Beautiful night

Ruan, recognizing the gravity of the situation and concerned for his wife's safety, made the difficult decision to surrender his belongings. He gestured to open the small iron chest he had with him, revealing its contents. With a sigh, Ruan explained, "We only have 300 Florins, as we just finished shopping."

He reluctantly handed over the money, aware that the amount was all they had left after what they had spent at the fair.

Ruan handed the metal box with the money to the bandits with reluctance. The moment the young bandit's hand touched the box, something extraordinary happened. The metal box simply disappeared as if it had dissolved into thin air.

Ruan looked in amazement at the empty space where the box used to be, completely perplexed by what he had just witnessed. He theorized that the child, whom he suspected to be the bandit's son, must possess some kind of unique talent.

Luiz's keen eyes remained fixed on the merchant, and he declared with a contemptuous tone, "Is this all you have? I'm sure there's a hidden treasure inside the carriage. Let us take a look there."

Ruan felt a wave of panic coursing through his body upon hearing Luiz's suggestion. He immediately understood that he could not allow the bandits to invade the carriage where his beloved wife, Mônica, was. The concern that lascivious desires could be aroused became a tangible fear, driving him with an unwavering determination to preserve his wife's safety at any cost.

Ruan, almost pleading, raised his hands and exclaimed, "Wait, I have nothing else! Please, leave us alone!" His eyes reflected a mixture of fear and desperation as he begged the bandits for mercy.

Luiz looked surprised at Ruan and asked, "Did you say 'we'?" His voice echoed, leaving an air of expectancy in the air as he assessed the situation with curiosity, realizing that there was more to it than met the eye in that carriage.

Without giving the merchant time to react, Luiz leaped towards the carriage and opened the door. To his surprise, he was met with the sight of a slender and stunning young lady, with long golden hair and eyes the color of the ocean, who stared at him with surprise and apprehension. Her presence was captivating, and she was dressed in fine clothes that indicated her noble origin, despite the circumstances.

The young lady was trembling slightly, visibly frightened by the situation.

Luiz's lecherous gaze was evident and unsettling as he fixed his hungry eyes on the young woman, his expression making it clear that his intention was not just to steal her belongings. The young lady recoiled, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, while Ruan looked on with growing despair and anger.

"You little scoundrel! Who gave you permission to play with my belongings?" said a somber voice, slightly immature due to age.

Luiz's face contorted in a mixture of shock and fear, a shadow of dread passing through his eyes. A wave of fear ran down his spine as if icy hands had touched him. It was as if that little demon, with its somber and threatening voice, had transported him back to childhood nightmares.

The astute-eyed child with disheveled hair gave the two hostages a challenging look. Her face was illuminated by the trembling light of nearby torches, creating sinister shadows. Her voice sounded surprisingly adult and confiden.

"What talents do you two possess?" He asked, like a little master evaluating her subjects. Her tone suggested that she was accustomed to giving orders and expecting obedience.

Before the couple could respond, the tense moment was abruptly interrupted by the echo of a sharp and sinister laugh. It was like the soundtrack of a macabre horror movie, and that peculiar voice sent shivers down everyone's spines, filling the air with an atmosphere laden with malice and chaos.

The somber voice echoed through the darkest corners, skillfully intertwining with the reigning darkness of the night. Each malevolent laugh, like a sinister echo, deepened the dark cloak even further, creating a macabre symphony that reverberated among the treetops.

Beneath the disturbing sound, nocturnal creatures interrupted their usual activities, taking flight hastily, instinctively fleeing from the supernatural presence.

In the midst of the darkness of the night, the sinister voice echoed, "The smell of blood!" Its words hung in the air, a chilling whisper that infiltrated the minds of all those present. The merchants, the bandits, and the child remained motionless, their expressions of apprehension evident in their tense looks.

The already tense atmosphere seemed to grow even heavier. Fear and uncertainty grew as the voice echoed in the air, as if an invisible presence were approaching, watching them.

Suddenly, a dark mist began to creep into the scene, spreading rapidly from dark points on the horizon. It was a living darkness, spreading slowly as if it were a conscious entity.

Ruan, in the midst of despair, finally broke the silence: "We are all dead. It's a creature of darkness!" His whispers revealed acceptance of the inevitable as he looked at the growing mist with resignation.