The valley resembled an immense infected lung.
As if to emphasise the maleficent atmosphere of the place, the horses refused to move forward again after spending some time wandering around the hamlet.
They were therefore tied up in a stable, and the group continued on foot.
As Mimi, Silas, and the others approached the central hub of the eastern part of the hamlet — where, according to the villagers, the demon was believed to be located — the mist grew thicker and more sinister than before.
It swirled around the stones, rose from small crevices, dripped from the roofs, crept along the ground like a hungry snake, coiled around their ankles, and clung to Mimi and Silas" skin like cold sweat.
Mimi and her protégé were almost at the front of the procession, preceded only by two villagers serving as guides. The rest of the men from the village followed at a distance, ashamed and terrified.
And the closer they got to the malevolent heart of the hamlet, the more jerky their breathing became.
Mireille gripped the hilt of her weapon more tightly. Every slightest breath seemed foreign to her, alive, ready to snatch her away.
The mist, in addition to affecting her physically, triggered unwanted memories that rose from the depths of her mind — like an earthworm coming to the surface after the rain.
Silas, meanwhile, walked more slowly, one hand resting on his chest — where, under his tunic, lay the jade pendant. He was breathing heavily and didn't know why.
The men of the village walked behind them, armed with pitchforks, worn axes, swords long out of commission, well-worn bows, or simply sticks.
The shadow of an old, unconfessed sin followed them closely. It was written on their faces. Mimi could feel it.
But the servant ignored this doubt, simply because her master had asked her — with odious insistence — to help them.
An unnatural silence reigned throughout the journey, and grew louder once they arrived at the fateful place. There, there was not a child's cry, not a whisper, nothing that could indicate the presence of human life.
Just... the dull beating of the mist.
The villagers whose minds were captured were like string puppets. Alive, yes... but soulless.
Silas felt nausea rising.
***
When they all reached the eastern square, the women and children of the village stood there, perfectly still, perfectly aligned, like wax statues. They all had glassy eyes, empty faces, mechanical breathing and almost synchronised movements.
...As if a single soul animated them all.
And in the middle, enthroned on a majestic seat — contrasting outrageously with the rest of the village — placed on the steps of a house with reed shutters, the demoness was observing them.
Her hair fell in dark waves along her milky skin. A single, smooth, thin horn ran down the left side of her skull. Her eyes glowed with an ominous purple light, two gloomy, sickly flames.
Her silhouette was motionless, but the mist surrounding her rippled like impatient fingers.
She smiled, softly... almost friendly.
"There are fewer of you than I expected... but at least you are certainly as unintelligent as ever." She said, tilting her head.
The men instinctively backed away. Mireille, however, did not flinch.
"Speak for them, demon." Mimi interjected.
"Hmm... Such impetuosity... Such impoliteness. I like you." Replied the demon with a small smile.
"Oh, thank you. Apparently, that's the effect I have on everyone." Spat the maid, in an almost amused and reverent tone, despite the tension of the situation.
"Hmm. I see." Simply breathed the being sitting quietly in her armchair, a sly smile floating on her honeyed lips.
"Perfect! So, milady the demo—"
"I have a name, my dear. It's Lumiona." Cut the demoness.
"Ah..."
Mireille cleared her throat, as if to pick up the thread of a conversation that had been interrupted.
"Well, um, we're here to stop you in your tracks and free the villagers. However, my master and I would like to avoid bloodshed, if possible. So ask you to liberate them, lady Lumiona!" declared Mimi, without raising her voice.
"Oh?" said Lum, tilting her head.
A slow, twisted smile spread across her lips.
"…To liberate. It's a word I've heard almost my entire life. And those who uttered it... were far worse than me." She finally replied.
sweeping her gaze over the men of the village, she smiled. It was a gaze that burned them to their souls.
"And then... why should I do that, anyway?" continued the demoness, feigning intrigue.
Lumi's voice was icy velvet.
Silas stepped forward without thinking.
"Because what you are doing is monstrous!"
Lumiona laughed. A brief, almost crystalline laugh.
"Monstrous? Really?"
She pointed at the men behind Mimi.
"What about them?"
The demoness' expression hardened for a brief second. Just then, a pulse of mist struck the square. Faces contorted with shame.
"…What do you think they told you, kid? The sanitised versions? The acceptable versions?"
She smiled slowly again.
"You have no idea what these—"
She stopped abruptly, took a graceful breath, then continued as if nothing had happened.
"You have no idea what they deserve."
