Laboni's mother gripped her hand tightly. Pointing toward the sky with a trembling finger, she said in a quivering voice, "Not today, my child. Look carefully at the sky. Tonight… tonight the moon has turned red… it's the Blood Moon, the full moon!"
Laboni looked out the window and saw the moon glowing an eerie crimson. The surroundings were bathed in a strange, magical, and terrifying red light.
Mother: "On this full moon night, that sorcerer's power multiplies a thousandfold. Tonight, he will be mad with the bloodlust. If you or Henry confront him now, neither of you will return. Under this red full moon, he awakens all his dark spirits and that incubus energy. Tonight, Henry will no longer be in control."
Laboni felt the old mark on her neck burn like fire. The red moonlight seemed to stir an unease deep within her body.
Mother: "Tonight, Henry will be at his hungriest. He will not be able to control himself. If you appear before him now, he will consume you completely. You must hide tonight. Until the red moon sets, the reign of this demon will continue."
At that moment, Laboni's phone rang. The screen flashed 'HENRY'. She didn't answer, but messages kept coming one after another:
"Laboni, where are you? Have you seen the moon outside? I'm in so much pain… my body is burning… I need you now… please come back!"
Laboni realized that Henry was no longer that masked demon in the shadows—under the red moon, he was turning into a feral beast.
Laboni: "Mother, where can I hide? He will surely find me. That incubus within him knows my scent!"
Mother: "Do you still have that golden locket he gave you twenty years ago? That locket holds a fragment of your pure, old memories together. Tonight, it will shield you."
Laboni stepped into the room slowly. The atmosphere had completely transformed. There were no traces of ordinary human presence—only the reign of a primeval, supernatural force.
Laboni saw Henry standing before the mirror—but he was no longer the Henry she knew. Under the red moonlight, his form had become monstrous:
Eyes: His irises glowed a fierce, burning red. Looking into them was like staring into the eyes of a predator, not a man.
Wings: Two dark, jagged wings extended from his back, stirring the air and weighing down the room like an ancient incubus.
Smile: He looked into the mirror with a horrifying grin. There was no warmth—only the thrill of victory.
Rose: In his hand, he held a fresh red rose. As he inhaled its scent, the petals blackened and withered as if he were draining its life force.
Seeing Laboni enter, Henry didn't turn from the mirror. He saw her reflection there. His voice was thunderous and low.
Henry: "Do you see, Laboni? This is my true form. Just like this rose, your inner life force is mine. On this night of the red moon, I will spare nothing. Tonight, I will become immortal with your blood and your life force."
Laboni stepped back in fear, but the door seemed to shut on its own. Henry slowly advanced toward her, spreading his black wings. Laboni felt the old mark on her neck sting like a spear.
Laboni: (trembling) "You are not my Henry… you are a demon! I will not let you leave this room!"
Henry laughed, a terrifying sound, and came closer, trying to pin her with the shadow of his wings. Laboni backed into a corner, reaching for the door lock, but a sharp piece of furniture grazed her hand, cutting it. Fresh blood dripped to the floor. The scent seemed to excite the incubus within Henry even more.
Henry: (in a twisted, distorted voice) "Blood… Laboni, your pure blood will complete me!"
Laboni writhed, trying to push the door open, but it was as if some invisible force kept her trapped. The red moonlight outside grew even more intense.
Laboni: (screaming) "Let me go, Henry! Can't you see I'm in pain? Do you have no mercy?"
Henry gave no answer. He fixed his gaze on her bleeding hand. His wings lashed the air, and the gust shattered the expensive lamps in the room. Slowly, he drew her hand toward his lips.
At that moment, Laboni remembered her mother's words: "Tonight is the full moon; he cannot control himself."
Laboni realized she could not fight this demon with strength alone. Her other hand went to the golden locket hidden beneath her blouse.
Laboni: "Henry, do you truly want to kill me? Have you forgotten about our children?"
For a moment, Henry froze. Did his red eyes tremble? Or was it just her imagination? But he quickly resumed, bringing her bleeding hand to his lips. His red-eyed frenzy seemed to grow with every drop of her life force.
Laboni's body weakened, her energy drained into him. Eventually, she could no longer hold on and fainted into his arms.
Seeing her lifeless, Henry's lips twisted into a victorious, demonic smile. He lifted her and placed her on the large bed. The crimson moonlight still bathed the room.
