HELLBOUND

5. The Black Hand

Today Armand did not return to Vichir's house. Instead, he secretly went to his grandparents' house. Daemon's words bothered him greatly. How could all these deaths be because of the Sacred Stone on him? He never felt like receiving a stone from his mother. Especially after a year of quitting, Armand doesn't know how Alexa, his mother, is doing. Where is she, is she still alive, or why isn't Alexa looking for Armand.

"Why did things turn out like this?" Armand muttered while looking at the ruins of his grandparents' house inside his car.

In that house, there are lots of memories stored. Armand, who had no father since childhood, was raised with love by his grandparents and his mother. Now they are not there because of a tragic incident. Moreover, he is considered the cause of all this.

While daydreaming in the car, someone suddenly knocked on his car window. Suddenly Armand came to his senses. He looked outside the car and saw his college friend, Lisa. Armand hurriedly opened the car window.

"Lisa, right?" Armand tried to confirm first.

"Yeah, I am Lisa, your friend in the Computer department. What are you doing here?" Lisa was surprised when Armand was in front of a destroyed house. "No one has dared to come here since this house was destroyed.

Armand tries to remember who Lisa is. He had lived in this neighborhood for a long time but had no idea that a girl named Lisa was there.

"You live in this area?" he asked.

"Hmm, yeah. It's only been six months. My house is just down the road," Lisa answered, pointing to the front.

Armand nodded. Actually, he does not really care. But it was better because Lisa did not recognize him.

"Why are you here, Armand?" she asked. "The house is haunted. Don't go there."

"Haunted?" Armand smiled cynically because of Lisa's words. "I don't believe in ghosts."

'I've even seen a devil. Why am I afraid of ghosts,' thought Armand.

"Alright? I also find that ridiculous. It's 2024. How could there be such myths?" she said. "I heard from people here that there was a teenager whose condition was not known until now in this house when it caught fire. Nobody knows if he survived or not."

"Oh, poor boy," Armand said. However, he knew what Lisa said was himself.

"Erm, there's something strange. I often see an adult woman standing in front of this house." Again Lisa said something.

"Adult woman?" Armand was surprised. He assumed it was his mother. "When?"

"Hmm?" Lisa started to think. "Not every day because I meet randomly. Only a few times after school.

Armand was getting curious. He was sure it was his mother. He was sure his mother knew about the Sacred Stone. If not, there's no way she could escape. Why didn't she look for Armand? Did she deliberately give Armand to the devil?

"Would you like to give me your number?" Armand asked Lisa.

"Oh, sure." Lisa immediately took out her phone. "What's your number?"

Armand also gave his number to Lisa, and a few moments later, Lisa called Armand. "This is my number," said Lisa. She looked at Armand with a slight tap of his leg. "You want to come over to my house?"

Armand looked at Lisa. She seemed to be inviting Armand to be introduced to her parents only. "Oh, thanks, Lisa. But I have to go. I have something to do. I'll call you."

"Oh, alright. You are a busy man. Okay. I understand." Lisa looked disappointed. And that amused Armand. "I have to go home too. My mother will look for me. Bye, Armand.

"Bye, Lisa."

Lisa stepped away. Armand looked at her from inside the car. There seems to be a good change now. The women began to be attracted to him. Even though in the past, no one even wanted to be close to Armand. Aside from his unattractive appearance, Armand too often becomes the object of bullying by Vero and his friends. No woman likes a weak man.

Because it had been long enough to see his grandparents' house. Armand also decided to leave. The longer he stays here, the more guilt he will feel. Armand also took the initiative to go around town in his luxury car.

On the way, Armand thinks about his mother. Is it true that the woman Lisa said was Alexa? Where is she now? Those thoughts made Armand feel hungry. He also decided to stop at one of the restaurants around the streets of Archos. A simple restaurant.

Armand entered the restaurant. The place is so quiet. Only two or three people were eating there.

"Excuse me!" Armand called a maid. He could no longer hold back the hunger in his stomach.

A young woman appears. She approached Armand, who was already sitting at one of the tables.

"How may I help you, sir?" asked the woman.

"Sir?" muttered Armand. He felt the call was too formal for him. "I want to eat something delicious here. I ordered a portion for two people," said Armand.

"Alright. You don't mind our menu choices?"

"It's okay. I'm so hungry."

"Fine, I'll ask the chef to make some food for you. Just wait for ten minutes." After talking like that, the woman immediately left.

Armand waited for a few minutes while looking around. This restaurant is very simple, but the place is nice. But because it was quiet, Armand thought the food here wasn't good.

A few moments later, the woman who had delivered the food to Armand's table. The food smell served before him made Armand's stomach feel even more hungry.

"Please, Sir," said the woman.

"Thank you," replied Armand.

The woman immediately left. Meanwhile, Armand couldn't wait to eat his food. He saw a noodle meal with lots of vegetables cooked with several types of seafood. The food made Armand suddenly think of his mother. His mother used to cook this kind of food.

Without waiting, Armand immediately ate his food. When just one spoon entered his mouth, Armand suddenly stopped. Armand stared at the food. There is something strange. This food tastes exactly the same as his mother's cooking.

Armand's feelings suddenly became chaotic, but he continued that again.

After eating, Armand did not want to linger. He immediately wanted to pay for it. But the woman was not there at the checkout. He wondered why no one was waiting for the cashier, even though there were customers.

"Excuse me. I want to pay," said Armand.

