IMG2IMG getting worse


I'm working on a FLUX image and trying to enhance it using img2img - but every time I do, it somehow looks worse than before. Instead of getting more realistic or polished, the result ends up more stylized, mushy, or just shitty

Settings:

**LoRAs used:**
**Sampler:** Euler
**Steps:** 40
**CFG:** 1
**Distilled CFG Scale:** 2.7
**xFormers:** N/A for RTX 5080
**VAE / Text Encoder:** ae, Clip_l, t5xxl, e4m3fn

**Prompt:**
```

A woman dressed as a modern Queen of Hearts sits confidently on a dark, ornate baroque throne covered in red satin. She wears a black leather crop jacket with visible seams over a jeweled red and black corset. A red skirt with a high slit reveals a tattooed thigh and black combat boots. Her legs are crossed, and her hands rest naturally on the carved armrests. Her head is tilted slightly back, chin raised, as she looks down at the viewer with narrowed eyes and a faint, knowing smirk. Her skin has visible texture, with natural light creating soft highlights on her cheeks, collarbones, and knees. Her dark wavy hair falls over her shoulders, and a small golden crown with heart-shaped red gems rests on her head. On the floor, realistic rose petals are scattered. Behind her, a soft reddish haze adds depth but remains subtle and grounded. Above her, the words “Queen of Hearts” appear in three-dimensional metallic gold letters, clean and symmetrical, fixed in mid-air like a floating sign, catching the light as if part of the physical scene.

Her face is sharply defined, with high cheekbones, a slightly angular jawline, and a narrow, pointed nose. Her skin shows natural texture – visible pores, a faint sheen on the forehead and cheekbones from stage lights, and a slight crease between her brows. Her eyes are almond-shaped, dark brown, framed by thick lashes and smudged black eyeliner, with a confident, almost mocking gaze. One brow is subtly raised. Her lips are full and slightly parted, painted deep crimson, with a faint smudge at one corner – as if she just finished singing or took a sip of whiskey. Her expression is self-assured, playful, and just a little dangerous.
Her features resemble a blend between Megan Fox and Joan Jett, with a more rugged edge.

Above her head, the words “Queen of Hearts” appear in large, ornate golden letters with decorative flourishes and embedded ruby-like heart details. The metallic text is slightly arched, floating like a royal insignia, catching the ambient light with a soft gleam.
```

No source file, test, or entry point is identified. Start by reproducing the img2img result with the supplied FLUX settings, LoRA, sampler, prompt, and attached image, then compare the output against the original to determine whether the degradation is reproducible and caused by Forge. Done requires a confirmed cause or a clearly scoped fix.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.