On the poorly designed sidewalks, where the stones didn't fit together, two children rested beneath a tree. The older boy wore torn clothes and held a piece of bread in his hands, which gradually became smaller with each bite. Beside him was his little sister, who wore a daring dress befitting her social status, which fell off her body.
She threw herself onto the grass with her back to the ground with a small rose near her face, her brother watched over her while her mind was traced by the movement of the adults in front of her, they ran quickly, gradually the boy could hear a sound becoming louder, one he knew well, marked in his hands from the plow he used to help his father work intensely since his mother died.
A long black carriage appeared on the unfinished road. The boy's eyes focused on his sister, hugging her tightly and sitting beside her. To keep her from crying as usual, he walked a little way through the tall grass to pick another flower for her. But even so, his eyes focused on the carriage, its arrival gradually announced by the rising curtain of dust, hiding the horses that guided it within it.
He then closed his fists around the stem of the small flower and plucked it from the ground, causing the petals to crumple. Just as he was about to hand it to his sister, who was ready to cry, his eyes caught sight of a form running through the tall grass, causing him to throw the flower into the air.
Her sister then ran towards her at the same time that the curtain of dust rose and was swallowed by the horses of mixed tones of gold and white, where in their bodies was the purest metal, a tone that the boy had never seen before, even though he carried coins that he received from his mother in his pocket, he always rubbed them to maintain the shine, but it did not even come close to the shine present in the horses' eyes.
It was too late for him to realize. His sister was at the front of the carriage, and the horses weren't going to stop for anything. In fact, the coachman gave no sign of stopping; his eyes simply remained fixed on the horizon, focused on the witch's castle. When the child realized how frightening and intimidating the horses in front of him were, he burst into tears and stood there.
His brother jumped in without fear, he wouldn't let something happen to the child his father loved so much, the only memory of his mother being her face, because the last time he saw his mother, she couldn't even speak and her body was covered in barnacles and bruises, she happened to lose control of the plow, and was trampled to death.
Before she even got there, the dust curtain rose again, her sister remained there screaming her brother's name, but when the dust settled, she was no longer there, when she realized a man in a white cloak had her in his arms.
— Thank you, Father Gregório! But whose carriage was that?
The man handed the girl over to her brother. The curtain soon lowered, and a group of people on horseback appeared, behind them men dressed in black, carrying a coffin.
"After so many days, my friend will be buried. I used all the money from the church renovations to prepare for his farewell. This is half of the Shiva week. It only takes a little while for you to finally rest."
The boy's expression was sad; he had forgotten his father had told him that David, the merchant, had died in the capital due to a rebellion. His father was one of the few who loved him and always helped him. In return, when his wife died, David arranged for her burial. At the time, what he remembers most was David's daughter, Alice, whom everyone in the village called a witch, but he saw her shed tears on the day of his mother's funeral, for a poor woman.
"How is Mrs. Alice? She's been leaving the castle a lot lately, but never going to the village like she used to. I always found her making her way to the castle through the forest."
"She and Henry are taking care of David's business. If they don't, it's not just their wealth that will disappear, but everyone will depend on her. The moment God showed me will come to pass."
— What do you mean by that?
Gregor turned to the boy and ran his fingers through his hair. The group stopped right next to him, so he focused on them.
"Go home, don't leave for anything, don't let your father leave either. If you're worried about Alice, pray like you've never prayed before. Goodbye, let's go, my Shomerim brothers."
Just as the carriage arrived, the group headed toward the castle. The boy then grabbed his sister and ran toward his home. He vowed to pray like never before.
The castle corridors were empty, the mirrors above them had cloths, the bedroom doors were closed.
At Alice's plea, Henry's lips found her flesh. Red began to spread across his body with each squeeze of the young men's hands, their eyes never so close together.
Their bodies joined together, not fitting like a wooden mold, but it was enough. Alice's body was glued to the bed, her legs slightly raised. Henry's hands quickly moved to her breasts, his thumbs massaging both nipples, which were as protruding as spearheads.
Henry's teeth firmly penetrated Alice's arm, her legs were slowly opened while her fingers danced on her waist looking for a place to support herself, when this happened the young woman pushed Henry's face away from her and brought her legs towards his hips, subtly intertwining the fingers of her left hand with his right.
With her body already filled with heat, the sweat from it soon fell onto the sheet. Her advance was firm, squeezing Alice's waist tightly. Her fingers sank into the young woman's groin, sliding firmly across that silky skin. She couldn't contain herself in squeezing with a certain degree of force for the red to spread. Her hands rose slightly towards the young woman's ribs while her hips adjusted to the young woman's position, just like a stone in a castle.
