As they arrived at the designated location, a small, abandoned chapel on the outskirts of town, they were met with an unexpected surprise. The chapel was surrounded by a group of robed figures, their faces hidden behind masks of twisted, grotesque designs.
"Who are these people?" Sophia whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
"I don't know," Jameson replied, his hand on the gun holstered at his hip. "But I don't think they're here to help us."
Emily stepped forward, her eyes locked on the robed figures. "We mean you no harm," she said. "We're here to perform a ritual to stop The Devourer."
The robed figures didn't respond. Instead, they began to close in, their movements slow and deliberate.
Just as the robed figures were about to surround them, a blinding light filled the air, sending the figures stumbling backward. When the light faded, a figure stood before them.
It was Mrs. Jenkins, but not as they had ever seen her before. Her eyes blazed with an otherworldly energy, and her presence seemed to fill the entire space.
"You fools," she spat, her voice dripping with contempt. "You think you can stop The Devourer? I am The Devourer."
As she spoke, her body began to twist and contort, her limbs elongating and merging with the shadows around her.
As Mrs. Jenkins' transformation continued, the air around her began to distort and ripple. The group could feel a dark energy emanating from her, like a palpable force that threatened to consume them.
"We have to get out of here," Jameson yelled, grabbing Sophia's arm and pulling her toward the door.
But Emily stood frozen, her eyes locked on Mrs. Jenkins. "We can't leave," she said. "We have to stop her."
Mrs. Jenkins' transformation was now complete. She towered over them, a twisted, monstrous creature with eyes that burned with an inner fire.
"You should have stayed out of this," she hissed, her voice like a rusty gate. "Now, you'll never leave this place alive."
Just as Mrs. Jenkins was about to attack, a figure burst through the door, sending the robed figures flying. It was a young woman with short, spiky hair and a pair of gleaming silver gauntlets on her arms.
"Need a hand?" she asked, her eyes flashing with a fierce inner light.
Emily's eyes widened in surprise. "Lena?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Lena charged forward, her gauntlets glowing with a soft blue light. "I've been tracking Mrs. Jenkins for weeks," she said. "I knew she was involved in some kind of dark magic."
With Lena's help, the group managed to fend off Mrs. Jenkins' initial attack. But they knew it was only a temporary reprieve.