Laboni stood frozen, unmoving. She didn't resist. Instead, she seemed to sink deeper into a trance. The sheer force of Henry's body, that supernatural pull, captivated her. Her flushed cheeks and trembling legs bore silent witness to an unknown surrender.
Henry leaned closer, wrapping her in a more intimate embrace. His voice was no longer merely demonic—it now carried a terrifying madness.
Henry: "Do not be afraid, Laboni. You think this union will mean our death? No… I will not die, and I will not let you die either. That sorcerer taught me how to become immortal. Tonight, when I touch your life force, you will no longer be an ordinary woman. You must become the queen of my dark realm! We will remain young forever, generation after generation. The world may perish, but our youth, our desire, will never fade."
Laboni was stunned. She had thought Henry was merely using her for his own ends, but now he wanted her as a companion for an eternal cursed life! He was offering her the crown of an "immortal demonic empire."
Laboni (thinking): "Does he mean for me to live as a parasite like him? Drinking human blood, maintaining my form? This cannot be love!"
Her shock reached its peak, and Henry lifted her chin with a demonic, victorious smile, bringing his face close to hers.
Henry: "Tell me, Laboni, are you ready to be my queen? Ready to leave this mortal world and vanish into my eternal darkness?"
At that moment, Laboni's hand clenched around the golden locket at her neck. She realized that if she didn't act now, she would become a living corpse forever. The mesmerizing 29-year-old Henry now looked like a venomous mask to her.
Determined, Laboni shoved him with a violent jerk. Unprepared, Henry lost balance and crashed onto the bed. Before he could react, Laboni sprang onto his chest with catlike swiftness. Her thin white nightdress spread across the bed, and her disheveled hair framed a fierce, warrior-like visage.
Henry laughed in surprise.
Henry: "Laboni! Is this some new game? I didn't know you could be so ferocious!"
Laboni said nothing. She drew the long, sharp knife she had hidden in her thigh. In the moonlight, its blade glimmered.
Henry (eyes wide): "What is this, Laboni? Do you intend to kill me? Don't you know I am immortal?"
Laboni (gritting her teeth): "You're not immortal, Henry. You're a delusion! You've become a parasite in the name of my love. You want to stay a 29-year-old youth by feeding on other women's blood? Today, I'll shatter that pride of yours!"
She brought the knife down toward his chest. Henry's black wings flailed in attempt, but the golden locket around Laboni's neck blazed like fire, weakening his demonic strength.
Henry: "Stop, Laboni! That knife, if it pierces my heart, will destroy my beautiful face in an instant! I'll become hideous!"
Laboni: "I don't want the beautiful demon, Henry! I want my true 49-year-old husband, the one who will age with me. If death must come, let it come as a human, not a monster!"
Summoning all her strength, Laboni plunged the knife into the center of Henry's chest. An inhuman scream filled the room. His black wings stiffened, then crumbled to ashes. The blood that seeped from him wasn't red—it was a murky black. Laboni shuddered. The realization that she had truly killed Henry tore her heart apart.
She slid to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, hands coated in blood.
Laboni (sobbing): "What have I done? I've killed my Henry with my own hands! Who do I live for now?"
Then, from the dying body, a grave, harsh voice echoed. The once 29-year-old youth's face began to age rapidly—29 to 40, 40 to 49. His voice returned to normal. With his last breath, the demon Henry (the incubus) whispered to Laboni:
Henry (in his true voice): "Forgive me, Laboni… don't trap me… on the other side of the mirror…"
His body went still. Laboni looked at the figure before her—no demon remained. Only the lifeless body of a 49-year-old man, his face strangely peaceful.
Suddenly, the mirror in the room shattered. The red moonlight revealed a stirring inside Laboni. She threw the knife aside, crawling frantically to the body, tears blurring her vision.
Laboni: "Henry! Speak to me! Look, I've come to you. I didn't want to kill you, only the demon!"
As she touched his face, she felt the cold, stone-like body slowly warming, the once 29-year-old hard skin softening to human form. She saw her true 49-year-old husband—freed from the sorcerer's spell.
Henry drew a long, deep breath, eyes now devoid of red glow, filled instead with deep pain and a trace of familiar love.
Henry (weakly): "Lab…oni? Am I dreaming? It feels so dark…"
Laboni hugged him tightly, her white nightdress soaked with his blood and her tears.
Laboni: "No, Henry. Not a dream. The curse is over. I've brought you back. Look, we are normal again. Our age has returned."
Shivering, Henry held her hands. He noticed Laboni's slightly older, fully adult hands—gone was the youthful girlishness—but he saw the most beautiful woman before him.
Henry: "They had planted a demon inside me, Laboni. I never wanted to hurt you. By saving me, did you destroy yourself?"
Laboni smiled faintly, glancing at the now ash-grey locket.