His movements caused Alice's thighs to slap, turning redder as his nails dug into her skin. Just as he did, filling her insides for vague seconds, making her slouched posture adjust due to the synchronization of the movements, like a knight on his horse.
Soon they changed position just like on a sawhorse, Henry's limbs were stretched out on the bed while Alice placed herself on top of him, her hips moved in a downward direction, making the young man's body twist, and changing to the other side making him take himself to the other, her hips tried to win over Alice's, but hers was fiercer, her elbows went to meet Henry's shoulder, in response he bent his arm, so it was from there that Alice gathered her strength in her legs moving downwards while Henry used his hips forward.
The penetration was so deep that Alice's body twisted, her hips resting on his, their eyes met, and their lips met again. Everything would start again, no matter what, because over that house, emptiness took over everything; nothing could be the same again, but even so, the encounter between Alice and Henry would continue forever.
Alice suddenly opened her eyes, she was no longer in her room with Henry, her body was cold, she wore nothing on her, revealing to her eyes something she wanted to hide from herself.
Below her breasts, a little above her abdomen, there was a long scar, which, when she touched it, her hand was sucked in, she felt her heartbeat and, when she removed it, a black liquid ran from the open scar, which began to be thrown onto the floor, completely dirtying her.
Then, in desperation, Alice began to run, but when she looked back, the liquid took the form of a black wolf with blue eyes that chased her.
Everything around her took on a clearer form, it was a forest above the trees, eyes were watching her, from that direction she heard voices:
— The moment has come, the moment has come, become ours before the wolf devours you.
"With eyes as deep as the ocean, bat wings, and a snake tail, this is the demon who escaped from hell. Run, run, run, or he'll devour you."
"Your soul is dark, that's why your body was dyed black. You are the darkness, so surrender yourself to us!"
Before the wolf could catch her, she opened her eyes to Henry's screams in her ears.
— Are you okay, dear?
Alice, seeing Henry, put her head on his chest and hugged him tightly, he ran his hand over her head.
— I had that strange dream again, but now the wolf managed to catch me, I felt his fangs entering my skin and crushing me inside.
— I think our encounters are too intense, and they are consuming your imagination.
Alice looked at Henry and ran her hand over his face.
— Imagination is key. Now I remember something I forgot: when I was younger, we had a dog, but he died. Because of that, I created an imaginary friend, telling myself he was the one, that he would never leave my side.
Henry sat down beside Alice, placed her head on his bare thigh, and placed his arm across her abdomen, which reached Alice's hand.
— Your father told me about him, a shame, but I think I took his place well. My love.
Alice suddenly advanced against Henry, throwing him on the bed and climbing on top of him, her lips met his neck, her hips began to move, but before their bodies intertwined, Henry threw her on the bed.
— Please take me, take me completely, from my feet to my head, make my body become your object, before my own mind consumes me.
Henry knelt in front of Alice, pulling her forward, holding her hands, his lips kissing them.
— Don't try to escape this the easy way, I love you because you are strong, so act like you are, don't create that image about yourself.
Suddenly the door opened, Alice only had time to cover her body with a sheet.
— Gregório is there, he and the Shomerim came to bring your father's body, go talk to them about the burial, I'll be in my room.
Agrippina didn't even want to look at her daughter and Henry quickly left and returned to the room, where he knelt before the wolf's altar.
The couple soon got dressed and went to talk to Gregory. The conversation was long, and Alice was quick to avoid talking about her feelings at any moment. However, when her father's body, which was inside a funeral barrel, was placed in front of her, she couldn't control her emotions.
He was wearing a white robe, there was no sign of his death, it was as if he was sleeping.
Henry and Alice both came close to the body, held its hands, even against the will of the Shoremim who were around the body, then all together began to sing loudly in David's native language.
For the first time Alice cried and accepted reality, she found in Henry's arms, no longer pleasure that she used to escape reality, but strong arms that will support her at any time.
— I know it's disrespectful to my father's origins, but could you share with us a few Christian funeral rituals, because God is the father of all.
The Shomerim glanced at Alice, but understanding the situation, they shook their heads. Alice then asked Henry to fetch the ring her father had given her, which he did.
He subtly walked through the corridors, but found it strange that the cloths covering the mirrors were on the floor, and they were not there, but without time he advanced towards Alice's room, when he turned around he noticed that beams of light were close to his face, they came from the room where Agrippina was, he opened the door slowly.
