Chapter 8

 

It is late afternoon. Jessica has been staying inside her bedroom for almost the entire day. She is on her laptop; looking at the news articles on the internet. Mysterious deaths has been happening lately across the country. It left the policemen baffled. The bodies they discovered were all rotten; as if they were abandoned for years. Without DNA testings, none could have been identified. The investigation has lead to nothing but dead end.

 

What seems to be weirder is that, these victims were the ones that have been reported missing for weeks. They suddenly disappeared without a trace. Families and friends of the victims’ mourned for their deaths. They demanded the authorities to catch the murderer responsible for the killings. It puts the detectives under extreme pressure.

 

However, the humans have no clue that this is not done by another ‘human.’ No, only those who are not ordinary, knew the truth. The Dark-Witches; it must be their doings. When Jessica first heard Sunny’s assumption of the Demons resurfacing again, she felt hesitant into fully believing it. Maybe, a part of her, is praying silently that it was untrue.

 

But seeing all these articles; the missing people, their mysterious deaths, the rotten corpses and no evidences leads to Jessica thinking that Sunny was indeed right about it after all. She could not help but to question, why now? Why wait for 23 years to strike again? Do they planned to let the Legacies and their descendants to lower their guards before attacking?

 

With a messed-up mind, Jessica closes her laptop and goes down to the kitchen to pour herself another cup of coffee for the day. She sees Sinb sitting alone in the living room. Her biological sister, Krystal is nowhere to be seen. “Sinb? Where’s Krystal?” Sinb briefly looks away to answer the eldest sister. “I think she went to the river.”

 

Jessica looks out of the window. The sky is getting darker. Her head could not help but to be wrap around with the thought that a Demon may come and ambushes her sister while she is alone. She cannot take any chances. “I’m heading out to get her.” Jessica spoke as she approached one of the stair-steps. Sinb feels confused when she sees Jessica taking out her sword.

 

“D-did something happened? What’s…going on?” Sinb anxiously asked. Jessica has never taken out her sword ever since the war ended. Seeing her sister holding the weapon in her hand again send shivers down her spine.

 

“Listen to me.” Jessica took out a knife with engraved symbols on it. She looks at Sinb’s arm; telling her to hold it out for her. “It’s very painful for a first timer.” She gave a heads-up. Sinb opens to ask for the reason. But she can only nods her head instead. Whatever it is, Jessica knows it’s for the best.

 

As the knife glows its’ luminescent light, Jessica starts to presses the tip of it onto Sinb’s skin to carves a symbol. Sinb bites her lower lip to suppresses her screams. Her eyes are getting watery. Her whole arm feels numb. Jessica finishes drawing the symbols for strength and speed enhancement. Sinb looks at the new burned-marks just below her wrist.

 

“Here.” Jessica handed Sinb one of her hunting blades. “I want you to lock the doors and windows. Turn off all the lights. Close the curtains and hide in your room. If…something tries to attack you, do not engage and run away as fast as you can. Understood?” Sinb, who is still confused and anxious by the whole situation, can only answer with a nod as tears are pooling in her eyes. “Good. I’ll be back as fast as I can with Krystal.” Jessica is about to walk away but halts to give Sinb a short hug. She left after the gentle gesture.

 

Using the power of the sacred symbol, Jessica runs at an incredible speed towards the river. She has fail to realizes the dark-entities lurking around behind the trees; watching her silently as she leaves the property.

 

“I-I-It’s t-time to…attack.” A voice spoke in a chilling tone.

 

**

 

Wendy slowly regains her consciousness. Her eyesight is slightly blurry and her head feels heavy. How can a vampire experiences this type of condition? It is indeed a first-time for her after 23 years. She can feel the coldness and wetness of the wall as well as the floor she is sitting on. “What…” She tries to recollect her memories of what had happened before she went unconscious. But her own mind refuses to work with her.

 

Wendy moves her arms only to feel the heavy shackles and chains tightly holding her wrists together. Even her ankles are chained to the wall. Although she has little strength left in her, she can easily frees herself from these shackles, thanks to her ability. Well, that is what she thought at first. As soon as her irises turn blue, the shackles suddenly glows dimly, causing her wrists to burn badly. She cannot help but to scream at the severe pain. Once the light fades, the burning effect is gone.

 

Despite not understanding what just happened, Wendy refuses to give-up. She tries once more. But it is futile. Just when she is about to used her strength again, the shackles glows and burns her skin again. Wendy winces; confused and frustrated by the situation. Before she can attempt for the third-time, a familiar voice calls her out.

 

“You can’t break those. Even if you want to.” Irene spoke. It seems she, too, is chained up on the wrists and ankles with similar shackles.

 

Wendy disdainfully looks at her. “Don’t tell me what to do-AH!” She grunted at the stinging pain from the burns. Even when she did not attempt to break free, those shackles still hurts her anyways.

 

“Calm down.” The warlock told Wendy. “As much as we hate each other, we shouldn’t let our emotions get the best of us…  for now.”

