CHAPTER ELEVEN

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THE SANGUINARY TRUTH

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‘Betrayal and acknowledgment.’

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Allen wasn't foolish for failing to recognize the truth earlier.

He had been skeptical right from the beginning, even when he was oblivious to the supernatural realm. His sole error was in dismissing the importance of Circe marking him last night, which resulted in the loss of his dearest friend, who now meant more than just a friend to him. With a heavy heart, Allen gazed at Emery's bloodied head, tears of remorse streaming from his eyes once again.

Circe sensually licked her blood-smeared, claw-like nails, savoring the gruesome scene before her. With a wicked grin, she taunted, "Oh, my dear, if you're already trembling at the thought of seeing her lifeless head, I can only imagine the horror when I reveal that it was your own hand that severed it. Well, that's what Emery witnessed in her final moments, just before her life was mercilessly taken away."

Allen, utterly bewildered, struggled to comprehend the shocking revelation. He lifted his gaze to meet Circe's malevolent eyes, his voice quivering as he implored, "What do you mean?"

Circe's malevolent grin widened as she responded with anticipation, "My dear, perhaps you should inspect yourself before you challenge me."

With a nervous gulp, Allen shifted his gaze downward, and what he beheld left him in a state of shock and dread. His eyes widened, and he let out a gut-wrenching scream, his voice filled with terror and desperation as he demanded answers, he was afraid to hear. "What is this?! What’s happening?! How... how is this even possible?"

Allen clutched the collar of his t-shirt, aghast by what he saw.

His previously pristine white t-shirt now bore the grim stains of fresh blood, as though he had committed a heinous act while wearing it.

Circe merely hummed in response to his shock, then advanced toward him. This forced Allen to step backward until his leg connected with the bed, causing him to tumble backward into a seated position.

Closing the distance, Circe drew near and spoke with a sardonic whisper, "This is your own doing, the consequence of attempting to take her side and banish me. I've claimed you, which means I can seize your body whenever I please. That's precisely what occurred. Your refusal led to me taking control of your body, and I took her life while wearing your visage, all to remind you to comply."

Circe paused to peer into his tear-filled eyes, her fingers tenderly brushing his left cheek, before resuming with the sanguinary truth. "You see, she was rather taken aback when she found you at the door, your shirt stained with blood. By the way, I almost forgot to fetch that old hag's head. My dear, did you truly believe you could escape me? I marked you precisely for this reason. So, I could still roam the Earth, my conduit remaining intact even after that barbaric reversal spell – a feeble attempt I knew you'd make to halt my bloodshed in your cherished town."

Just as Allen had feared, he was marked and claimed for a purpose, and now he had no recourse but to bear the burden of his regrets for not disclosing his status to the old woman prior to their ill-fated ritual.

"Now that I'm in the mood for a little chat, let's indulge your curiosity further, shall we? Even if I hadn't marked you, you'd still have been incapable of reversing the spell. You see, to summon me, you need to use my summoning spell, which exists solely in one language: Latin. The spell you all attempted for the reversal was crafted for a different, lowlife demon and not for me."

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Allen's eyes stretched wide in sheer shock and disbelief, prompting him to seek clarification. "What does that entail? We used a French incantation to summon you." Circe peered into his eyes with a sinister form of adoration, then moved away, standing before him as she divulged, "No, you didn't. You all gathered in that juvenile circle, reciting verses from a French spell. There was nothing amiss about it – it would have indeed summoned the demon you anticipated. However, one among you inadvertently recited the verses of my incantation. Regrettably for them, they were the first one, I killed after my summoning."

Allen's brows furrowed as he found himself lost in the perplexing narrative. Circe, taking note of his stupefaction, pressed on, "Your cherished friend, Matty." At her revelation, Allen's eyes widened in disbelief. He had held hope that Matt was a trustworthy friend, incapable of causing him any harm. They had shared a strong friendship, after all.

