The air vibrated through the dense foliage of the southwestern part of the forest. The mist crept slowly through the trees, and every sound, every crackling of branches seemed to foretell that something unusual was happening.
Ken's heart pounded as he sensed Martin's presence in the nearby clearing, but there was also a completely different vibration in the air. It wasn't just Martin there... something different, alien, and deadly.
As they arrived, Norman, Courtney, and Ken stopped behind a thick tree, trying to stay hidden. The sight that opened before them was both startling and terrifying.
Martin stood in the clearing, the missing piece of paper in his hand, as if the whole world belonged to him. And then the succubus appeared.
The woman's form was luminous and seductive, her every movement almost hypnotic. The dark, red hair and softly waving wings radiated a demonic yet irresistible allure.
Martin stood almost motionless, as if he were dizzy with the presence.
The succubus moved closer, her seductive smile and flashing eyes completely mesmerizing him. And then it happened: the succubus suddenly, unexpectedly, and almost artfully kissed Martin on the mouth.
Both Ken and Courtney trembled, the air seemed to freeze for a moment. Norman's eyes widened, but the most terrible sight was not until then: the succubus tore out Martin's heart, almost dancing, and devoured it.
The body collapsed to the ground as if it were nothing more than a piece of rag, and the succubus slowly threw it away as if it were nothing.
Ken's heart pounded in his throat. The sounds of the forest died away, the air became thick and heavy. Courtney and Ken instinctively stepped towards each other, to provide some kind of security for each other.
Norman's face was a mixture of shock and horror, but his eyes flashed with the ability to recognize that not all demons were evil, but the power of death was definitely present.
And then the faceless creature stepped into the clearing. The air around it vibrated, its aura strong, but it radiated some inexplicable controlled anger. Its scythe flashed in the air, and it swung towards the succubus, as if it wanted to prevent disaster at the last moment.
Ken, Courtney, and Norman stood a decent distance away, and although the faceless creature's energy was still felt, it was not so overwhelming as to completely paralyze them. Courtney stood close to Ken, her eyes serious, but her usual sarcasm slipped out here and there as she turned to Ken:
"Well… this… is a pretty rough start to an "observation" tour," she whispered, almost trying to calm herself.
Ken just nodded silently. The shock was still vibrating through his body, but somewhere deep in his heart, he was beginning to understand something: the succubus's appearance was no coincidence, and the faceless creature's reaction probably meant that something more important was happening here than mere death.
Norman frowned, watching the clearing:
"This… is not a classic ghost. It's not evil. It doesn't operate according to the logic of our world," he said quietly, his voice surprisingly firm. "But… the power of death and auras is here. And for some reason, this particular location and this moment matter."
Ken slowly backed away behind Courtney, fear and curiosity in his heart.
The faceless creature's scythe slowly stopped in midair, and the succubus looked at it for a moment, her eyes flashing red, then suddenly disappeared, as if the whole scene had been an illusion.
Courtney sighed softly as she placed a hand on Ken's shoulder.
"Okay… Ken, first the emotional trauma, now this. But trust me," she said, a faint, encouraging smile on her face. "We're in this together. We understand."
Ken nodded slowly, his hand gently touching Courtney's. Their connection had become not just an emotional one, but a survival alliance.
Norman stepped back for a moment, his eyes taking in the energies of the faceless creature and the clearing.
"Okay, let's listen," Norman said quietly. "We don't know why this happened, but there's a connection between the ritual and the missing card. Martin… it's too late. Something else happened.
The three young people, with fear in their hearts but the strength of togetherness, slowly walked from the edge of the clearing to get closer and understand what had happened.
The disappearance of the succubus and the presence of the faceless creature raised new questions, but one thing was certain: the invisible key, the book, Martin's missing page, and the faceless creature were all intertwined in a dark but necessary teaching that Ken and the others must discover.