Kin woke from the dream, his breathing uneven, only to find Vixen staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"I think…" Vixen's voice was low, almost reverent, "I just saw our baby in my dream."
Kin's eyes widened. "I saw it too."
Vixen's gaze softened, his hand brushing Kin's cheek. "No matter what happens… we're going to bring this child into the world."
A small smile curved Kin's lips. "Yes."
Vixen leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss on Kin's cheek before the two got ready for the day. After breakfast, they headed together to the military camp, keeping Kin always within Vixen's sight.
As days passed, Kin often spoke to Kenny. One morning, Kenny looked up at him and asked with innocent curiosity,
"Brother Kin, when will the little baby come? I want to play with them."
Kin chuckled. "Three more months. You'll have to wait a little longer."
Kenny nodded eagerly, and in those casual talks, Kin began to learn unsettling secrets about Kenny's family—especially about his grandfather, the old villager uncle.
That night, as Kin and Vixen lay in bed, Kin turned to him with a troubled look.
"You know… that villager uncle doesn't seem right. Kenny told me he's seen strange things in his grandfather's house—tiny straw dolls, nails stained with blood, lemons smeared with blood, even blood-soaked clothes. And he never lets Kenny enter certain rooms."
Vixen frowned slightly but shook his head. "That man has always been known for helping people here. He gives food, helps the poor—"
"But—" Kin began, only for Vixen to cut him off.
"Not now. We can't dwell on this tonight. We have to wake up early tomorrow, and I have a small operation scheduled."
Kin sighed, whispering, "Alright. I love you."
"I love you too," Vixen murmured, kissing his cheek before pulling him close.
That night, once again, exactly at 3:33 a.m., they shared the same dream—a radiant golden light speaking in a voice that called them "mother" and "father." It happened every single night as the weeks passed.
---
One evening, as they were returning from the Buddha temple, the sun dipping into the horizon, Kin noticed Vixen's gaze sharpen. It was the night of the new moon.
Vixen saw the villager uncle, cloaked in black, hurrying towards the jungle.
"Stay in the car," Vixen told Kin firmly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'll be back soon."
Quietly, Vixen followed the man into the dense woods—only to find him among several others, chanting and calling upon the Devil.
"Are you… part of this cult?" Vixen's voice rang through the trees.
The old man stiffened, eyes widening. "You shouldn't have followed me."
Vixen's tone hardened. "I never expected this from you."
A slow, twisted smile formed on the villager uncle's lips. "I was the one who handed your friend, Shen Seizan, to the Devil. I sacrificed him myself."
Unseen, Kin had followed quietly and now stood behind a tree, hearing every word. The shock hit him so hard that his vision blurred, and he collapsed.
"Kin!" Vixen rushed to him, pulling him into his arms. But before he could check him properly, the cult members surged forward to attack.
With a sharp breath, Vixen released his Alpha protective pheromones, forcing the attackers to stagger back, clutching their heads.
The old man managed to steady himself, stepping forward with a chilling laugh. "Perfect. Tonight, I'll offer all three of you to the Evil God—and I'll become even more powerful. The Evil God entrusted me with this task long ago. I just never had the chance… until now."
He lunged, but Vixen's pheromones surged again, pushing him back. Lifting Kin into his arms, Vixen ran from the forest toward the road.
Behind them, the old man began chanting, summoning the demon to kill them—but Vixen made it to the car, driving at top speed back home. Once inside, he released another wave of pheromones, sealing the house in a protective barrier.
That night, the demon's power could not reach them.
---
But the peace didn't last. Days later, a mysterious plague began spreading again in the village.
This time, Vixen called for a meeting with the surviving villagers. "We will restore our village's deity," he said firmly. "Only then can the curse be broken and the cult destroyed."
The villagers agreed, and preparations began to hold the deity's ceremony on an auspicious day.
The villager uncle appeared at the gathering, his voice sharp. "Stop this nonsense!"
Vixen didn't flinch. "No. And perhaps it's time everyone knows the truth."
In front of the villagers, Vixen exposed all of the old man's dark secrets—his cult ties, his sacrifices, his betrayal.
Even then, neither the villager uncle nor the cult could stop the Zemura Village deity's ceremony from being carried out.
---
Continue....