Silia stared at Jhed, frozen. She couldn't believe it. He stood before her exactly as before. The fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
"I cut off his head. So why is he unharmed? I even tasted his blood." She looked down. Jhed's blood was still pooled on the floor.
Jhed had a sword in his hand. He drove it into Silia's stomach in one quick motion. Blood ran down the blade and dripped to the floor. His hands were shaking. His heart was pounding. It had taken everything he had to make that move.
"How are you alive? Did you create a fake world like I did?" Silia asked.
Jhed was frightened — because even with a sword through her stomach, nothing happened to her.
"Who are you?" She kept staring at him. Jhed pulled the sword out and drove it back in. Still nothing. Her blood kept flowing.
"How are you still alive?" she asked again.
Jhed kept pulling the sword out and thrusting it back in. Despite losing that much blood, she didn't even scream.
"This isn't a human," Jhed thought.
He pulled back once more and tried to thrust again — but Silia caught the blade with her bare hand.
"I said — why are you alive?" she screamed.
"I don't know. You can kill me as many times as you want — I'm not going to die. Every single time, I'll be standing right in front of you again." Jhed screamed back.
"I shouldn't be afraid. She can't kill me. I'm immortal. She's just a demon." He steadied himself with that thought. He forced himself to meet her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Jhed yanked his sword free. Blood poured from Silia's palm.
"Give me my card back. You can never kill me." Jhed said, sword raised, ready.
"Ha... you've found some courage. Do you know who I am—"
The moment she said it, everything shifted. They were now standing in an open field — empty in every direction, soaked in red.
Jhed looked around. Nothing but a vast, blood-drenched plain.
"Let me show you what fear really is." Silia's body began to change. Her true form was emerging.
Her face was terrifying — ten eyes across it, skin completely black, no flesh covering the bone beneath. Her arms and legs stretched grotesquely long. Her body twisted like an animal's.
She began to growl.
"I am a Blood Demon." Her laugh was chilling. Her growl was unlike anything living.
A Blood Demon — one that drained people of their blood. A horrifying creature that had been hiding in this small town.
"Now tell me — how will you survive this." She began circling him slowly. Eyes fixed on him. She had grown so large that Jhed looked like an ant beside her.
"I won't be afraid. I'm calm. She can't kill me. I'm immortal. She's just a demon." Jhed closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at her. His hand still gripped the sword. This time, he was forcing himself to be strong.
Jhed had to defeat her. Only then could he get out of here.