Chapter 10: Breath Of Death

" I need an explanation of what exactly happened here! What kind of dark force broke into the test without us knowing! ?" Commander Bai shouted as he slammed his fist on the table in anger, the officers and the proctors who are responsible to watch over the participants from the CCTV cameras. took a step back and lowered their heads.

"Sir, I have news from the observation room"

An officer declared, saluting Commander Bai, interrupting them. The man seemed troubled, and Bai and Yu felt that something was wrong.

"Speak" Commander Bai ordered the man.

"We were informed that A fifth-ranking dark creature has entered the test S...Sir! ..."

Bai turned to him quickly, his eyes widened as his lips parted in shock. he lowered his brows and shouted: "What did you say!"

Yu asked, "Are you sure of what you're saying?"

"twenty-three defenders died in the woods area because of it Sir."

Commander Bai froze in place, dulled, not blinking, as deputy Commander Yu sat with a strong thud onto the chair that happened to be behind him, he opened his mouth but the words got stuck in his throat.

"Call that damn witch and bring her here immediately !!" Bai shouted at the officer with anger.

"What are you saying? We have to stop the test first immediately to protect those who remained, Bai! " Yu said in disbelief at all that is happening.

" You know very well that if the test stopped suddenly, we might lose all of them!" Bai shouted.

Bai looked at the people in the room: "This matter will not go outside this station! And whoever transmits this news will be stripped of his rank and presented to a military trial clear!!"

"Yes Sir!" Said the officers quickly in sync.

Bai looked at Yu, "Go and bring these witches, and if they don't come, tell that woman that there is someone precious to her is fighting there as well he might lose his life"

Yu nodded, took his hat, opened the door, went out, and closed it behind him.

Bai looked back at the cameras " Get a close watch on the remaining participants to try to provide them with help as much as we can!"

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"Run as fast as you can!"

Zain shouted while running with the rest towards the river. he was barely supported by Joey and Aran, an arm around each of them as to run faster with his wounded leg.

"What the hell is this thing Zain!"

Joey anxiously asked while running.

" If it is as described in the legends of the underworld, then it's a nuckelavee, a horse-like demon, that combines equine and Human elements. It's said that The nuckelavee's breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock, and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite being predominantly a sea-dweller" Zain said explaining to them while panting.

"What!!! " Ryou was shocked " is there even such a creature !!"

" I said in legends! I only read about it and don't forget we are no longer in our world, we're in the underworld, where everything is evil and unpredictable"

"So...is there any way to avoid it or kill it?" Alicia asked panting while running fastly by their side.

"Well, it is said to be unable to tolerate fresh water, therefore we only need to be fast enough before it to cross the river or any stream to be rid of it" Zain explained.

"Okay..that's easy let's just get to the river!" Ryou said calming them and himself.

Suddenly everyone felt as if the earth was shaking under their feet and trees dropping leaves on top of them while they were running, they all stopped after hearing another loud and extremely frightening roar that sounded as strong as the sound of a bomb explosion.

Alicia put her hand on her ears and shrank a little, they all looked back in horror, unable to imagine what they had heard.

Zain shouted at them, "Move to the river! Don't stop!"

They all awoke from their shock and started running again, Aran pulled Alicia's hand and ran pulling her behind him.

Due to the strong earth tremor under their feet, Ryou fell to the ground, Aran and Joey looked behind them at the same moment when they noticed him, and Aran hurried back to him and grabbed his arm, and pulled him up quickly.

Finally, they all got to the river, what they found was a broad river, and it seemed shallow, the roar was heard again. and this time is accompanied by a very bad smell.

"Shit ... we have to swim, come on!" Zain said anxiously.

"You cannot cross without paying the price!" A female voice was heard.

And when they looked at the source of the voice, a woman appeared, wearing a long mantle that reached the earth, her skin was white and pale, she looked like a human,

She has long, glossy black hair, her blue eyes pulled out looking like cats' eyes, and her hair pulled backward, exposing her white forehead with a blue flower-shaped sign on her forehead. her clothes looked weird but elegant. like someone kind of princess.

"What price are you talking about?" Joey asked while catching his breath after running a long distance and with intense fear.

"She is a water witch," said Zain, putting his hand on his waist in displeasure.

"What do you mean a water witch ?! What does she do?" Ryou said puzzled.

"There is no time for this, we have to give her what she wants!" Aran finally said as his Patience started to wear thin.

"What do you want to let us cross!" Joey said looking at her.

While standing there, they all started to smell smoke and another unpleasant smell besides the sound of roaring for the third time, they all put their hands on their ears except for the water witch, who smiled when she found them helpless.

"One of you will give me something very dear in exchange for everyone crossing." She said slowly as she enjoyed their fear.

The witch smiled " Only one can pay for all of the five of you! Isn't that a great offer!"

"I hate water witches! " Zain said, trying to avoid her gaze.

 They felt the ground shaking under their feet again, and the smell started to chock them, they all put their hands on their mouths to avoid the smell, and they started to feel the hotness of the fire that was burning down the woods around them. there was no time left, if they waited for another minute they will be killed, and that's why the water witch choose this exact time to approach them، she knows that there is no way for them to reject playing with her this trade or the give and take kind of dirty game.

They all waited for any of them to utter a word, but no one spoke for a minute or more.

