Jonas was annoyed when he recognized Etham’s voice. He and Etham weren’t close, to say the least – they rarely got along, and their previous encounters were far from peaceful. In general, Jonas didn’t want to meet this person. Moreover, Jonas couldn’t figure out why Etham was following him; he feared Etham might be causing trouble or stirring up issues for him. That’s why Jonas quickened his pace to leave Etham behind.Seeing Jonas walk even faster and his shadow growing distant, Etham felt extremely panicked. The road was pitch-black, with no streetlights, and the snowfall never ceased, while the wind howled relentlessly. If another snowstorm occurred as it had before, Etham would be completely alone and likely meet his end. Besides, this village had countless mysterious and malevolent entities, ghosts, and demons. If they found Etham attractive, he would be in grave danger.With these thoughts, Etham broke out in a cold sweat, his hands and feet trembling. He couldn’t afford to lose
Etham could hardly believe his eyes. He stared upwards, overwhelmed by the pain that he couldn’t react to quickly. It was the first time in his life he had experienced such intense physical pain. About thirty seconds later, Etham could finally respond. His hand seemed like it wanted to detach from his body.“Aaaaaaaa!” Etham screamed, squeezing his eyes shut, tears streaming down. Looking at his arm now, it was as if it was about to detach from his body, hanging mid-air.“Aaaaa, someone, come and save me!” Etham, filled with fear, backed away. He didn’t understand why Jonas had done this. Could it be because he rejected Jonas’ advances?“I...I’m telling you, I didn’t expect you to be like this...” Etham wanted to say more, but the pain from his arm was making it impossible for him to speak.“How could I?” Jonas slightly raised an eyebrow, maintaining that sly grin on his face.“I can’t believe it. I really can’t!” Etham cried, tears and mucus streaming down his face.Seeing Etham’s re
“No, I don’t intend to leave here,” Jonas firmly declined Elena’s suggestion. He wouldn’t leave until he had found the truth. Both Mrs. Laura and Karl had treated him well, providing him with food and shelter, and he couldn’t abandon them now.“It’s very dangerous here; you know that, right?” Elena furrowed her brow in disbelief at Jonas’s response. If he had rejected taking her with him, she could understand. However, Jonas was refusing to leave altogether. Why was that? He found this place extremely perilous.“Jonas, I really don’t understand. What could make you want to stay here? It’s impoverished, backward, and dangerous, with constant threats. Have you had a single good night’s sleep since you arrived here?”“You and I are not alike. I have more reasons to stay than to leave,” Jonas said, then turned to leave. Their philosophies, thoughts, and characters differed, and there was no point in engaging further with Elena.“Jonas, Jonas, please reconsider,” Elena quickly chased after
“Jonas, there’s one more thing,” Karl hesitated for a moment before speaking, locking eyes with Jonas.“What is it? Just tell me.”“This is a small token of my appreciation. Can you accept it?” Karl reached into his pocket and handed a silver knife to Jonas.Jonas touched the knife, feeling the silver surface and the intricate engravings. “I can’t accept this. It’s too valuable,” Jonas refused Karl’s offer. Had it been a simple gift, Jonas might have accepted it without hesitation.Karl insisted, “No, no, don’t say that. It’s just an ordinary knife.”Jonas countered, “Don’t deceive me. Although I can’t see, I can tell this knife is made of silver, with intricate engravings. It’s undoubtedly precious.” Jonas even suspected it might be a family heirloom for Karl’s, but he didn’t voice that thought because of the lack of evidence.Hearing Jonas’s response, Karl could only smile and let it go. Jonas’s abilities were far from ordinary, and he had hoped to deceive his close friend. However,
The more Jonas thought, the more his head throbbed like a hammer. A sense of guilt overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t deny his responsibility for Selena’s death. His weakness and selfishness indirectly led to that heart-wrenching event. It had become a valuable lesson for Jonas, and now he was determined not to think only of himself. He had decided, or rather, from the moment he jumped into the river to save a person during the storm, Jonas had already made his choice. He had an answer to his question: to continue hiding to protect himself or to reveal his powers to protect everyone. In that internal battle, Jonas’s conscience had won, and he protected everyone, ensuring that Selena’s tragedy wouldn’t repeat in this village. Daisy, Liliana, Karl, Seventh, and all the people in the village, they had all become part of his life.The traditional village festival was ending, and as in previous years, it would continue into the next morning. But this year was different. The villagers had ano
“Start digging!” The shaman spoke decisively.“Bring the offerings forward!”Mrs. Gregory, hearing this, obediently brought the prepared animals in front of the shaman, placing them near Mrs. Sandra’s grave.The first pickaxe hit the ground, unearthing the soil around Mrs. Sandra’s tomb. At this moment, a sudden gust of wind blew unexpectedly, and even the trees swayed continuously. Thorny branches fell off, landing on the tombstones nearby.Mrs. Sandra pulled a black hat over her head, took a rusty knife from her pocket, and immediately aimed it at the throat of the goat, stabbing it fiercely. Blood spurted out, splattering her face and the surrounding area.Those standing around couldn’t bear to look at the gruesome sight, huddling together with their hands covering their eyes. Some couldn’t stand the scene and vomited.The shaman’s face, now covered in blood, turned to the people standing before her.“What’s there to be afraid of? Come forward and give me your all!” She exclaimed,
“People, there’s no need to push Jonas anymore; let me handle it,” Seventh declared. Seventh could not tolerate the selfishness and cowardice of the people here. It seemed as if they had forgotten all the things Jonas had done for them. They were only focused on protecting their own interests. They thought Jonas was gentle, blind, and wouldn’t resist, so they could just pass this trouble on to him. But how could he just stand idly by and let this irrationality happen? Jonas was an outsider who had been temporarily living in their village because of unfortunate circumstances, and he shouldn’t have to bear the consequences of actions unrelated to him. Their ancestors had caused this, and now they had to bear the responsibility for it.“I’m the village chief, and I won’t allow Jonas and the others to suffer like this. If there’s a problem, let it fall on me.” Having said that, Seventh moved forward without hesitation. He walked toward the figure lying there behind Jonas. If you asked whe
The figure behind Jonas gradually became clearer. Karl strained to widen his eyes to look in that direction. Facing him now was a slender figure, her face covered by a bright red outfit, revealing only her eyes and fingertips. Her pale, almost ghostly hands were even whiter than snow, and her long, pointed fingernails were painted red. The combination of the red nails, the red outfit, and her pale skin made for a chilling appearance.Seeing Karl, who appeared fearless with his old, rusty shovel, trying to stand up to her and protect his friend, the figure couldn’t help but burst into laughter. A mere mortal with an old shovel in his hand, attempting to confront her? It was comical.Karl was unnerved by her laughter, but he was determined not to back down. He stood his ground with the shovel pointed forward. Karl’s hands and legs shook, but he tried to remain composed. He had read in books that, in front of entities like ghosts or supernatural beings, the more afraid you were, the more