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✧*̥˚ CHAPTER NINE *̥˚✧
"Well, benny boy. It's Nyx now."
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14 years ago, Sparrow Academy,
16 years old.
"You have to fight it!" Ben raised his voice.
"You think I didn't try!" Iris shouted.
"I didn't said that." He sighed after he realized that he had raised his voice at her. "I know you tried... a lot... I know it's hurt... I know how hurt you are... I don't want you to feel it anymore..." He walk towards her slowly before hugging her.
Iris rest her forehead on his shoulder as Ben rub her back. "I don't know how to stop it... I don't even know if it going to stop... What if it doesn't. I'm scared, Ben..."
"I know..." He said softly.
"It wasn't easy to fight it. I know you know but you don't know my pain... how it feels like..."
"Iris... I'm-" He tried to apologize but got interrupted.
"Guys we need to go. There's a crime." Marcus said as he pass Iris' room.
"Are you going?" Ben asked with concern.
"I have to."
"Stay close to me... please..."
"I'll try..." Iris said. Ben looked at her with the expression shows 'really'. "I will... attempt to?"
"Really?" Ben couldn't help but laughed making Iris chuckled.
"I'm just afraid that I couldn't control it." Iris muttered.
"Don't worry. I will help you." Ben kiss her forehead gently causing her to smile lightly.
"Guys!" Marcus shouted from downstairs.
"We're coming!" Ben shouted back making Iris laughed. He smiled at the sight of her happiness.
All of them headed to the place to find a bunch of guys looking like some of gangster with guns. Iris saw her siblings fighting them.
She know that if she use her power during daytime, her energy will drain easily. But now she had no choice but to use it. She summoned all the darkness and shadows around them as her eyes turn black.
She managed to defeat some of them but her energy were drain by the brightness of the sun. She began to panic. Suddenly one of them attacked her but she manage to dodge it.
"Iris!" Ben use one of his tentacles to throw the man away. Iris was trying to balance herself but failed as she falls to the ground. Ben ran towards her as he kneeled down and check on her. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah... I think... just my powers are draining rapidly, but I'm fine." She said as she get up. Ben notice that she looks pale. "How about you? Are you alright?" She asked. Ben nodded but he look worried.
They both went to help their siblings fight them. Iris summon the shadows to attack a group of men. While they were distracted, Ben used his tentacles to knock them unconscious.
Iris was trying all her best to protect the people around her but she was also drained of her strength. Suddenly a man with a knife charge towards Iris without her knowing. Ben immediately run towards her, trying to save her but end up having a cut on his cheek.
"Ben!" Iris immediately went towards him.
"It's okay. Just a cut." Ben smiled, tried to reassure her that he's fine. She turned towards the man and throw him with her power.
Iris use her power to protect the civilians as she continue fighting the bad guys. She could feel like her body is losing more of her energy. But still she continued to battle them, protecting the innocent.
"Ben!" Iris heard Sloane shouted. Suddenly a gunshot was heard. The bullet hit Ben's arm causing him to lose his balance. She could feel the power inside her, the darkness inside her growing, the urge to kill, for revenge.
"Finally!" Her inner self spoke.
Her eyes turn darker as veins began to show around her eyes, her neck and her fist. She use her power to choke the man in the air as darkness went through his body before exploding.
She laughed. "This is going to be exciting."
A satisfied smirk appeared on her lip, looking at the blood splattered on the ground. Her siblings turned to her, shock and horrified. Other men charged towards her but she kill them within a second. People around her looks at her, terrified as she smiled.
"That's not her..." Fei said as they look at their sister who's having a murderous smile. The monster inside her has taken control of her body.
"Iris!" Ben run towards her and put one of his hand on her shoulder. "Look at me, Iris! I know you still there... Don't let her control you. Fight her." He looks into her eyes that filled with darkness.
"Ben!" Iris tried to shout but she had no control of her body. She trap in her own mind. Nyx laughed.
"Well, benny boy. It's Nyx now." She use her power to choke him in the air. "She's to weak to fight me." His siblings tried to save him but she push all of them away using her power, hitting their back harshly on the ground as they groaned in pain.
"Please, Iris... you have to fight it. I know you can." Ben said trying to breathe.
"I wouldn't let you kill him." Iris hissed at Nyx.
A smile drop from her face. Iris finally in control. She realize what she had done. The monster inside of her was too powerful.
"Ben..." She stop and Ben fall to the ground. She tried to take control of her body but failed.
"Stay calm. Everything is going to be ok." Ben said, trying to calm her down.
She can feel that the darkness is slowly getting stronger inside her. "I can't." A black tear escape from her soulless eyes. Black veins began to appear on her arm as she screamed in pain and step backwards.
"You can't stop me!" Nyx shouted from inside her body.
"Iris!" Ben said as he step forward but she stop him.
"No! Stay away from me! I don't want to hurt you!" She fell on her knees, struggling to breath as black mist escapes out of her mouth. She tried to fight it with everything but the power in her hands were useless.
Her inner self scream. Iris covered her ears as darkness began to forms around her. She start screaming too as she can feel the pain. The scream was so loud making everyone cover their ears from the ear piercing scream. Her hair from black slowly turn to white blonde. They saw some kind of darkness leaving her body as she stop screaming and fell to the ground.
