Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Chapter 9 The Perfect Household

Bang!

A gunshot rang out as Ivaim pulled the trigger, but the brown cat's instincts saved it—the creature darted aside just in time, and the bullet missed its mark.

Realizing that his ability, [Coin of Fortune], had run out, he moved to recast it. Before he could act, however, a bone-chilling scream erupted from the mutated woman, freezing him in place and forcing him to hesitate and delay his acitons.@@@@

A deep growl echoed as the mutated man charged at Ivaim, his heavy footsteps pounding against the floor. Ivaim dove to the side, rolling across the ground and sliding behind the couch for cover.

The mutated man's claws scraped the air where Ivaim had just been, narrowly missing him.

Steadying his breath, Ivaim raised his gun and aimed at the towering figure. His finger tightened on the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet tore into the mutated man's stomach, the impact forcing the creature to stagger back with a pained roar.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ivaim clenched his fist, reactivating [Coin of Fortune], and bolted toward the mutated woman, his eyes fixed on his next target.

The mutated woman, realizing Ivaim's intent, twisted her deformed body and opened her mouth wide, preparing to unleash another piercing scream.

Ivaim didn't hesitate. His hand shot up, gripping the gun firmly as he aimed and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet tore through the air, its path guided by the power of [Coin of Fortune], striking the mutated woman squarely in the skull.

Her head snapped back as the projectile punctured deep, silencing her instantly. She collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap, blood pooling beneath her.

Ivaim knew he didn't have much time. The delay in the mutated creatures' regeneration gave him only a brief opening.

Heart pounding, he quickly scanned the dimly lit room, his eyes darting over overturned furniture, broken glass, and shadows in search of the elusive brown cat.

'There!'

Ivaim's eyes locked onto the brown cat as it crouched behind an overturned chair. Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired.

[Fractured Reality is now crumbling...]

Just as the system notification echoed through the room, Ivaim watched in silence as the mutated man and woman's bodies began to melt, their twisted forms slowly dissolving into a puddle on the ground.

A final, haunting whisper escaped their lips, weak and full of pain.

"Adam... don't... leave me..."

The words barely reached Ivaim, but they were enough to make his heart tighten.

He stood frozen, feeling the weight of the moment—their sorrowful plea hanging in the air long after their voices had faded.

The television, which had been playing a loud, lively show moments ago, suddenly flickered and went quiet, the screen dimming as it changed.

On the screen, a boy appeared, smiling as he gently picked up a small, brown cat. They played together, laughing and happy, sharing moments of joy. The boy and the cat were best friends, completely inseparable.

But then, the scenes began to change. The laughter faded, and the boy was shown sitting in a dark room, bruises on his face.

His parents were yelling at him, and the boy looked scared. The cat watched from a distance, helpless, as the boy suffered.

As time passed, the boy grew weaker, his spirit broken. The cat stayed by his side, but the joy was gone from its eyes. In the final scene, the boy lay still, no longer moving.

The cat sat next to him, letting out a sad meow. But there was no one left to care. The screen went black, and the cat was left alone, abandoned in its grief.

As the television went silent, the brown cat, twitching weakly on the ground, slowly moved closer to Ivaim's legs. It rubbed its frail body against him and let out a soft, sad meow.

'I see... so this is your reality...'

Ivaim felt his heart break as he bent down, gently reaching out to pet the cat. The soft fur felt so fragile under his touch.

"Rest now, Moris. Adam is waiting for you out there."

He whispered quietly, trying to comfort the little creature. The cat gave one last, faint meow before closing its eyes. Its body slowly began to rot away, and the warmth left it forever.

[Fractured Reality: "The Perfect Household" has now ended.]