On a black choir chair sat Agrippina, her pale, thin skin touching the wood, along with a red robe open in the middle. A claw-like scar was clearly visible on her back. On the altar in the center lay a book—or rather, Alice's diary—open. Mirrors were placed around Agrippina, reflecting the widow's expressions of pleasure.
His hand slid intensely over his own groin, his legs held the support firmly, his other hand firmly holding the shiny tipped item on the altar.
Henry's vision of everything was short-lived, as he quickly closed the door, took the ring from Alice's room, and returned to the living room where everyone was gathered, without saying anything.
So the night fell, the Shoremims stayed in the house, while Gregório left to prepare the lodging for friends from the church, in a few days it would be the funeral.
Alice got ready to go to sleep, she found it strange that Henry didn't say a word after returning from searching for the ring, but she knew it was because Henry considered David a father, and he gave her his most precious possession to take care of, his daughter.
Silence resided in the couple's room, but throughout the castle the Shoremim's voices echoed, their bodies moved slowly, they kept their heads down as their voices rose, their cloaks touched the ground, their heads met it in reverence.
One of them took up residence in the hallways above the house's grand staircase. He passed through every corner, peering and checking to see if everything was in order with the funeral ritual. His vision was caught by the image just a few feet away.
Over her body, only a thin red robe revealed her well-defined waist and slender bust. Loud laughter and giggles came from her mouth. The female figure moved toward Shoremim, who froze. Her hands slowly guided his arms across her body. Then, quickly, she reached for Shoremim's neck, pinning him against the wall.
—So, let's get started, I want to be by my beloved's side. I didn't know the human world was so beautiful.
On her other hand, the shape of an eye was drawn, and she placed it over the man's head and face. She then released his neck and reached for her own, slitting his throat. Blood sprayed onto the man's face and into his mouth.
— Legion, the demon of a thousand souls, I gave you a body to inhabit in exchange for my blood.
The man lowered his head and raised it again. Then his eyes were red.
— Who are you calling me? Reveal yourself.
The female figure removed the garment that covered her body, knelt before the man and, over his bloody body, made a magic circle composed of various shapes.
"I am the Queen of Hearts, Lucifer's eldest daughter. After years, I have finally managed to control this woman's body, all thanks to the death of the seal bearer. I ask you to take that man's daughter to the forest."
— Why don't you just kill her right here?
She threw her bloody hands over her mouth and licked them, then ran them over her body, her smile mischievous and her eyes glowing blue.
"Because her father's body is protecting her. I read Agrippina's daughter's diary; I want to be overcome by the pleasure that comes from that young man."
"Your efforts are admirable; finally, the human world will be ours. To this end, I will create a path of blood and bodies and dance upon them with joy."
"At best, you won't even have to kill her; her mind is already stretched to its limit. I'll take Henry as mine."
The blood that ran down Agrippina's body from her throat crystallized, giving rise to a long, embroidered red dress with a long train. Her hair, which was previously red, became black as night, and her blue eyes became red as blood.
The man taken by the legion, entered the room without making any noise, took Alice in his arms who was sleeping deeply, cunningly cast a strong dream over the young woman's mind that would not leave her mind, then jumped out the window taking her away.
The sky was lit by moonlight, while the forest was lit by fire. A group of people crept forward, all wearing white cloaks with a symbol on their backs. The one in front stopped and stepped back, allowing the group to follow.
The man taken by the legion left Alice on the ground in a deep sleep, he then removed from his clothes a piece of metal that at his command took the shape of a sword, he then prepared to stick the sword in Alice's body.
—What do you think you're doing, demon?
From the shadows, Gregory emerged, carrying in his hands a shining sword that seemed to absorb all the moonlight. He then entered into combat with the man.
The swords met, the demon was agile and directed a focused attack at Gregory's neck, but he quickly raised his guard and moved away a little, directed a diagonal attack, but the demon dodged and found the perfect chance for a thrust.
— Go back to where you came from, evil creature.
Gregório brought his body down, forced his legs down, bending his knees well and struck the man's chest, piercing the tip of the sword completely, at the same moment Alice woke up.
— She woke up, I'm going to help her!
Before she could even comprehend what had happened, a young man with long white hair appeared before her. On the back of his white overcoat was a drawing of a snake coiled around a cross. He held her tightly by the shoulders.
— Shall I tell you, or will you tell Gregório?
The man took a deep breath and pointed the sword at the young man's face, who smiled.
— For you, Astolfo is just another mission, but for her, it's as if reality broke in front of her.
The young man looked at Gregory, sat on the grass next to Alice who was still speechless.
