Episode 23

The moment Abyss fully engulfed UltSans, Melissa's playful smirk faltered.

For the first time, a flicker of genuine shock crossed her features.

She had expected something.

Some kind of reaction.

Maybe even a little aggression.

But this?

This was beyond human.

Beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Melissa's breath hitched as the very air around her seemed to shift.

The man she had been teasing, the man she had tried to seduce—

Was gone.

What stood before her now was something otherworldly.

Something far beyond her understanding.

The inky black mass pulsed and moved like a living nightmare, shifting, reforming, tendrils writhing from his back, his glowing, slitted eyes flickering erratically between blue and red, burning like unholy embers.

His grin had changed, stretching unnaturally, his jagged teeth now resembling something far too predatory, far too monstrous to belong to a man.

Melissa had spent years perfecting the art of seduction.

She had tamed CEOs, millionaires, men with power and influence.

She had always been the one in control.

Always.

But now?

Now, she realized—

She was prey.

Her heart pounded as Abyss lifted his right arm.

The flesh didn't just move—it morphed, shifting from an elongated claw to a writhing mass of tendrils that snapped forward with horrific speed.

Before she could even react—

She was pinned.

The tendrils tightened, coiling around her limbs, pressing her down against the cold, shattered ground.

Melissa gasped, struggling instinctively, but the strength—

It was inhuman.

Before she could even fully process the terror creeping into her chest—

Abyss moved over her.

His towering form cast a shadow so deep it felt like reality itself was warping.

And when he spoke—

His voice wasn't UltSans'.

It wasn't a voice at all.

It was a vibration, a reverberating, abyssal force that seemed to rattle inside her very bones.

She had played with men all her life.

She had broken them, manipulated them, used them.

She had thought she was in control.

But as Abyss loomed over her, an entity beyond logic, beyond understanding…

For the first time—

Melissa truly felt helpless.

The atmosphere at the dining table was warm and calm—a stark contrast to the abyssal chaos unfolding miles away.

Eleanor, Richard, and Nathan were enjoying their meal, blissfully unaware of what was happening outside their cozy home.

Richard leaned back in his chair, chewing thoughtfully before gesturing with his fork.

Richard: "So… Clara's new boyfriend made all of this himself?"

Eleanor, in the middle of savoring a bite of paella, nodded enthusiastically.

Eleanor: "¡Sí! Él mismo lo cocinó todo. Cada plato, desde la paella hasta la tortilla de patatas. Y ni hablar del jamón ibérico, lo cortó como un auténtico maestro."

Nathan, sitting across from her, looked up with wide, excited eyes.

Nathan: "Yaya, his magic is really cool!"

Eleanor smiled warmly, gently ruffling his hair.

Eleanor: "Sí, cariño. Parece que además de cocinar, sabe hacer cosas sorprendentes."

Richard took another bite of the tortilla de patatas, nodding in appreciation.

Richard: "Gotta admit, the boy knows his way around a kitchen. I knew he was an odd one with that portal trick, but I didn't expect him to know how to cook like this too."

Nathan grinned, bouncing slightly in his seat.

Nathan: "And he made stuff float! He made Mom float too! It was like—"

Richard chuckled.

Richard: "Like something straight out of a comic book, huh?"

Nathan nodded quickly.

Nathan: "Do you think he's a superhero?"

Richard smirked, shaking his head.

Richard: "Superhero? I don't know about that, kid. But he's definitely not normal."

Eleanor laughed softly, taking a sip of her drink.

Eleanor: "Eso es cierto… Y Clara no ha traído a nadie a casa en años. ¿Quién sabe? Tal vez este sí sea especial."

Richard raised a brow.

Richard: "He better be. If not, I'm throwing him into another one of those portals he likes to make."

Nathan giggled at that, while Eleanor simply winked playfully, enjoying the peaceful moment.

For now—

None of them had any idea what kind of chaos UltSans was dealing with at that very moment.

A Meal Full of Thoughts

The family continued enjoying dinner, the warm ambiance filling the room with a sense of comfort—despite the underlying curiosity surrounding their mysterious guest.

Richard leaned back slightly, resting his elbow on the table as he spoke, his tone thoughtful.

Richard: "I don't know if that fire trick of his was just another illusion, like the floating objects… but the boy sure knows how to cook."

Eleanor nodded enthusiastically, her voice full of approval.

Eleanor: "¡Sí! De seguro es un verdadero español!"

Richard chuckled, shaking his head.

Richard: "Well, whatever else he's got up his sleeve—whether it's portals, bones, or making people float—none of those tricks are going to save him from you."

Eleanor grinned, her eyes gleaming with playful authority.

Eleanor: "Hay que ver si es especial o no. Para algo soy la mujer de la casa."

Nathan, completely absorbed in his food, suddenly perked up.

Nathan: "This… jamón… ibe… ibeero… ibrico…?"

He furrowed his brows, struggling with the word, before looking up at Eleanor.

Nathan: "Yaya, how do you say it?"

Eleanor chuckled, patting his head gently.

Eleanor: "Jamón ibérico, cariño."

Nathan nodded firmly, repeating it slowly.