Henry leaned over her. He knew this was the moment—the kiss that would drain her remaining life force and make him immortal. He caressed the bloodied mark on her neck and pressed a long, deep kiss on her lips. It was not love—it was a conduit, drawing the last fragment of her soul into him.
Then something miraculous happened—
Even unconscious, Laboni's golden locket suddenly blazed with a brilliant light. The pure essence of their old love surged forth. The light pierced Henry's chest like a dart.
Henry screamed in pain, thrown off her and crashing to the floor. His black wings fell away one by one.
Laboni let out a piercing cry and sat up on the bed, drenched in sweat, her heart pounding. She gasped, looking around. No black wings. No blood-red eyes. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows. She was lying in her mother's arms.
Laboni: (holding her mother tightly) "Mother! Mother! Did I… did I see Henry killing me? He was a demon… he was going to drain me!"
Her mother stroked her hair gently, tears in her eyes but a calm presence in her demeanor.
Mother: "Calm down, my child. It was a dream, yes, but not an ordinary one. It was a warning. What you saw—the incubus, the demon—was your subconscious mind alerting you: Henry is no longer an ordinary man."
Laboni checked her hands—no cuts. But the locket was still hot to the touch.
Laboni: "Mother, does this mean Henry really wants to kill me? Is he really draining my life force?"
Mother: "What your dream showed you is a glimpse of the future. If you do not act now, that dream will come true. You are awake, but Henry is still under that dangerous obsession. You must decide your next move immediately."
Laboni looked out the window. She could see the VIP room of the hotel in the distance. She realized time was running out. Henry might wake up and start searching for her.
Laboni, overwhelmed and crying, asked, "Mother, where do I go?"
Her mother held her hands firmly, her eyes burning with determination.
Mother: "There is nowhere to run. Wherever you go, the shadow of the incubus will find you. Your fates are intertwined. You must go to a place where the demon's influence does not reach."
Laboni wiped her tears and looked at her mother. Her mother pulled out an old, worn map and a small clay pot.
Mother: "You must go to the ancient crematorium at the foot of the mountains. There lies the sorcerer's true lair. Outside may seem dangerous, but the source of his power is hidden beneath that crematorium in a cave. If you can break the spell there, Henry will be freed—and you will survive."
Laboni, astonished: "But mother, alone? What if Henry senses me?"
Mother: "Henry is still lost in the dream-like obsession. He thinks you've fled in fear. That is your chance. Take the clay pot with sacred earth and the golden locket. Remember, you must reach there before sunrise. And one more thing…"
Her mother leaned close to her ear: "You may see Henry's true 49-year-old form there. Do not be afraid, my child. That is the Henry who truly loved you. That is the one you must embrace."
Laboni stood up. Her fear had now turned into unwavering determination. She knew there was no turning back on this journey. Either she would save her husband—or today everything would end.
Laboni looked at her mother and nodded. Her rational mind struggled to accept the tales of demons and incubuses.
Laboni: "Mother, I'm educated. I'm a modern woman. I don't believe in incubuses or winged demons. That was just a terrifying dream. I know Henry is no demon. But his transformation, his unnatural strength, and obsession—there must be some psychological or black magic manipulation behind it. Are you giving me some kind of talisman? Can something like this really work?"
Her mother sighed. She knew Laboni could not be fooled with mystical stories. She handed her the clay pot calmly.
Mother: "Call it a talisman if you like, or in modern scientific terms, a 'protector.' It is actually a psychological shield. The sorcerer does not believe in ghosts; he relies on hypnosis and herbal toxins. What you saw in the dream was your brain's fear. In reality, the sorcerer has put Henry under a condition that makes him feel invincible and see you as the source of his power."
Showing her the locket, she said: "This is no magical charm. Inside it is a herbal essence that counteracts the sorcerer's hypnotic influence. Whenever Henry approaches, the scent will act on his mind, weakening that dark obsession. Call it science or faith—it is your last weapon."
Laboni gripped the locket tightly. She realized this was not a battle against a ghost, but a fight against a dangerous mental and chemical addiction.
Laboni: "Understood, mother. So I won't be killing Henry. I'll be breaking this delusion and obsession. I'll go to the sorcerer's lair and see what he has given Henry, what has made him insane."