CHAPTER NINE

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BLOODY HALLOWEEN

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‘To their utter dismay, the "Bloody Halloween" had begun.’

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A profound hush descended upon the scene the instant the brunette girl called out Allen's name, drawing the full attention of both the demon girl and the flustered Allen. Emery felt an icy grip of fear clutch at her heart as Circe turned to glare at her, her scarlet eyes and blood-stained appearance exuding menace.

Emery, trembling with a mix of concern and unease, couldn't hold back her questions any longer. "Who are you? And what are you doing to him?" she shouted, deeply troubled by Allen's disheveled state and the horrifying spectacle of the blood-smeared hallway.

The oppressive scent of blood hung thick in the air, suffocating Emery and Allen, though the demon remained unaffected, taking perverse satisfaction in the gruesome tableau she had orchestrated just moments earlier.

Emery, however, struggled to suppress the urge to retch, the nausea rising in her throat, threatening to expel the entirety of her morning breakfast at the gruesome sight and stench before her.

"Are you okay, Allen?" Emery's voice trembled with panic as she observed him, soaked in perspiration, his eyes betraying profound fear. She inched closer, intent on offering help.

But before she could take another step, a sudden vice clamped around her throat, hoisting her into the air. Her hands clasped the cold, pallid fingers of the red-haired demon. Its crimson claws drew blood from the sides of her neck, leaving her gasping and choking, struggling for a breath that refused to reach her lungs.

Allen's whispered pleas for Emery's safety fell on deaf ears, as Circe's focus burned intensely on the unfamiliar woman who had dared to utter her human's name. Whether one terms it as obsession or possession, Circe was a Mephistophelian being with her own world, status, and pride.

The audacity of another woman, ignorant of the true nature of her relationship with Allen, invoking his name drove Circe to madness. She was, after all, a demon driven by a bloodthirsty hunger and an unyielding claim to what was rightfully hers.

According to her own dark code, Allen belonged to her.

Of all her possessions, Allen was the one in whom she took the greatest pride. Among demons, a virgin soul was a coveted prize, and he was hers to claim.

"You asked who I am, and let me make it crystal clear," Circe hissed, her jaw clenched, her voice dripping with menace. It had an uncanny ability to send shivers down one's spine. "I am the one who will derive immense pleasure from taking your life away."

"Please, Circe! Spare her," Allen pleaded earnestly, his fingers trembling as he adjusted his glasses to restore his clear vision. "I'll do anything, just spare her, please."

Allen raised his gaze, peering through his teary eyes, and his widened as he beheld the distressing sight of Emery's bleeding neck. The blood trickled from both sides, leaving a crimson trail staining her as pristine as a snow-colored high-neck sweater.

His legs quivered as he took a faltering step towards Circe, but he came to an abrupt halt when the demon fixed him with her menacing gaze, her eyes narrowed and laced with a palpable threat.

Allen felt the unyielding challenge emanating from those eyes as if they dared his entire being to defy the demon and face the consequences. However, Allen wasn't naive, and though he grasped this realization somewhat belatedly, he was resolute in his belief that the demon would never harm him.

In his mind, he was her most cherished possession, her one and only precious treasure. What he momentarily overlooked was that, while she might refrain from physically harming him, there was nothing to prevent her from inflicting pain on others. She could wound him emotionally, but causing him physical harm was, without a doubt, out of the question.

Allen's sixth sense told him that Circe could never inflict even the slightest physical injury upon him, making his death a remote possibility, at least for the time being.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Trembling, Allen locked his gaze with Circe's menacing eyes, his own eyes filled with a pleading desire for her not to harm Emery.

His thoughts raced as he considered the situation.

He knew that she wouldn't hurt him; it was something he believed with absolute certainty. But what if he defied her? What sort of torment might she subject him to? Would she take Emery's life if he dared to disobey her? These questions raced through his mind, causing his anxiety to mount.

Allen thought while keeping eye contact with the merciless demon who suddenly, dropped Emery’s body harshly on the bloodied floor of the hallway, it came to her epiphany that Allen was not going to back down from his pleading even when her threatening eyes and aura told him not to plead for her prey’s life.

It was certainly very amusing for the demon to see how cleverly would her human test the waters.

"Seems like he brushed off my warning without thinking about the potential repercussions he might encounter down the line. It appears that this woman holds a special position in my human's heart. I suppose I must remind him of where he truly belongs and whose commands he should never defy, for all his days," Circe thought with a malicious smirk, hinting at dark intentions behind her forthcoming actions.

