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✧*̥˚ CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO *̥˚✧
"Fucking fight your own size!"
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They exit the elevator. "It's magnificent!" Reginald said, being the first to come out.
"You guys should've stayed here. This place is way nicer." Ben remarked.
Diego was right beside him. "Lila and I barely got out alive last time. Remember?"
"Yeah, but I'm here this time, and the numbers are in our favor."
Iris slap his shoulder lightly. "Honey, take a break from being an asshole for a moment. We don't have time. Let just get this done first."
Her siblings was surprised when she called him honey. Ben who hear the nickname smiled to himself. "Whatever you say, babe."
"The guardian must be here somewhere." Iris added.
"Whatever it was, it was strong, fast, and super pissed." Lila said.
"That's sounds like you." Five muttered to Iris. Infact that he was the only person who know she born here except for Reginald.
"Haha funny." Iris sarcastically replied.
"Alright, so, whatever you do, do not ring this bell." Diego pointed out. "Unless you wanna lose a finger or a tentacle." Ben rolled his eyes as he shook his head. Iris silently laugh.
"I'll take my chances-" Sloane started.
"Don't!" Lila stepped in front of her.
"Get out of my way."
"To take out this thing, we need to be in the right state of mind." Lila reasoned.
"State of mind?" Sloane said with a shaky voice. "Do you mean, am I angry? Yes, I am angry. I wanna kill whatever it is that hurt Luther."
"Luther isn't the only one that's gone." Viktor stepped in. "We lost Klaus too. I'm angry, okay?" Viktor continued. "We all are. We have to be smart about this."
"Yeah." Lila nodded in agreement. "When the time is right, we'll act."
Iris followed Five as he walked towards the entrance. "You think that old man did it?" Five whispered.
Iris laughed silently. "Luther and Klaus? Of course he did. I just knew it. Killing us is never been problem for him. He lose the vote but we still here." She whispered back.
"Doesn't seems like a coincidence."
"Not a coincidence at all." Iris turned to glared at Reginald, who was busy with his note.
"Don't even try it, guys." Diego called out as Five and Iris was walking towards the entrance. "Doors won't let you out."
Five and Iris stopped in their tracks. "We need to be careful around that old man. We don't know what else he might do to get what he wants." Five said and Iris nodded before walking back towards their siblings.
"So, what, we're stuck here?" Allison asked, her back leaned on a column.
"This place is a test and a trap and a means of salvation, all at once." Reginald spoke.
"Does anyone know what that sign says?" Viktor pointed at a sign written in Japanese on the counter.
"Yeah, it says do not ring the bell." Diego said unconvincingly. "That's what that means."
"We get it, brother. Bell bad." Iris remarked.
"Now, what do we do? Does anybody know?" Five asked.
"Reggie?" Allison demanded. "Reggie." He give no response and only the sound of pages flipping could be heard from him. Iris immediately get suspicious of him.
"I'm hungry." Lila announced. "Does anyone fancy an unagi roll?"
"How can you possibly eat at a time like this?" Ben deadpanned. Iris rolled her eyes.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "How can you be a dick at a time like this?"
"Oh, you'll-"
"Hey!" Diego interrupted, catching Ben's attention. "Back off, all right? She's eating for-"
"Strength." Lila interrupted hastily. "In these trying times. Diego, can you come with me for a second?"
...
Five was talking with Viktor while Allison was trying to comfort Sloane who just lost her husband.
In another part of the room, Iris and Ben were just sitting down in silent. Iris still feels the weird feeling. And it grew stronger each passing moment. The feeling of dread started to grow even more intense. But it felt like something was holding her back. Her heart beat faster and heavier than normal.
Ben noticed the sudden change and look over concerned at her. "You okay?"
She smiled slightly but it wasn't genuine enough. She didn't want him to worry. "I'm fine. Just... This place freaks me out."
Ben decided to change his seat and sat beside her. His eyes met hers and he saw how tense she was. It's clear that something's bothering her. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She let her body relaxed in his embrace. Both of them just taking each other's presence in silent.
Iris suddenly heard the whispers again but this time it was the sound of a baby's crying. She wanted to asked Ben if he heard it too but judging from his looks, Iris know that only her was able to hear this again.
Iris get up from her seat. "I will be back." She said before leaving.
"Where are you going?" Ben asked with concern.
"Umm... Calming my mind. I'll be back." Iris promised before turning left out of the room.
Ben wanted to catch up with her but he knows so well that he shouldn't. He thought, maybe Iris need time to calm her mind alone. Instead of following her, he stayed seated.
Iris walk down the hallway, trying to find where the sound came from, sick of hearing the sound only her could hear. As she reached the end, she saw a weirdly moving shadows, which seemed to move on its own, coming from one of the rooms.
