On a cold metal bed, Clara's eyes, fixed upwards, rested; but this time her head no longer followed her body. Hector's long shadow swallowed the corpse whole, holding the severed head high, gazing into her eyes, which had gone out and turned completely ash.
He studied the details of her face under the white light that intensified the coldness of the room, the only sound being his quiet breath as it penetrated her pale skin. He leaned closer to her and murmured, "Don't worry." At that moment, his eyes caught glimpses of blood trickling from her head, drop by drop onto the pristine white floor. He watched calmly as the drops fell, one by one, before wiping the blood from his leather apron.
His hand returned to touch her pale face, gently stroking her lifeless eyes, before he stepped back to gaze at her body lying on the metal examination table. Her body had begun to stiffen, covered only by the rough fabric of her remaining clothing. With a quiet movement, he picked up his phone and pressed some number....
Meanwhile, inside the police chief's office, Arthur was nearing his cigarette when the sudden ringing stopped him. He picked up the phone, his serious expression quickly breaking into a smile as he exclaimed, "How are you, Doctor?" He was proud, eager to answer, and curious all at once; it wasn't every day that he received a call from the most elegant and dignified doctor.
"How are you, Cheif?" The voice on the other end was calm and composed. Arthur, unable to hide his curiosity, replied, "I'm fine, sir!" Arthur paused for a few seconds before continuing, "But what's the reason for this sudden call?"
He leaned forward, listening, but Hector's calm voice was soon overshadowed by a commotion and shouts coming from the outside corridor. This prompted him to jump up from his chair, saying, "Excuse me for a moment."
He flung open the door and exclaimed impatiently, "What's going on there?!" One of his assistants replied, his face tense, "It's Mr. Jack, sir. He's furious because his assistant hasn't been answering his calls for some time."
"Tell him to shut up! What an idiot!" Arthur yelled at the young policeman, who immediately hurried out of the room, muttering, "Yes, sir!" before slamming the door behind him.
The inspector picked up the phone again and sighed. "Excuse me, sir, what were you saying?"
There was no reply for a few seconds, prompting him to repeat, "Sir, are you there?" Finally, Hector's monotonous voice came through, punctuated by slow, deliberate steps and the creaking of a footstool. "You know, Inspector," he said, "I've seen the case of a suspect in your custody, and I think I'd be happy to help you with the interrogation... 'Henry Cavill' "
Arthur held his breath in utter surprise, as if unable to believe his ears. "Really, sir?!" he exclaimed, his voice dripping with pride as he stumbled back into his chair. "But what made you choose this particular man?"
Curiosity was simmering within the inspector, but the other party remained eerily silent for a moment, as if Hector were looking at the phone with cold indifference, before finally replying, "You could say it's just curiosity."
He had barely finished his sentence when he hung up, tossing the phone aside and stepping onto the sofa, his fingers calmly and meticulously removing the medical gloves from his hands...
On the other side, Isabella's fingers were still threading through her niece's hair as she slept soundly in her lap, breathing peacefully. Her mind wandered as she murmured to herself, "Why is all this happening?"
She studied Elizabeth's back under the clothes, covered in eeriely familiar scars, tracing their outlines with her fingertip. For a moment, her memory drifted back to the past—to Isla's body—but she shook her head, dismissing the thought "Impossible. It must be just a coincidence!"
However, her suspicions were stronger than her denials. Slowly, she lifted Elizabeth's sleeve, searching for any other stray marks, before her reverie was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, displaying the name "Idiot." She sighed in annoyance, rose, and moved away cautiously so as not to wake her... pressed the answer button and said sharply, "What is it, Jack?!"
Meanwhile, Isabella was completely oblivious to what was happening to Elizabeth, who was suddenly plunged into terrifying, pitch-black darkness. The young girl awoke to a sharp pain around her neck and tried to scream, "Damn it! Not again!" but her voice caught in her throat; her body was suspended in mid-air by something sharp.
turned slowly behind her to find countless long arms reaching out from the gloom of the sanctuary and gripping her tightly. A deafening scream pierced her senses as she fought with all her might, while another wail rose directly in front of her. There, in the darkness, a distorted shadow danced with strange, erratic steps, and despite its appearance, she sensed it was the shadow of a woman.
"LET ME.GO !" she cried in terror, but the frantically dancing shadow's steps didn't stop; instead, they grew longer as it drew closer. At that moment, whispers rose around her like the hissing of snakes: "He killed her... He killed her."
She turned with gasps, searching for the source of the multiplying voices. Before she could comprehend, hands from behind yanked her knees down, forcing her to bend over. Suddenly, her breath mingled with that of a female shadow; two gray eyes awaited her, devouring her entire being.
Her terrified gasps intensified as she watched the girl's shadow move with her, as if synchronizing her every step, trapping her whenever she tried to pull away. In an instant, her breath caught in her throat as the creature's nose brushed against her face. Her numb hands trembled helplessly under the sudden grip that squeezed her cheeks, forcing her to confront hell itself.
Words caught in Elizabeth's throat as she tried to understand: "Why?" The monster's voice echoed back, trembling, "Why?" Before she could comprehend, the girl's hand gripped her tightly, and in one swift motion, she violently twisted her neck to the side.
A piercing scream escaped her lips as she felt her body plummet into a bottomless void. She awoke suddenly, her voice trembling, completely rigid on the sofa. Her breath came in gasps, her body frozen with shock, as she realized, in her panic, that her fingers had been digging their nails into her neck, scratching her skin cruelly without her knowledge. "It HURTS... it hurts so MUch!"
murmured, her lips trembling, as she staggered off the sofa , heart pounded wildly as she stumbled unsteadily toward her room. She slammed the door shut, just as her aunt rushed toward the noise, asking in a panic, "Elizabeth! Did something happen?!"
But she had already retreated into her room. Standing before the mirror, examined the deep red mark encircling her neck and gasped, "Nothing... it was just a nightmare." Her aunt tried to reassure her, though her trembling voice betrayed a different story. This prompted her to run to the room and stand behind the door, asking urgently, "What did you see?" Isabella tried to open the handle, but the door was locked. She listened to the sounds of rustling and movement inside as Elizabeth struggled to stand and steady herself. "Please, open the door, Liz!" She cried again.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth's eyes darted aimlessly over her body, and she touched her injured eye, which burned intensely, succumbing to a sharp, throbbing headache. Suddenly, she spotted something moving by the windowsill; she turned cautiously and took a few steps closer, whispering "Kitty!" Sure enough, the black cat, crept towards her and settled on her lap, purring warmly...