Allen's voice came out in a hushed whisper, filled with disbelief, "This can't possibly be true." But Circe silenced his murmurs and replied, "It's the undeniable truth. I'm uncertain from where he dug up my ancient spell, but he chanted the verses to summon me, connecting me to you. He was shrewd enough to perform the ritual in a different location. He created a blood pentagon with my spell, using small animal sacrifices to channel energy, enough to distract me from you. When he arrived at that location, he called my name, 'Circe Satania Versella.' I was momentarily perplexed. I knew I had been summoned, but he wasn't the one bound to me. That's the actual reason behind my summoning, which means your friend used you."

With a heavy, unsteady breath, Allen inquired, "But why? What were his intentions? Why involve me in all of this?"

Circe pondered for a moment before responding, "He had a wish he desired to fulfill, and he made a deal with me. Initially, I thought of him as a naive child and offered to spare him simply because he had summoned me. However, he surprised me with a compelling proposition. He was willing to give me his soul in exchange for saving his girlfriend, who was on the verge of succumbing to lung cancer at stage three. When I questioned why he would sacrifice his life for someone who wasn't even family, he explained that he couldn't bear to live without her, even if she could go on without him. I didn't press for more details and granted his request. As for why he involved you, I didn't bother to ask, but I suspected him as stupid enough not to be aware of the potential benefits of being bonded to a demon when offering your soul, or he simply never wanted to get bonded with a demon in the first place. Also, that was the reason for my delayed approach to you that night."

Allen felt betrayed.

His tears flowed incessantly, and Circe couldn't help but grasp the depth of his despair. Strangely, her heart ached witnessing the profound sadness etched across the face of her human companion.

"Now, from this point forward, you are bound to me," Circe declared. "As you can plainly see, there's no alternative except your own death if you seek to break our connection. So, accept your fate, however you can. Because now, we are intertwined, and I bear the weight of the misfortunes I bring upon this world and upon you."

Allen had never felt so utterly lost in his entire life. He grappled with the uncertainty of how to navigate this new reality and address what Circe had imposed upon his destiny.

Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness, he had sensed that this moment was approaching, yet the full force of it struck him unexpectedly.

With distant, defeated eyes, Allen acknowledged Circe.

Before Circe could say anything more to the heartbroken boy, Allen abruptly pushed her aside. He dashed downstairs and entered the kitchen, desperately searching for a sharp butcher knife.

As he found the knife, he swiftly attempted to slice his neck open. However, to his astonishment, he felt no pain upon impact. When he raised his gaze, a shadow cast over his face in the dimly lit room, revealing Circe with her blazing scarlet eyes. The wound he thought he had inflicted on his own neck was, in reality, on Circe's neck, causing her to bleed profusely.

Terror gripped Allen, and he swallowed hard with apprehension. Circe moved menacingly toward him, and the wound on her neck mysteriously vanished as if it had never been there.

When she came face to face with him, she seized the knife and set it ablaze until it turned to ashes.

“Stop fooling around before I end up killing your parents too.” Fearing Circe's wrath, Allen panicked as her angry words seemed to spew like fire, leaving him struggling to speak as he choked on his own words and tears.

Allen's fingers quivered like fragile elms in the harsh wind, and his heart felt as vulnerable as a newborn's. With teary eyes, he looked down in shame and despair, realizing that there was no way to turn back time and collect the spilled water in the cup.

Circe seized his hand and drew near, her voice a menacing whisper in his ear. "Now that I'm aware of where your parents reside and every other person you hold dear, I can snatch them all away in an instant. It would be wise for you to start behaving accordingly for it being in your best interest."

With that ominous warning, Circe enveloped Allen, who wept bitterly against her chest. She inhaled his fragrant scent and murmured softly in his hair, " Now, you’re mine. And I’m the only one for you. Brace yourself for what lies ahead in this new pernicious life."

Meanwhile, Allen cried his heart out, his mind racing to find any possible means of escape, though none appeared on the horizon, at least not in the foreseeable future.