"The Secret of the Black Butterfly"
I was trembling—not just from the cold that seeped into my bones, but from the terrifying realization that I might never get out of here.
I tried to move, to find any possible way out, but all I could see was darkness… and the entity that hadn't taken its eyes off me for a second.
"What are you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite its obvious shake.
The entity didn't respond right away. It stood there, as if studying me, testing my fear, then finally said in a low but chilling voice:
"I… have always been here."
A shiver ran down my spine. Always here? What did that even mean?
"I've never seen you before!" I cried, stepping back.
The entity tilted its head slightly, almost as if it was amused. "That's because you never opened the door before, Iris."
I gasped. How did it know my name?!
Before I could say another word, a strange sensation washed over me… the feeling that I was no longer alone.
Something else was watching me.
Slowly, with cold sweat forming on my forehead, I turned around—only to see them.
Eyes.
Hundreds of them.
Glowing in the darkness, staring at me, tracking my every movement. They weren't normal eyes. They came in eerie colors—some were ice blue, others burned a deep red, and some had no color at all, just shifting shadows in the void.
"What… what do they want?" I whispered, barely able to breathe.
The entity didn't move, but there was amusement in its voice as it said:
"They are waiting for your decision."
"My decision?!"
"Yes, Iris…" It stepped closer, and I could feel the freezing aura radiating from it. "Either you stay here… or you become one of them."
My heart stopped.
One of them?!
To be continued...