 

Wendy scoffs. “Why should I listen to you-AHH!” Those shackles once again burned her wrists. “What is this thing!?” She frustratingly shouted.

 

“Cursed shackles. They used it to restrain the prisoners here. If you have any intentions to break free or attack someone, the curse will torture you.” Irene explained. “I suggest you to calm yourself until things are sorted out.” She added before shutting her eyes close.

 

Wendy did not want to listen to Irene. No way she will take the words of a person who had left her to die alone. However, as much as she hates it, Irene is right and she should do what she is told. She leans her back on the cold, concrete wall as she stares down at those shackles on her wrists. She vaguely remembers what had happened back at the abandoned house.

 

She was in the middle of battling with Irene. The warlock blasted her through the wall of the house, almost burning her entirely. But she managed to survive through the attack. They were about go for an all-out fight when she suddenly went unconscious. She remembers that she heard a loud knocking before that. Judging by the chains on Irene’s, she is also taken here as a prisoner.

 

But Wendy has no idea who has taken the two of them here. The one who knows about it is the woman sitting not faraway from her. She hates asking Irene about their situation. Yet she does not really has a choice. Her memories are completely all over the place right now.

 

“Hey, you.” She coldly called out at Irene. Irene open her eyes and turns her head to look at the vampire with a plain expression. Even her poker-looking-face made Wendy irritated but she ignores it. “How did we ended up in here?” She asked, a little less rude this time.

 

Irene takes a few seconds to answer to Wendy’s question. “The Council, they’re the ones who took us here and locked us up.”

 

The Council? Wendy remembers that Taeyeon had talked about this when she first moved to town. Wendy did not focus much on the topic of the conversation since it is not within her interest. But, she has a brief-knowledge about it. In this town, there are laws for the supernatural kinds to obey. The ones managing those laws are those sitting on top of the hierarchy; the members of the Council.

 

 

23 years ago, Lux had sacrificed himself to ended the war, leaving the town without its’ leader. In order to maintain the peace between all the supernatural beings and humans included, they have decided to elected three members from the biggest clans to formed what is known today as The Council. They are the ones who made the laws and judge those who breaks it. Only they, themselves, have the rights to drop sentences against the criminals.

 

Not many have dare to go against their rules since news spread that anyone who have committed crimes are immediately executed without hesitation. That is how powerful and cruel they are as the Law and Order of this town. They are invincible due to their positions.

 

Wendy is still unaware of the danger that is about to come for the two of them. But Irene knows far too well; that after what they have done, there is a little to no chance that they will make out of here…alive.

 

**

 

Jessica pants as she arrives at the river. She tries keeping herself calm. But her anxious eyes roaming around looking for her sister’s silhouette says otherwise. It is getting darker by the minute. Jessica takes out her sword from the scabbard attached on her backside, her hand firmly holding onto the hilt. The engraved blade are glowing upon touch. She closes her eyes to focuses on her hearing senses. With the help of the sacred symbol, she manages to detect a nearby person not far down the river.

 

She runs at an amazing speed. Even an athlete cannot catch-up with her or else they would’ve break their ankles. Using only one foot, she jumps high and lands on the other side of the river before running again until she can see someone’s figure. “Krystal!” The younger woman turns her head around to look at her sister who’s approaching closer.

 

“Jessica? What’s wrong?” Krystal confusingly asked while putting away her fishing rod on the ground. “D-did something happened at home?” She asked again when she saw the sword. Jessica looks around without answering her questions. She focuses on strengthening her sense of eyesight, smell and hearing. So far, there is no danger within the area. She can finally loosen up her tense body.

 

Jessica looks at Krystal who has concern plastered all over her face. She smiles. “Nothing. I was just worried since it’s getting dark.”

 

Krystal feels bad about making her sister worried over her. She should have asked for her permission first before going out to the river. “I’m sorry. I’ll cook for us tonight.” She spoke. Jessica simply nodded; feeling relief that Krystal is in no harm. Well, that feeling was short-lived.

 

“RARRRRHHHH!!”

 

An echoing demonic scream immediately caught their attention. It came from their house. “Sinb!” Jessica wasted no time but to sprint forward into the wooded area, with Krystal barely keeping up with her from behind.

**

 

A body landed hard on the tree, causing the bark to shake from its’ heavy impact. Sinb coughs up a lot of blood. Her legs are not broken, but she is way too weak and injured to even stand up. Even her eyesight are starting to get blurry. She knows she will soon lose consciousness. She cannot breathe properly without her chest feeling it is about to collapse.

 

“I…see…smell…you.” Sinb’s face turned pale upon knowing that the monster who threw her earlier is approaching closer. She desperately drags her numb body to escape despite knowing it is futile. “Found you!” The sound of horrifying laughter echoed throughout the woods; accompanied by running, heavy footsteps.

 

The monster emerges out from the dark. It has abnormally, deformed long arms and legs; similar to a frog’s hinds. Its’ neck stretches far and long, as the two giants holes on it vibrated upon every breath. The face itself is horrendous looking. It only has a pair of white, bulging eyes and a wide mouth filled with human-like teeth. The palm is big enough to crush a human’s head with a single , the nails can tear a body to shreds.

