111. Full attack..
THE FULL ATTACK ON THE BROOKS FAMILY--
The entity lunged.
Not like a creature—
like a collapsing void snapping toward Aiden.
Maximilian reacted first.
He grabbed Aiden by the back of his shirt and yanked him away with a force that shocked even Aiden.
"KYRON—MOVE!"
Kyron didn't hesitate.
He slammed forward with a metal rod he'd grabbed from the corridor, swinging it straight at the shadow—
The rod passed through the creature.
Like it wasn't even there.
Kyron staggered.
"What the—?!"
The shadow turned its twisted head toward him and shrieked—
a raw, bone-grinding sound that made every windowpane vibrate.
Chloe fell to her knees, hands over her ears, tears streaming down her face.
"A-Aiden! Max!! MAKE IT STOP—!"
Aiden's heart slammed against his ribs.
Maximilian pushed him behind himself, eyes blazing with fury.
"Stay behind me. Do NOT move. I don't care what happens."
The entity lunged again—
this time straight for Maximilian.
Max dodged by an inch, grabbing a vase and smashing it into the shadow's face—
It shattered through the creature, useless.
But something strange happened.
For the first time…
the entity hesitated.
It trembled.
It shrank back.
It was staring at Maximilian.
At something around Maximilian.
Something invisible.
Kyron saw it too and whispered shakily,
"…Max… what the hell is around you?"
Max didn't know.
But his instincts screamed:
The entity feared him.
Not because of him…
but because of something connected to him.
The shadow hissed, shaking with rage and suffering.
It wanted Aiden, but Max was standing in the way.
And if it couldn't kill the boy—
It would kill everyone else first.
---
AIDEN'S PANIC — CHLOE BREAKING DOWN — KYRON FIGHTING BACK---
Aiden pulled Chloe up and held her tightly.
Her entire body shook.
"Don't—don't leave me—"
"I'm not," Aiden whispered back, voice cracking.
"I'm here. I swear."
But his eyes were locked on the creature…
And the creature's eyes—
whatever they were—
were locked only on him.
Kyron, despite being terrified, stood beside Max again.
"Max… what do we do?! We can't hit it, can't touch it—"
Max's fists clenched.
"We stall. We protect them. We survive until backup arrives."
"Backup?" Kyron snapped.
"WHO? We don't have a damn exorcist on speed dial—"
Before Max could reply—
the shadow moved again.
Straight for Chloe.
Aiden shoved her behind him without thinking.
"HEY! TAKE ME—NOT HER!"
A roar tore out of the entity—
A sound of recognition.
It had found its prey.
Aiden.
Kyron tried once more to attack it, this time using a lit fireplace poker to slash at the shadow.
This time—
the entity screamed.
The fire hurt it.
Real fire.
Kyron's eyes widened.
"MAX!! FIRE! It's weak to fire—!!"
Max didn't waste a second.
He grabbed another burning log barehanded, ignoring the pain, and swung it like a weapon—
The flame burst across the entity's torso.
It recoiled violently, the shadows on its body burning away like dissolving ink.
It shrieked, retreating, twisting, contorting, but—
It wasn't dead.
Not even weakened enough.
Just… enraged.
---