"You're always annoying, uncle. We must act as quickly as possible before it's too late."
The rest of the group still stood back in the shadows, but a voice rose up.
"I think the right thing to do would be to just head for the capital before something happens to the prince. The traitors to the crown have already made contracts with the demons."
Gregório looked at Alice, but she didn't have the expression he expected from the young woman; her eyes were firm. She stood up on her own.
— Tell me what's going on. My father dying wasn't natural, was it demons?
Amidst the shadows, a hand rose, the same as the owner of the deep voice that echoed. The man had long blond hair and brown eyes.
Long ago, when the world was in despair and chaos, the kings gathered to end it. With the help of a people, they made items from the jewels in Lucifer's wings that fell when he was cast out of heaven.
Astolfo got up from the grass and began to dance, holding Alice's hands, and focusing his eyes on her.
—These items were initially called Solomon's keys. Their power was to summon demons, but only those who had the same blood as the kings who agreed to create the items could use them. Your mother has that royal blood.
The young woman gradually began to understand what was being said, she felt that the words of the young man in front of her contained neither malice nor disrespect and as if he were guiding her through the chaos.
—But why, after hearing this, am I not scared or afraid of you? Why is my heart so calm?
Astolfo knelt before Alice and touched the ring in her hand. A dark aura formed around them both, but the light within Astolfo and Alice protected them from being swallowed by it.
— Let your soul scream! Isn't that what your father told you? The seal that now takes part of you is his soul, even if you drown in darkness, he will guide you!
The darkness around the two intensified, Alice's eyes met Astolfo's, he let out a smile, Alice then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
— I remembered his name, it was Philip, the name of the dog my father gave me when I was a child!
The darkness around Alice intensified, taking her completely, Astolfo jumped back and took his sword out of its sheath, the darkness attacked him, he then cut his hand with the tip of the blade he carried, blood took his hand.
—Now Roland, Oliver and Uncle Gregory!
Amidst the shadows appeared a boy with curly black hair and deep blue eyes.
— You could have given the signal earlier, but let's go, right Roland?
The man with long blond hair shook his head.
— We are the order of the holy grail, those who must protect the world from demons, so we must use them like the bronze snake in the desert placed by Abraham!
Everyone formed a circle around Alice, they echoed in a chorus a chant in Latin, the shadows that took Alice went towards them, while Gregory threw himself forward catching Alice who fell to the ground.
Beside Astolfo appeared a black cat with golden eyes, beside Roland a black rabbit with golden eyes, Oliver's shadow took the form of a man made of darkness and yellow eyes.
— What are they, Gregorio?
— These are demons that will be under the control of your ring, just as in the ancient era of chaos, it is necessary once again to use the power of demons to end demons.
"Do you think I can save my mom? I'm scared of losing her and Henry, I don't want to be alone."
— I swear we will save everyone, so that your father's death will not have been in vain.
—So he sacrificed himself to save me? Why?
—What a question, because he's your father. He knew the seal wouldn't last long; for him, the letter was a call from God.
— I will avenge my father's death, no matter what. For all he fought for and loved, I know a part of him is with me.
Roland walked towards Alice, his vision went from bottom to top, he then pointed to the village, smoke covered the sky.
— Sorry to interrupt your mourning, but we must go quickly, before the demons kill everyone, Gregory, what would the Queen of Hearts' plan be?
The priest stood up with Alice's help, who fixed her eyes on Roland, staring at him.
"It's very likely to involve possessing everyone in the village and using their souls to open a portal to hell. Our goal is to reach the castle."
Roland shook his head, and pointed the sword at Alice, placing it right at her neck.
"Don't be swallowed by the darkness, or I'll rip your head off. Controlling demons requires something in return, don't forget that."
Astolfo, seeing the situation, ran towards Roland to calm things down, but he didn't need to, a red notebook appeared in Alice's hands.
"I understand now, I summoned Berith, the demon of alchemists, Murmur, the demon of the dead, and Malhas, the demon of construction. Now our souls are linked, am I right, Astolfo?"
The young man shook his head and ran towards Gregório, the cut he made on his own hand was deep and wouldn't stop bleeding.
— Uncle, help me with this. Yes, you're right, our Theose has become fed by yours, but be careful, this has a great cost, but I'll be here to help you.
Roland held Astolfo's hand tightly, making him scream in pain. His eyes closed and a light appeared in his hand, closing the wound on Astolfo's hand.
— I didn't think I was like him, that cursed child, when I feel that evil is going to take him I will rip his head off.
— It's okay. I accept my fate, let's go to the village soon, everyone needs my help.