Hero? More like a villain-Chapter 44 - 41: What is Iris?

"Iris, are you alright?" Jennifer’s soft voice pulled Iris back to reality. She sat on the edge of the bed, her concerned eyes studying her daughter’s trembling body. She was cleaned up now from all that blood.

"Mama..." Iris’s voice cracked as she clutched the blanket tightly. "Where’s Aunt Sally?" Her eyes, once so vibrant, were now dull and lifeless, haunted by what she had done.

Jennifer stiffened but forced a calm expression. "Sally is busy, sweetheart. You’ll see her later," she said, her voice steady, though the lie felt like poison on her tongue.

Iris’s hands trembled as she stared at Jennifer, her disbelief evident. "But Mama... I saw her. I saw her head... she was—" Her voice broke, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Jennifer reached out and clasped her daughter’s shaking hands. "Iris, listen to me. Tell me everything," she urged gently, her heart breaking at the fear etched into her daughter’s face.

Iris took a shuddering breath, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she recounted the horrifying dream. She told Jennifer about the tantalizing aroma, the walking food, and the joy of devouring it—only to awaken in a nightmare of blood, gore, and the horrifying realization of what she’d done.

When she finished, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Mama, I’m so scared," she sobbed, throwing her arms around Jennifer.

Jennifer hugged her tightly, stroking her hair in soothing motions. "It’s okay, my darling. I’m here. You’re safe now," she murmured, though her mind raced with unease.

As Iris’s sobs subsided, Jennifer whispered softly, "Now, try to sleep. You need your rest."

A strange wave of calmness washed over Iris, her eyelids growing heavy. She blinked a few times, fighting the exhaustion, but soon gave in, her breathing evening out as sleep claimed her.

Jennifer lingered by the bedside for a moment, brushing strands of hair from Iris’s face before quietly standing and leaving the room. She closed the door gently, her expression hardening as she turned down the hall.

"I need to report this to Isakawa," she muttered under her breath, her jaw tightening. "Something is definitely wrong with Iris. And we need to find out exactly what happened to her After the family games."

_________

"What just happened? Jane, explain yourself!" Tael demanded, his voice sharp as his eyes swept over the blood-streaked hallways and the lifeless bodies of former maids sprawled across the floor. He had just returned from an errand, only to be greeted by the grim aftermath. Jennifer, Mark, and Jane sat in silence on the couch nearby, their expressions somber.

Tael’s gaze lingered on the scene, unmoved by the gore—it wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed such carnage. What troubled him was the revelation that Iris, a child, had managed to kill Sally, a D-Class Lancer, while unleashing the power of a B-Class combatant.

The thought gnawed at him. How could Iris achieve something so impossible?

"The Family Games..." Tael mused silently, his brow furrowed. ’Ever since the games, her aura has felt... off. Something must’ve happened during that time.’

His gaze flicked to Jennifer, who was visibly seething. Her tightly clenched fists betrayed her restrained fury. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Jane," Tael repeated, his tone firm. "I asked you a question. What happened?"

Jane trembled, her hands gripping her lap tightly as she fought back tears. "What is that child?" she whispered, her voice laced with despair.

"I don’t know," Tael replied flatly. His patience thinned. "But what did you see?"

Jane hesitated, her face darkening as the horrific memory replayed in her mind. Despite being a Morphosis, the terror she’d experienced gripped her heart like a snake around it.

"That purple and black eye..." Jane’s voice faltered. "And her hair—it had purple and black stripes. I’ll never forget it. Sally and I were patrolling the house when we noticed a strong stench of blood. We decided to follow it." She paused, her fingers trembling as she clutched her knees. "That’s when we found her... eating one of the maids."

Jennifer flinched, her composure cracking for a moment.

"She was crouched over the body, covered in blood. We called her name, tried to snap her out of it, but... nothing." Jane’s voice shook. "Then, all of a sudden, she turned on us with blood claws—huge, sharp, and dripping. Her expression was blank, like she wasn’t even there. She was in a trance."

Tael’s eyes narrowed as he absorbed the information.

"We tried to fight back," Jane continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, "but something... something suppressed our abilities. We couldn’t activate our powers. It was like some invisible force was keeping us frozen."

"And then?" Tael pressed, leaning forward.

"Sally was the first to fall." Jane’s voice broke, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I watched her get stabbed by Iris’s claws. And then... Iris started devouring her. Alive."

The room fell deathly silent, the weight of her words suffocating.

