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
“I don’t choose anyone, I choose everyone!” Jonas asserted firmly.Liliana burst into laughter again. In her eyes, human emotions were the most laughable of all. She couldn’t believe that there was someone in the world who cared more about the lives of others than their own interests.“Let’s see!” After saying this, she swiftly rushed towards Karl. She would start with him. The more Jonas valued him, the more she wanted to hurt him. Liliana wanted to see how far this man in front of her could go with his bravado, and she couldn’t wait to see Jonas’s reaction when she killed Karl. Just thinking about it was already fascinating.When Liliana’s hand with the sharp, red, pointed nails was just an inch away from Karl, a worn and broken old sword had already blocked her hand. It was quickly pushing her grotesque hand aside. The moment Liliana advanced toward Karl, Jonas’ guiding cane had turned into a sharp sword, and, of course, Liliana’s speed couldn’t compete with him. In no time, the sw
Jonas truly didn’t understand why Liliana had targeted Daisy, who was her own sister. Through their interactions, he saw Daisy as a kind-hearted person who had never caused harm, and he could even sense Daisy’s feelings for Liliana in her eyes. Perhaps, in some ways, Daisy cared more for Liliana than their grandparents did. Jonas couldn’t fathom why Liliana would go to such lengths against her own sister. Could it be jealousy? Could jealousy drive someone to kill and torment others so much?As Jonas contemplated these questions, Liliana suddenly burst into laughter. It wasn’t the first time Jonas had heard that eerie laughter, but it still sent shivers down his spine.“Feeling a bit bored, Jonas? With just the two of us on a night like this, it’s rather dull!”“What do you want to do?” Jonas asked with a hint of fear, as Liliana’s demeanor suggested she was about to reveal something shocking. The thoughts of these twisted individuals were incomprehensible to him.“I’m just tired of th
Karl struggled to contain his fear and worry as he wiped away the tears on his face. Jonas was right; showing weakness now meant choosing death. And this was not just his own death; it meant the death of everyone in the village. The longer he stayed here, the more difficult Jonas’s task would become, and the more danger the villagers would be in.Karl removed his untied shoes and tossed them aside, not caring about any sense of decorum anymore. He knocked on the doors of each house, rapping loudly and shouting if no one answered. People started trickling out, one by one, in response to his efforts. Some believed, while others were skeptical, but standing on the precipice of life and death, they had no choice but to listen.“Really, truly Liliana, isn’t this some kind of joke?” Many people looked at Karl with bewildered expressions. This situation seemed more absurd than fish climbing trees!“She’s no longer the Liliana we knew. She never was!” Karl replied urgently. If he didn’t expla
Jonas’s back was hurting, and he couldn’t stop Liliana. It wasn’t until she had left the cemetery that Jonas regained his composure and chased after her.On the other side, Karl was helping the townspeople evacuate. Each person left their homes and headed toward the hospital.“Hurry, there’s not much time left!” Karl shouted loudly, looking back at the long line of people following him.Inside Karl’s heart, there was a burning urgency. Even though he and everyone else had tried to move as quickly as possible, he knew that the hundred seconds mentioned by Liliana had passed. Liliana had n’t eaten them because Jonas was still holding her back. Karl worried about Jonas on one hand and did his best to help people move on the other. The only thing he could do now was this – if they didn’t move fast enough, they would become Liliana’s fat prey, and all their efforts would be in vain.“Oh Lord, please protect our village and Jonas,” Karl silently prayed while continuing to move forward. In l