While they all exchanged glances at each other, Joey sighed and stepped out: "Just let us cross the damn river and take what you want!"

Joey broke out of his silence helplessly. when he felt the time was running out. Joey and Aran moved at the same moment, but Joey spoke first.

She couldn't hide her enthusiasm and took his hand in hers and stared into his eyes, she opened her mouth and the next second her eyes shined and a wide smile spread on her face. She tightened her grip on Joey's hands " Are you sure?"

"Yes, Just do it and save us! "

" Joey think twice, this will not end well!" Zain said moving towards Joey, interrupting him, as The witch gazed at Zain giving him a dirty look.

" Why don't you do it then?" Ryou said annoyed by the whole situation.

Zain glowered at him" I can't! The San family has signed a pact not to sign any malicious treaties, pacts or bartering under any name in the underworld."

"Do it!" Joey said in a taut voice; his voice was shaking with anger and fear at the same time. it was do or die. Zain was already banned from signing، while Ryou was still thinking about it, in the meantime, the other two did not know what to do either, and when Joey looked at Alicia. He found her biting her lips, lowering her brows in fear as She put her hand on her shoulder and tries to avoid looking at them, especially the witch.

the way she looked made him confused.

The witch grabbed Joey's hand. cutting his rope of thoughts She closed her eyes and mumbled a few words, and a blue flash accompanied by some strong winds hovered around them left Joey scared and took a step back from confusion and surprise, but the girl's grip was strong that held him close to her so he would not move an inch away during the deal-making, a minute later the wind calmed down and this blue light faded.

After a minute, She opened her eyes, and smiled mischievously and meanly, "Well, we're done, you can cross." She let go of Joey's hand and raised her hand and directed it toward the river in front of her as if she was welcoming them, Zain looked at her in complete distrust and looked at her facial expressions that some might see as a normal smile. But all he saw was a malicious woman Trying not to let her bursting evil laughs out of her mouth.

"Just like that ?! ... Shall we cross now?" Ryou said amazed by how fast the process was.

"It's simple. You can cross right now from here, gentlemen!" She said sarcastically as she bowed down as a flight attendant.

"So are we swimming or what!" Ryou said, puzzled.

The ground began to shake more and more under their feet, and the smell made them want to throw up and die. Aran pushed Ryou in front of him,

Ryou was surprised and thought he was going to fall into the waters! He closed his eyes to prepare himself to meet the water any second now. But he was surprised that he didn't fall into the water and did not get wet till now. So he opened his eyes to see that he was sitting on his knees. on a solid surface, His hands above the river as if he has fallen above a glassy surface which they can walk on.

It's like they're walking on clear glass. You can see the water under your feet, but you can't touch it or get wet with it.

Nobody waited for Ryou to get up,  Aran walked past him, avoiding him as if he was a rock on the road.

"I can walk on water !?" Ryou said surprised and delighted like a little kid

Joey put his foot on the beginning of the glassy bridge. as the witch stood half away on the bridge, she whispered behind him:

"You will see a mark on your body soon, it will not disappear until I come to you and take whatever I may need in the future, and don't even think about running away, my dear, I will visit you soon." She said, looking from the corner of her eyes. smiling and waving at them goodbye.

Zain was able to hear what she said to Joey and stared at her with hatred, he hated the idea of trading or making deals, and it never ends well. Aran was holding Alicia's hand pulling her behind him to help her cross, as soon as Alicia walked past the witch, the witch's facial expression changed and her smile faded and turned to Alicia, after a second she smiled as if she found out something interesting:

"Ohhh.  dear, this is not your place, is it? You have already done something unforgivable, what a pitiful soul" 

Alicia looked back at her with shock and widen their eyes, "What are you talking about!" Alicia shouted questioning.

The witch put her hand over her mouth and turned her eyes to them without replying.

Aran pulled Alicia by the hand to move faster as time was not suitable to talk, and As soon as they all crossed on foot over the river, they turned to see the other side of the river, only to find that the water witch had disappeared, and the bridge was fading away. As they looked at the view on the other side, the forest was destroyed, the trees shacked and fell to the ground with an earthquake, as the fire ate everything on its way, and suddenly a roar breached their ears like thunder. And out of the midst of this devastation, it finally appeared, the most terrifying thing a person could see.

They saw this unbearable-looking creature. They all froze in their place, their pupils shrunk.

it looks like an ugly demon on a horse, as it stood nearly 6 feet tall at its horse head and about 9 feet at its humanoid head, it resembles a horse whose legs are part fins like a fish, and a single giant eye, which burns with a red flame. A human with a large head, ten times bigger than a human! Is merged along the back of the horse's body like a strange centaur. The most gruesome detail of his appearance is the fact that he has no skin. Black blood courses through yellow veins, and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are visible as a pulsating mass. It's unbearable to see.

Aran put his hand on Alicia's eyes spontaneously. as he couldn't even blink as his mouth was opened in disbelief.

As this demon roared like thunder in anger. The sound embodied rage, a promise of death. as their heart skipped a beat, they rooted to their place, their stomachs twisted .and got  Goosebumps all over while breathing heavily. no one dared to blink.

"We....must get going.."Zain Mumbled while not blinking patting Joey on the back unconsciously. As to wake him from this shock.

End of chapter 10.

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