Chapter 48: A Ripe Harvest
In an isolated forest area, a car rolled through the darkness shrouding the road of Karden, Spain. Inside, a young couple was returning from a camping trip.
The source of discord between them grew at an unusual rate, their argunt over sothing trivial escalating as they pushed through the lonely night.
"So what? Are you saying it was my fault, Ed, that you couldn’t find anything to hunt?" The woman’s voice flared with irritation as she glared at her husband.
"Of course, that’s not what I ant! God, you are always like this! All I said was that if we had kept the music low, we wouldn’t have scared every animal in the vicinity!" the man yelled back.
"Well, I paused my life and agreed to co with you on this trip, didn’t I? There are a million other things I could have done with my weekend! The only two days I get off from work!" the woman scread.
"So what are you saying? Is it too much to ask for my wife to spend ti with
away from the world? You were glued to your phone, completely ruining my chance to hunt, which was the one thing we ca here to do!" Ed retorted.
"You only think of yourself! Look how selfish you’ve beco! So what if I was scrolling through my phone? It’s not my fault that I don’t enjoy killing animals!" the woman shot back.
"Right, scrolling through your phone, was it? Or were you constantly keeping in touch with your lover?"
"My what?!" The woman’s eyes widened in shock.
"You heard ! Don’t deny it! I have seen you on the phone, speaking to soone in a hushed voice every night. I saw your face filled with that shy smile that... that you used to give
once before."
The woman didn’t take it well. She yelled, "Stop the car!"
"What?!"
"I said stop the car right now! I cannot sit beside a man who accuses
of sothing so low!"
"Low? Yes, that’s right! It is low of you to do sothing like this! And you know what? I’ve had enough of you!"
Tires screeched as the car ca to a harsh, sudden stop in the middle of nowhere. The man yelled, "Get out of the car, you cheating whore!"
"Gladly! Nobody wants to stay with a horrible man anyway!" The woman stepped out of the car. Before closing the door, she bent down and scread, "I’ll let you know that Jake was able to satisfy
in ways you never could!"
She slamd the door shut and began walking briskly away in the heat of the mont, disappearing into the darkness of the night.
But her husband, having heard his wife’s confession, felt a shock of anger like nothing he had ever known. It flared inside him, amplified a hundred tis over.
Before he could think, he was out of the car with his hunting rifle in hand. He pointed it at his wife’s retreating back and pulled the trigger.
The loud crack of the rifle echoed through the silent forest. The woman turned slowly, blood dripping from her mouth and chest, before she collapsed and dropped dead.
Ed stood frozen, the gun still in his hands. His fingers began to shake as a suffocating dread settled over him. His lips trembled, and tears blurred his vision as he whispered, "W-what have I... what have I just done?"
Absolute horror was written across his pale face as he dropped to his knees, utterly defeated. Seconds passed while he remained unmoving.
Then, a chilling laughter echoed through the air, startling the man out of his state of shock.
Slow claps followed through the lonely forest, followed by a presence so sinister it sent a fresh wave of chills down the man’s spine.
"Well done," an amused, cold voice reverberated through the air.
Ed’s eyes, already wide with shock, shifted slowly over his shoulder. A figure erged behind him, cloaked in a long, dark coat. Only his silhouette was visible, the harsh headlights of the car swallowing his features.
All Ed could see were the man’s unnaturally glowing red eyes... and the vicious grin stretched across his face.
Ed collapsed to the ground, scrambling backwards as he finally found his voice. "W-who...?"
"Who am I? What am I doing here..." The man clicked his tongue lightly before continuing, "It’s always the sa question. Though I must give it to you... I was thoroughly entertained by that little spat you had with your cheating wife."
Tilting his head slightly, he added, "I didn’t think you had it in you to hunt her down like an animal."
"I-I... I didn’t an to..." Ed stamred, his voice trembling with fear.
"I know... I know you didn’t an to," the man murmured, stepping closer. "But you thought about it, didn’t you? Many tis. Every ti you saw her speaking to another man... giving him the attention that was ant for you."
He took another step forward, looming over the trembling figure.
"I rely granted you the wish you had buried deep inside for so long," he said softly. "You could say... I gave you the courage to pull that trigger you had imagined in your darkest dreams."
Ed trembled, sweat pouring down his face as he whispered, "W-what...?"
"What is going to happen to you now?" the man echoed, his tone almost amused.
"Well... isn’t that obvious? You are going to beco my al. Your soul looks perfectly ripe for
to savour... steeped in darkness after murdering your own wife with your very hands. You have defied the sacred union bestowed upon you... sothing I very much enjoy witnessing."
"N-no... s-stay away from ," Ed stamred, scrambling backwards as the man advanced closer.
"N-no! Stay away!!" Ed scread, but the mystery man’s grin only widened, savouring the pain, fear, and every other negative emotion leaking out of his victim.
He raised his hand in front of the man, his fingers transforming into three large claws. In one swift motion, he slashed across the man’s neck, sending blood gushing out. The man choked on it, collapsing to the ground as life slowly slipped from his eyes.
The mysterious man then began to glow with an ominous red hue. As he opened his mouth, two glowing orbs rose into the air, one from the woman’s body and one from the man’s, before he swallowed them whole in a single motion.
"Mmm... that was delicious," he murmured, savouring the remnants of their tainted souls.
Just then, a malevolent spirit appeared out of nowhere before him and bowed. "Master Mord, you summoned ?"
"Ah, yes... I did. You’ve arrived at the perfect ti, just after I’ve finished my al."
He let out a low hum, "Though, I’m still hungry. But tell , what is this news I hear about spirits being warned to stay away from so woman?"
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