Nathan: "Ha…món… ibeérico!"

He then took another bite and grinned.

Nathan: "It tastes… really good!"

Eleanor smiled warmly.

Eleanor: "Tiene un sabor salado, y una muy buena textura y sabor en general. ¡Por algo me encanta la comida española!"

Richard smirked as he took another bite, then, with a teasing glint in his eyes, glanced toward Eleanor.

Richard: "Well, you're Italian. What if he breaks the pasta—"

He didn't even get to finish.

Eleanor suddenly froze, her fork mid-air as her eyes widened dramatically.

Eleanor: "¡ES VERDAD!! ¡Debí haber visto qué hace para cocinar la pasta!"

Richard laughed, shaking his head.

Richard: "I think the boy might end up flying in a whole different way if he dares to break the pasta. I can already picture it—him getting launched straight out of the window for committing such a crime."

Eleanor, still lost in thought over the sacred integrity of pasta, crossed her arms firmly.

Eleanor: "Bueno, más le vale no ser de los que rompen la pasta, porque si no, no entra. Ni por mucho truquito que haga aquí y allá, ni por mucho dios ni nada."

Richard grinned, amused, as Nathan giggled beside him.

The meal continued, but there was one undeniable fact—

UltSans, whether he realized it or not, had just unknowingly stepped into the ultimate test.

As time passed, the family gradually finished their meal.

Richard, set in his nightly routine, stood up from the dining table and made his way toward the living room, where the television was already on, tuned to his usual news channel.

Eleanor, meanwhile, stayed behind with Nathan, spending time with her grandson, engaging in casual conversation and laughter.

Everything seemed peaceful.

Until—

"Eleanor!"

Richard's voice called from the living room, his tone laced with urgency.

Eleanor paused mid-sentence, glancing toward the source of the sound.

Nathan blinked, looking up at her.

Nathan: "Yaya? What is it?"

Eleanor: "No lo sé, cariño…"

She stood up, patting Nathan's head before making her way toward Richard.

As soon as she stepped into the living room, her eyes landed on the screen.

And instantly—she understood why Richard had called her.

On the television screen, the news presenter's voice echoed with a tone of severity and disbelief.

Presenter: "Once again, we bring you an update on one of today's most shocking incidents—the complete destruction of the Ravencroft Institute."

The screen flashed to footage—aerial views of what used to be a highly secure facility.

Now?

Nothing but charred debris.

The remains of the institute were barely recognizable. Twisted metal, crumbled walls, and scorched earth—that was all that remained.

The footage transitioned to on-site recordings, where journalists stood at a safe distance, pointing toward the destruction.

Presenter: "As you can see, nothing of the facility remains standing. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of its destruction, but what we do know is that this was not an ordinary event."

The camera panned over the wreckage, before shifting to new, unsettling footage.

The screen now displayed blurry yet disturbing recordings taken from within the quarantined area.

Dark, viscous creatures—slithering through the wreckage.

They moved unnaturally, shifting between liquid and solid states, making them nearly impossible to contain.

Hazmat teams could be seen desperately attempting to secure the zone, but with little success.

Presenter: "In addition to the destruction of Ravencroft, another alarming discovery has emerged—these strange slime creatures have been spotted moving through the remains of the facility."

The footage showed a hazmat worker suddenly collapsing, clutching at his suit.

The camera zoomed in, catching a glimpse of something slithering beneath the layers of protective gear.

The broadcast quickly cut back to the newsroom.

Presenter: "Authorities have placed the entire area under strict quarantine, deeming it extremely hazardous. Reports indicate that some of these creatures have somehow infiltrated hazmat suits, despite the protective measures in place."

Eleanor crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.

Eleanor: "Qué desastre..."

Richard nodded slowly, his brows furrowed.

Richard: "This isn't normal. Not one bit."

But before they could discuss further—

The news shifted once again.

The next footage?

It wasn't just from news cameras.

It was from civilians.

Dozens of videos taken from different locations—all showing the same event.

Massive, dragon-like skulls—appearing out of thin air, covering the sky.

And then—

Chaos.

Blasts of energy, raining down like fire.

Some shots melted mid-air.

Others vanished, flickering in and out of existence.

Some exploded unpredictably, creating havoc in the sky itself.

It was an absolute nightmare.

And the people?

Their screams were audible in the background of every video.

Panic.

Confusion.

Terror.

Richard leaned forward, his hands clasped together.

His face was serious—too serious.

Richard: "This… This isn't just some accident. This is something else entirely."

Eleanor remained quiet for a moment, watching the chaotic footage, her fingers tapping against her arm.

Then—

She sighed, shaking her head.

Eleanor: "Esto… se está poniendo muy interesante."

Nathan, who had wandered in with curiosity, blinked up at the screen.

His tiny hands clutched his grandmother's dress.

Nathan: "Yaya… what is that?"

Eleanor lowered a hand, gently running it over his hair.

Eleanor: "Nada de lo que tengas que preocuparte, cariño… por ahora."

She glanced at Richard.

There was an unspoken understanding between them.

Something was coming.

Something big.

And somehow—UltSans was right in the middle of it.