Black Magic

Chapter 89: Witchcraft

As Aiden followed the officers to the location they had specified, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The further they went from the shelter, the more his surroundings changed, the clean streets and well-kept yards giving way to a dirtier, more run-down area.

The air was filled with the smell of rot and sadness, and Aiden wrinkled his nose in disgust, his stomach turning at the strong smell.

He had never been in this part of place before, and the realization that this was where the people who had destroyed his life lived filled him with growing fear.

When they reached the shelter, Aiden's heart started racing.

The officers led him through the doorway, and the sight that met him sent a shiver of fear down his spine.

The air was filled with the smell of burning incense and candle wax.

Aiden's eyes were drawn to the walls, where he saw a series of strange voodoo dolls, each one with an array of needles and pins and weapons.

He felt his breath catch in his throat as he recognized the faces on the dolls – his own, and that of his wife's father, Eugene, he also saw their portraits covered with blood.

The portraits were covered in what he could only assume was blood, and the sight filled him with disgust and fear.

Aiden felt his knees go weak, and he had to grab the edge of a nearby table to steady himself. "What is this place?" he whispered, his voice barely loud enough to hear.

Aiden felt his stomach lurch, the weight of the revelation threatening to overwhelm him.

As he stood there, surrounded by the strange things in the shelter, he knew that the truth he had been searching for was much worse than he could have imagined.

Aiden stuttered as he sheds tears, "My Astrid, she is innocent, Eleanor just set her up"

The officers exchanged a solemn look before one of them turned to Aiden, his expression grave.

"Mr. Aiden, I'm afraid we have something very difficult to tell you," he said, his voice low. "After further investigation, it's become clear that your involvement with Astrid was not... entirely genuine."

Aiden furrowed his brow, a sense of dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

The officer sighed heavily. "We have reason to believe that Astrid used... dark occult practices to manipulate and control you, to draw you away from your relationship with Eleanor."

Aiden's eyes widened in shock. "What? That can't be true," he protested. "Astrid loved me, she would never do that, it was Eleanor who-"

The officer raised a hand, cutting him off. "I understand this is difficult to accept, but the evidence points to Astrid's involvement with Nelson in black magic. And unfortunately, it seems the tragedy with your father in law, Eugene may have been tied to similar forces."

Aiden felt the blood drain from his face. "You mean... Florence? She used black magic on him too?" he asked, his voice trembling.

The officer nodded solemnly. "It appears so. This web of manipulation and dark practices runs deeper than we ever could have imagined."

Aiden felt the blood drain from his face as the officers' words sank in.

The officers reached out to steady him as Aiden swayed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I... I can't believe it," he stammered, his voice trembling. "Astrid, the woman I loved, she wasn't even acting of her own free will? She did this to me, she led Eleanor to..."

Aiden felt a wave of nausea wash over him as the realization hit. "All this time, I thought Astrid and I had a real connection, that we chose to be together. But it was all just a lie, a cruel deception fueled by black magic," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "My life is such a lie"

The officers tightened their grip on Aiden's arms as his knees buckled, threatening to give out. "Easy there, sir. Perhaps you should sit down for a moment," one of them suggested, guiding him to a nearby chair.

Aiden collapsed into the seat, his head in his hands. "I feel like the ground is shifting beneath me. Everything I thought I knew about my life, my choices, it's all been turned upside down," he lamented, his voice thick with emotion.

The officers stood by, their expressions empathetic but somber. "We know this is an incredibly difficult revelation to process, Mr. Aiden. But we felt it was crucial that you understand the truth, no matter how painful it may be."

Aiden nodded weakly, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the horrifying reality that had been laid bare before him.