"I was next," Jane whispered. "She turned to me, her claws gleaming, her eyes empty. I... I didn’t want to die." Her voice cracked as she sobbed openly. "I screamed for help, hoping someone—anyone—would hear. Mark did. He called Jennifer. But no matter how much we begged her to stop, she didn’t even flinch. She didn’t hear us. She wasn’t... Iris at that time."

"Before Jennifer arrived, she ate my leg," Jane continued, her tone eerily calm. The room went silent, the weight of her words pressing down on everyone present.

Though Jane was a Morphosis, immune to physical pain and capable of regeneration, this was the first time in six years she had truly felt pain.

"I don’t understand what’s happening to the young miss," Jane admitted, her voice hoarse and tinged with fear. She sighed, glancing at Jennifer, whose fingers anxiously tapped against the chair.

"At first, before her awakening, Iris genuinely loved meat," Jane began. "It was harmless at first, just a preference. But over time, there were... incidents. Times when she’d eat raw meat without hesitation, as though she didn’t even realize it wasn’t cooked. We thought it was strange, but nothing alarming."

Jennifer’s brow furrowed, and she stopped biting her nails, her full attention on Jane.

"The strangest event," Jane continued, "was when Iris ate a monster heart that Sir Isakawa had acquired. It was meant for research, not consumption, but Iris somehow got hold of it. We feared the worst—humans who’ve attempted to consume monster hearts seeking power often perish or fall gravely ill. Yet... nothing happened to her. She was perfectly fine."

Tael’s expression darkened, his fingers rubbing his glabella as he listened.

"This incident," Jane went on, "raised Sir Isakawa’s suspicions. He believed Iris might possess an unusual ability, something beyond what we’d seen before. That’s when he began experimenting. At first, he started small, adding a single drop of monster blood to her drinks. Monster blood is highly toxic to humans, capable of killing them almost instantly. But Iris showed no reaction."

Jennifer’s fists tightened, her knuckles whitening as Jane continued.

"When nothing happened, we increased the dosage, doubling the amount in her food and liquids. Still, she showed no adverse effects. It was as though her body had adapted—or perhaps, it had always been different. Sir Isakawa theorized that Iris’s tolerance might stem from something... unnatural within her."

Jane hesitated, her eyes darting between Tael and Jennifer. "But we never anticipated this. Not... this." She clenched her hands, her voice trembling. "The Iris I saw today was unrecognizable. Her strength, her ferocity—it wasn’t human. Her collar didn’t work!"

Jennifer stood up abruptly, pacing the room. Her normally composed demeanor had given way to visible agitation.

"Iris is my daughter," Jennifer said firmly, though her voice cracked. "How dare he does this without my consent!" She yelled slamming her hand against a pillar shattering it into dust immediately. It was clear she was angry. Even though she had lost most of her powers she still kept her strength.

Jennifer coughed delicately into her handkerchief, pulling it back to reveal a faint bloodstain. Her lips pressed into a thin line as her face flushed with frustration. ’How could Isakawa not mention this to me?’ she thought, her gaze flicking toward Jane, who sat expressionless, as though detached from the severity of the situation. ’The child has endured so much—losing her best friend on top of everything else.’

Across the room, Tael clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding audibly. ’Isakawa, what in the gods’ names have you been thinking?’ His hands balled into fists, but he forced himself to remain silent.

_____

When Iris woke again, she blinked blearily, startled to see her father, Isakawa, seated beside her. He held a thick, leather-bound book in his hands, though his sharp eyes flicked up from its pages the moment she stirred. Iris’s fingers instinctively reached for her neck, her face falling when she felt the familiar weight of the choker her father insisted she wear at home. She hated it.

Her lips turned into a small pout as she sat up, avoiding Isakawa’s piercing gaze. Yet, the moment her father placed the book down and leaned closer, his expression softening, Iris burst into tears. Without thinking, she threw herself into his arms, clutching his shirt tightly.

Isakawa’s expression didn’t waver, but he wrapped an arm around her protectively, patting her back gently.

Jennifer and Doctor Yong Feng entered the room quietly, pausing near the doorway. Jennifer’s heart ached at the sight of her daughter clinging to Isakawa so desperately, but she kept her composure, choosing instead to observe.

"Iris," Isakawa spoke gently, pulling her back just enough to look into her tear-streaked face, "can you tell me what happened at the Family Games?"

Iris sniffled, wiping her face with her sleeve. "At the Family Games...?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes!" Jennifer interjected, stepping forward. Her tone was firm but not unkind. "Your eyes when they changed colour. And those... dark knights. Iris, we need to know. And how you discovered the Guardian?"

Iris’s eyes widened, panic flickering across her features. Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of her blanket. "I... I didn’t mean to!" she cried. "It just happened! I don’t know what really happened!"