CHAPTER 155- MEMORIES(2)

"M-Mom, please don’t… please!" Yuna’s small voice cracked as she begged, her tiny hands trembling. But her pleas were drowned out by the sickening sound of a knife plunging into flesh.

Her mother didn’t stop.

The woman’s hand rose and fell in a frantic, jerky rhythm, blood splattering her face. Tears streaked down her cheeks, but there was no grief—only a cold, terrifying rage burning in her eyes.

Yuna’s father lay motionless on the couch, his body twitching with each stab. He didn’t fight back. He didn’t even raise a hand to stop her. His gaze, filled with heartbreak, remained locked on the woman he loved.

“Ah!” Yuna cried as she crawled closer.

"Don’t get in my way!"

The slap came out of nowhere. Yuna hit the ground hard, her head spinning as pain blossomed across her cheek. She stared up at her mother, tears streaming down her face.

Her family… the laughter, the love, the warmth—it was gone. All of it shattered. Her mother wasn’t the same. She wasn’t the kind woman who kissed Yuna goodnight.

*SQUELCH!*

The knife sunk in again, twisting. Blood sprayed across the walls, the floor, and the couch. Yuna’s father didn’t even scream. He just lay there, his lifeless eyes staring into nothing, his lips frozen in a sad, broken smile.

“DIE! DIE! DIE!” her mother shrieked. Each word was punctuated by another stab, another burst of crimson painting the room.

Yuna couldn’t breathe. Her small hands covered her mouth, muffling her sobs. Her father was strong. He was a protector. But he let himself die. He let it happen.

Her mother stopped.

The room was silent except for the ragged sound of her mother’s breathing. Blood dripped from her trembling hand, pooling on the floor.

Then her mother’s head turned.

Those cold, hollow eyes locked onto Yuna.

Yuna’s chest tightened as her mother began to move toward her, slow and deliberate.

"Mom...?"

The word barely escaped her lips before her mother lunged.

However, before the knife could plunge into Yuna's eye, a monstrous claw tore through the woman's stomach, lifting her off the ground like a rag doll.

"Khuk!"

Yuna’s trembling gaze snapped to the figure behind her mother—a towering monstrosity, its red skin glistening like a wet stone. Pale yellow eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and curved red horns scraped the ceiling as it loomed over them.

Her mother’s blood dripped down the demon’s claw, pooling onto the floor. The woman’s eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief. "D-Darling…?" she choked out, blood spilling from her lips.

Yuna’s chest tightened at the word. Darling.

Her small frame shook as the horrifying realization sunk in—this was the man her mother had killed for.

The demon chuckled, low and guttural, its sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light. "Sorry, honey," it hissed, its voice like a blade scraping across bone. "But I only used you. That man you killed? He was quite a nuisance to me. And you… you were such a convenient tool."

Her mother’s face twisted in a mixture of despair and fury, her dying breath catching in her throat.

With a flick of its claw, the demon flung her body across the room. The sickening crunch of her spine snapping against the wall echoed, followed by the thud of her lifeless form collapsing to the blood-soaked floor.

Yuna froze, unable to scream, unable to move, as the demon’s gaze turned to her. Its grin stretched unnaturally wide, exposing rows of jagged teeth.

“You have Light in you,” it growled, stepping closer. Each footfall sent tremors through the ground. “Oh, yes… I can taste it. If I let you live today—”

The demon's words cut off abruptly. It flinched, its massive frame trembling as its glowing eyes widened in shock.

"Impossible…" it hissed, its claws stopping inches from Yuna’s face. It gritted its teeth, veins bulging along its neck as it struggled against an invisible force.

Yuna couldn’t comprehend what was happening. She could only watch as the demon’s twisted grin faded, replaced by a look of pure hatred.

“This… isn’t over,” it spat, stepping back as if repelled by something unseen. The towering figure began to dissolve, its body unraveling into thick, black smoke.

Its voice echoed as it vanished, chilling and sharp:

"Enjoy this moment, little one. Because one day, your light… will be mine."

Silence fell, leaving Yuna alone, trembling in the blood-stained ruins of what used to be her home.

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Tears continued to flow down her eyes as Yuna remained seated in the bathtub.

Minoru was silent. He has gone through her memories, those which made her wary of demons and those of that time when she was training to become a Vanquisher.

That Demon actually transported millions of sum to Yuna's home, so when the Vanquishers came to the scene, they found the money and realized that the husband and wife killed each other for money. 

Yuna was too shocked, too traumatized to say anything, and because of her silence, the reputation her father made in the organization was tainted. 

Minoru took a deep breath, before extending his hand. But seeing how desperately she was trying to resist his touch, he stopped.

After thinking for a bit, he said, "Did you ever find any clue of that demon?"

Yuna replied, "No...I was promoted to the rank of Commander recently..." Since he had already read her memories, she thought it didn't matter if she responded or not.

Minoru took a deep breath, before he told her, "I think I can help you."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.