Chapter 56: lunch time

Chapter 56: lunch time 

As the malevolent spell shot toward Ares and Cain, time seemed to slow. Just before the deadly energy could make contact, a figure materialized in the heart of the battlefield—a figure both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Her eyes, blazing red stars, pierced through the chaos, and her hair had transformed into a living flame of blood-red, flowing like molten lava. But the most striking feature was her wings—massive, grotesque, and unnervingly beautiful, they were a blend of flesh and darkness, dripping with a hissing, black substance that evaporated upon touching the ground.

From her back extended an ocean of writhing tentacles, each one alive with its own sinister purpose, forming a mass behind her that seemed to pulsate with latent power. The mark on her forehead, now a bright, pulsing sigil, radiated an overwhelming sense of authority, a proclamation of the terrifying power she had become.

Without hesitation, she caught the spell in her hand, her fingers closing around the dark energy as if it were a mere trinket. Then, with an air of arrogant disdain, she brought it to her mouth and bit down, the spell cracking like fragile glass under her teeth. She swallowed it, her expression unfazed, as if consuming such destructive power was nothing more than a casual act.

The battlefield fell into stunned silence, every eye fixed on this figure who had effortlessly neutralized an attack that should have been unstoppable. The cult leader, his face contorted with disbelief, could only watch as his most potent spell was devoured like a simple meal.

The silence was shattered by the panicked voice of Colonel Mendoza, his words crackling through the communication channels, broadcasting to all units in the vicinity: "Attention all units, SCP-8888-1 has appeared! Repeat, SCP-8888-1 is on the battlefield!"

---

A few minutes ago

Lina and the rest of Omega-7 stood in the helicopter, watching as SCP-073 leaped out, disappearing into the chaos of the battlefield below. The sight of the cult leader's massive, twisted form filled Lina with an unsettling sensation—a feeling that didn't belong to her. As the wind whipped through the open door of the chopper, she felt something else take hold, something dark and ancient.

It began as a whisper, a man's voice echoing in the back of her mind, filled with loathing and fury. The words weren't hers, but they resonated deep within her, stirring emotions she didn't fully understand. The voice dripped with disgust, directed not just at the cult leader but at Lina herself, as if judging her for her hesitation, for her very existence.

"They're traitors... all of them... and you, you have the power to end them."

The words grew louder, more insistent, commanding her to act. She shook her head, trying to clear it, but the voice persisted, growing in intensity until it drowned out all other thoughts. Her breath quickened, and she felt a sickening hunger gnaw at her insides—a hunger that wasn't for food, but for something far darker.

Her vision blurred, the world around her narrowing until all she could see was the cult leader's grotesque figure. The voice pushed her, encouraging her to unleash the power that had been entrusted to her, the power that she had always feared. She tried to resist, but the hunger grew stronger, more urgent, as if it would consume her if she didn't act.

Lina's body began to tremble, her muscles twitching uncontrollably as the voice reached a fever pitch. She could barely hear the concerned shouts of her teammates, their voices distant and muffled. Her vision began to darken around the edges, tunneling until all she could see was the leader, standing there like prey before a predator.

Suddenly, she collapsed to her knees, her teammates rushing to her side, but they hesitated, unsure of what was happening to her. Her breathing was ragged, her eyes wide and unfocused, as if she was seeing something far beyond the physical world around them. A low growl escaped her lips, a sound so primal it sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

Without warning, Lina began to drool, thick strands of saliva dripping from her mouth as she stared at the cult leader with a look of pure, unadulterated hunger. It was as if she hadn't eaten in days and had just been presented with a feast. Her hands dug into the floor of the helicopter, her nails gouging the metal as the urge to attack overwhelmed her.

A piercing scream tore from her throat, the sound carrying for miles, shattering the air with its intensity. It wasn't a human scream, but something else entirely, something ancient and terrifying. The sound reverberated across the battlefield, causing even the most hardened soldiers to flinch. As the scream echoed, a mark began to form on Lina's forehead, glowing with an intensity that outshone the sun.

The light from the mark spread throughout the helicopter, blinding everyone inside. It was a light that carried with it an overwhelming sense of power, of something far beyond the understanding of mere mortals. The teammates shielded their eyes, their hearts pounding in their chests as the air crackled with energy.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the light vanished, leaving the soldiers blinking in stunned silence. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, but the horror had only just begun.

When they opened their eyes, the sight that greeted them was one of pure terror. Lina was no longer the woman they knew. Her once-soft features had twisted into something feral, her eyes glowing with a malevolent light. The mark on her forehead still shone, pulsating with a rhythm that matched the frantic beating of their hearts.

Without a word, without a second of hesitation, Lina leaped from the helicopter, moving with a speed and agility that defied human limits. She tore through the air, her trajectory a straight line toward the battlefield, toward the cult leader who was the focus of her insatiable hunger.

Her teammates could only watch in stunned silence as she disappeared into the distance, their minds struggling to comprehend what had just occurred. The helicopter's engines roared, but to them, it was as if the world had fallen deathly silent.

The last thing they heard before the radio crackled to life was a single, panicked transmission from Colonel Mendoza, his voice trembling with fear: "SCP-8888-1 has appeared."

---

In the present moment, the battlefield had transformed into a stage of overwhelming tension. Lina's arrival brought a suffocating pressure that seemed to permeate the air, as if the very atmosphere had thickened under her influence. The cult leader, once a figure of daunting authority, now found himself paralyzed by the sight of Lina. Her eyes, burning like twin stars, focused intently on him, stripping away his confidence and revealing the raw, animalistic fear coursing through his veins.

