Alya stood at dimly lit room, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at her family—her betrayers—her enemies. Their faces were frozen in disbelief, confusion, and fear. But it wasn't the fear that made her heart race. No, it was the power she now held over them.
Her hands were trembling, not from fear, but from the exhilaration that rushed through her veins like wildfire. The rage, the anguish, it was all there, boiling beneath her skin. And with it, a sickening sense of pleasure. She had become what they never thought she could. She had become strong.
"You sold me," Ayla repeated, her voice low and guttural, every syllable sharp and jagged like broken glass. "You sold me to survive. And now I'm here to make you pay for it."
Her mother shrank back, her eyes wide as she took a step away from Ayla, her hands trembling in the air as though trying to ward off an invisible threat. "Ayla, please—"
"Please?" Ayla's voice was thick with mockery. "You want me to beg for your forgiveness now? You think after all this time, after everything you did to me, I would just forget? That I would just go back to being that weak, obedient little girl?"
Ayla's eyes locked onto Emilia, her sister, standing to the side, watching with a strange, calculating look in her eyes. She hadn't spoken, not yet, but her presence alone filled the room with a chilling tension.
"You," Ayla said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "you were the one who laughed when they sold me. You were the one who helped them plan it. You were the one who turned me over to them like an animal."
Emilia's lips curled into a cruel smile, a coldness in her eyes that sent a shiver down Ayla's spine. "It's just the way things are, Ayla. It's survival. You were a liability. Weak. The world doesn't have time for weakness anymore."
Ayla's hand gripped the hilt of the knife at her side, the cool metal a steady reminder of everything she had become. But this was only the beginning. The game had changed, and Ayla wasn't going to be a pawn anymore.
"The world may not have time for weakness," Ayla said, her voice steady, "but you've made the mistake of thinking I'm still weak. You've made the mistake of underestimating me."
Before Emilia could respond, Ayla turned to her father, who was sitting at the head of the table, his large frame hunched over, his eyes hard. The same man who had called her worthless. Who had sold his own daughter to save his skin.
"You." Ayla's voice was tight, a raw edge creeping into her tone. "You're the one who told me I would never amount to anything. That I was just a burden to this family."
Her father's lips twisted into a grimace. "You were. You still are."
Ayla's fingers twitched around the knife. "I'm done with being a burden. I'm done with being your weakness."
A beat of silence passed. No one spoke, no one moved. Ayla could feel the tension building, the air thick with the weight of her words.
"Don't think for one second," Ayla continued, "that I haven't thought about what I'm going to do to each and every one of you. This—" she gestured to the blood on her hands, "—is just the beginning."
Her mother backed up, almost stumbling over herself in her haste to escape the room. "Ayla… please…"
But it was too late. The monster they had created was awake now, and there was no going back.
---
The system's voice sounded in her mind, a cold reminder that the path she was walking was only getting darker.
[Secondary Mission Unlocked: Conquer the Family.
[Objective: Eliminate All Threats in Immediate Vicinity.]
[Rewards: +200 Experience Points. Special Skill Unlocked.]
Ayla's eyes narrowed, the words flashing in her mind like a warning sign. She didn't need the system to tell her what to do. She had already made her decision.
She was going to tear her family apart. Piece by piece. And when they begged for mercy, when they finally understood the depths of their betrayal, she would show them just how far she had fallen.
---
She didn't wait for them to make the first move. Ayla took a step forward, her gaze never leaving her father. "You think you can still control me, don't you?" she whispered. "You think you can still call the shots. Well, you're wrong."
Her father's eyes narrowed, his hand shooting out to grab a gun from the side of the table. But before he could raise it, Ayla was already there, her hand a blur as she twisted his wrist, disarming him in a single fluid motion.
"You think you can intimidate me with weapons?" she spat. "With your power?"
Her father recoiled in shock, and that's when she made her move. Ayla struck first—swift, precise, the knife sinking into his side. Not enough to kill him, but enough to make him scream.
He dropped to his knees, clutching at the wound, his face twisted in pain and disbelief. "You… you'll regret this…"
"I'm already past regret," Ayla replied, her voice chilling.
Emilia made a move to run, but Ayla was faster, grabbing her sister by the wrist and slamming her against the wall with enough force to knock the wind from her lungs.
"You sold me, Emilia," Ayla hissed, her lips curling into a sinister smile. "You thought I was weak. That I wouldn't come back. You thought I'd beg for your forgiveness." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. "You were wrong."
With a twist of her wrist, Ayla snapped Emilia's arm back with a sickening crack. The scream that followed was music to her ears. Her sister crumpled to the floor, sobbing in agony, her body trembling with fear.
---
Ayla stepped back, watching as her family writhed in pain, their cries echoing in the room. She could feel the weight of her power now—feel the satisfaction that came with the revenge she had longed for.
But this wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.
The system's voice came again, a new message flashing in her mind:
[Bonus Reward Unlocked: "Crimson Fury" – Unleash Your Full Power.]
[Warning: Will Trigger Catastrophic Events.]
Ayla hesitated, but only for a moment. The decision was hers to make. There would be no turning back. She could feel the rage building inside her, the power bubbling under her skin, waiting to be unleashed.
With a twisted smile, Ayla spoke the words she knew would change everything.
"Crimson Fury."
---
The world seemed to explode in a wave of heat, as though the very air around her had ignited. Her body surged with energy, her mind sharpened to an almost unbearable clarity. The power was intoxicating.
Her family watched, wide-eyed, as Ayla's form shifted, her eyes glowing with an unnatural fire. She could feel their fear, but it didn't matter. It was too late.
---