Bab 13: True Enemy
The further Lucius followed, the more palpable the sense of dread became, as if the very air grew thicker with the scent of decay and ancient, unspoken fears. After what seemed like miles, the Sigbin's trail led to a small clearing, where an old, decrepit hut stood, its silhouette an ominous shadow against the night sky. The air around the hut was heavy with a foul stench, a mix of death and something far more sinister, confirming Lucius's suspicion that he had indeed found the lair of the Aswang.
With the Sigbin now barely able to move, its breaths shallow and filled with pain, Lucius approached cautiously. The creature, in its final moments, seemed to sense the end was near, its eyes reflecting a mix of fear and resignation. Lucius, with a solemn sense of duty, delivered the final blow, ending the Sigbin's suffering. The creature's body lay motionless, its life extinguished by the swift, merciful strike of Lucius's sword.
Standing over the fallen creature, Lucius took a moment to steel himself for the confrontation that was to come. He knew that within the hut lay a being far more dangerous and cunning than any beast he had faced. The Aswang, master of the Sigbin, was a predator of the darkest kind, and Lucius was about to enter its den.
Lucius, with every step measured and cautious, moved towards the entrance of the Aswang's den. The door, barely hanging on its hinges, creaked eerily as he pushed it open, the sound slicing through the silence like a warning. The dim light from his torch revealed a sight that sent chills down his spine: the interior was a macabre tableau of death and decay. Scattered across the dirt floor were the remains of numerous victims, their lifeless forms telling tales of horror and despair. The air was thick with the stench of rot, a pungent reminder of the creature's gruesome diet.
As he navigated through the grim scene, Lucius's eyes were drawn to the personal effects strewn about – a child's toy, a woman's shawl, items that once held meaning and warmth, now abandoned relics amidst the carnage. These were the victims of the Aswang, innocents who had unwittingly crossed paths with a nightmare.
The realization of how many lives had been extinguished in this very place weighed heavily on Lucius's heart. Each corpse was a stark testament to the Aswang's brutality, a predator that had terrorized the village with impunity. The victims varied in age and stature, but all shared the same fate, their bodies drained of life, left as empty husks.
As Lucius ventured deeper into the den, the grim surroundings abruptly gave way to a chamber that seemed oddly out of place amidst the desolation. There, standing in the center of the room, was a woman of striking beauty. Dressed in a flowing red gown that contrasted sharply with the darkness of her lair, her long hair cascaded down her shoulders like a midnight waterfall. Her face, the epitome of innocence, bore a welcoming smile as she regarded Lucius with eyes that sparkled with an unsettling intensity.
"Welcome, traveler," she said, her voice as melodious as it was chilling. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
beauty or her welcoming tone. His experiences had taught him that appearances could be deceiving, especially in a world where darkness often masqueraded as light. The stark contrast between the horror of the entryway and the allure of the woman before him only served to heighten his vigilance. His hand remained firmly on the hilt of his sword, the blade still glowing faintly with an inner light, a silent testament to his readiness for battle.
"I'm here for justice," Lucius declared, his voice steady and unwavering. "Your reign of terror ends tonight."
The woman's smile faltered for a moment, revealing a glimpse of the true malice that lay beneath her serene facade. Lucius had seen enough to know that she was the Aswang, the malevolent force behind the horrors he had witnessed. Her beauty was but a veil, a lure for unsuspecting victims drawn into her deadly embrace.
In the eerie stillness of the Aswang's lair, Lucius's instincts screamed for action. Without a moment's hesitation, he sought to exploit the element of surprise against the malevolent enchantress before him. Muscle, sinew, and years of battle-hardened experience combined in a single, fluid motion as he lunged forward, his sword poised to deliver a devastating blow that would pierce the heart of darkness itself.
But in the fraction of a second that could separate victory from defeat, Lucius's senses, honed by years of survival against the odds, detected an anomaly—an unseen threat slicing through the air with lethal intent. It was a presence he had felt before, a shadow that had lingered at the edges of his consciousness since his arrival in the village.
With reflexes that belied the suddenness of the assault, Lucius executed a maneuver that was as breathtaking in its agility as it was in its desperation. Twisting his body with supernatural speed, he shifted his trajectory, redirecting the momentum of his attack to confront the new threat. His sword, still aglow with the fires of his resolve, met the incoming attack in a clash that sent sparks flying into the darkness.
Standing there, revealed in the brief illumination of their clashing blades, was Ingram, his features twisted in a snarl of betrayal and rage. The fellow sellsword, who had professed to protect Lumina under the sacred code of their brotherhood, had now shown his true colors, aiming to strike Lucius down from behind in a moment of treachery.
Their swords locked in a stalemate, Lucius and Ingram stared at each other, a mixture of disbelief and understanding passing between them. Lucius realized then that Ingram was not just another pawn in the Aswang's game but a betrayer of their own kind, a sellsword who had forsaken honor for darker pursuits.
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone