On The Run

As the moonlight illuminated the horizon,it casted a golden glow over the motel as two figures emerged from the shadows.Absalom and Ahab, disguised as police officers, their faces twisted with malicious intent, entered the motel and strode purposefully towards the reception desk.

Absalom's chiseled features, reminiscent of his father David's noble lineage, belied the treachery that lurked within. His piercing eyes, once charming and persuasive, now gleamed with a sinister light.

Ahab, his visage a testament to his wicked reign, wore a scruff of unkempt beard and a scar above his left eyebrow, a constant reminder of his brutal past. His eyes, cold and calculating, seemed to bore into the souls of those around him.

As they approached the reception desk, the fluorescent lights overhead cast an eerie glow on their faces, accentuating the evil that lurked beneath. The air was heavy with tension, the very presence of these demonic entities seeming to draw the oxygen from the air.

"Good evening," Absalom's voice purred, smooth as silk, as he flashed a disarming smile at the receptionist. "My friend and I are searching for two dangerous criminals."

He produced a photo of Mark and Lucia from his pocket, his eyes gleaming with malice. The receptionist, oblivious to the danger that stood before him, nodded naively, revealing the room number where Mark and Lucia lay hidden.

Ahab's hand moved with deadly precision, his gun appearing in his hand as if by magic. The receptionist's eyes widened in terror as Ahab's finger closed around the trigger, the sound of the gunshot echoing through the deserted lobby like a death knell.

The receptionist slumped lifelessly to the ground, a crimson pool spreading from his head like a macabre halo.As the echoes of the gunshot faded, Absalom and Ahab advanced towards the room, their footsteps echoing through the silent hallway like a funeral procession.

As the gunshot echoed outside their motel room, Mark's calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to the chaos that was unfolding. His eyes locked onto Lucia's, he informed her of the demons' arrival with a sense of urgency. "They're here, Lucia. It's time to go."

Lucia's eyes widened with fear as she asked if she should prepare to fight, her voice barely above a whisper. Mark's response was measured, his words laced with a sense of urgency. "No, Lucia. I'm too weak to fight. You need to escape, now."

He gestured to the window, his eyes locked onto hers. "Go, Lucia. I'll handle this." But Lucia was reluctant, her eyes locked onto Mark's as she hesitated. "Leave you behind? No, I won't do that."

Mark's expression turned solemn, his eyes locked onto hers. "I need to break this curse, Lucia and the only way to do that is if I'm killed by someone else."

The weight of his words hung in the air like a dark cloud, the silence between them thick with foreboding.

Lucia's heart raced as she grasped the gravity of the situation. Mark's next words, spoken in a jovial tone, seemed almost incongruous. "Don't worry, Lucia. With the power of the Death Marksman, you can bring me back to life easily."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Ahab and Absalom's entrance was like a cold wind that swept through the room. Lucia was gone leaving but Mark was seated on the bed.

Mark's calm exterior never wavered, his eyes locked onto the demons as they approached. Ahab's gun trained on him, Absalom's eyes gleaming with an unholy pale white look.

As they closed in, Ahab's gun remained trained on Mark, its barrel a cold, unforgiving presence. Absalom's voice was laced with malice as he demanded to know Lucia's whereabouts, but Mark refused to play along.

Instead, he posed a question of his own, his eyes locked onto Absalom's with a fierce intensity. "Why does the Kingdom Below want Lucia so desperately? What is it about this mere mortal that drives you demons to such frenzy?"

Absalom's laughter was a cold, mirthless sound, echoing off the motel room's walls. "Do you think us foolish enough to reveal our plans to you, Mark?" he sneered. But Mark stood tall, his eyes never leaving Absalom's face. "You're here to kill me, anyway. What's the point of hiding it?"

As Ahab's finger tightened on the trigger, Mark rose to his feet, his movements fluid and graceful. But Absalom's hand closed around Ahab's wrist, his grip like a vice. "Wait," he hissed, his eyes locked onto Mark's. "Remember the cursed mark of Cain. Killing him will curse you fourteenfold."

Mark's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with a sense of challenge. "And what will you do to me, Absalom, if you don't kill me?"

Before he could hear the response, Absalom's hand closed around Ahab's gun which he suddenly took as he lunged at Mark with a swift, brutal motion. The handle of the gun was sent crashing down.It made impact with Mark's skull, knocking him out cold.

As Mark slumped to the ground, Absalom turned to Ahab, his voice dripping with malice. "Alert the others, Ahab. Lucia is on the run. We must find her, and fast."

Lucia's feet pounded the pavement as she sprinted into the night, the window of the motel room fading into the distance.

Guilt tugged at her heart for leaving Mark behind, but his words echoed in her mind: "Respect my decision, Lucia. I'll be okay." She clutched the Soul Blade tightly, its power coursing through her veins like a river of fire.

The plan seemed simple enough: evade the demons till they kill Mark, return to the motel, and raise Mark from the dead.

But the weight of her task settled heavy on her. Mark had told her that she would sense his death but how was that going to happen.

She was also expected to bring him back to life,how was she going to do that?

Even if she did, she would have the demons to contend with.How could she outrun a horde of demons alone, with no memory of her past to guide her? The Soul Blade's power hummed in her hands, but could she truly wield it against such formidable foes?

Meanwhile, Absalom and Ahab's counterparts received the news of Lucia's escape with calculated precision. They had infiltrated the town's police force, their demonic presence hiding in plain sight.

As midnight struck, the hunt began, with Lucia as their sole target. The demons moved with synchronized efficiency, their eyes fixed on the prize.

The night air was electric with tension as Lucia raced against time, her footsteps echoing off the deserted streets. She was a lone warrior, armed with a powerful blade and a determination to save Mark.

But the demons closing in around her were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. The battle ahead would be fierce, and Lucia's survival hung in the balance.