 

 

“N…need…to kill…kill.” The monster leaps forward. Sinb stays frozen on the spot as her eyes stare at the huge body nearing towards her. Suddenly, she can feel a gush of wind passing above her. The monster screeches when its’ head is penetrated deep with an engraved-sword.

 

“Die.” Jessica whispered under her breath as she easily pushes her sword from the monster’s head down its’ stomach; splitting the upper body into two. “C-cannot…heal…” The monster tried to regenerate itself. But once its’ body have come in contact with the sacred weapon of a Hunter, it would not be able to heal.

 

“Sinb! Oh God…” Krystal held the youngest tightly in her embrace. Her whole body cannot stop trembling. Jessica quickly checks-up on Sinb’s condition and sighs in relief after sensing her pulse. It is quite weak but she is still alive. She becomes unconscious as soon as the two arrived at the scene.

 

“Bring her back to our house. I need to…” Jessica cannot finish her words when another monster charges at them. She immediately points the sword at the monster’s gaping mouth; penetrating it through. She manages to hold it off with her sacred symbol’s power.

 

“Run!” Krystal feels hesitant to go. She did not want to leave her sister to fight alone. “I said run! Run!!” Jessica shouted on the top of her lungs. Krystal can only follow her order. She carries Sinb on her back and escapes.

 

Jessica grunts as she uses all her might to get the sword to cut through its’ head. “Come…on!” With brute strength, the sharp blade starts moving upwards. Jessica grinds her teeth so hard that her jaw is hurting. But she cannot let the job undone or else it will go after her sisters.

 

“Power…power…power…” The monster spoke. Jessica’s eyes widen at the sight of the monster that was cut down in half earlier turned into ashes and merges with the other one’s body. “Power…” The monster in front of her grows larger and bulkier. Its’ human-like teeth turned into long, sharp ones.

 

Since when does these monsters have powers like this!?

 

“ARRHHHHH!!!” The monster lifted up its’ hand. Jessica pulls out her sword from its’ mouth and she swings it at the wrist; cleanly cutting off the hand. But the monster did not give her a chance and uses its’ other hand. She is not fast-enough to counter the attack and the sword ends up going straight-through the monster’s palm as her body is laying on the ground.

 

“Kill…kill…all…the Legacy…Kill…all the Legacy...” The monster repeated the same sentence over and over again; its’ strong palm pushing Jessica’s down harder on the ground, wanting to crush her.

 

For the first time, Jessica can feel the same-fear she had from the past, during the war. The fear of dying in the hands’ of a Demon.

 

Just as her hands are losing its’ grip on the sword’s hilt, a large-dark-figure leaps onto the Demon’s and bites it straight on the neck; forcefully pulling its’ body away backwards. Jessica sits on the ground and sees a huge, brown wolf using its’ sharp jaw to tear the Demon’s head off from its’ neck.

 

It is that moment that she realizes that the wolf is Tiffany.

 

Using the last remaining strength she has, Jessica charges at the Demon and strikes her sword straight into its’ chest; twisting the blade to severely injured the heart. While the Demon is briefly distracted from the unexpected attack, Tiffany takes the chance to tear its’ head off from the neck and throws it to the side.

 

Jessica pulls out her sword and the body falls limply onto the ground. The flesh starts to rot and gives out a foul-scent. Tiffany shakes her head in disgust. She looks at Jessica to see if she is injured. Thankfully, the Hunter is only tired but did not get hurt.

 

Tiffany let out a small bark as her eyes is still staring at the woman standing near her. Jessica sighs deeply and looks at her. “Thank you for saving me.” Despite her plain-tone and stone-like expression, Tiffany can senses that it was a genuine gratitude. She is so relief that her tail cannot help but to wag in circles.

 

“It’s not done yet.” Jessica firmly stated and Tiffany’s tail instantly dropped low. The Hunter approaches the severed head of the Demon. Although it is torn apart from its’ body, the Demon is not instantly kill and can stay alive for another few minutes before turning into ashes. Jessica has to take the chance to interrogate it before that happens.

 

“Who sent you?” She pointed the tip of her sword above the Demon’s eyes. Tiffany quietly watches from the side. This is her first-time encountering with the monstrosity that brought suffering and chaos into the town back then. She does not know much about the monster itself.

 

“I asked…who sent you?” Jessica’s voice deepen as her sword gets closer to the Demon’s eye. Judging from the battle she had earlier on, she knows that this Demon and the other one are capable of talking. Perhaps, it have the minds of its’ own too.

 

“Kill…all…the…Legacy. Kill…all…the Legacy…before…”

 

“Before what? Tell me!” Jessica is getting desperate for an answer. But the Demon did not stay to fill-in on her frustrating curiosity. It took its’ last breath and crumbles into ashes. Tiffany whimpers at the situation while Jessica silently curses under her breath.

 

Sunny was right. The Demons have resurfaced again and whoever sent these abyssal creatures, they want all the Legacies to die in their hands.

 

 

To be continued.