Laboni: "Nothing is over, Henry. From now on, we grow old together. No magic, no sorcery—just you and me."
Outside, the sky lightened. The red moon set, golden morning sunlight pierced through the curtains, illuminating the room with peace. Laboni and Henry held each other, hopeful for a new life.
Morning brought the sweet aroma of tea in the kitchen. Laboni, now confident and self-assured, wore a neat blue shirt and black pants, glasses resting on her face. She was no longer the timid girl. Henry, back in his true form as a senior police officer, looked imposing, sophisticated, and handsome at 49, with golden-rimmed glasses enhancing his sharp gaze.
Laboni carried two steaming cups of tea. She smiled at Henry—the ordinary morning after a horrific night felt like heaven. She placed the cups on the table and sat beside him.
Henry gently rested a hand on her waist. Laboni was smiling at her phone.
Henry (softly): "What are you looking at so intently?"
Laboni (laughing): "A photo from twenty years ago. You know, I feel closer to this 49-year-old officer than the 29-year-old youth."
Henry kissed her hair. His eyes held calm and deep contentment.
Henry: "This is the real Laboni. No acting, no magic. Just you and me. Before heading to the office, shall we enjoy a little more of this time?"
Laboni turned off her phone, laying her head on his chest. The city stirred outside, but inside, time felt still. They both knew how much blood and tears were sacrificed for this peace.
She leaned to touch his glasses to hers and whispered:
Laboni: "From now on, every morning will start like this, officer."
Henry left for the office, giving her a magical farewell. Laboni spent the day cheerful, calling her brother and cousins, laughing, as if the dark clouds of the previous night had vanished.
When night fell, Henry messaged: "I'll be late today, Laboni. Lots of work. Eat and rest."
Laboni locked every door and window, slipping into bed. Exhausted, she quickly fell into deep sleep. The room was dark, faint streetlight shadows creating strange patterns.
At 3 a.m., the air grew heavy. Half-asleep, she felt hands gripping her—warm, unnatural, inescapable. She tried to wake but couldn't—paralyzed.
In the darkness, someone leaned close, their hands pressing her, tasting her with a primitive hunger. A chilling, familiar voice whispered:
Voice: "I have returned… my queen. Didn't I tell you before I died that I planted my seed in your blood? You cannot kill me. I now reside within you."
Laboni's eyes flew open. No one was there. Henry had not returned. Yet the fiery warmth lingered on her wrist. Looking in the mirror, she saw her reflection—but behind her loomed a massive black shadow, gripping her.
The shadow pressed her lips, silencing her scream. A torturous transformation began. Her ordinary 38-year-old body twisted. Skin became diamond-like, eyes glowing crimson, beauty transcending human limits.
Voice: "Hello, queen… you've finally taken your rightful throne."
For 40 grueling minutes, her body endured an infernal upheaval. She writhed in agony, sweat mixing with her tears. A sharp pain gripped her abdomen, as if an evil life was forming within.
Laboni (whimpering): "Adhi… please… I can't… it hurts… I don't want to be your queen! Let me go!"
The shadow tightened its grip.
Adhi (voice): "There's no turning back, Laboni. You freed me by killing Henry, and now I have left our heir in your womb. You are no longer human—you are the mother of a demon."
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Henry's voice shouted:
Henry: "Laboni! Open the door! I'm home!"
Laboni writhed on the floor, caught between her husband and the unseen darkness. She screamed, powerless. Her tears fell, blackening the marble.
The bedroom door suddenly crashed open. Henry entered, holding not a gun, but the remnants of his mother's golden locket and holy water. The room fell silent. He froze, staring at Laboni.
She lay on the floor, crying. Suddenly, the crying stopped. Her body stiffened unnaturally. Her pupils were pitch-black. She rose, puppet-like, approaching Henry, face void of familiar expression.
Henry (terrified): "Laboni? Can you recognize me? I'm your Henry!"
She didn't respond. A blue aura surged from her body. She placed her hand on his chest, icy as frost.
Laboni (in a deep, dual voice): "Henry… your Laboni now sits on my throne. Will you not bow to your queen?"
Pain shot through her abdomen again. She fell onto Henry's chest. He splashed holy water and pressed the half-burned golden locket onto her. Black smoke erupted from her body. Mirrors shattered. Laboni screamed, clutching Henry:
Laboni: "Henry… save me… I don't want to go with it!"
A powerful gust swirled the room. Lights vanished. When they returned, Laboni lay unconscious, her supernatural form gone. Her blue shirt torn, pupils returned to normal.
Henry lifted her. Laboni opened her eyes, weak but peaceful.
Laboni (whispering): "It's gone, Henry… I'm no queen. I'm just yours…"
Henry hugged her, kissing her forehead. The first rays of the sun peeked through. They didn't know if Adhi would return, but for now, as humans, they had each other again.