After hearing the news of his father's death. Lex Petrova was inconsolable.
His father—his idol was now gone. The grief was too much for him to bear, it seemed to him as if his happiness died with him. And the strange, antique gift now felt like a cruel joke.
He kept the band sealed in its velvet box and quietly placed it on his dresser. That night he wanted someone by his side to help him cope with the grief. He invited his three close friends— Astrid, Andey, and Jay.
They chatted, shared jokes, and tried their best to make Lex feel good. Lex's hollow smile soon disappeared.
When he finally opened the gift box and showed them the band, its subtle glow stunned the room into silence.
Then—
The lights flickered.
A heartbeat of darkness.
Bang.
The doors slammed shut. Windows locked. A dim lamp on the nightstand glowed faintly.
A shadow moved.
Jay stepped toward the door. "It's locked," he muttered, jiggling the handle. "What the—?"
A tall figure emerged from the gloom. A long tail slithered behind it like a serpent seeking prey.
The tail snapped forward, coiling around Jay's torso. He was lifted into the air like a ragdoll.
Bones cracked. His scream tore through the room.
Two deep gashes tore across his chest, forming a jagged X before his broken body dropped with a sickening thud.
Astrid gasped. He turned to run but was caught mid-step, hoisted into the air, crushed with an audible crunch, then dropped beside Jay, slashed the same way.
Lex watched, frozen in horror.
Andey grabbed his arm. "We have to—!"
The figure seized Andey in a blink, flinging him against the wall. His body hit with brutal force, collapsing in a limp heap.
Only Lex remained. Shaking, he backed into a corner.
The figure turned.
It stepped closer, tail swaying behind, movements deliberate—predatory.
Lex closed his eyes, clutched the band to his chest and whispered prayers. A low hiss caressed his ears.
The figure loomed over him.
He opened them slowly—only to see the glowing eyes inches away from his.
Crack.
His scream echoed through the building.