The red light pulsed within the temple, casting everything in a strange, unsettling color. Mother stood with a twisted smile, holding the mangled remains of Vell's heart in her hand.

Yenna saw this, and something inside her broke. 'He was right there. He was hurting, and I did nothing. I watched him die. No… that thing… that fucking thing killed him. I will tear it apart.'

Her body moved before she could think. With a furious scream, she lunged forward, her gauntlets glowing with an intense light. She did not care about a plan, she only wanted to make the monster in front of her feel the pain Vell had felt. She threw a series of punches, each one faster and stronger than the last, fueled by pure rage.

Mother simply chuckled, a low, condescending sound. She casually flicked one of her hands. Yenna was sent flying backward, crashing into the stone wall with much more force than before. She coughed up blood, pain exploding in her chest, but she pushed herself back up, her eyes still locked on Mother.

Wren, Mia, and Sia attacked next. They moved like blurs, their small bodies filled with a ferocity that defied their size. Wren's claws, now shimmering with a dark aura, slashed at Mother's legs. Mia and Sia leaped, biting and clawing at anything they could reach. However, their attacks were useless. Mother swatted them away as if they were nothing more than annoying insects, her expression bored.

"Is that all you possess?" Mother's voice, a chorus of mocking whispers, dripped with disdain. She glanced down at the destroyed heart in her hand. "He was such a beautiful creation. I cannot wait to mold all of you into his perfect image."

'I do not have much time,' Mother thought, her eyes scanning the room. 'This temporary vessel will not hold for long.'

She squeezed the pulped heart, and the dark mana around her swirled violently. The red light from the temple's symbols grew brighter, and the air became thick with corrupted energy, making it difficult to breathe. It felt as if the temple itself was now her weapon.

"It seems my fun is over, it is time to be serious," she said, moving her hands in a strange, weaving motion. A dark, complex circle began to form in the air before her. "Now, let us end this quickly. I still have work to do on his corpse."

Yenna felt her hope begin to drain away. They were completely outmatched. She looked at Wren, Mia, and Sia, who were all injured and exhausted. A part of her wanted to give up, to accept that this was the end. 'No. I cannot do that. I will not give up, not now, not ever. I will not let him down again.'

Just as they prepared for one final, desperate assault, something changed. There was a faint flicker of movement at the edge of their vision, like a shadow dancing where it should not be. A low growl came from the floor, followed by a heavy thud. The oppressive red light wavered, and the darkness receded slightly, revealing an impossible sight.

Vell was getting up.

His body was still a grotesque parody of its former self. His limbs were bent at unnatural angles, and his skin was a roadmap of dark, pulsating veins. But he was standing. His head was lifted, and his eyes, though still glowing with a dark red light, were no longer dull. They were sharp, filled with a cold and calculating intelligence.

"What… what is happening?" Mother's voice was filled with confusion. She stared at Vell, her confident smirk gone, replaced by disbelief. "That is not possible."

He looked up at her, and a faint smirk played on his lips. "You really thought that would be enough to kill me? You have severely underestimated me." His voice was different. It was deeper, colder, and resonated with a power that made her instinctively tremble.

He moved slowly, his body adjusting itself. With a series of sickening snaps and cracks, his twisted limbs straightened. The dark veins on his skin began to fade, and his complexion returned to normal. The red light in his eyes intensified, and a powerful, dark aura began to radiate from his body.

"I must admit, you made me very angry," Vell said. His voice was cold, but it carried a promise of brutal retribution.

Mother took a step back, her eyes wide with a fear she had not felt in centuries. She looked at the gaping, heartless hole in his chest and then back at his eyes. "How… how are you still alive?" she stuttered.

"Alive?" He laughed, a chilling, powerful sound that made the very stones of the temple vibrate. "I am something far beyond that now. You were the one who pushed me this far. You should be honored to be the first one to witness this power."

He looked at his hands, flexing his fingers as if testing his new strength. The glow in his eyes pulsed, and the mana around him swirled with an incredible, oppressive force. "This feeling is amazing. I feel like I could destroy everything in my path," he said to himself.

He then turned his gaze to Mother, his expression cruel and unforgiving. "Now, let us begin. I think I will start by breaking every single bone in your body."

Yenna and the others watched, completely stunned. This was not the Vell they knew. He was powerful, terrifying, and radiated an aura of pure menace. And yet, they could still see the same fiery determination in his eyes that had always pushed him forward.

He did not waste another moment. He moved with a speed that was impossible to follow, appearing directly in front of Mother in an instant. He grabbed her by the throat, his grip like a vice. She struggled, her claws scraping uselessly against his arm, but her efforts were futile. His power was absolute.

He lifted her into the air, his eyes now burning with a new, intense purple light. "Did you really think you could control me? Me? How laughable. You are nothing but a stepping stone on my path." His voice dripped with venom. "I saw what you did to my companions. Now it is your turn to suffer."

He tightened his grip. Suddenly, thick shadows erupted from the floor, wrapping around Mother's body like constricting serpents. They squeezed, and a sickening crunching sound filled the temple. All the while, Vell simply watched her, a calm, terrifying smile on his lips.

Mother could not even scream, her eyes were wide with a terror that went beyond the concept of death. She tried to fight back, to unleash her power, but it was useless. He held her in place, and the shadows did their work.

Yenna, Wren, Mia, and Sia could only stare in shock and horror. This was the same Vell, but it was also a completely different person, a monster born from darkness.

He was not holding back.

"Vell?" Yenna whispered, her voice trembling. She took a step back, frightened by him and the overwhelming power he now commanded.

Wren simply observed, trying to process the impossible scene before her. Mia and Sia looked as if they were about to faint.

The shadows finished their task, and the temple fell silent. The red light was gone, and the only things that remained were the new Vell and a palpable sense of dread. He dropped Mother's mangled corpse to the floor. The sound echoed in the silence. He then looked at his own hands with a slightly confused expression.

"Well," he said, his voice sounding more like his own, though it was still cold, "that was… unexpected."

He turned his gaze to the group, and a soft, familiar smile appeared on his lips. "So, did I do good?"

Yenna, still shaking, could not help but smile back through her tears. Yes, he did good. He always did.

"You were amazing," she replied, her voice still trembling. She felt her heart thumping in her chest, a chaotic mix of fear, relief, and a profound sense of awe. "Welcome back… Vell."

He smiled at her, a genuine smile that made her heart flutter. She knew then, no matter what he had become, no matter how dangerous, he was still the one she would follow to the ends of the world.

He was still her Vell.

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