The heart

Johnny, after collecting his spoils, looked at Luiz, contemplating the remarkable healing ability that had allowed the multiplication of his talent. Doubt lingered in his mind, questioning whether it was worth leaving living witnesses to that massacre. Then his eyes fixed on the lifeless body of his uncle.

Memories of his sister hit him, those difficult memories shared in moments of hunger. She always emphasized the importance of not being late for lunch, and those words stirred unrest in his heart. The recollection of his lost son on Earth, Jacob, emerged like a specter, making him remember his precious child.

"Curse it! She's not Jacob!" Johnny roared, trying to push away the flood of emotions that overwhelmed him. This feeling rushed over him like a long-restrained torrent. "Cursed weakness!" he muttered to himself, a cruel reminder of his lost humanity.

Luiz, with wide eyes and fear, whispered, "Son of darkness!"

Luiz's eyes were as wide as the full moon in the night sky, an expression of fear and disbelief mirrored on his face. He couldn't fully comprehend what he had witnessed, and his tense body eagerly awaited Johnny's next orders.

While the young boy wiped his bloody hands on his uncle's horse, the memory of Carlos, the unconscious boy he left at the camp, crossed his mind. He began to consider his options as his mind worked at an accelerated pace.

Finally, after an intense mental process, the synapses converged to a decision. Johnny chose a path. His face lit up with a certainty, as his mind, after considering countless options, had found a route.

Johnny stroked the horse's head, whispering subtly. "I don't want to abandon that foolish girl! Moreover, her talent is a mystery to me; it might be a valuable treasure that I can't ignore! The true pillars of this world reside in the talents we possess!"

Looking at Luiz, Johnny felt the need to clarify the situation. "Listen, what you heard from the witch is true. I am indeed the son of darkness, and I cast a curse on you. If I don't see you at least once a month, you'll meet a sudden death!"

Fear seized Luiz, his throat swallowing with difficulty at the sinister prospect.

"My order is simple!" said Johnny seriously. "I want you to mount this horse and return to the camp. I'll be back soon."

Luiz, although apprehensive and fearful, nodded and, with trembling hands, mounted the horse.

Johnny watched his henchman, Luiz, riding away, reflecting on the effectiveness of his bluff. It was a risky move, with the potential to lose both his henchman and his hostage.

In the worst-case scenario, Luiz could be captured and reveal compromising information about him. However, life was full of risks, and Johnny was not willing to give up his subordinate, who allowed him to multiply his power. He was willing to take this risk to achieve more significant goals.

"How long will it take for Lord's riders to get here?" Johnny questioned, looking around anxiously. Then he turned his head down, observing the corpse of his uncle sprawled on the ground.

Then an idea quickly passed through his mind; he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to try to develop his necroenergy control.

Johnny began his experiments to unlock necroenergy control.

First, he pointed at the corpse with his hand, but nothing happened.

Next, he closed his eyes and focused, trying to awaken some power within him. However, his initial efforts were in vain. He felt a growing frustration, but he knew he had to keep trying.

In another attempt, he tried to channel imaginary energy toward the corpse, hoping it would trigger a necroenergy reaction. However, his efforts were futile.

Then, he recited ancient words and dark rituals he had learned in his past life, hoping to invoke necroenergy. Once again, nothing happened except for a shiver running down his spine.

Johnny even tried to visualize death and decay, imagining the corpse disintegrating into dust and shadows. But despite his efforts, necroenergy remained stubborn in its resistance.

With each unsuccessful attempt, Johnny's frustration grew, but he was determined to persist until he found the key to controlling this dark power. He knew that necroenergy was there, lurking, waiting to be mastered.

In his quest to master necroenergy, Johnny remembered the actions and body movements of the witch that had intrigued him earlier. He tried to replicate these gestures in the hope that they were the key to controlling the dark power. However, even mimicking the witch's actions did not succeed in releasing necroenergy.

Frustrated, he muttered, "Accursed show-off witch!" as he continued trying to replicate the witch's gestures. The challenge of unraveling this dark power was testing his patience.

After hours of unsuccessful attempts to master necroenergy, Johnny heard a distant noise of horse hooves approaching. He knew that Lord's troops were coming, and it was time to act. With determination, he decided to temporarily set aside his quest for necroenergy and prepare for his cinematic performance.