Under the tone the deviless used, Mimi felt something crack in the air...
Something human.
Lumiona straightened up from her chair and redirected her gaze to the men standing fearfully behind Mireille and Silas.
"And you, you bunch of hypocrites... You dare bring me some improvised heroes?"
Mireille had already realised, at this point, that something was amiss... But she had made a promise.
"First off… Ouch! And second… You probably have your reasons for acting the way you do. And they may be more moral, from your point of view, than we could ever accept..."
The servant drew her sword.
"...But, unfortunately, we didn't come here to discuss morality. We came to stop you!" Mireille continued.
Immediately, the mist contracted. With a lazy gesture, Lumiona raised a hand.
"A pity."
***
The frozen silhouettes of the women and children suddenly came to life.
Not like living beings — no. More like puppets pulled by a common string.
They took one step, then another, surrounding the square.
Mireille leapt forward.
But as she rushed towards her target, a chorus of mist rose, and the demon disappeared in a contraction of air.
"Mimi!" Silas shouted.
A grey movement surged viciously behind the young woman.
Lumiona appeared out of nowhere, a blackish blade manifesting in her hands.
The sight of this weapon froze Mireille for a second, but her warrior instincts reacted just in time.
The servant parried the first blow, but the force behind it was inhuman.
Swirling the wisps of mist around her, the succubus immediately took advantage of this opening to throw Mimi onto the cobblestones.
As soon as Mireille hit the ground, the impact knocked the wind out of her. The mist then seeped into her lungs.
The maid suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation in her mind...
...and began to see, or rather, to see again, images.
"You're putting up a good fight. Interesting. You could almost be a good student of my master." Murmured Lumiona.
"Go... fog yourself..." Mimi managed to say as she struggled to sit up.
The succubus burst out laughing. It was a warm, genuinely amused laugh.
Then her gaze shifted to Silas.
"You, on the other hand..."
She paused. Flicked her finger through the air. And approached him.
One of the older men stepped forward at the same moment, and the others followed suit...
But their attempt was thwarted before it could go any further.
Lumiona raised a finger, and immediately one of her puppets ran towards her, then threw herself at the demon's feet.
The succubus placed her hand lightly on the shoulder of the woman at her feet...
A woman who had become motionless, her eyes glassy.
Lumiona knelt down, almost affectionately.
"You..." she said, looking at the old man who had instilled a drop of courage in the villagers.
Lumi fixed her purple gaze on the individual.
"You remember, don't you? What you did to my mother…"
The woman trembled immediately, as if her conscience had returned for a moment.
"I..."
Lumiona placed a finger on the girl's lips.
"Be quiet."
Then, in a movement almost too quick to be seen, she twisted the young woman's neck.
There was a sharp crack.
The body collapsed like a puppet.
Silas let out a strangled cry. The men screamed.
The individual collapsed.
"...She was your daughter, wasn't she? So... how does it feel?" the demoness spat simply.
But Lumiona wasn't even looking at them anymore.
She was looking at her fingernails, as if she had simply gotten rid of an insect.
"What? Did you think I would be satisfied with threats? If so, you really are a bunch of idiots, you know that?"
She made a dismissive gesture.
After what you did to me and my family, you don't have the slightest right to complain about what I do…we did nothing wrong, and still you took everything from me."
Waving her hand, she turned to face the ranks of the other mind captives.
"We suffer a lot. I went through hell because of you all… Meanwhile, I'm just rapidly killing a few of you. I'm almost... merciful."
She reached out her arm, and another victim approached. A little girl.
Lumiona then grabbed the child who had frozen behind her and pulled her by the hair like a rag doll.
But in the way she did it, they were something akin to precaution... and even carefulness.
"What about her, hm?"
A sick smile spread across her face.
"You wanted to fight, didn't you? Come on then."
She placed the blade she had just materialised under the child's throat.
"Take one step, and I'll repaint this place with what's left of her life."
The men didn't dare move. Even breathing seemed to risk death.
Silas trembled, helpless and horrified.
"Monster..." was all he could say.
Lumiona turned her head towards him slowly and smiled coldly but amusedly.
"Thank you for the compliment, boy."
The demon rose, gently stroked the little girl"s head with a strange smile—almost affectionate, if not completely loving—and sent her back to the ranks of the manipulated. Then she approached Silas.
Suddenly, she raised an eyebrow.
"You… I recognise that smell."
The mist then reacted like a frightened animal.
"…Are you one of those he's looking for?"