Every fiber of the leader's being screamed at him to run, to flee from the unstoppable force that now stood before him. But his legs, which once carried him with purpose and strength, betrayed him. They quivered, refusing to obey his desperate commands. His mind raced, frantic, searching for any possible escape from the inevitable doom that Lina's presence promised.

Desperation clawed at him as he tried to negotiate, his voice a trembling shadow of its former power. The words tumbled out of his mouth, barely coherent, as he offered Lina everything he had. Power, wealth, his undying loyalty—anything, if she would just spare him. But his pleas were drowned out by the aura of malice and power that surrounded Lina like a shroud.

Instead of the mercy he begged for, he was met with a sound that chilled him to his core. Lina's laughter erupted, wild and unhinged, a sound filled with both amusement and sadistic glee. The laughter echoed across the battlefield, a terrifying reminder of the madness and power contained within her. It was the laughter of a predator toying with its prey, savoring the fear it had inspired.

When Lina finally spoke, her voice was laced with disdain, dripping with contempt. Her eyes never left the leader as she delivered her cutting reply, each word sharper than a blade.

"You think I would negotiate with food?"

The leader's heart sank as the reality of his situation crashed over him like a wave. He wasn't standing before an enemy that could be reasoned with or bribed. He was standing before something far worse—a being that saw him not as an equal, but as nothing more than prey. The fear that had been building within him now exploded into full-blown terror, his body trembling uncontrollably under the weight of it.

Lina's words shattered whatever remaining hope the leader clung to. The battlefield itself seemed to still, as if even the earth was holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come. The leader's fate was sealed, and everyone present knew it. There would be no escape for him, no last-minute salvation. Lina had not come to parley or negotiate; she had come to feed.

The silence that followed her words was almost unbearable, a crushing, oppressive stillness that magnified the fear in the leader's heart. He tried to back away, his legs barely supporting him, but it was futile. Lina's eyes remained locked on him, her gaze a promise of the devastation to come.

The leader's mind raced, searching for any possible escape, but it was like trying to grasp at smoke. There was no way out, no way to avoid the terrible fate that loomed over him. His attempts to reason with Lina, to appeal to her humanity, were met with nothing but cold, unrelenting malice.

Lina moved with an unnatural grace, her body surging forward as if driven by an insatiable hunger. The leader, trembling in his weakened state, attempted to muster the remnants of his strength. His hands clutched the weapon he had conjured from his dark rituals, its surface glowing faintly with forbidden Sarkic symbols. But Lina was faster, more lethal than he could have imagined.

Her laughter echoed across the battlefield once again, mocking his every desperate attempt to fight back. Each time he swung, his weapon met nothing but air as she dodged effortlessly, her movements precise and fluid. The power radiating from her seemed to warp the space around them, distorting reality itself. The leader's breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes wide with terror as he realized the futility of his struggle. He was no longer a mighty cult leader commanding dark forces—he was prey, and Lina was the hunter.

In a final, desperate act, the leader called upon the last of his strength, summoning a wave of dark energy that tore through the ground, seeking to engulf Lina. But she didn't even flinch. With a casual flick of her wrist, she absorbed the energy into her own, twisting it into something more grotesque and sinister.

"You fight like a child," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "Is this really the best you can do?"

The leader screamed in frustration, swinging his weapon wildly in a last-ditch effort to harm her. But it was no use. Lina dodged once more, her speed a blur as she closed the distance between them. Her wings flared out behind her, casting a massive shadow that engulfed the trembling leader.

Then, in a swift and horrifying motion, Lina unleashed her attack.

Her wings twisted unnaturally, taking on a life of their own. The grotesque tentacles that sprouted from her back writhed and expanded, each one reaching out toward the leader with terrifying precision. The air was thick with an ominous energy, a primal, Sarkic force that defied all reason. The tentacles shot forward, wrapping themselves around the leader, tightening like a vice.

The leader struggled, but the more he fought, the tighter the grip became. His weapon fell from his hands, clattering uselessly to the ground. His breath became shallow, his eyes wide with panic as he realized what was about to happen.

Lina's wings expanded further, the grotesque blend of flesh and darkness rippling with power. The black, viscous substance that dripped from them began to hiss and steam as it touched the ground, corroding everything it touched. Her eyes blazed brighter, the stars within them burning with an intensity that seemed to pierce the very soul of the leader.

Without warning, Lina's tentacles surged forward, wrapping around the leader's body and pulling him closer to her. The leader screamed in terror, his voice echoing across the battlefield as he was lifted off the ground. His body convulsed as the Sarkic energy that Lina commanded flowed through him, corrupting his very essence.

"You never stood a chance," Lina whispered, her voice a low, mocking growl.

With a sudden, violent motion, Lina's tentacles tore into the leader's flesh. The sound was sickening—a wet, tearing noise that echoed across the battlefield. Blood sprayed into the air, but it wasn't just blood. Dark, twisted energy flowed from the wounds, coiling around Lina as if feeding her insatiable hunger for power.

The leader's body spasmed as Lina's power consumed him. His skin began to blister and peel away, revealing the corrupted, dark energy that pulsed within him. Lina's wings flared out, casting a shadow that seemed to swallow the very light from the sky. Her laughter echoed once more, cruel and unforgiving, as she reveled in the agony of her victim.

The final blow came swift and brutal.

Lina raised her hand, and with a single, commanding gesture, the tentacles converged on the leader, tearing through him with brutal efficiency. His body was torn apart, pieces of flesh and dark energy scattered across the battlefield. The ground beneath him was scorched, blackened by the sheer force of Lina's power.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, as the last remnants of the leader's body fell to the ground, Lina stood victorious. Her eyes, still burning with the light of a vengeful deity, surveyed the battlefield. There was no trace of humanity left in her gaze—only the cold, unrelenting hunger of a predator that had claimed its prey.

The leader was no more.