Stealth Mode

Lucia crept through the dimly lit corridors of the motel, her senses on high alert for any sign of danger. She had decided to forgo a face-to-face confrontation with Absalom, instead opting for a stealthy approach to rescue Mark. The Soul Blade hummed in her hand, its power coursing through her veins.

As she turned a corner, a pair of demons emerged from the shadows, their black eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity. Lucia's grip on the Soul Blade tightened, its blade flashing in the faint light. The demons sneered, their eyes fixed on her with an unnerving gaze.

With a swift, graceful motion, Lucia charged forward, her Soul Blade slicing through the air. The demons were caught off guard, their eyes widening in surprise as Lucia struck. Her blade bit deep into the first demon's shoulder, its flesh sizzling as it let out a blood-curdling scream.

The second demon lunged at Lucia, its hands swinging wildly. Lucia dodged with ease, her movements fluid and precise. She countered with a swift kick, her foot connecting with the demon's chest.

It stumbled back, gasping for breath, as Lucia struck again. Her Soul Blade sliced through the demon's neck, its head rolling off its shoulders with a sickening thud.

The first demon, still screaming in agony, stumbled towards Lucia. She spun around, her blade flashing in the light. With a swift, merciful stroke, she ended the demon's suffering. The corridor was silent once more, the only sound the soft hum of the Soul Blade.

Lucia continued down the hallway, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. She arrived at the door to Mark's prison, her hand trembling slightly as she reached out to grasp the handle. She pushed open the door, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.

Mark sat slumped in a chair, his wrists and ankles bound with thick ropes. Lucia's heart skipped a beat as she rushed to his side, her fingers probing his neck for a pulse. It was weak, but steady. She breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes scanning his face for any signs of injury.

Just as she began to untie his bonds, a cold metal pressed against the back of her head. Lucia's heart froze as Ahab's voice whispered in her ear, "Well, well, well. Look what we have here."

Ahab's voice dripped with condescension as he spoke to Absalom, his words dripping with malice. "I've got her right where I want her, Absalom. She's as predictable as a sunrise."

Lucia's eyes narrowed, her grip on the Soul Blade tightening. She knew she had to act fast, before Ahab's gloating turned into action. With a deep breath, she vanished from sight, leaving Ahab's words hanging in the air.

Ahab's eyes widened in surprise, his head whipping around to scan the room. That was when he felt it - the cold metal of a shotgun pressed against the back of his head. Lucia's voice was low and even, her command brooking no argument. "Untie Mark.Do it now!!!."

Ahab's hands trembled as he worked on the ropes, his eyes fixed on Lucia's face. She was a vision of fierce determination, her eyes blazing with a fire that seemed to burn brighter with every passing moment.

As he finished untying Mark, Ahab's voice was laced with venom. "It doesn't matter what you do to me, Lucia. Absalom and the others are on their way. You'll never escape."

Lucia's smile was a thin, cold thing. "I don't plan on escaping, Ahab. But I do plan on making sure you suffer." Her eyes gleamed with a malicious intent as she commanded, "Kill Mark."

Lucia's voice was a low, menacing whisper, her words dripping with malice as she repeated what she said.

"I said kill Mark, Ahab."

Ahab's eyes widened in shock, his mind reeling as he struggled to comprehend Lucia's command. He hesitated, his hand hovering over Mark's bound form as he grasped for a understanding.

And then, like a lightning bolt on a stormy night, realization struck. Lucia's plan was not to harm Mark, but to transfer the cursed mark that had tormented him for so long onto Ahab himself.

Ahab's face paled, his eyes filling with a horror that threatened to consume him whole. He took a step back, his hand raised as if in supplication. "No," he whispered, his voice trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.

"I'd rather die than take on that curse."

Lucia's smile was a cold, calculating thing, her eyes glinting with a malevolent light. "I'm okay with that," she purred, her voice dripping with an almost sadistic pleasure.

She took a step closer, her blade flashing in the dim light of the room.

"But I think you'll soon find out why the curse would have been a far better option. Its nothing compared to the kind of death am about to give you."

The shotgun flashing in the light as she turned it back into the blade.But before she could strike him, the door creaked open, Absalom's voice echoing through the room.

"I don't think so, Lucia," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You of all people will not be hurting anyone else today."

Lucia's grip on Ahab tightened, her blade pressed against his neck. "Don't come any closer, Absalom," she warned, her voice low and even. "Or Ahab here will be the first to die."

Absalom's laughter was a cold, mirthless sound. "I'm shaking in my boots, Lucia,"

he sneered, his eyes fixed on her face. "But I think you'll find that my demons are a little more...persuasive than you are."

With a wave of his hand, the demons surged forward, their guns blazing as they sprayed the room with bullets. Lucia's eyes narrowed, her grip on Ahab tightening as she used him as a shield to avoid the incoming onslaught.

As the hail of bullets tore through the air, Lucia felt a searing pain in her leg, her knee buckling beneath her as she realized she had been shot.

She fell to the ground, her vision blurring as Ahab's body jerked and convulsed beneath the onslaught till he was sent flying to the ground.She heard Absalom's demons reloading as she asked if she could survive another wave of gun fire.

The sound of gunshots rang again but Lucia was spared as Mark, fully awake and alert, stepped in front of her, his body absorbing the remaining bullets.

He stood tall, his eyes locked on Lucia's, his face a mask of determination."Come on, Lucia...you took just one bullet, shake it off," he said, his voice laced with a joking tone that belied the gravity of the situation.

But as he fell to the ground, his body riddled with holes, his eyes locked on Lucia's with a serious intensity. "It's your turn," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

And with that, his body went limp, his chest still. Lucia's heart raced as she realized that Mark had sacrificed himself to save her. But she knew he also expected her to bring him back to life.That was a feat she had no idea how to accomplish.

She turned to Ahab, surprised to see that the ancient demon was still alive, his body battered and bruised but refusing to yield. And then, she turned back to Mark's lifeless body, her hands shaking as she tried to harness the power of the Death Marksman.

She focused all her energy on Mark, her mind racing with a desperate plea. Bring him back, please. Bring him back to me. But as she reached deep within herself, she realized that the power was not responding. She was either not strong enough or not skilled enough to wield it.

Mark's body remained still, his eyes frozen in a permanent stare. Lucia's heart broke, her world shattering around her. She couldn't imagine failing,she didn't want Mark's sacrifice to be for nothing.