*Ding **Ding **Ding *
The bell rang signalling the start of the ceremony. The young girls responsible for each group arranged them up and marched inside the temple in an orderly manner.
*Dong *
Once all of them got inside, the brown metallic doors closed behind them with a loud resounding thud. The young girls weren’t surprised by this as they led the group following the mothers who were ahead.
The temple was built with the same material as the houses, it looked more like a Japanese style old temple, it didn’t have any kind of advanced technology, it was completely empty. As they dived deeper inside, the paths narrowed and the illumination dimmed a bit.
They marched at a regular pace for about twenty minutes when they reached the ceremony site. It was a simple wooden room with roots running through the ground gathering in the center in an ascending manner in the shape of a cup. At the top was a seed-like thing growing out and it glowed in a deep red hue.
“We have arrived.”
“Come up front when your name is called”
In front of the cup-shaped roots, the four women stood and announced to the group what they were doing.
“Liam #56”
Saya's mother called a kid name. Soon he was brought to the front by Saya holding his hand.
“Saya, I’m scared. Can't we just go back?”
*Pat *
“It’s alright Liam, nothing scary will happen. I’ve already done it once and look I’m all good, right?”
Saya patted the boy’s head while calming him down.
“Put your hand on the seed”
Ordered one of the mothers with an emotionless tone kind of scaring the kid but he still stretched his hand forward and touched the seed.
“...”
Everyone ogled the seed and the hand touching it. They were waiting for some vagary, but even though a few seconds had passed the seed was still absolutely destitute of any reaction.
“That is enough. Next!"
“That’s it?”
The boy looked at Saya with a perplexed expression as he too expected something grand.
“Yeah, I told you right?”
Saya patted the kid's head and guided him back to their group.
The ceremony resumed and the names were called one by one. The kids who felt less nervous after seeing the first person touch the seed took turns touching the seed without much hesitation.
“NEXT!”
Despite being touched by most children, the seed didn't react. The ceremony soon came to an end as all the kids touched the seed.
“It seems this batch is not it neither”
“Yes, it seems that the bitch had hidden her child very well”
As the last child touched the seed, the mothers gathered as they started whispering to each other.
“Well, it doesn’t matter let’s just wrap things up”
“Will we keep some of them this time?”
“Yeah, like always all the females should stay, and only 1/3 of the boys is enough”
“It's your turn this time Pio, right?”
One of the ladies said as he pointed at Saya’s mother
“Yeah, I’ll get going to not keep them waiting”
In no time, the mothers began sorting the children by their names.
“And for the last child who passed the ceremony, Liam #56”
Liam's personality seemed more on the chill and timid side as he didn’t get very excited about leaving. However, he still made his way to the side of the gate obediently standing by the side of his fellows who also passed.
Of the sixty something kids, only 12 stayed behind as the others were all getting ready to go through the gate.
“Are you nervous my child?”
Pio walked to her daughter and asked.
“I’m good”
Saya replied with a light smile despite the pain she was experiencing. During their entire journey, Saya's heart was at a point of being a inch away from jumping off her chest. In addition, she had migraines that got worse every time she stepped closer to the cave.
‘What the hell is wrong with me? This has never happened before’
Saya was actually starting to feel scared of what is awaiting ahead, her mental fortitude was detoriating, her breaths hastened as she entered a weird reminiscing state in which she started recalling all the past memories of every weird thing she noted, she was going through something like a flashback and before she could even notice it she had already stepped beyond the gate.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
*Dun*
The closing sound of the metallic gate woke her up as she realized she had already gotten inside.
‘That is!’
As she walked ahead with the group her eyes darted around when she spotted a kid’s toy thrown to the side.
“Where are you going Saya?”
Saya ignored her mother's call as she went to pick up the toy, but as soon as her hand touched it something weird happened.
‘W-what this is!?’
Cut off scenes flashed before her eyes. It was the scene of a child holding the hand of a girl whose face was blurred as she patted the head of a child.
“Sister, do we have to delve deeper?”
“I’m really tired”
“Don’t worry, John it seems we are almost there”
The scene soon switched to them reaching what seemed to be a playground. The playground was dimly lit but the children could still spot it. As if being bewitched by something all the children started running towards it, apart from John.
“What are you doing John? You should join your friends."
*Shake*
John shook his head as he held his sister's hand tight before saying
“No, I want to stay with you."
Upon hearing him, the sister appeared troubled as she looked at the woman by her side as if checking something. The latter noticed the look of the girl as she looked at her watch before whispering in her ear.
“We still have time, hurry!”
*Nodding *
The sister nodded at the woman before lifting the child in her arms and walking towards the others.
“Then this sister should kidnap this very delicate child and eat him”
The girl started tickling John and playing with him to distract him before smoothly integrating him with the others who were already busy playing.
John kept playing for a while until he noticed his missing sister, unaware of the shadow looming behind his back.
“Sis, where did yo-”
*Crunch **Splat*
The scene switched again but this time it was only the sister walking back following behind an older woman
“What is that thing you're holding?"
