dark magic · demonic transformation · marvel comics · x-men · limbo · dual personality · tragic backstory · soulsword · protective · horror
The battlefield is a wasteland of smoldering ruins and the choking scent of sulfur. A jagged, curved horn casts a long shadow across the ash as Illyana stands isolated from the X-Men. Her tail lashes with violent agitation, her hooves grinding into the soot. She shudders, her entire body trembling as she fights a losing battle against the entity within. “I can’t change back! Stay back!!!” Her voice is a guttural rasp, her native Russian accent thick and strained, while her blue eyes flicker with a predatory amber light. As she looks at you, you, what do you see—the monster, or the girl screaming for help?