Jack called the author again and asked, "Please, sir, tell me what curse Elysira received?"
The author, answering Jack's question, said, "To know that, you'll have to wait for the release of the second volume of my book. Understood?"
"Good marketing strategy, sir, for selling books."
"Of course, Jack. I sell not just the book, but also my pain in its pages, so I'll collect the price for those tears. Just remember: no person is born evil, they're made evil."
"So you mean Elysira wasn't evil, but was made that way, right sir?"
"I said I won't answer any more questions. If you want to know, read the second part of the book. Understood?"
As they talked, the author's cigarette was down to its last puff or two.
Jack, hesitantly, asked again, "Sir, may I ask one thing?"
"You're not going to give up, are you? Fine, ask."
"Sir, the way you talk, it feels as if you knew Elysira very closely. Have you ever seen Elysira?"
Hearing this, the author suddenly went quiet, his expression lost in thought, as if remembering something he did not want to share with Jack.
Jack pressed, "What happened, sir, why are you silent? Tell me, have you ever seen Elysira? Have you ever encountered her?"
Taking a slow drag off his cigarette, the author quietly said, "Not only did I see Elysira, I have actually been with Elysira..."
He had barely finished when the phone suddenly disconnected.
Looking at his phone, the author muttered, "What happened, how did the call drop... Looks like the network's gone again. This is always the problem in these countryside areas — you never know when you'll have signal and when you won't."
Saying this, he stood with the help of the crutch next to his chair. The author was lame; one of his legs didn't work properly, so he always limped along.
He'd just taken a couple of steps with his crutch when the lights in the room started turning on and off by themselves.
Looking at the bulb, the author said, "What's wrong with the light now, all of a sudden?"
Then the lights went out completely, plunging the room into such darkness that the author couldn't even see his own hands or feet.
"What is happening today? Could she be coming...? No, no, it can't be. She cannot come."
He had just said this to himself when the closed door of the room opened all by itself. Faint white light shone in from outside. Hobbling quickly to the door with his crutch, the author suddenly felt something grab his leg and he fell with a crash.
"Ahhhhh! My leg!"
The author slowly looked toward his leg, but the darkness was so thick he couldn't see a thing. When he put his hand on his leg, he realized his hand was resting on someone else's. The author was scared and quickly pulled his hand away. At that moment, he realized that whatever had gripped his leg was now gone.
Moving as fast as he could, the author started crawling toward the door. He had just reached the door when it slammed shut by itself.
A little later, pained retching noises could be heard outside the door: "Aaaahhh! Wh-who are you?"
"I am Elysira, your death."
For a while, the author and Elysira talked, but their voices did not reach outside the room. A few moments later, there was a terrifying scream,
"AAAAAAAA!"
It was a scream that could chill the heart. In the next moment, blood began to seep from under the door, pooling outside.
Thirteen years later
The train raced down the tracks, just as our life races on. The only difference is a train stops at stations, but our life never stops until our breath ceases.
Alex, twenty-six years old, fair-skinned, wearing a check shirt and black pants, sat by the window seat, earbuds in, listening to the "Divine Emperor of Death" on WebNovel. As he listened, Alex enjoyed the stunning vistas of the Greenridge Mountains outside the train — the same Greenridge Range named for the Tibetan and Burmese Greenridge tribes. These mountains were made of gneiss rock, all wrapped in white clouds, as if shrouded by a soft white blanket. Watching those clouds, Alex's eyes drifted closed.
He'd just fallen asleep when he felt someone touching his hand. Someone was grabbing and shaking Alex's hand again and again. Jolted, Alex woke and opened his eyes to find an old man staring right into his face with huge, wide eyes.
The old man was wearing a pale, faded robe. His hands and legs were shaking.
Alex started to wonder — previously, this old man hadn't been sitting in front of him, the seats were empty; how had he suddenly appeared? The next moment, Alex answered his own question: probably the old man had sat down while he slept.
Annoyed, Alex said, "What's with this, Grandpa?"
The old man coughed and said, "Sorry, kid, but I needed something from you, so I had to wake you."
Surprised, Alex asked, "You needed something from me? What is it?"
"Son, I just wanted to know what time it was."
Hearing this, Alex felt his mind spin and replied with irritation while checking his watch, "It's almost eleven."
"Good, that means my station is an hour away."
Alex didn't say anything more, just glared at the old man.
"By the way, son, where are you traveling to?"
Alex replied, "I'm going to Maplepath."
"So, you're headed to Maplepath as well."
Alex, pointing at the old man, asked, "That means you are too?"
"Yes, son. It's always easier traveling when there's someone to talk to. Where in Maplepath are you going?"
"I'm headed to Willowdale, about five kilometers past Maplepath."
"Do you have relatives in Willowdale?"
"No, not in Willowdale, but in Redgrove."
