Every step Lief took resonated with a heavy and deliberate echo, a rhythmic sound that struck Nick's chest, crushing what little composure he had left.
"You are a monster... you are the real demon here!" he roared projecting his own filth.
Lief simply kept him in the sight of his calm eyes, a freezing tranquility that shattered Nick, for in that gaze he understood that all his legacy, his pride, and his lineage were to that boy an irrelevant farce that did not deserve a single word.
However, in the abyss of despair, his survival instinct took control, lighting a final flash of cunning in his eyes.
He stopped backing away and, forcing a smile that looked like a grimace of pain, tried to stand up, although his legs failed and forced him to remain on his knees in a posture of submission.
"W-wait! Please, do not do it! We can reach an agreement, you do not have to kill me...!"
While he spoke his hands searched frantically inside his uniform, clumsily pulling out a leather wallet and a set of keys.
"Money! I have accounts abroad, millions of dollars! If you spare my life, all that is yours, I can transfer it right now!"
Using his social status, he tried to sell him the American dream.
"And pleasures! What do you like? Models? Actresses? I have connections in Hollywood and in politics... You just have to ask for a name and I will deliver it to you on a silver platter, nobody will tell you no!"
He raised his empty hands in a gesture of desperate offering.
"Power! Is that what you want? This town is mine, the police, the town hall, everything belongs to me! I can make you the king of this city! I will be your silent partner, I will clean up your messes, I will make sure the law never touches you!"
Deena, Sam, and Josh watched the Sheriff's degradation with disgust.
But at that moment, Lief stopped his advance and his gaze briefly swept over the material objects on the floor and then fixed on Nick's sweaty face.
!
A spark of hope ignited in Nick upon seeing him stop. He knew it! Nobody is incorruptible! In the end, everyone desires the same thing: wealth and control.
However, Lief's next words extinguished that spark abruptly.
"That is a truly tempting offer..." he said resonating with a terrifying clarity, "...but if I kill you right now, can I not take all of that anyway?"
"..."
The simple logic froze Nick's expression. Hope... flattery... greed, evaporated in a fraction of a second, leaving only the certainty of his own death.
Upon understanding this his face contracted, transforming from submission to hatred.
"If you do not let me live... then we will go to hell together!"
With an abrupt movement, he brought his hand toward his lower back.
There he concealed his last trump card, the ultimate life insurance of the Goode family.
He drew a ceremonial dagger forged from absolute black iron.
It was the gift the devil had given to the first Goode upon signing the contract: a weapon that could not harm the demon's servants, but was lethal to any living being with a soul.
With a single scratch, the victim's soul would catch fire in a cursed blaze and be consumed in an eternal agony!
The instant the black steel left the sheath, an unnatural cold bit, corroding the edges of the light surrounding Lief.
"Die already!"
Nick channeled every ounce of his desperation and hatred into a final lunge.
But it was a pathetic effort.
Bang
"Ah...."
Nick opened his mouth, perhaps trying to formulate one last word of plea, but life left his eyes before his body slumped to the floor.
Puff
With that last blow, the atmosphere changed drastically.
An invisible pressure that crushed the chest of everyone in Shadyside, that no one knew existed, dissipated, taking the curse with it and leaving behind a peaceful silence.
With his sigh, Lief turned toward the three teenagers, who remained motionless, incapable of processing reality.
Their minds were on the verge of collapse, they had too much information in mind:
Killers, monsters, demons, contracts, sacred light...
But Lief had no time for therapy nor to console their trauma.
"I need an address," he said breaking the group's trance. "Where exactly did this guy live?"
Obviously Josh was the first to react, blinking to snap out of his stupor.
"I-In... in Sunnyvale, the north zone," he stammered, pointing vaguely toward the exit. "At the end of Oak Avenue. It is the biggest property, the one with the black bars... you cannot miss it."
"Guide us to the entrance."
"Huh? Oh... yes, of course."
None of the three had the courage or the will to object.
Leaning on each other, they stood up and walked toward the exit.
Upon leaving, the night seemed to have changed.
The moon shone with an unusual clarity and the air they breathed now felt fresh... clean.
The nightmare of Shadyside had ended.
Deena, Sam and Josh got into their truck, while Lief mounted Fenrir.
And to the boys' surprised look, Jennifer settled in behind him with absolute naturalness, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his back, ready for whatever came next.
"Let us go," ordered Lief.
...
As they advanced along Oak Avenue, the urban landscape of modest houses and closed businesses of Shadyside gave way to the perfectly manicured lawns and stately mansions.
At the end of the avenue, the Goode residence stood like a fortress, a massive and dark structure.
The enormous iron gate was closed, displaying the family crest.
"It is here..." said Deena unsurely rolling down the window.
Lief's motorcycle purred to a stop in front of the entrance, he turned off the engine, got off the machine, and looked toward the truck.
"Here our paths separate. Go home."
"..."
The three exchanged glances, debating, but finally opted for common sense. They knew that whatever was going to happen inside that house was far beyond their capabilities.
"Thank you..." murmured Deena, looking at Lief with a mixture of fear and deep gratitude. "Thank you for giving us a chance."
Lief simply nodded.
The truck turned around and drove away, taking the survivors toward a new life, free from the shadow of the Goodes.
At the entrance to the mansion, silence reigned again.
Lief walked up to the imposing iron gate and simply leaning on the cold metal, the locking mechanism exploded, and the gate opened.
Immediately a nauseating gust of air hit them squarely in the face.
"..."
Lief and Jennifer exchanged one last knowing look under the moonlight and, without saying another word, crossed the threshold into the darkness of the mansion.
________
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