Chapter 4 – The Weight of Shadows
The world trembled under the grip of Mani Wa. The shards of illusions still floated, trapping each one in their own damnation.
Kael was still a prisoner. His screams tore through the air, but nothing broke the invisible chains that bound him. Before him, his sister cried, pleading for help, as his stepfather advanced, eyes drowned in cruelty.
— Run, Kael! Save yourself! shouted his sister.
And suddenly, the world changed.
The scene faded, giving way to an even deeper, more painful memory. Kael was running through the forest, panting, his face covered in tears. Behind him, his house burned. But he hadn't taken his sister. He had fled.
— No… stop… I don't want to see this again…
His legs began to tremble. He recalled the days that followed. Days without eating, without sleeping. Wandering like a wounded beast. Then a miracle: a dog, as famished as he, who had followed him. Kael had named him Baby. His only companion in his wanderings, they shared scraps, cold nights, fears.
But one evening… starving, on the brink of madness, Kael had committed the unforgivable. He had pounced on Baby. His teeth sank into the creature's flesh. His hands trembled as he devoured his only dying friend, eyes filled with sadness.
— You see, Kael, a voice whispered in his mind. You have always been nothing but a coward and a monster. You betrayed your sister. You ate your friend. You are nothing.
Kael collapsed to his knees, his fists pounding the bloody ground. His screams echoed, but no one came. His chains thickened even more.
_I want to die, please kill me._
On her side, Tara was reliving the death of her little brother. Every time she thought she had lost him forever, he reopened his eyes, staring at her with a pleading gaze.
— Don't leave me, Tara… I know I'm dead, but… even if this is all an illusion… I am still here. My spirit is here.
The words hit her like a punch. Was it really her brother? Or just a cruel trick of Mani Wa? It didn't matter. She felt her heart tear apart, unable to turn her back on that voice.
She tightened her arms around the lifeless body, but the more she held him, the colder and stiffer he became, like a statue of ice.
— You will never be able to save me.
She screamed, refusing the truth.
In the midst of these mental prisons, Suo had freed himself. His eyes shone like two flames of obsidian. He walked toward Mani Wa, each step extinguishing a little more of the illusions around him.
— So you dare to challenge me? sneered the sorcerer.
Suo extended a hand, and the darkness began to dance around him, taking form.
— I am a demon hunter. And you… you are nothing but prey.
The shadows leapt at Mani Wa, claws and spears shooting from the darkness. The sorcerer parried with a gesture, unleashing green flames that consumed part of the shadows.
The ground cracked under the violence of their strikes. The shadowy lances struck like blades, while Mani Wa countered with demonic runes, each spell warping the air around them.
Suo roared:
— Devouring Eclipse!
A black sphere erupted from his palms, sucking in the light, engulfing the space. Mani Wa was forced to retreat, tatters of his cloak torn away by the energy.
— Interesting… You are not like the others, murmured the sorcerer, his eyes lighting up with a mad glow.
Meanwhile, Seth had torn himself free from his prison. The voice of the girl from Hell still echoed within him, but he refused to give in. Around him, the villagers… transformed into animated corpses, their empty eyes and decomposed bodies.
They staggered toward him, croaky screams escaping from their dead throats.
Seth gritted his teeth, his fists igniting with burning flames.
— Forgive me… but I have no choice.
His flames surged, incinerating the front ranks. But for every zombie reduced to ashes, two others emerged from the darkness. Soon, he was surrounded, breath short, heart racing.
As Seth and Suo fought with all their might, Mani Wa, cornered, burst into laughter.
— Very well… you have earned the right to see what I truly hide.
He tore open his chest with a gesture, unleashing a tide of black blood. The ground opened into a gaping chasm. Colossal claws emerged, followed by a monstrous silhouette rising from Hell.
A titanic, deformed creature, with hundreds of arms, its face covered in weeping eyes and howling mouths. Its voice resonated like a maternal wail.
— Mama… is hungry.
The demon towered above the village. With a single motion, it crushed an entire house, reducing its inhabitants to bloody pulp. Screams echoed, roofs collapsed, fire spread.
Suo, frozen in horror, stammered:
— What is… this…?
Mani Wa, laughing like a lunatic:
— This is the fruit of my pact. One of the demons from Hell. The gentle Mama.
The monster howled, and its breath alone exploded several villagers into shreds. Blood flowed through the streets. Seth, paralyzed, felt his throat constrict.
— We… we can't…
Suo, dark-eyed, clenched his shadowy fists.
— Yes. We must.
But deep inside, he knew: this was no longer just a fight. It was a war against something that should never have existed.
To be continued….