Depression Plutus (Curse #4)

CHAPTER 39 Offering

 OTTILIE VIRSES POV 
 
 
Nang magising ako, doon ko napagtanto na wala na ako sa inn. Sinubukan kong bumangon sa pagkakahiga, pero hindi ko maigalaw ang buong katawan ko. Nang sinubukan kong i-angat ang ulo, napansin kong nakatali pareho ang mga kamay at paa ko na parang iaalay sa isang ritwal. 
 
Teka... ritwal? 
 
Tila nangilabot ang buong katawan ko sa isiping iyon. Kusa na lang tumulo ang luha sa mga mata ko ng makitang iba na ang kasootan ko. Napalitan na ito ng isang manipis at maiksing bistidang puti na hindi man lang umabot sa tuhod ang haba nito.
 
"T-tulong!!" Sigaw ko habang nagkukumawala sa pagkakatali sa'kin. 
 
Jusko, mukhang iaalalay nga ako! Nakahiga ako sa isang batong altar habang napapalibutan ng kandila ang buong paligid. And that's when I thought I was inside a huge, dark  room that looks like a chamber. In the center, I can see a big stone circle with strange symbols carved into it, surrounded by many lit candles. 
 
Para akong bumalik sa ritual scene ni Lysandra, pero mas malaki at mas nakakakilabot ito. Nang ibaling ko ang tingin sa kanan ko, doon ko lang napansin ang isang itim na ribulto na may mahahabang sungay.  Walang duda isa itong rebulto ng demonyo.
 
"PLUTUUUUS!!" 
 
Buong lakas na sigaw ko, umaasa na matutulungan ako nito. Wala ng tigil sa pag-alpas ang mga luha ko dahil sa takot. Sisigaw na sana ulit ako ng magpasukan ang higit sa sampung katao. They are wearing hooded long dark robes that made me feel hopeless. 
 
Kulto ang mga iyan!

"Mga walang hiya kayo!!" Sigaw ko ng ubos ng lakas habang napupumiglas. "Pakawalan niyo ako!" 
 
Ngunit tila wala silang naririnig at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad hanggang sa mapalibutan nila ang malaking stone circle sa gitnang bahagi ng chamber.
 
"Ipasok na ang batang alay," one of them commanded.
 
Four hooded figures appeared from another entrance, carrying a metal plate. My heart sank and my stomach twisting in horror as I recognized the small, unconscious child lying atop it.
 
It was the couple’s son.
 
"No, no, no! Huwag! Pakawalan niyo ang bata!" I shouted, thrashing wildly, but they paid me no mind. 
 
The figures placed the child directly beneath the altar where I lay, his small body limp and unmoving. Awang-awa ako sa bata, bakit pa nila kailangan idamay ang bata? 
 
"Hey, kiddo. Please, wake up!" I strained, desperate, trying to wake him up.
 
But he remained fast asleep. Anong ginawa nila sa bata? Napakawalang hiya nila!
 
Then I saw one of the hooded figures approach me, holding a small vial. The figure unscrewed the cap, letting a clear liquid spill over my body in thin streams, soaking the thin fabric of my dress. As the figure leaned closer, I caught a glimpse under its hood.
 
My breath caught in my throat. Siya... Siya 'yong innkeeper sa hotel! Ngayon, naiintindihan ko na, isang front lang pala ang inn na 'yon. Ginagamit nila ito para makapangbiktima. Una pa lang, kataka-taka na nang sabihin niya na puno na ang mga kwarto gayong dadalawang sasakyan lang ang nakapark sa labas.
 
"You…!" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Ikaw… Ikaw 'yong innkeeper!"
 
But she looked right through me as if I didn’t exist as she turned back to the stone circle, joining the others.
 
And then the horror begins.
 
The figures raised their arms, and a dark chant began to fill the air, low and guttural, echoing off the stone walls.
 
"Oh, Amon, demon of dark and night,
Hear us on this shadowed rite.
With innocent flesh and pure heart near,
We call your power, we summon here.
Blood of child and maiden fair,
Grant us life, beyond compare."
 
