"If you're not ready to make a deal with the devil, then you better go home. Trust me, not everything that sounds like good intentions will end well."
"What?! What does a kid like you know..."
*Grab!
Right after the man grabbed his collar, Zeyn passed out. Naturally, they were confused by what had just happened.
"What? Is he playing with us?"
"I... I don't know. Did he just faint?"
'Ssszhh~ Your desires and determination have been heard very clearly in my ears... humans~'
A woman's voice emerged from behind. She wore a black cloak that concealed her face completely. Her accent was so strange, and her appearance was so mysterious.
"What? Who are you?"
'You want to know the direction to Vasukih forest, am I correct? Ssshzzh~~'
"Um...yes...that's right," one of them replied.
'Just go straight towards the village road, and You'll find sshhzzh~ a gate and a house at the edge of the road. Pass by the house and you will find a forest trail that leads into the woods.'
As if receiving a blessing, these two strangers were so delighted to finally get an answer. Finally, someone gave them directions easily. One of them tried to express their gratitude and offered a handshake, but the woman remained silent and just smiled.
'Go on, pursue your desires.'
The two of them stepped forward confidently. Not knowing what hell might await them. This woman also opened her hood. Her pale face and long wet black hair were visible. She smiled, full of malice.
Her reptilian pupils briefly glanced towards the surrounding houses before she walked towards Zeyn, still lying motionless on the ground.
'Uh ohh~ You are being stubborn again... brother!'
The villagers witnessed all of this with their own eyes. Many were frightened and prayed that the two strangers would abandon their intentions and turn back.
They didn't know who the two were talking to, who the woman they referred to was, or why Zeyn suddenly collapsed. They couldn't see the woman the two were talking to.
And of course, they chose to remain silent rather than interfere.
* * *
'I never thought we would meet under these circumstances, brother.'
"Sister Ayu? What do you need?"
'Hmm~'
His sister, whom she called Ayu, tended to be more straightforward. Zeyn felt that this meeting would not be as long as usual. However, he sensed that danger was imminent.
'You should have already known why I came here, I don't like beating around the bush.
"... What?"
'Sshhzzh~ after releasing two people from us, now you want to release two more people who should serve us.'
Roughly, Ayu pushed her brother until he lay on the bed. Without hesitation, she pinned him like a wild animal pouncing on its prey.
'I don't like your stubborn attitude.'
"Wait!"
Unlike Bella who likes to wrap her body around him, Ayu hugged him very tightly with a scary glare in her eyes.
'Even though you always deny that you're not human, don't forget that you're also one of us!'
"Are you mad?! Let me go!"
*Jzaang!
Zeyn concentrated on gathering protective energy. A glowing red aura emerged from within his body, causing the demon to back away uncomfortably. Standing up, he readied himself with his stance.
'What? Do you want to fight your own sister?'
"Shut up! Stay away from me!!"
A kris dagger adorned with snake-scale motifs appeared in Ayu's right hand. Floating, spinning- waiting to be commanded. Meanwhile from her left side, a scabbard made of strange, green-hued metal also emerged.
'Hmm hm… sshhzzh~ Which item do you think I should implant inside you?'
"Implant? What do you mean?!" Zeyn screamed suspiciously.
'I'm not sure you're ready for this one on the right. Perhaps trying to get used to the one on the left could help you improve your attitude, my dear.'
"What are you trying to do, sister?! Go away!"
In the end, the black snake demon removed the blade in his right hand. Now, she focused only on the scabbard in her left hand."
*Krrrrkk!
Zeyn couldn't move and felt as if he was being strangled by an invisible force. It felt like there were thousands of hands holding him down and preventing him from moving.
As if able to move her opponent with just her hands, she pulled her sibling closer. The look in her eyes showed an intimidating expression. Her beautiful face, which could even enchant anyone to fall in love with, suddenly appeared very frightening.
'You should always obey your older sister, right? Since when did you become so disobedient?'
"Stop it! What are going to do?!" In this condition, Zeyn even had difficulty breathing. No matter how much energy he gathered to try to break free, it seemed his efforts were in vain.
With gentle movements, she lifted and then laid her target down on the floor. Her serpentine body coiled slowly, positioning her brother's to lie facing upward. Her slender fingers worked to unbutton and feel the shirt one by one, savoring the touch of her hands that could directly make contact with human flesh.
'If only I could devour your body...' Ayu said expressionlessly.
"What are you doing, sister? Are you trying to kill me?!"
'Maybe. But, if I really intended to kill you, I should have stabbed you with the keris and not this.'
Both hands tightly gripped the scabbard and raised it high, as if to stab her brother. With eyes closed, she screamed,
'Arise... Keepers of The Darkness...'
*ZRASH~~
The scabbard was stabbed right above the heart and then sucked into the body, but for some reason, he didn't feel any pain at all. It felt like being lightly hit by a blunt object that didn't cause any damage.
A cold air slowly enveloped his body, a piercing coldness that caused discomfort throughout his entire body.
The view suddenly changed, coinciding with the disappearance of the scabbard, as if the object had become one with his body. The last thing Zeyn saw was the sadistic smile of his sister.
* *
His ruby red eyes opened spontaneously, filled with surprise. His mind became confused after realizing and still unable to process what had just happened.
Previously, he was in his room and now he was sleeping in the living room, together with the villagers who were already in his house. The village head, village elders, and several people came to her house because they were worried.
"Phew, thank goodness he's regained consciousness."
"Zeyn, how are you feeling?"
He hastily checked his body. He found no injuries or scratches on his chest.
"I..."
"What's wrong, kid? What happened?"
One of the villagers handed him a glass of water to help him feel better. His mind was still confused and filled with confusion over the recent events he had experienced.
"Calm down, just drink."
A glass of warm water?
'You are a part of us...'
'You are a part of us...'
Once again, his eyes opened wide upon hearing the voice. The warm water turned into blood, and only then did he realize that he had returned to the world filled with dark red hues as before.
The villagers who surrounded him turned out to be a group of corpses in a state of decay. Their bodies wrapped in rotting burial cloths.
"Wait!!"
Quickly, Zeyn stood up and tried to leave the house, only to find that the group of corpses had gathered in the middle of the yard, staring at him. Dozens, hundreds, even thousands of wandering spirits surrounded his house, enveloped in a reddish hue and thick fog.
Without losing his mind, he eventually chose to escape using his own power.
'You can't run~'
*Blarzzzt!!
Once again, Ayu's voice echoed from the sky. A lightning strike from multiple directions and dragged Zeyn back into the dimensional layer where he should be.
He found himself inside a giant excavation hole where many giant snakes as big as anacondas were circling around. Once again, the astral creatures surrounded him and just stood in a circle, watching the events unfold like a show.
'Learn to be responsible, based on the values that our ruler has taught you! You... are... one of us.'
*Swoorll~
"Stop it! Sister...."
A cold breeze pierced through him again, and this time it was truly torturous. Thick fog penetrated his skin at an incredible speed. Zeyn could feel nothing but drowsiness and the urge to scream, holding back the intense pain that he felt throughout his body, especially in his heart. But he was helpless, his body was being controlled.
What he caught from the corner of his eye, it seemed that his sister indeed intended to put something inside his body. But for what and why? He still didn't know.
'We will meet again, my dear brother. For now, that's all the gifts and lessons I have for you.'
* * * *