"?????????'? ??????"

Iris's eyes were a fiery red, her pulse racing as the masked figure stepped closer, a calm yet eerie presence in the chaos of the house. His hand reached toward her, and she instinctively recoiled, her breath shallow as she summoned the power to defend herself once more.

But there was something different in his eyes—something cold but almost… familiar.

Her heart pounded in her chest, but for a moment, she allowed the silence to stretch between them. The walls of the house creaked and groaned as if the very building was alive, suffocating her, trapping her in its grip. The weight of Nathan's absence was like a heavy stone pressing on her chest, but she fought to keep her voice steady.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice strained, yet firm. She stared into the figure’s glowing blue eyes, searching for some shred of humanity, something that might explain why he was doing this.

He paused, his hand inches from her face. A flicker of something—perhaps hesitation—flashed across his expression. He had expected defiance, perhaps anger, but this question… this question struck him harder than any attack she could throw.

“Why…?” Iris repeated, her voice barely a whisper now, but full of raw pain. “You’re an anomaly, too. You know what it’s like. So why are you helping them? Why are you hunting me?”

The figure’s expression softened for just a moment, his eyes flickering with something darker—regret? Guilt?

Then, without a word, he stepped back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he gathered his thoughts.

"You think you're the only one who's suffered, Iris?" His voice was colder now, distant. "We all suffer. We’re not the ones in control here. Not you, not me. We don’t get to choose what happens to us. They… they have plans for you. They always have.”

Iris’s heart sank, the sting of his words like a slap to her face. She shook her head in disbelief, a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill over her eyes. “But you… you were one of us. You know what they’re doing to people like us!”

The figure’s lips curled into a bitter smile, though it lacked any warmth. “I know exactly what they’re doing. But you don’t understand. Not yet. There are things at play that you’re too young to understand. There are bigger forces than us, Iris. Forces that decide who lives and who dies. And they’ve decided it’s your turn to play their game.”

Iris stepped back, a small sob escaping her lips. “So, this is your choice? To stand with them? To make me a pawn in some sick game?”

The figure’s face hardened again. “I didn’t choose any of this. I was born into it, just like you were. But we don’t get to decide. I’ve already made my choice.”

Iris’s mind raced, trying to process his words, but the weight of what he was saying suffocated her. Nathan had chosen to protect her, had made sacrifices to keep her safe. But this man, this anomaly who should have been on her side, had already given up.

"You’re wrong," Iris said, her voice shaky but firm. "I’ll never be a pawn. I’ll never be part of their game." Her heart ached for Nathan, but her will was stronger now than it had ever been. She clenched her fists, her power still crackling within her, waiting to be unleashed.

The figure gave a small, sorrowful shake of his head. “You don’t understand. You never will.”

Before Iris could react, the air around her seemed to shift, thickening with tension. The walls started to close in again, but this time, they weren’t the only thing shifting. The figure raised his hand and the space between them seemed to stretch, his power growing with every passing second.

"I didn't want it to be this way, Iris," the figure said, his voice low, almost mournful. "But you're too dangerous to leave unchecked. And if I don't do this, someone else will."

Tears spilled from Iris's eyes now, but they weren’t tears of fear—they were tears of frustration. "I never wanted this," she whispered. "I just want to be free. I just want to live."

For a moment, the figure hesitated, as if he too were conflicted. But his expression hardened once again, the brief vulnerability quickly masked by cold resolve.

“Sometimes, freedom comes at a price,” he said, stepping back. “And yours is the price they’re willing to pay.”

Iris gritted her teeth, her hands trembling with rage. But she wouldn't give up. Not now, not when she was so close to losing everything she had fought for.

“I'm not going with you,” she spat through clenched teeth.

And with that, she released the full force of her power, the very air around her shifting as the world seemed to bend in her wake.