Revenge (3)

Aiden approached the hospital room door with fear, the weight of the unknown pressing upon him. As he slowly turned the handle and entered, the sterile scent of the hospital mingled with the heaviness in the air. His grandma lay in the bed, frail and connected to a web of machines that monitored her every breath. Aiden's heart sank at the sight, and he felt a lump forming in his throat.

His grandfather, seated beside the bed, looked up as Aiden entered. The lines etched on his face told stories of a life well-lived, but there was a cloudiness in his eyes—a manifestation of the dementia that had taken residence in his mind. Aiden's gaze shifted between his ailing grandma and the grandfather, who now struggled to recognize even the closest of him.

In the next moment, Aiden, his breath held in a silent reverence, cautiously approached his grandma's bedside. An eerie symphony, like the distant melody of a black abyss, resonated in the air, growing stronger as he drew nearer to the woman who had once cradled him with love.

As he peered closely at his grandma, a shock of disbelief seized Aiden. "Huh?" he uttered, the words escaping his lips in a hushed, trembling cadence. His widened eyes fixated on an unexpected sight—a peculiar scar adorning his grandma's neck. It took the form of an intricately woven chain, each link etched with an otherworldly crimson energy. The scar seemed to pulse with an uncanny vitality.

Amidst the flood of thoughts that surged through Aiden's mind, a distant echo resonated—the fragments of Isabella's story.

"]Tranquil Vine Shackle[." Suddenly, the threads of memory wove together, connecting the chains that bound Lucas and now his grandmother.

In the midst of his contemplation, a masculine voice pierced through Aiden's inner turmoil. "It's a curse, child," declared the voice, resonating with a somber authority that sent shivers down Aiden's spine.

Aiden, gripped by a sudden surge of anger, felt the explosive release of his mana, a manifestation of the horror and frustration that welled within him. His teeth gritted in silent defiance against the cruel hand fate had dealt to those he held dear. The revelation of the curse intertwined with the family's lineage sent tremors through his very core, igniting a fire within Aiden.

At that moment, an eerie and pained voice reverberated through the room, emanating from Aiden's grandfather. "Mmm... eek... wah...w-wah..." It was as if a flicker of light illuminated his eyes, as though his very soul spoke instead of words. The elderly man's eyes widened, his countenance twisted in horror. Though he attempted to vocalize his distress—attempted to scream and cry out in pain—only a guttural cry escaped his frail form, hindered by the cruel grip of age and sickness, rendering his voice but a haunting wail. The room resonated with the anguish of a man caught between realms, his silent cries echoing the unseen torment that plagued him.

His trembling hands reached out, grasping the frail form of his wife lying on the hospital bed. It was as if the ethereal melody had momentarily granted him clarity, and in that fleeting instance, he clung to the woman who had been his lifelong companion.

With a frail strength, the old man wrapped his arms around his wife, embracing her as though seeking solace in the midst of an incomprehensible nightmare. The unspoken connection between them transcended the barriers of language and reason, a poignant display of a love that even the cruel hands of time and illness couldn't extinguish.

Aiden, unable to contain the surge of emotions that enveloped him, felt an intense eruption within. The profound sense of helplessness, the anguish of witnessing his grandparents trapped in a malevolent curse, and the haunting melody that surrounded them drove him to the brink of despair.

His hands, clenched with a forceful determination, bore the brunt of his suffering. Nails pierced into flesh, drawing forth scarlet rivers as the physical pain seemed a meager outlet for the torrent of emotions that surged within. The taste of iron filled his mouth, blood seeping from the corners, as his gritted teeth inadvertently damaged his crowns, adding another layer of agony to the visceral tableau.

IN THE SANTA MANSION AT NIGHT

Aiden's weary footsteps echoed through the silent halls of the Santa Mansion, each step a heavy burden on his heart. The weight of sorrow draped over him like a suffocating cloak, and his school uniform, usually a symbol of routine, now seemed like a costume disguising the pain he carried.

