Jack's spectral image faded before the eyes of the maid and the spider-like creature, leaving behind only the echo of his final words:
"Save me… I'm in Salman's cellar."
But unlike them, we—the readers—had not lost his trail.
The scene opened onto a narrow corridor, its walls cold and steeped in the scent of iron and old blood. Rows of nurses stood along the hallway, their bodies graceful, their faces beautiful in shadow—until the eye drew closer. Then came the horror: skin pale as ash, eyes without pupils, and smiles stretched far beyond what any human face could bear. Each clutched a gleaming metal instrument, as though waiting for a signal.
At the corridor's end loomed a heavy metal door, half-swallowed by darkness. Beyond it lay the cellar.
Jack was there—suspended by rusty chains from his wrists and ankles, his body stretched as though crucified against a stone wall. His breathing was labored, blood dripping one slow drop after another, vanishing into a black floor that drank it without a trace.
Before him stood a massive creature, broader than any man, wielding a colossal sword that looked forged from solid night. Its eyes blazed the color of fresh blood, and its silent presence thickened the very air.
But the most terrifying thing… was Melina.
She was almost human in appearance—long hair cascading over her shoulders like strands of night, eyes a deep, unnatural violet. Her beauty was lethal, literally, for she fed on the desire she sowed in her victims, and when they were utterly drained, she drew close and tore their souls away as a blade strips flesh from bone.
She stood at a distance, lips curled into a promise of a smile, watching Jack with eyes burning with hunger.
Her voice was soft, yet it dripped with threat:
"I won't rush… I'll wait until your will shatters. Then, you'll be entirely mine."
The giant creature didn't look at her, but his grip tightened on his sword as he gestured toward Jack, his motion a warning:
"He is no ordinary prey… remember who wants him."
The chains groaned under Jack's weight, his face torn between pain and defiance, while the cellar's darkness crept ever closer.
Melina advanced slowly, each step spilling waves of seduction into the air, until she stood before Jack. She lifted a pale hand, letting her fingers glide across his bare, blood-streaked chest.
With a sly smile, she spoke to the giant without looking at him:
"You don't understand. His strength lies in his soul… and I know exactly how to take it."
The giant's knuckles whitened around the sword's hilt, his voice rumbling against the stone:
"My master's orders are clear—he is untouched until he arrives. Any interference from you means your end."
Melina laughed—a long, mocking laugh:
"Your master lives in the delusion of control. No one commands desire as I do. Give me one minute with him, and he'll collapse like a child. Your master wouldn't even dare meet my gaze."
The giant took a step forward, his shadow swallowing half her body, the sword groaning in his grip:
"Touch him again, and I'll snap your neck—send your head to my master as a keepsake."
Here, Jack drew in a strained breath, a faint smile twisting his lips. His voice, quiet but poisoned, slid between them:
"Seems your master doesn't trust you, big man. Maybe he knows you're weak against a beautiful woman."
Melina turned to him, curiosity flaring in her eyes, while the giant roared:
"Silence, insect!"
Jack kept going, pouring oil on the fire:
"And you, Melina—do you enjoy being just a servant to men who think they hold power over you?"
The words sliced the air, making her stare coldly at the giant, whose grip tightened as if ready to strike.
Melina, slowly:
"Perhaps… it's time I decided his fate myself."
Giant, growling:
"Try it, and I'll bury you here beside him."
The cellar's air grew heavier, sparks leaping between their gazes. Jack watched, a spark in his eyes feeding the blaze.
He smiled slowly, studying Melina as if reading every weakness behind her confident mask:
"Melina… you're beautiful. That beauty doesn't belong in servitude—it deserves followers."
Melina arched a brow, stepping closer as if his words had touched something deep in her pride:
"Oh? Am I really that beautiful to you?"
Jack's voice dropped, laced with temptation:
"Your beauty is the reflection of this house—but it's also stronger than it. If he seeks to control you, it's because he fears you'll surpass him."
The giant roared, eyes wide:
"Shut up! Stop planting poison between us!"
Jack ignored him, eyes locked on Melina:
"Haven't you noticed how he always stands in front of you? Not to protect you… but to keep you from showing your power."
Melina turned slowly to the giant, her tone sharp:
"Is that true? Do you fear I'm stronger than you?"
The giant, through clenched teeth:
"No… I'm protecting you from yourself."
Jack, with a crooked smile:
"From herself? Or from your master finding out she could take his place?"
Melina's eyes flared with challenge. She stepped toward the giant:
"Maybe it's time you found out who protects whom."
The giant raised his sword slightly, voice low:
"Careful, Melina… don't make me use force."
Jack whispered like it was a secret meant only for the air:
"I think I'm going to enjoy this."
Melina smirked:
"Try me, and I won't be gentle."
They lunged at each other. Melina's shimmering threads of sensual energy lashed out to bind his arm, but the giant slammed into her with his shoulder, shoving her back. Sparks of power crackled between them—not to kill, but to prove dominance.
In the corner, still chained, Jack murmured with a sly grin:
"Discord… always the easiest way to escape."
Melina slashed with claw-like nails that glinted like blades. The giant met her strike with his sword, sparks flying.
Melina shouted:
"You're nothing but your master's obedient dog!"
The giant roared, swinging his blade:
"And you're just a cheap tool to be used and discarded!"
Jack, chains rattling, laughed:
"Oh, delightful… a master's pet and his servant bickering. You sound more like bitter lovers than enemies."
Melina shoved the giant back:
"Lovers? Me? With this rotting beast?"
The giant barked:
"Shut your mouth, Jack, before I rip out your tongue!"
Jack's grin widened:
"Your words cut deeper than her claws, big man."
Their fight raged on—Melina's golden threads lashing, the giant's blows shoving her away.
Then, from the floor, gray mist uncoiled like a serpent, flooding the room. A chill seeped into their bones. The giant's feet left the ground… and then Melina's. Both were being lifted by an unseen force.
The giant's voice deepened in awe:
"He has arrived… my master."
Melina whispered, eyes fixed on the darkness:
"Finally…"
A voice came, deep and jagged, as if from the heart of hell:
"Jack… you've surprised me. Turning them against each other so quickly… impressive. Perhaps you could be a powerful ally."
The giant, suspended in the air, shouted at Melina:
"You've always been an obstacle!"
Melina sneered:
"And you've always been a shadow without a soul!"
The towering presence cut them short:
"Enough!"
A black, swirling portal opened behind them. With a simple gesture, both were hurled inside. The door slammed shut with a sound that shook the walls.
"I'll deal with you later."
Then he turned to Jack. Jack saw only six glowing eyes on a round, shifting face, moving toward him.
"I have an offer for you… do you accept?"
Without hesitation, Jack smiled:
"Yes, I accept."
The creature's cold laugh echoed:
"We will take this house together… Sindou and Jack, masters of this pathetic place."
In the house's halls, the maid Seria stood beside the spider-creature, Jaja. Before them, at the cellar's entrance, an array of strange-faced nurses waited, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if for a signal.
Seria turned to Jaja, her voice low but resolute:
"Are you ready, Jaja?"
Jaja smirked:
"Yes, Seria."
Her eyes glinted:
"Then… let's save him before it's too late."