"That's odd, son — if your relatives are in Redgrove, why are you going to Willowdale?"
The question made Alex fall silent, as if the old man had touched a sore spot, something Alex didn't want to answer even to himself.
Continuing, the old man said, "Well, don't tell me if you don't want to. Where are you staying in Willowdale?"
"Just outside Willowdale village, there's that old Graveyard Manor — I'll stay there."
The old man exclaimed in surprise, "The same old English manor built over a cemetery?"
"Yes, that very Graveyard Manor."
"But it's been closed for thirteen years!"
"Yes, but not for long. Tonight I'll open it again."
"No, son, don't do that. Don't you know what's up with that Graveyard Manor?"
"What don't I know? Why don't you say what you really mean?"
"If you spent your childhood in that village, you must know Elysira used to haunt near the Wishborne River."
Alex didn't respond, just listened carefully.
Continuing, the old man said, "You know, Elysira had not one but two haunts — the Wishborne River, and the Graveyard Manor."
Alex asked in surprise, "Graveyard Manor?!"
"Yes, Graveyard Manor. Townspeople have often seen Elysira wandering near the manor as well. On every full and new moon, she would seduce men, drain the blood from their hearts, and kill them."
"So the story my dad told me as a child wasn't just a story, but the truth!"
"Son, what story are you talking about?"
Hearing this, Alex slipped into memories of the past, recalling the time he was ten and talking to his father.
"Dad, Dad, what are you doing?" Alex asked lovingly.
"Nothing, son, I'm writing a story," replied his father, typing on a typewriter.
"A story? What story are you writing, Dad?"
"The story of Elysira, son."
"Dad, please tell me the story of Elysira."
"No, son, you are too little now — you'll get scared. Listen when you're older."
Alex grew sad and pouted, "Please, Dad, tell me — I won't get scared, promise! You always say I'm a big boy now, and big boys don't get scared, they scare others! Please, Dad, tell me the Elysira story!"
Alex kept insisting until his dad gave in and started to tell the story.
"They say, for many years, a witch called Elysira lived by our Wishborne River."
Alex asked in surprise, "The river between Willowdale and Redgrove, right, Dad?"
"Yes, son, right there. Elysira can be found in forests or near water. On every full moon and new moon, she seduces travelers crossing the river at night and traps them with her beauty and makes them her prey. They say Elysira loves lotuses and jasmine flowers, and always kept them nearby. The men that Elysira preyed upon, she would first offer them something to eat."
"But why, Dad?"
"So that she could enchant the food with a spell. Any man who ate it would fall under her power. In just this manner, Elysira once ensnared a man, brought him under her control, and then slept with him..."
Alex interrupted, "Dad, what does 'slept with' mean?"
Hearing the question, his father fell silent, and, changing the subject, said, "That's not something for you right now, son — you're too young. When you're bigger, I'll tell you what it means. For now, just listen to the story."
"Okay, Dad, then what happened?"
"After sleeping with him, Elysira would reveal her true form — horrifying enough to stop anyone's heart. In this real form, Elysira would suck the blood from her victim's heart."
"But why did she do that, Dad? Was she a bad woman?"
"No, son, Elysira wasn't a bad woman at all. She was really a good woman, like a nymph from another realm."
"Then why, Dad, did she — what did you call it — yes, why did she sleep with men and then kill them?"
His father, recalling something, said, "Because of a curse, son."
"What sort of curse, Dad?"
"Son, the curse was that..."
Just then, Alex's mother's voice called from the other room:
"Alex, son, come eat now. Dinner is ready!"
Alex protested, "No, Mom, I don't want to eat now, I'm listening to Dad's story!"
"What? Listening to stories again? Your father does nothing but write and tell stories all day — corrupting you too. Come, your plate is ready."
"No, Mom, I won't come until the story is finished!"
"You won't come? Then I'll have to come, rolling pin and all, so you'll obey!"
The sound of anklets could be heard; it seemed like Alex's mother was coming to his room.
In a few moments, Alex's mother came into the room with a rolling pin in hand. Alex couldn't see his mother's face — in his childhood memories, it had faded. He remembered everything his mother used to say, but not her face.
His mother, grabbing his ear, said, "So you say you don't want to eat? Say it one more time!"
Alex cried, "Mom, let go, it hurts, let go, please, it hurts, mom... aaahhh!"
Calling "Mom, mom, mom," Alex snapped out of his memories. When he opened his eyes, he saw the old man holding his hand, shaking it and saying,
"Hey, kid, where did you go? Are you okay? And why were you yelling out 'Mom, mom'? Hey, kid?"
Alex replied, "Nothing, Grandpa, I'm fine."
"I got scared for a second."
Looking into the old man's eyes, Alex said, "Grandpa, can I ask something? Does Elysira still hunt men?"