Emery's violent coughing fit subsided, and she mustered her last reserves of strength. Allen, while still locking eyes with the wrathful demon, released a trembling breath. Out of nowhere, Circe broke into an evil smirk, adding an unsettling layer to the tense situation.

Allen felt a lump of fear in his throat as he pondered what sinister thoughts might be brewing in Circe's mind. Her malevolent grin had him on high alert for the impending danger.

"Tell me, Allen, do you have a fondness for Halloween?" Circe inquired, momentarily glancing around the Halloween-themed hallway. Her gaze swiftly returned to her human; the evil smirk still intact. All Allen could manage in response was a nod, driven by the unease gnawing at him.

"Hmm... I'm pleased to hear that you enjoy it. Although, don't you ever find the typical orange and black Halloween themes a bit monotonous?" Circe asked, her furrowed brows attempting to appear as if her question was nothing more than innocent curiosity.

Her actions spoke louder than her deceiving appearance and that malevolent grin. She was, through and through, a sinister demon, incapable of feigning innocence.

Allen found himself uncertain about the direction of their conversation, and he cast a quick glance toward Emery. She remained on her knees, clutching tissues around her neck, her bewildered brown eyes tracking the peripheral vision that caught Allen's sympathetic gaze. He returned his attention to the smirking demon.

Sensing Allen's perplexed expression, the demon's smirk broadened, revealing her fangs in a macabre display. Circe advanced a bit closer to Allen, who, despite his desire to retreat, found himself rooted in place by his own treacherous body.

"Why is my body paralyzed? She's getting closer, and I need to escape, but it's like she's holding me in place. How can her gaze have such power, ensnaring me like this? Why does her look affect me so profoundly, whether it's alluring or menacing?" Allen's thoughts raced as anxiety welled up, and he nervously bit his lower lip. Fear had wrapped his mind tightly, stalling all his movements, and as Circe stood just two steps away from him, all action came to a standstill.

Circe gently stroked Allen's warm cheek, causing him to recoil involuntarily. She continued from her previous question, "I'm starting to despise this theme. So, how about a slightly different kind of Halloween this year... and I believe you might be familiar with my idea of Halloween."

Although Allen had a hunch about Circe's intentions, he remained uncertain and offered a subtle disapproval by shaking his head. Meanwhile, the red-haired girl wore an amused smile, her sinister smirk revealing her sharp fangs.

"Oh, my love, you should be aware of my preferences," Circe grinned broadly. She closed the distance between them, leaning in to whisper the next words into his ear, her voice husky and intimate, meant for Allen's ears alone. These words shattered Allen's heart into countless fragments, like glass shattering, and made his trembling so impregnable as if he was electrified in his drenched clothes.

"You're well acquainted with my preferences. The kind that brings forth tears, the sort that elicits screams of agony as I wrench out their spines. The kind that forces people to plead on their knees, blood streaming from their eyes. The sort that coaxes out their final farewells, and the type that shortens their lives, for it is their time to die. My brand of malevolent Halloween is what I call the 'Bloody Halloween' for the upcoming innocent night."

Circe concluded her sinister monologue with a dark, chilling laugh, causing Allen's dread to intensify, and he softly pleaded, "No, please—" His plea, however, fell upon deaf ears, dismissed before it could truly begin.

"Shh, my love," Circe hushed him with a cold tone, "You will be the sole exception spared from the wretched souls I shall consume tonight before I retire. Consider this night, with all its beauty and grandeur, your... punishment. A penalty for your earlier disobedience. You now understand that I won't harm you, but that doesn't mean I can't harm those around you. Have a delightfully bloody night." She growled the final words before vanishing into thin air, leaving behind a glistening shadow that lingered momentarily before dissipating like a wisp of smoke.

Allen collapsed to his knees, his body quivering, and his breath heavy, burdened by the weight of the deaths he believed himself responsible for.

In his heart, he longed to rescue Emery, yet he remained unaware that sparing one soul would seal the fates of many others. He found a measure of solace in having saved Emery from a gruesome end, but he was also paralyzed by fear, rendering him incapable of uttering his pleas in that chilling moment.

Regardless of how fervently Allen might have implored, there was no deterring the ravenous demon who had made up her mind to revel in a night of gruesome feasting. Allen's contemplations were abruptly halted by the piercing and agonized screams of numerous individuals echoing through the corridor, emanating from both outside and in the classrooms.

Horror-stricken, Allen cast a brief glance at Emery, whose eyes were wide with shock, and they locked gazes, sharing the same palpable fear.

To their utter dismay, the "Bloody Halloween" had begun.