The crack in the air pulsed faintly behind the demonic woman, twisting to face the crack with her hands resting on her on her hip. Her crimson eyes glinted as she tilted her head, her brow twitching with fustrastion.
"Mephisto," she called, her voice clearly impatient yet commanding. "Join me."
The fissure behind her widened with a deep groan, and a shadowy figure emerged, stepping through the threshold . Mephisto stepped forward like an actor taking center stage, his coat a swirl of midnight velvet that bled into the air around him. The ripped jagged hem of his long coat, whisped though the air. they trailed behind him with every step before dissolving into nothing.
His eyes began to scan the room instantly with glee. His eye also gleamed the same bloodlust red as beautiful "Eri's" eyes. The other was clouded, a milky white that seemed blind at first glance, but followed with uncanny precision.
He tilted his head, the pale half of his hair falling forward, a curtain of silver-white against the darker strands. His voice, when it came, carried the cadence of an auteur, equal parts velvet and venom.
"Now then," Mephisto said, lips curling higher as if savoring the words. "Shall we begin the show?"
Emma gasped, her voice caught in her throat as she stared at the man, her body frozen in place. Ryan, however, shoved her behind him, his trembling hand raised as though it could protect them both.
"Who...what the hell are you?" Ryan demanded, his voice cracking despite his attempt at bravado.
The demonic woman chuckled, the sound dripping with mockery. "What a childish response," she said, stepping closer. Her voice was low, dangerous. "You're old enough to know who I am. Or what's about to happen or am I wrong?"
Ryan's jaw clenched, his eyes darting from the woman to the glowing fissure and back again. His hands balled into fists as he stumbled for words.
The woman turned her attention to Marisol, her expression softening slightly. "Don't worry," she said, her tone almost maternal. "It'll be over in a second."
Marisol's lips parted as if to respond, but no sound came. The shadows in the corner of the room shifted, responding to her fear. A sleek, feline-like shadow leapt forward, its glowing red eyes locking onto Marisol as it landed gracefully on her shoulder. Its smoky tail curled protectively around her head, shielding her eyes.
Marisol felt the creature's presence like a weight, heavy yet oddly calming. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, but the shadow cat's low growl kept her grounded. It didn't speak, but its slow blinking gaze never left hers.
Ryan turned back toward the demon just as her figure blurred, moving faster than his eyes could follow. In the blink of an eye, she was face-to-face with him. His breath erratic as she raised her hand, her long, clawed fingers brushing against his chest.
"You won't remember much of this," she whispered, her voice soft but laced with venom. "Goodbye, brother."
Before Ryan could react, her hand plunged into his chest. The sound of tearing flesh filled the room as her fingers curled around his heart. His body convulsed, his lips trembling as he struggled to speak.
"Ma… Marisol…" His dying breath was barely a whisper to his step sister.
The demon pulled his heart free with a sickening wet sound, blood spilling to the floor in thick pools. Her crimson eyes glowed brighter as she examined the heart briefly before tossing it aside like a discarded toy.
"No, Ryan," she said with quiet pride, correcting him. "It's Eri.... not that that reallyvmatters to you now."
Marisol screamed in silence, her breaths coming in short gasps. Her skin crawling with prickley pain, as the sickening sound of tearing flesh filled the room.
Emma's piercing scream shattered the silence, her body crumpling to the floor as she scrambled backward on her hands. "Help!" she shrieked, her voice raw and desperate. "Somebody, please anybody!help us!"
"Please stop," screamed marisol, desperate to put an end to this nightmare. "I DON'T WANT THIS!"
The demon ignored and didn't hesitate. She cleared the distance in a single step, her clawed hand arcing through the air. The sharp, wet sound of her claws slicing through Emma's neck echoed through the room, and the girl's head rolled to the floor, her eyes still wide with fear.
Marisol, her vision obscured by the shadow cat's tail, attempted to flee. She reached up instinctively, her fingers gripping the shadow's tail, and with a surge of fear and desperation, she unconsciously bent it to her will. The shadow dissolved into smoke, revealing the bloody carnage before her.
"No!" Marisol's voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. Her body trembled, her mind torn between terror and disbelief.
Before she could move, Mephisto, the demon's enforcer, stepped forward and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. His grip was inescapable, his fingers flowing like dominoes across them. "Ssshhh," he said quietly, his glowing eyes meeting hers as he winked, placing a long boney finger to his lips. "It's getting to the best part."
Marisol shook her head violently, trying to pull free. "What are you talking about! This is wrong! Please!"
The sound of hurried footsteps thundered down the hall, followed by her mother's shrill voice. "What the hell is going on in here?" The woman burst into the room, her eyes low to the ground. Oblivious to the carnage she was about to witness. "Marisol! What did you do? I swear, if you..."
Her words were cut short as Eri turned to face her. Sadness flickered in the demon's crimson eyes, a fleeting moment of something almost human reflected in them. "You'll never understand, will you?" she said softly.
Her hand extended, and blackened roots erupted from the floor, twisting and coiling around Marisol's mother like ropes. The woman screamed as the roots tightened, crushing her ribs with a sickening series of cracks.
"Anything but that, please!" Marisol screamed, lunging forward, but Mephisto held her back effortlessly.
Sopia turned her head in horror, both lost and frightened. Her lips mouthing marisols name over and over.
Eri sighed, before she approached whispering into her ear. Her voice was quiet, almost tender, singing sweetly. "Goodbye… one last time."
Crunch!
The roots tightened, and Marisol's mother fell silent. Her lifeless body slumped to the floor, the roots retreating back into the shadows.
Mephisto smiled basking in the moment before releasing Marisol. The little girl sped off at full speed to her dead mother's side.
"Mom! No, no, no…", Marisol's voice broke as she screamed, her knees hitting the floor. The mother who had ignored her, belittled her, treated her like a butden-gone. And yet, the weight of her absence crushed her chest, suffocating her in a way she couldn't understand.
Eri turned to Mephisto, her expression calm once more. "Pick her up. We're leaving."
Mephisto obeyed, lifting Marisol with ease into a princess cradle. She thrashed weakly in his arms, her voice breaking as she sobbed. "Why… why are you doing this?"
Neither mephisto or Eri answered her. Instead, Eri raised a hand, and the shadows in the room recoiled away. Scarred of this new queen of darkness.
The crack in space pulsed one last time before disappearing forever. she and Mephisto left the house with incomprehensible haste, taking Marisol with them.
The room smelled of rust and burnt wood, the shadows leaving behind a faint, sulfur stench as they dissolved. Marisol's ears rang in silence, the echo of her bunnies voice reverberating in her head slowly fading away.
Unbeknownst to all, the torn up bunny left behind. The voice gone and the plush never to be held by marisol again.
As the house fell silent, the muffled sound of sirens grew louder, cutting through the stillness. The neighbors had heard the screams, but they would arrive far too late to make sense of the horrors that had unfolded within.