door creaked open on its own, revealing two shadowy figures standing in the doorway. Their forms were human-like but distorted, their features blurred by a dark mist that swirled around them. One held a long, jagged sword that seemed to hum with malice, while the other radiated a terrifying, unnatural strength, its bulging muscles straining against its shadowy skin.

Mike stumbled back, his voice cracking. "R-Rosa, what the hell are those things?!"

Rosa's heart pounded, her mind scrambling for a solution. "If I'm in my younger body… then maybe…" She clenched her fists, summoning every ounce of focus she had. "It's possible I can still use my stigma here."

Mike blinked, panicking. "Your what?!"

Rosa didn't answer. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as a faint glow began to emanate from her chest. A fiery mark—a swirling pattern of light—lit up on her arm, her stigma manifesting.

The shadow with the sword lunged first, its blade slicing through the air toward Mike. Rosa intercepted it, her smaller frame moving with surprising speed. Her stigma pulsed, granting her strength as she deflected the blade with her arm. The impact sent her skidding back, but she held her ground.

"Stay behind me, Mike!" she shouted, her voice firm.

The other shadow charged, its sheer strength forcing Rosa to dodge and weave. It threw a punch that cracked the wall behind her, splinters flying everywhere. Rosa countered with a burst of energy from her stigma, landing a strike that made the shadow stumble back—but only briefly.

Mike was crouched in a corner, watching the chaos unfold. "Rosa, you're amazing, but also WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"Not now, Mike!" Rosa snapped, dodging another swing of the sword. She gritted her teeth, feeling the strain on her smaller, younger body. Her movements weren't as fluid as she remembered, and every strike she landed felt weaker than it should.

The shadow with the sword capitalized on her hesitation, slashing downward. Rosa barely blocked it, the force sending her to her knees. The other shadow seized the opportunity, pinning her arms to her sides and immobilizing her.

"Mike, run!" Rosa screamed, struggling against the shadow's grip. "Get out of here!"

But Mike couldn't move. His legs felt like lead as the shadow with the sword approached him, its blade glinting ominously. Rosa's breath hitched as she watched, helpless.

"No… no, please…" Rosa whispered, tears streaming down her face.

The shadow raised its sword, slashing down at Mike—but instead of blood, there was an explosion of black mist. When the air cleared, Mike's body was gone. In its place stood a Horned Imp, its twisted form grinning wickedly as it stared at Rosa.

"What… what is this?!" Rosa gasped, her voice shaking.

The world around her began to shift. The living room twisted and distorted, the walls melting into a dark void replace by a familiar building and her body goes back to normal. The shadow holding her down vanished, replaced by a familiar figure—Kai.

Rosa blinked in shock as Kai smirked, sitting casually on her chest. "You're surprisingly light, you know that?"

Before she could process what was happening, the shadow with the sword dissolved, revealing Aria, who stood over the Horned Imp's fading body, her blade dripping with dark energy.

"Finally," Aria muttered, shaking her head. "That thing was starting to annoy me."

Rosa stared at them, her emotions a chaotic swirl of relief, confusion, and frustration. "Kai?! Aria?! What are you—what just—WHAT?!"

Kai stood, brushing himself off. "Oh, you know. Just saving your butt. Again!

Aria sighed, wiping her blade clean. "Enough, Kai." She turned to Rosa, her expression softening. "You're confused, I know. But when you teleported to the Horned Imp's dimension, it created this… projection of your past. Everything here was designed to manipulate you."

Rosa's eyes widened. "So… none of it was real?"

"Not exactly," Aria said. "The monsters used fragments of your memories to trap you. That's why this Mike you talking about looked so real. They wanted to break you emotionally, make you vulnerable."

To be continued…