At first glance, it looked almost like a big ball of smoke. Curious about what was happening, she took another step forward and found that the shadow started coming closer towards her.
Her eyes filled with darkness as she tried to control the shadows. But no matter how hard she tries, she can't control it. It seems to be getting bigger and darker every passing second. She started to panic by now and her only option was run.
She ran as fast as she could, but once she noticed that she was closer to the others, she stop. She didn't want to harm them so she decided to try and control it once again.
And again she failed. She start to panic but before she could do anything, the shadow somehow push her making her flying across the room and landed hard on the groaned. The others ran towards her.
"Iris, are you okay?" Ben asked feeling confused somehow of what's happening. Iris could only hum as Ben help her up.
"What is that?" Five asked.
"Is that Nyx?" Diego asked, pointing at the shadow. As soon as they heard the word Nyx, they became a bit scare.
"No, it's not Nyx. I don't know what the hell is that but I know that's my answer of why I born here." Iris said as she turned to Reginald and he only nodded his head while the other was speechless.
"What did you just say?" Allison asked.
"You were born here?" Viktor continued.
"I don't born, I appeared. Isn't that right, 'dad'." She turned to Reginald again and this time everyone did the same.
"It's true, that was the sources of Iris' existence." Reginald said and everyone turned their attention towards the shadow.
It slowly come closer. Ben step forward as he protected Iris with his arm. Diego tried throwing knife at the shadow but of course it didn't work. They tried to attack but every time they tired, they failed.
"It's useless, nothing can hurt it!" Allison exclaimed in frustration. The shadow came towards them. Everyone manage to escape from the darkness except for Iris.
"Iris!" They screamed.
"Iris! Get out of there!" Five shouted but he didn't get a response.
"Iris!" Ben yelled. The shadow lift upward along with Iris inside the shadow. They can't see her because of how dark the shadow was but they can hear her scream of pain.
She heard the whispers again but this time it was louder. She covered her ears. She can feel the same pain in her chest. Iris didn't know what to do. She can't control it. She feel hopeless and powerless.
"What should we do?" Sloane asked worried and scared. Afraid that she might lose her as well.
Diego was about to throw knife at the shadow again but Ben immediately stop him.
"What are you doing, you moron? The knife might hit her!" Ben exclaimed angrily.
"What do you want me to do, huh? Just watch my sister die!" Diego snapped back, glaring at him.
"Do you really think I want to watch her die again!"
"Guys, stop." Viktor tried to stop them from bickering.
All she can feel was the darkness coming at her, engulfing her body. Before she could even process what happened next, the darkness consumed her. Her vision became pitch black, her sight completely gone. She was ready to be taken to the afterlife.
She heard the whispers again but this time she can heard it clearly.
Don't be afraid, darkness consumes fear. Don't let your own kind consume you. There is no danger in darkness for you. Don't let your fear kills you.
"Nyx..." Iris muttered under her breath.
Don't be afraid, Iris
She could feel darkness growing inside of her. Her whole body felt hot and cold at the same time. Her arm start growing red and black veins. The shadow seems to hurt and Iris fall to the ground but she manage to safely land on the ground.
Inside of running towards her, the siblings stay in their place. They saw Iris but she seems different. When she looked up, they finally saw her eyes. It's red as blood, her neck, eyes and arm full of dark and red veins. Her hair turn black as dark as the night.
"Nyx..." Ben looked shocked same as the other.
"No... It's me." She answered coldly. She turned to the shadow. "If I can't find light to defeat it. Another way to defeat darkness is with darkness."
"Iris?" Sloane still can't believe what she saw.
"Fucking fight your own size!" Iris said with a demonic voice towards the shadow. Shadows surrounded Iris body, covering her completely. The shadow around her slowly turned into wolf-shaped made of shadow. The same wolf from 15 years ago. It's smaller than before but bigger than everyone. They was amaze and shocked at the same time.
She growled at the shadows louder making some of them covered their ears. The shadows starts to move backward and away from her.
She use her power again to control the shadows. This time it works, and Iris feel herself gaining strength. The shadow let out a loud terrifying screams. She noticed the shadows slowly disappear into her wolf-shaped body. She felt better than before. She turned back into her human form.
She realized that she had gained new power. She no longer hear the whispers. She no longer feel the weird energy from the place. She was now one with her monster. With Nyx.
"Iris?" Ben asked once again, afraid that it might be Nyx. Iris smiled and change her eyes back to normal and her hair back to white blonde.
"It's me." She responded softly. Ben rushed towards to see any injury. "Are you alright?" Ben asked.
"I'm alright. You asked me that a lot of times today." She chuckled.
"What was all of that?!" Diego yelled still clueless. Iris began to tell them the truth of how she's born and what was the shadow earlier. That shadow was the sources of her existence just like Reginald said.