The older woman asked as she spotted the toy the girl was holding
"Ha? Where did this come from?"
The girl was perplexed where this thing came from but she soon stopped thinking and threw it to the side
“Just throw it away and let’s get moving."
“Got it”
*Plop*
An unnoticed tear fell from her eye as she vanished into the distance. The scene ended there as Saya had a realization.
“What are you doing there, Saya?"
Before she could think about what to do, her mother called, cutting off her thoughts.
“Coming!”
Saya hid the toy as she rejoined the group as if nothing had happened.
After watching the scenes Saya’s head magically cleared up, her heartbeat reverted to normal with only one thought in mind.
‘I need to save them!’
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at the temple, front of the cave gate. The group of children left behind were being grouped up by the young girls as the older ones were also preparing to leave.
“Girls, we will be leaving shortly. Make your way to the front where we dropped you off”
“““Okay”””
The young girls responded in unison. The three mothers walked ahead following the same way from which they came, when a sudden loud cracking sound made them halt their steps and turn their heads.
*Crack* *Thud*
“Be careful it’s an intruder! Send the signal!"
Turning around they were faced by the scene of one of the companions sprawled on the ground with her head spun one eighty degrees in the other direction. One of the mothers quickly realized what had happened as she drew a machete from below her shirt ready to fight.
“Not a chance”
*Crack **Crack*
A chilling voice brimming with killing intent echoed in their ears. Before they could even draw a breath their lines of vision changed abruptly to be met by a pair of chilling golden eyes.
That was the last thing they saw before darkness took over.
Luo stood before the corpses sprawled on the ground with a chilling gaze and an aura tainted by a dense killing intent.
“They seem to be ahead let’s hurry”
As soon as he said that he vanished from his place.
“Hey girls group up don’t cause trouble, we are heading back”
Back at the ceremony place the young girls were organizing the left kids up and getting ready to leave when a certain twin suddenly spoke
*Tag **Tag*
““Sister, Sister””
They tagged at their caretaker sleeves from both sides as they simultaneously pointed in a direction with their fingers while speaking in unison.
““There, There, Look””
““Someone is coming””
The girl followed their line of vision as she spotted the incoming Luo. Upon seeing him her hair stood on end as she was overwhelmed by his chilling and suffocating aura.
“W-who are y-yo-u?”
Although stuttering she tried to ask him.
Luo didn’t even bother talking to her and kept walking towards her. The girl started shaking and her breaths hastened with each step he took closer to her. She looked at the side noticing that the kids didn’t seem to feel anything as they looked at the approaching Luo with curiosity. However, the other caretakers who stayed with her were all on the ground trembling.
‘Huh? Where did he go’
Once she directed her vision back on his direction, he was nowhere to be seen. However, a hand covered in a deep violet hue stretched from thin air and caught her face lifting her up.
*Kgh *
“W-what a-are you doing?"
“No Demon print, you pass”
As soon as he said that, he who has just walked out of the void tapped the gourd by his waist. A black mist came out of the latter as it sucked girl in.
Luo didn’t waste time as he vanished from his place again and again smoothlycollecting all of them inside the gourd.
“Eijaz, what is that seed?”
As Luo stood in front of the black seed used for the ceremony, he asked.
[According to my observation it seems to be an evil spirit seed that is in the process of evolving]
“That thing you told me about before?”
[Yes, although it is unusual]
“What is?”
[The fact that this evil spirit is directly evolving into a demon despite being an infant that hasn’t even awoken yet]
Luo looked at the seed as he contemplated before asking.
“Should I destroy it?”
[You could, but I recommend we try a better way]
[How about you take it with you first, I’ll explain my plan later]
“How?”
[Creating an item using Soul energy, 3000 Units]
“Damn, that much? But still just do it”
Luo currently has more than 5000 Units of Soul energy as during the time he was preparing for the infiltration with the help of Sarah he hunted a bunch of fallen giants as a means to get used to his powers and at the same time gain some Soul energy.
[This is thing is made just to seal this spirit, it will prevent it from escaping and using its powers]
It didn’t take long for the item to appear in Luo’s hand. It was a black ring covered in a bunch of runes. Following the instructions he was told, he circulated his energy inside the ring. This made the latter emit light straight towards the seed resulting in it vanishing.
“Let’s get going then."
Said Luo as he disappeared, but just as he left, a dark pupil opened where the seed once was before closing again.
Back in the outer district was a dark haired fine lady in a dimly lit room surrounded by a bunch of naked men serving her in all kinds of ways.
“Huh?”
Surprised the lady had that same black pupil manifest on her forehead. This made her close her eyes as scenes of what happened inside the ceremony room were relayed to her.
“The seed!!”
Once she saw how the seed had been stolen, she trembled and couldn't help but stand up. She showed her back with a huge spider tattoo covering it from the neck to her waist.
“I need to hurry and get it back!”
*Snap *
She snapped her fingers and clothes manifested on her. She didn’t waste time as she jumped out of the window straight into what seemed like a parked car.
*Znnnn*
Starting the engine, she launched straight towards the cave.