Reaching the door of his room, Aiden summoned what little strength remained within him to push it open. The hinges creaked in protest, mirroring the exhaustion etched on his face. The room, a sanctuary that once provided solace, now felt like a lonely chamber echoing with the ghostly whispers of his unspoken grief.

A flicker of cold light spilled from the half-closed door, revealing the dimly lit room within. Aria sat in front of the colossal TV, her attention fixated on the unfolding tragedy broadcasted on the screen. The news report, a grim recollection of the earlier clash between Lucas and the blond man, painted a vivid picture of destruction and loss.

"27 were confirmed dead—16 in the moment of impact, 11 succumbing to blood loss, and the rest in critical condition," relayed the somber voice of the news reporter, each word carving a deeper wound in the atmosphere.

Aria's presence in the room was a silent acknowledgment of shared grief, yet no words passed between them. The air hung heavy with unspoken pain, a tangible force that bridged the gap between their individual struggles.

Aria broke the silence, her voice cutting through the heavy air with a quiet intensity. "Do you see why we can't let them be free?"

Aiden, his eyes vacant and hands clenched in determination, spoke with an unsettling intensity. "I will become strong, and Luca—no, this monster will die no matter what. Even if I have to die!" The words hung in the air, heavy with resolve. Unbeknownst to Aiden, someone, somewhere high in the sky, heard his voice. Aiden unwittingly made a contract with the devil, or more precisely, he made an ]Eternal Oath[.

.....................

]Eternal Oath[ Explanation with a short story ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡

One girl was playing with an Xbox console in front of a big TV as her brother was watching her.

"Ughhh. This is so annoying. DAD MOM, Ema is playing on MY Xbox," said the little boy as he called out to his parents.

His parents, who were currently arguing in the kitchen answered. "I just had a 14-hour shift just to go home and find out that my life was f&cking an uglier man, DEAL WITH IT YOURSELF," said the father as he again started to argue with his wife.

"TSK- I hate this, why did you have to be alive?" said the little boy as he clicked his tongue.

Just then, a large thunderbolt struck the house as a mysterious entity teleported in front of them.

"The will of the universe!!!" said both the girl and the boy, to their happy surprise.

"Now, little boy, you wanted something, and now your wish can come true. Say it with me!" said the celestial being.

"]Eternal Oath[!!!(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭" screamed the boy and the girl.

"That's right, now here are the rules. You have to ask for something and then give something of an equal value in return!" said the celestial creature as he grabbed a piece of paper.

"Oh, oh, yes. . ." said the boy with reddened cheeks. "I want my sister to die so that I can play on the Xbox all day long.(≧ヮ≦)" said the boy with a wide smile.

"Oh well, child. What you currently want is impossible; you first have to give a cause of death and a condition to trigger it," said the celestial voice.

"Oh, yes, I forgot (๑>؂•̀๑), then. . . I want a laser that can blow her brains out, on touch, but only my sister's," said the boy with his ever-so-bright smile.

"Good job, boy. If you make the condition more specific and give a harder condition, then it will reduce the value you have to pay," said the celestial as she caught up to the boy's cleverness.

"Now, boy, what will you give in return?" asked the celestial being.

"Uhhhh, her life maybe?" said the boy.

"Well. . . that's not how it works; it has to be something that is 100% yours, and its value has to be high enough to pay for the thing you asked for," said the celestial.

"Is that so? Well, I don't have anything like this," said the boy as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, that's fine, but because you wasted my time, I have to suck every single drop of life force you have until you become just skin and bones," said the celestial with a calm voice.

"Ahhh darn it.(ㅠ﹏ㅠ)" said the boy as he slapped his knee.

"AHHHHHHHHHH"

In the next moment, the boy screamed in pain as his muscles, blood, and organs vaporized into nothingness.

"Mom? Why did Zack become an dry plum without an ounce of life force?" asked the little girl.

"Oh, it must be because he made an ]Eternal Oath[ with bad conditions, causing the will of the universe to punish him by sucking his life energy," said the fat mother calmly.