Their voices grew louder, more intense, as the chant echoed around me, twisting and curling like smoke. The symbols on the stone circle started to glow with a deep red light, pulsing like a heartbeat.
 
"Amon, demon of endless dread,
Rise, oh rise, from worlds of dead.
Grant thy followers life anew,
Immortal blood, eternal view."
 
My heart pounded against my chest as the air grew thick and cold, a dark energy swirling around us. I fought against my binds, screaming for help, screaming for Plutus, feeling the despair grow with every unanswered call. The room filled with the ominous pulse of their chanting, as though the chamber itself was alive, feeding on the darkness.
 
"Take this child, take this maid,
In thy name, we are unafraid.
Bless us, curse us, bind our fates,
In thy shadow, Amon waits."
 
The chant became a thunderous crescendo, and the dark energy surrounded us in a tightening grip, its terrible presence filling every inch of my soul. The ritual had begun, and I was powerless to stop it.
 
A thick, ominous smoke began to rise from the stone circle, swirling and growing denser. My heart pounded wildly as the hooded figures silently backed away, forming a line along the edge of the room, leaving a clear path to the altar where I lay, trapped.
 
The smoke slowly began to take shape, shifting and fused into the unmistakable figure of a man. As the last traces of smoke faded, I found myself staring at a breathtakingly beautiful creature with a pair of horns curled from his head, long, dark hair that reached his hips, piercing red eyes, and pointed ears. He wore a princely black attire that made him look like a noble. My blood turned cold. It was clear from just one look, this was no man.

He was a demon.
 
Panic surged through me as I began to thrash against the binds, desperately trying to break free. The demon’s crimson eyes glinted as he watched me struggle, and a low, satisfied growl escaped his lips, making my skin crawl. A slow, cruel smirk spread across his face.

"Such a delightful offering today," he purred, his voice smooth and rich, a hint of malice lacing every word. He turned to his followers with a graceful wave of his hand. 
 
"You've done well."
 
The hooded figures clapped, a sound so empty and hollow that it only added to my horror. Then they fell silent once more, bowing their heads in reverence.
 
Despite the fear gripping me, I forced myself to shout, "Please! Huwag na ang bata, ako na lang!" 
 
The demon’s smirk widened, and he lifted his hand to stroke his chin in mock contemplation. His eyes gleamed with sinister amusement. 
 
"Oh, such bravery," he murmured. "How admirable."
 
I could feel his gaze travel over me, lingering like a touch. I shuddered, every nerve in my body screaming to get away from him. Wala akong magawa, mahapdi na ang mga kamay at paa ko mula sa mahigpit na pagkakagapos sa'kin. Wala na din akong lakas para magpumiglas pa. 
 
"Please, maawa ka..." namamaos kong paki-usap. 
 
But the demon’s grin grew darker. "Then it’s decided," he declared. "I shall take you… as my bride."
 
His words hit me like a shock of ice, and I felt my body go numb. "W-What…?"
 
Tears pooled in my eyes as a wave of hopelessness washed over me. Hindi... hindi maaari 'to! Ayokong magpakasal sa kan'ya, ayoko! Natatakot na ako, please, somebody help me! I tried to scream again, my voice cracking as I shouted.
 
"PLUTUUUUUUS!!"
 
The desperate echo of my scream rang through the chamber, a last, frantic call for the only man who could save me.
 
The chamber suddenly shook, a deep, rumbling quake that reverberated through the floor and walls. A surge of dark magic filled the air, so intense that it was almost suffocating. I watched in horror as the hooded followers at the back began collapsing one by one to the ground, unconscious. A thick, stifling force seemed to press down on everything, making it almost impossible to breathe.
 
But strangely, I wasn’t affected by it. I could feel the pulse of the dark magic surrounding me, but it didn’t weigh on me like it did on the others. Instead, I felt a strange warmth, a sensation that filled me.
 
When I turned my gaze to the demon who remained standing at the center of the stone circle, I noticed that his gaze turned sharp and tense as he scanned the room. His red eyes flickering with sudden unease while on high alert, as if he were bracing for something, or someone.
 
Then, a low, playful voice echoed through the chamber.
 
"Finally found you, evil witch."
 
 

To be continued...