It did not take long for him to come out of the restaurant. A mature woman who made Armand stunned when he saw her.

"Mom?" said Armand.

"A-Armand?" Alexa is also surprised to see her son. But she looked like she was afraid to meet her son. "Y-you're safe?"

Armand frowned. What kind of question is this? Why didn't his mother like it when Armand survived the tragedy a year ago?

Alexa suddenly dodged. She hurriedly walked into the interior of the restaurant. Armand, who felt his mother's strange attitude, immediately rushed after her.

"Mom! Mom!"  Armand called.

Alexa escapes through the back door. She passed through a small alley behind the restaurant. Her steps seemed very hasty.

"Mom, wait! What happened to you? Why have you been avoiding me? Why haven't you been looking for me all this time!" Armand must know why his mother avoided him.

"Go! Don't follow me!" shrieked Alexa. She did not want her son to follow her as if she had something to hide.

Alexa kept running. And Armand kept chasing her from behind. When they reached a blind alley, Alexa couldn't go anywhere.

"Go away! You can't be here! You are a devil! Go away!" shrieked Alexa.

"Mom?" Armand was disappointed when his mother took care of him since childhood. The mother, who had always been the only parent he had, now asked him to leave as if he was a disgrace. "Why are you doing this to me? You know that it's not my fault!"

"Yes, you're right. It's not your fault. It's my fault for believing in men too easily, so I have a son like you. Go. I don't want to be with you anymore. Just live with your new identity!" said Alexa. The words contrasted with the tears falling down her cheeks. The sentence that came out was not something she wanted.

"You know about Sacred Stones…."

"Don't say it!" Alexa shouted. She seems afraid of something.

"Mom?" Armand found his mother strange. He knew very well that his mother was not like this. His mother loved Armand very much. "Tell me. If something's bothering you, tell me, Mom!"

Suddenly, behind the wall of the blind alley, a hole was surrounded by fire. Alexa was getting scared when she saw the gaping hole getting bigger.

"Go! Hurry, Armand. Go! Leave me alone!" Alexa screamed in fear.

Armand does not want to leave his mother. There was a ghastly black hand sticking out from the fire pit. The black hand pulled Alexa's hand until Alexa screamed in fear.

Armand, who panicked, ran towards his mother and grabbed her body.

"Armand, don't! Please, please don't, Armand!" Alexa shouted.

"I will help you. Don't worry, Mom. I am here!" Armand insisted on helping his mother. He even blatantly turned into a devil form in front of his mother to make Alexa widen her eyes.

"You... you really became a devil?"

Armand could not explain anything to his mother. Now is not the right time. Armand's strength multiplied when it turned like this. He pulled his mother's body, hitting the black hand.

"Let go of my mother, Idiot!" shouted Armand.

The black hand was very strong. Armand wanted to quickly get the black-handed man out of the fire pit, but he was still too weak.

"Aaargh!"

Armand did not want to give up. He must do anything for his mother. Armand's strength increased when his mother screamed in pain. Alexa couldn't take it anymore because the hand kept pulling her hand.

"Mom!" shrieked Armand.

"Let's go of me, Armand. It hurts," said Alexa.

"No, Mom! I will help you. You have to tell me where the Sacred Stone is! I don't want to get involved in the affairs of this universe!" said Armand.

Alexa had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Armand. I got you involved. Aaargh…."

"Mom!" Once again, Armand became very panicked.

"Remember that as long as you are with the stone, no one will be able to kill you. I'm sorry for getting you into this. You can do it, Armand." Alexa took her son's hand, who was holding her hand. Then she let go of the hand. "Goodbye, Armand."

"No! No! Mom! No!" Armand screamed as Alexa's body was pulled into the fire pit. After Alexa's body disappeared, the hole slowly disappeared.

Armand did not remain silent. He immediately approached the wall, pounding it down and sending others pouring in at the sound of something collapsing. Fortunately, Armand has returned to human form. People saw her crying near the ruins.

"What happened?

"Hey, fallen wall."

"Quickly call an ambulance. There are people here."

The situation suddenly became chaotic.

****

Armand returns to Vichir's house and tries to find out where Viserys is.

"Viserys! Viserys! Where are you?" shrieked Armand. He looked really rushed.

Brandon appeared in the living room and saw Armand in a hurry.

"Armand?" said Brandon.

"Where's Viserys?" he asked.

"He's not here right now," Brandon replied.

Armand rushed to Viserys' room. He did not want to believe what Brandon said. And sure enough, Viserys was sitting and reading a book in the room. Very old-looking book.

"Viserys. Save my mother!" Armand did not want to stall. If you want Sacred Stones. Save her!"

Very sighed. He put down his book and looked at Armand.

"I thought you were mad at me and didn't want to return to this house?" Viserys said.

"Oh, Fuck! Now is not the right time to talk about sentimentality. My mother is in danger! She is being taken away by a strange creature in a black hole!" shrieked Armand.

"What?" Armand was surprised by Armand's words. "That's impossible."

Armand was confused. Looks like Viserys knows something.

"Tell me, Viserys! You know something. You hid something from me!" Armand pressed. "Save my mother!"

Viserys looked at Armand. His gaze seemed to be directed to something.

"You're right. Your mother needs to be saved. But not me. I can't do it," said Viserys.

Armand couldn't believe it. "What? Why? You are the devil king. You are stronger than anyone here!"

"It's not that I can't fight him. But he can't fight me. He won't let your mother go because that creature is your father… Vichir." Viserys said.