Round 237

Hera's heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs as she stared at Jeane. The crimson glow of those eyes wasn't natural—wasn't human—and the way those shadowy wings unfurled from her back... it was wrong on every level. Fear clawed at Hera's insides, cold and sharp, but beneath it burned a hot coal of concern. She couldn't just stand there while Silra tried to hurt their friend.

"Silra, stop!" The words tore out of Hera, rough with desperation. "We can't hurt Jeane—she needs our help, not violence!" She whirled toward Halie next, her eyes wide and pleading. "Halie, please, do something! Your holy powers—can't you contain this somehow?" Hera's mind raced in useless circles as she spoke, finding no answers but the desperate need to try anyway. The forty-minute estimate they'd been given had long since expired—they were past their deadline and the building hadn't stopped demanding things.

She glanced around the room frantically, taking in the scattered tools and supplies they'd gathered for emergency repairs. None of it seemed useful against a succubus crisis. Hera's hands clenched into fists at her sides as she turned back to the others. "We have to do something—anything—to help Jeane before this gets worse." The words came out harsher than intended, fueled by her own terror and the simmering anger at feeling so utterly helpless.

Jeane was their friend—had been since that first day working together at the convenience store. Now she was... something else entirely. And Hera refused to believe there was no way to help her without resorting to violence or abandoning her completely.