Enver gripped the steering wheel tightly. Inside the slowly moving car, his mind was crushed under the weight of suspicion and loss.
Thadric... Marva... Huria...
Those names spun in his head like an incantation that refused to fade.
He closed his eyes briefly. A question, rising from the deepest part of his heart:
"You're not an ordinary human, Marva… Who are you really?"
Marva was never touched by any astral being. Not even the weakest ones dared to cling to her. Either she was a creature disguised as a human—or a human stripped of emotion. Both were dangerous.
The car stopped in front of a small perfume shop, hidden in a narrow alley. The scent of peaches greeted Enver's footsteps.
"Young Master Enver Eraly! It's been a while," greeted Endri, the shop's owner, with a warm smile.
Enver sat on a worn wooden chair. He didn't return the greeting.
"You look gloomy again. Is it about Huria?"
"That peach perfume. Now."
Endri chuckled. "You're still hoping to find her through scent. Just like your father. But Huria… her fragrance wasn't from perfume. It was the scent of her soul."
Endri handed him a small bottle of clear liquid, then pulled a tiny pill from a pouch woven with old fabric.
"Add this. The scent will change. With it... you might find her."
The liquid turned sky-blue. Enver stared at it.
"Will I be able to find her?"
"If you don't give up. But you're tired. I know. You're starting to lose hope…"
"Sometimes I wonder… what if the spirit inside my patient was her…"
Endri sighed heavily. "You already hurt someone. Me. Foolish boy. You worry me… just like your father once did."
Enver gave a faint smile. But as he stepped out of the shop, a mysterious figure appeared behind Endri.
"How long will you keep treating him like a child?"
"I only wanted to protect him."
"Too late. His wife… is with me now."
Endri froze.
"You lie."
"Tell him. If you still can."
An invisible blade kissed Endri's skin, injecting a curse. His time left in the world could now be counted in days.
—
On a hill, Enver poured the perfume into a stream. The water turned sky-blue. He called to the water element, hoping the scent would guide him.
But a black swan appeared.
"I've finally found you…"
The astral creature—Belac—had hungry eyes. He had been tracking Enver for a long time. And now… it was mating season for astrals in animal form.
"What do you want?"
Enver was sucked into Belac's realm. A sea of white swans greeted him. In the center, a large bed where former Hellseers lay—lifeless.
Belac smiled.
"You'll be mine. They all died trying to contain my power… but you, you're different."
Enver's body froze. He heard the song of the swans—a haunting lullaby of seduction.
Belac embraced him, draping him in a mantle of feathers.
"Sleep. You will live with me forever."
Enver offered a faint smile. But deep inside, memories of Huria surged. He allowed the ritual to proceed. Let his blood enter Belac's body.
As Belac fell asleep, his belly began to swell. The song grew louder.
Enver stood tall, eyes locked onto the swans. He whispered:
"If this is what you want… then this is what you'll get."
He returned to the chamber.
"How long do you plan to sleep, Belac?"
Belac gasped—Enver was still alive.
"You look surprised. I'm fine. But you…"
Deugh.
Blood dripped. A new chapter had begun.
—
Elsewhere, in another dimension, two tiny astral creatures—Urkle and Spank—watched from afar. They knew where Huria was.
"We have to help him," said Urkle. "He once saved us."
Spank hesitated, but followed. Together, they prepared to leave the astral realm.
Far away in Prufen, Marva opened the door to Enver's private room.
The human world and the world of darkness were beginning to collide.
And it all started… with a scent.