In the middle of that darkness, I suddenly remembered Kharon's prophecy. I thought I would live to tell this story.Why are the noises I heard earlier slowly fading away? Why has the light vanished? I feel as if I'm floating, weightless. I feel like a bird's feather drifting aimlessly, carried by a wind toward a place I cannot see.
Memories pass through my mind like shards of glass—each one revealing a scene from my life before finally vanishing.Then the Sutsot appeared.
Why are they still here? I thought they were gone. Where are the Guardians? Where is Eve? They are all gone. It's just me—alone against the Sutsot?
I felt the cold grip of the Sutsot on my leg, pulling me down, trying to drag me into the depths. Fear consumed my chest. I kicked, struggled—each movement fueled by desperate survival. In my struggle, I broke free from their grip and ran, the pain in my wounded leg burning with every step.
I glanced back and saw them chasing me. They would not let go. The shadows roared and howled after me until a passage appeared ahead. The passage seemed to spiral, yet there was nowhere else to run. Only the light at the far end was visible. It seemed to pull me toward it.
I looked back again. The Sutsot were nearly upon me.I ran faster. My leg throbbed with pain, but I endured. The light ahead grew brighter with each step, promising warmth, life, and a chance to survive. I ran, giving every ounce of my strength.
As I neared the end of the passage, the light intensified, blinding me. I squeezed my eyes shut. Then I stumbled.
I fell to the ground. My body refused to move. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stand. Every fiber of my being was exhausted from running. My mind screamed for me to continue, but my body surrendered.
I thought I had reached the end. Between the darkness and the light, I saw her face—not Eve, twisted by Berith's curse, but the woman who had once smiled at me. I clung to that image like a rosary bead—the last pure thing left inside me.
I waited for Berith's minions to arrive. But none came. Where were they?
I opened my eyes. The sharp glare of hospital lights pierced my vision. I closed them again, confused, unsure of what was happening.
Then I felt the pillow beneath my head.
I was lying in a hospital bed. The steady beeping and faint hum of machines pulled me back from the void. The smell of medicine reached my nose, reminding me of the nights I had watched over my mother when she was hospitalized.
Slowly, I opened my eyes again and squinted at the light above. Thin tubes extended from my arms to two IV bags hanging beside the bed—lines connecting me to the world of the living. I lifted my trembling arms and felt the cold tape on my skin—a confirmation that this was not a dream.
I was alive. I breathed… and then breathed deeper. The unmistakable scent of a hospital room confirmed the fragile truth: I was alive.
But where was Eve?
I noticed another patient lying to my right, near an open window. There she was—Eve. Her face pale, eyes closed, hand dangling by the side of her bed.
A wave of relief washed over me as I saw her chest rise and fall, weakly but steadily. We had both survived the cruelty of the Sutsot.
With Tomas gone, the responsibility to protect her weighed heavier than the pain in my leg. I knew Berith was defeated, and that God the Father would always watch over us. Yet there was no room for complacency. I couldn't be sure if all of Berith's minions had been destroyed on Isla Miedo. I had to guard Eve.
My leg throbbed—the part struck by the bullet—pulsing with each breath. Despite the pain, a quiet celebration formed inside me as I recalled everything that had happened before I lost consciousness. The Sutsot had been defeated. Evil had not triumphed.
I remembered what Jasmine said:"The bodies of demons may fall, but their spirits remain alive. They do not die like humans. Yet when they are defeated, they are cast into the lake of fire—a place with no escape, where suffering is endless."
Berith now lay at the bottom of that lake of fire, snarling eternally, cursed, powerless. The sacrifices of Tomas, Daniel, Fidel, Marco, and Jasmine were not in vain. The deaths of Adam, Julie, and all the Sutsot victims were avenged, along with the unspeakable violations Berith inflicted on Eve's mind and body.
Evil had not won. But it hides in the darkness, waiting for another chance to return. It will never surrender. So one must always remain vigilant, ready to fight again.
Only two people were seated near the door—unexpected but familiar. Their dark red tunics marked them as members of the Guardians of Light.
For reasons I could not explain, a chill ran through me again. I didn't know if it was because the presence of the Guardians reminded me of our terrifying experiences on Isla Miedo and in the safehouse.
Then, an unusual warmth surged through my neck and chest. It came from the crucifix necklace the priest had given me. Why hadn't he taken it back?