Then a monster made of darkness looking like a giant wolf appeared. There it is. The thing inside of her. The monster that always gives her nightmare. Its eyes glowing red and its fangs dripping with dark venom, ready to bite someone. Ben immediately run towards Iris and hug her tightly to be her shield.
"You okay? Wait. Of course you are not okay!" Ben said as he look at his lover, Iris. His arms are still wrapped tightly around her, ignoring the pain in his body.
"I'm okay." Iris said. The monster start attacking the civilians indiscriminately. Her siblings tried to use their power on the monster but it was useless. It seems like it was not going to stop anytime soon. With all the strength left, Iris run towards it.
"Iris!" Ben called out but she ignored him.
"Stop! You can't kill them! Please stop!" She shouted at the monster. Her monster. But she cannot control the monster. The monster turned to her. The monsters eyes gleamed red and a gasp escape her mouth. It's red eyes glared at Iris as it charges at her.
"Iris!" She could hear her siblings shouted her name. The monster use it big paw making her fly away before landing harshly on the hard street. She tried to get up as the monster stop in front of her.
She stared at the monster with her black soulless eyes as it's glowing red eyes stared at her. "I wouldn't let you hurt them." Iris start fighting the monster. Her siblings tried to help her but the monster push them hard with its paw.
Ben tried to use his tentacles but failed. The monster charge towards him as Iris screamed. She use her power again but she still could not control the monster. She was scared. Afraid.
She use her power to throw the monster away from Ben. But before she could do anything the monster charge towards her.
"I know you. That is not your form. Why don't you fight me in your form? Like you always do."
"Alright. Let's play fairly." The monster give her a laughed before changing into its real form. The monster look like Iris but the only thing that make them different was their hair and eyes.
Iris had eyes filled with darkness and hair that changed to white after her inner demon was out of her. Nyx had red glowy eyes and black hair as Iris hair before it changed. Her siblings was shocked to see another Iris.
"Hello. I'm Nyx." She smirked as the sky turn dark.
They start fighting but Iris was starting to get weak because the light of the sun drained her power unlike Nyx who still look like she can kill thousand more people. Iris fell to the ground. Nyx was stronger than her.
"Iris!" Ben watch as his lover fell to the ground. In anger Ben attack Nyx.
"Attack her!" Marcus shouted as he and his siblings tried to kill her. Nyx summoned the shadows around them as the siblings were lifted in the air, desperate to breathe.
Iris saw the horrifying scene and immediately use the strength that left to run towards Nyx. "Stop!" She shouted. Exhausted could be heard in her voice. "If I die, you die."
Nyx looked at her. "That's a form of sacrifice." Nyx said with a deep and dark demonic voice.
"I know..." Iris said as she lifted the knife that she found on the ground earlier and point it at her chest.
"Iris! No!"
"What are you doing! Stop!"
"No! Don't do it!" She heard her siblings shouted at her. But one voice caught her attention.
"Please! Iris! Don't do it!" Ben shouted as he hold his neck as they were still lifted in the air. His voice, making tears fall down her cheeks.
"I had to... I'm sorry... I can't let her kill all of you... I can't let you die." Her hands tremble as her eyes filled with tears. She will do anything for them, she will do anything him.
"Please... Iris... no..." Ben said with sadness in his voice. His eyes became red, tears streaming down his face. Her hands were shaking more. Her breaths become ragged. She was scared but she was more scared to see her lover die.
"I'm so sorry...." She said with a tearful smile. That's the only thing she can said. She couldn't bare to see sadness in his eyes.
"You won't do it." Nyx said confidently, like it knows that she won't kill herself. "You just a coward."
"We'll see..." She said as she tighten the grip on the knife.
"Please... Iris..." Ben pleaded as tears streamed down his cheeks. Iris could see him getting weaker and weaker by the seconds. She had no choice.
"I'm so sorry..." Iris looked at him before taking a deep breath and stabbed the knife in her heart, killing herself. Ben's eyes widened in shock and horror. He cannot believe it. Tears still flowed down his cheeks. His nightmare, his worst fear had come true. The memory will hunt him forever.
Nyx screamed in pain as all her siblings falls to the ground. Nyx's body started turning to ash. Before disappearing completely.
Ben immediately run towards Iris ignoring all the pain in his body. All he wanted to do right now was to hug her. He fell down next to her and hugged her tightly. His siblings gathered together, crying over their fallen sister.
Ben pulled Iris close to him, burying his face into her neck as he started sobbing uncontrollably. "I love you... Iris... Please wake up..." He whispered in between his sobs.
He felt the warmth of her blood soaking through his clothes. The smell of the blood fill his nostrils. The blood was dark red, almost looking black. The amount of blood was so large. He could feel the coldness of death taking over her body. But he cannot do anything. All he wanted to do was to protect his beloved. But he can't.
His body shivering from fear, sadness, and sorrow. The last image he would ever see of her will be this. She was his lifeline, his anchor, his world. He loves her. More than anyone in this world. And now, he lost her forever.
As his tears continue to flow out , he placed his lips on top of her head, gently kiss her forehead. As he closed his eyes, a single tear escape from his right eye.
"I'm sorry... My love... I'm sorry..." He whispered softly.
Their father can only watch. He thought he can avoid the incident. But the incident follows her like destiny and this time, end up killing her instead. Sacrificing herself. Same event but different results.
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