Chapter 4: cut out the mark I

When we got home, it was already 11:50 PM. I noticed a shadow approaching the curtain, so I quickly hid behind the door, preparing for a stealth attack. "I know you're hiding behind the door, Jordan," Amma whispered softly so as not to wake Gina. Curious, I asked, "What's going on? Why are you here in the middle of the night?" Amma replied in a hushed voice, "Jordan, there's something I want you to see." Intrigued, I asked, "Okay, what is it?" Amma insisted, "Just follow me." I questioned, "Wait, isn't it here with you?" Amma reassured me, "No, just come with me." I agreed, saying, "Okay, let's go. But make it quick, alright?" And we began walking.

We walked for like 10 minutes and arrived at the place. I freaked out, thinking it was an explosion. I asked, scared, "oh my God is it an explosion? What happened here?" Amma explained, "No, that's a demon egg. It fell from the sky, and it's about to hatch. I need you to kill whatever's inside." I protested, "Are you crazy? I can't kill something innocent!" Amma warned, "If you don't kill it, it will kill you." Terrified, I suggested, "Amma, let's go back before it hatches." Shaken, I added, "I don't want to lose you, Amma." Suddenly, Gina appeared and said, "Nobody's losing anybody."

"Oh Gina, thank goodness you're here!" I exclaimed, running towards her. Amma asked, "How did you know we were here?" Gina replied, "I saw this in Master Shi Nacko's lesson today and wanted to check it out. To my surprise, you guys are here, just like I saw." Curious, Amma asked me, "What did you see?" Fearfully, I responded, "I saw a woman crying for help, but when I got there, it was too late." Amma comforted me, saying, "It's not your fault that she died, Jordan." Gina interrupted, saying, "Guys, I thought there was supposed to be an egg here?" Amma pointed towards the direction where the egg was supposed to be, but instead, we saw a giant bull standing on two feet, holding an axe with a crown on its head...

"No, I don't think so," Gina said confidently. "It's already hatched," Amma muttered. Worried, I asked, "Should we run?" Amma replied, "No, we have to fight it." Amma and Gina charged towards the giant bull, but I couldn't bring myself to join them. I took cover and watched as they fought valiantly. Gina tried to create clones of herself, but she struggled, while Amma showcased her impressive fighting skills. Unfortunately, they were overpowered and ended up on the ground, exhausted. The giant bull raised its axe and headed towards Amma, ready to strike. Unable to bear the sight, I felt a surge of anger. Gritting my teeth and clenching my fists, I ran towards the giant bull from behind.

"Stealth attack incoming! iiiiyaaahh!!!..." I jumped as high as I could, aiming to land a punch. But unfortunately, the bull caught me mid-air and tossed me to the ground. I hit my head on a rock and everything went blank... Slowly, I opened my eyes to find that everything had changed. The three of us were tied together in a hall that looked like a coven. "Oh yeah, mister stealth attack is awake," Gina said, clearly angry with me. In a rude manner, I replied, "Oh really? Even with plenty of you, you couldn't take down a single giant, and you're here complaining about my stealth attack? What's wrong with it?"

"Guys, let's stop this madness and focus on finding a way to escape," Amma said, trying to bring everyone together. Gina chimed in, "Wow, the pretty elfe has spoken. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess." Gina retorted, "You were planning on going there by yourself, remember?" Amma asked Gina. I took a moment to reflect on my actions and replied, "You're right, Gina. I should have been more careful with my stealth attack. I'll make sure to be silent next time. Sorry Amma"

Footsteps thudding from the distance... "They're coming, guys," Gina whispered urgently. Two beasts entered the room. "Which one is the marked one?" the first beast asked. "I don't know, let's check for differences. The queen wants the marked one," replied the second beast. After examining us, the first beast said, "This one smells different and is shorter. I'll take him to the queen first." They were referring to me. "No, wait! I'm the marked one. Take me and leave the boy alone," Gina insisted. The two beasts laughed and one pushed Gina down while the other grabbed me and brought me to an altar, tying me down so I couldn't move.