The next morning, after breakfast, Zavrion took Kenny to the doctor while Vixen left for work. Kin stayed home, went live for a while to chat with his loyal fans, and then headed to the laundry room.
Though Kin hadn't performed on stage in over five years, there were still a few devoted fans who always encouraged him. Their messages during his livestream reminded him of his past, and gave him strength. Kin smiled softly, feeling grateful, as he folded clothes and let his mind wander.
But in the middle of that ordinary moment, something shifted.
A sudden chill ran through his body—an invisible presence forced its way inside, gripping him tight. His vision blackened. The laundry room dissolved into darkness, and Kin's consciousness was pulled into a suffocating void.
There, in the shadows, a voice spoke. Deep. Heavy. Male. Its echo pressed against his skull.
"I have returned," the voice growled. "This time, I will take you and Vixen. I will destroy your family."
Kin clenched his fists, his voice shaking but defiant.
"You can't touch me. You can't touch my husband. Whatever you did to us in our past life—you won't succeed this time!"
The voice laughed, cruel and merciless.
"The one who killed you and your husband before… he will rise again. And you will be powerless to stop it."
Kin's body went rigid, his breath cut off. His eyes rolled back, leaving only white. His body floated midair in the laundry room, motionless, while his mind remained trapped in that abyss.
—
Meanwhile, time slipped by. Vixen returned home and rang the bell, but Kin didn't answer. A cold unease pricked at him. He pressed the bell again. No response.
Fear tightening his chest, Vixen forced the door open and rushed inside.
"Kin?!"
He searched room after room, but Kin was nowhere to be found—until he reached the laundry room. Clothes were scattered across the floor, and in the center of the room… Kin's body hung suspended in the air, limp, eyes blank.
"Kin!" Vixen's voice cracked as he ran forward.
He unleashed his alpha pheromone, the powerful aura that for years had healed and protected. The air trembled with his energy as he tried desperately to pull Kin back to consciousness.
But nothing worked. No matter how many times Vixen tried, Kin's body remained unresponsive, floating in that eerie silence.
Vixen's fear deepened into something colder than death itself.
Why isn't it working? For years, my pheromones could heal, protect, save lives. Why is it failing now?
He stared up at his husband's lifeless form, panic clawing at his chest.
"Am I… losing to the darkness? To that demon?" he whispered, voice trembling.
His hands shook, but his resolve hardened. He bit down on his fear.
"No. No matter what it takes… I will protect Kin. I will protect Zemura Village. Even if I have to fight the devil himself."
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Continue....