CHAPTER 182

Chapter 182: Baby's Pace, Shadow's Chase

The monstrous paintbrush formed from the corrupted crystal shards, dripping with dark ink and aimed at Jenna, made the clearing feel like a twisted canvas of despair. Johnson, holding Salome close, felt a surge of protective love. He had to shield his children.

"No!" he roared, his voice echoing through the twisted trees. "You won't touch her!"

Salome, her face pale but her eyes shining with a fierce determination, stepped forward, her hands glowing with a rainbow energy. "We won't let you corrupt her art," she said, her voice strong. "Her creativity is a force for good, and we will protect it."

But as they prepared to fight, Jenna, her face radiant, her rainbow crystal pulsing brightly, stepped in front of them.

"It's okay," she said, her voice clear and strong. "I can handle this."

She raised her hands, and a wave of rainbow energy erupted from her, clashing with the monstrous paintbrush. The dark ink splattered and hissed, but it couldn't extinguish her light.

Johnson and Salome watched in awe as Jenna, their brave, talented daughter, held her own against the darkness, her art a weapon, her creativity a shield.

And then, a new sound filled the clearing, a sound that was both small and wondrous. A soft, gurgling sound, a sound that made their hearts melt.

It was Leo.

He was standing on his own, his tiny legs wobbling, his blue light pulsing gently. He was taking his first steps.

Johnson and Salome gasped, their attention momentarily diverted from the battle. They watched, their eyes filled with tears of joy, as their baby boy took another step, and another, his tiny hands reaching out for them.

"He's walking!" Salome whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and pure happiness.

Johnson nodded, his heart swelling with pride. "He's walking to us," he said, his voice rough with emotion.

The monstrous paintbrush faltered, its dark ink dripping slowly. Even the darkness seemed to pause, momentarily captivated by the miracle unfolding before them.

Jenna, her battle forgotten, turned to see her little brother, her face beaming. "Leo!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with delight. "You're walking!"

She ran to him, her rainbow energy swirling around her, and scooped him up in her arms, her laughter echoing through the clearing.

Johnson and Salome watched, their hearts overflowing with love. In the midst of the darkness, in the face of unspeakable evil, their family had found a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.

But their happiness was short-lived.

As Jenna held Leo, a new, horrifying detail emerged. Leo's blue light, usually a beacon of hope, began to flicker and dim. And as it dimmed, the monstrous paintbrush pulsed with a renewed energy, its dark ink flowing faster, its aim becoming more precise.

And then, a new voice echoed through the clearing, a voice that was both familiar and terrifyingly distorted.

"The time is near," the voice whispered, its tone filled with a chilling anticipation. "The birth… the birth will be the key. And the key… will unlock the final darkness. And the innocence… it will be corrupted."

And then, the monstrous paintbrush lunged, its dark ink aimed not at Jenna, but at Leo, at the very essence of his newborn innocence.