Chapter 69: Demons
Conor processed the latest revelations from Hans, a chilling puzzle slowly assembling in his mind.
People were vanishing from the village, and while some miraculously returned, their altered personalities were deeply unsettling.
Where had they been? This was a small, isolated community; vanishing and reappearing without explanation defied logic.
And what of those who didn't return? Hans's account of the village head's grim discovery, bodies found with pervasive bite marks, particularly two small, snake-like punctures near the neck—sent a cold dread through Conor.
His mind resisted the horrifying implications, yet they were undeniable. The altered behavior of the survivors was also critical. They weren't just acting "different"; their core personalities seemed utterly rewritten.
The pieces began to click, a whirlwind of theories and chilling possibilities erupting in his head. But before he jumped to any conclusions, he needed to confirm one vital detail.
"You mentioned that among the missing people, some managed to return, but their personalities were completely different," Conor stated, his voice tight with a newfound urgency. "Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'completely different'?"
He desperately hoped his mounting suspicions were just paranoid fantasies.
Conor's inner thoughts raced:
'If I'm to base this village situation on all the information I know, this could very well be the work of the demons Hans was talking about—those demons who somehow slipped into our world without creating a massive rift. They must have opened a minor rift somewhere in this village, mingled among the humans, and are now already taking action.'
"I know what you're thinking," Hans interjected, cutting through Conor's internal monologue. "I'm sure right now you're thinking this could be the work of the demons living among us, just like the rumors suggest, right?" Conor nodded slowly, confirming Hans's accurate assessment.
"Like, wouldn't it make sense?" Conor pressed, his voice rising slightly. "I mean, if what you said earlier was true, it would imply there's certainly been a minor rift opening here, and everything going on could only be the work of demons. It's common knowledge that demons feed on human flesh and drink their blood; it's not like that's information the public is unaware of."
"But seriously, if I were you, I wouldn't be thinking that far just yet," Hans advised, his expression intensely focused.
"Sometimes the answers we seek aren't even that far from us. All we need to do is look in the right direction." He paused, then elaborated on Conor's earlier question.
"But if you're asking about their behavior, from what the village head told me, they acted like they had lost all their memories to the point that even their own names felt foreign to them."
That was something. Brainwashed? Memory loss? This world was starting to feel more like a fantasy.
With that, they both continued their journey.
Conor and Hans had been walking for a considerable time now. Conor hadn't initially cared about their destination or the mission itself, but the escalating stream of disturbing information had ignited a serious interest, stripping away his initial laziness.
The growing possibility of demon involvement fueled his newfound urgency.
They had ventured deep into the forest.
Around them, colossal trees, draped in thick vines and tangled roots, created an almost oppressive atmosphere. Yet, ahead, roughly fifteen meters away, a stark visual anomaly seized their attention.
All the plant life in the immediate vicinity surrounding a large cave was dead and desiccated, shriveled into brittle husks. From within the gaping maw of the cave, they could distinctly feel an unsettling surge of energy.
It was this potent energy signature that had allowed them to easily pinpoint the cave, as it seemed to actively destroy everything in its immediate surroundings.
But this energy was far from being normal. The moment it made contact with Hans and Conor's bodies, they both felt it—a chilling sensation, their hearts plummeting, shivers racing down their spines.
It felt as though the energy escaping the cave was actively trying to draw them in, to tear them apart, to shred them into pieces. A genius wasn't required to understand they had found something significant, something to be taken with the utmost seriousness.
"Wooo..." Conor breathed, his gaze fixed on the ominous cave. "Turns out the rumors were true after all. I don't know about you, but this place is giving me the chills."
It was then that a sudden realization struck Conor. He had simply been following Hans all this time, oblivious to their exact destination, which wasn't surprising given he'd never been to this village before.
But Hans hadn't either, at least to what Conor knew, yet he had led them directly to the rift's location. It was almost as if Hans had been here before. Conor's curiosity flared, overriding his apprehension.
"Say, Hans, how is it that you know the exact location of the rift?" Conor asked, turning to face his companion, only to feel a sharp, cold point press against his neck mid-turn.
"That's because I came right through it," Hans rasped.
Or was it Hans? The figure before Conor began to metamorphose, shifting and contorting into someone—or rather, something—Conor didn't recognize.
Conor was in grave danger.
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Sorry
This month is a busy one for me , updates would not be frequent and massive like usal , got alot going theses days But i promise to still try my best .
Hope you guys can understand .
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