I pulled it from under my clothes and kissed the cross. Made of silver, larger than ordinary crosses, it seemed designed only for a special kind of prayer, one capable of warding off evil.
A knock came at the door. One Guardian drew a gun, the other readied a machete. They slowly opened the door.
And there he was—Jeff.
The Guardians looked at me."He's our friend," I said. "Please, let him through.""Thanks, bro." He reached for my hand, but Jeff bypassed me, heading straight to Eve.
I saw him gently stroke Eve's hair with trembling hands. I closed my eyes. I thought that once Berith was gone, I wouldn't have to compete for her heart. But I had forgotten—before Berith claimed her, she had already belonged to someone else. She wasn't mine. I could not take her.
"Willy."
I opened my eyes. Jeff stood beside me, his hand on my shoulder."Thank you for what you did for Eve," he said. "I'll take care of her now. You don't have to worry."
His gaze shifted between my face and the cross on my chest. I only nodded. No words were needed.
He returned to Eve's bed, pulled up a chair, and sat. Watching him stroke Eve's cheek, I felt jealousy beneath my bandages—a sting caused by his choice of her. I had faced monsters and crossed hell itself, yet her heart would never be mine.
But love is not always about possession; sometimes it is a silent wish for the safety and well-being of the one you love. Whatever happens to her, I know I will always love her—silently, fully, even if it means loving her from afar.
I wanted to speak—to explain everything—but Jeff did not look at me again. Perhaps it was not the right time.
His presence may have gone against my will, but knowing Eve had someone else to protect her gave me comfort. In Jeff's presence, I could close my eyes, let my body rest, and not worry about her safety.
I stirred. I had dozed off briefly. A thin curtain separated us from the Guardians. Their whispers woke me. I remained still, eyes closed.
"By the way," one whispered, "is it true that Berith escaped from the body he had possessed before his head was cut off?""Yes," replied another. "That's what I heard. And one of the Guardians at the safehouse last night is missing."
I suddenly remembered—the blood that splattered across my face when Adam's head was severed.
It wasn't green. Red. Yes, red.
My chest tightened. I had celebrated too soon. The nightmare was not over. It had only changed faces. And Berith, no longer confined to Isla Miedo, was a terrifying consciousness.
All the friends I had called upon were gone. The responsibility to protect Eve rested solely on me—and perhaps Jeff. I could only hope that his resolve to defend her was strong, that he was willing to risk his life for her.
Jeff and I would work together to ensure nothing bad happened to Eve.
Then, I felt the warmth from the cross on my neck again. A shiver ran down my spine. I held the crucifix—it was still warm, as if warning me of an imminent threat.
I looked at Eve's bed.
Empty.
Jeff was gone too.
I sat up abruptly, yanking the IV tubing from my hand, struggling to stand."Eve is gone!" I shouted.
The Guardians rushed over as I staggered toward her bed. The window beside her bed was open, the curtains whipping in the wind.
Only then did I realize we were on the hospital's ground floor. I wanted to ask the Guardians why that part of the room wasn't secured. But it was too late.
Perhaps God had allowed me to live—not to rest, but to watch for one last time. A cold wind crept through the room, curling around my neck like a whisper from the grave. Outside, branches rustled.
Then I heard that hiss again…PSSSSTTTT…
The cross on my chest grew hot. My hand moved over it instinctively. Survival instinct took over. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself not to look at the source of the sound.
The Guardians did the same—we all turned away from the window. Perhaps a Sutsot waited outside, trying to lure us, seeking the slightest crack in our faith to enter.
The room seemed to hold its breath.
Slowly, I opened my eyes. One Guardian stepped forward and closed the window, while the other ran to the door, taking position there. He pulled out his phone and called:"Eve is missing… Eve is missing… We need help… We need help."
I approached Eve's empty bed. The sheets still held the faint shape of her body, the ghost of warmth quickly fading. Even the cross had grown cold—its light retreating into silence.
A tear fell down my cheek before I could stop it. A Guardian placed a firm hand on my shoulder.
Perhaps she was not gone. Perhaps love—like evil—never truly dies. It merely changes form.
The Sutsot were not finished. Berith was alive—wearing Jeff's body like a mask. My two rivals had joined forces. Together, they had taken Eve from me.
But the battle was not over. I would find her. I would bring her back.
Then, the cross on my neck warmed once again.