The car sped on the highway, with Cathy concentrating on driving. Royce sat beside her, occasionally glancing at the road ahead and Cathy. Cathy stretched out her hand, held Royce's and reassured him, "Don't worry, we will leave safely."
Royce nodded without uttering a word. Although Jason had given him a talisman made of yellow silk paper, similar to the one before, he still felt uneasy. But they had already set off from Los Angeles, heading towards New York.
The car stopped in a small town. They walked into a roadside motel, booked a room, showered, and then went downstairs to eat in a restaurant next to the motel. They ordered fried doughnuts, pies, and drinks. It was a rare opportunity for both of them to relax.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, a car slowly drove into a secluded, spacious villa. A young man stepped out of the car, walked to the door, and unlocked it with a key he had borrowed from Cathy.
As the last rays of the sun struggled to linger, the young man began to prepare dinner in the kitchen like a homeowner, even whistling a tune. His mood seemed relaxed and good, despite his average culinary skills. A piece of steak was slightly charred before serving it on a plate accompanied by pepper soup, a vegetable salad, and a glass of red wine.
The young man cut a slice of steak, picked it up with a fork, and slowly savored it, as if it was the most delicious food in the world. He seemed to be enjoying his dinner thoroughly.
Outside the villa, the last light of the sun finally retreated, and night slowly enveloped the surrounding area, blending the woods, roads, and villa into the darkness. Birds seemed to be chirping in the forest, and the rustling of wings could be heard. The young man continued his meal, chewing slowly, savoring the soup, and enjoying the peacefulness brought by the slow pace of time.
Suddenly, a plate fell to the floor with a "clang," shattering into pieces.
In the fast-food restaurant, a waitress accidentally dropped a plate, and it broke into pieces. A voluptuous woman suddenly appeared at the entrance and bumped into the waitress as she walked in.
"Oh, shit, are you blind?" The woman, a blond white woman with an impressive figure and heavily made-up eyes, was very eye-catching. Her blue eyeshadow and charming aura were mesmerizing.
The waitress was annoyed by the woman's rudeness but didn't want to offend her. She grumbled and fetched a mop to clean up. Meanwhile, the woman swayed her hips and walked towards Royce.
Feeling Cathy's hand tighten around his, Royce turned to her and asked in a low voice, "Is there a problem?"
Cathy nodded but didn't say anything. She gripped Royce's hand tighter as the woman approached them. The woman sat down next to them, pushing Royce further into the seat.
"Cathy, do you really plan to run away with this man?" The woman smiled at Cathy, her seductive eyes sweeping over Royce.
Cathy composed herself, "This is my business, it has nothing to do with you."
"No, it does now!" The woman huffed and her face darkened, "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have come to this godforsaken place. If you can take this man back now, I swear, you will be forgiven. Don't look at me like that, I'm doing this for your good."
"I understand, you can go now. But I won't go with you, and neither will Royce!" Cathy's answer was firm, and she glared at the woman, "You know you can't stop me."
"Of course, why would I stop you? I'm just here to give you a message." The woman got up and left the diner without looking back.
When the woman was out of sight, Cathy immediately pulled Royce's hand, "We have to go. Damn, they've found us."
Royce was also shocked. They quickly returned to their room, collected their belongings, and rushed to the parking lot. They started the car and sped off. The car roared onto the highway, speeding towards New York.
Night had fallen, and the headlights of the car were conspicuous on the road. The traffic was sporadic, with only occasional cars passing by. After driving for about two hours, they felt they had traveled quite a distance, and their tense nerves gradually relaxed. If they could escape from here, it would be the beginning of a new life.
As the car zoomed, a gust of wind suddenly swept towards the car, like a tornado, flipping the car over onto the highway with a loud 'bang.' This time Cathy glanced at Royce inside the car, seeing he was still able to move and could crawl out himself, she jumped into action. With a single stride, she positioned herself in the middle of the road as Royce slowly crawled out of their overturned vehicle behind her.
"Stay there, don't come any closer!" Cathy gestured to Royce to stop, facing the imminent threats head-on.
As expected, three bewitching women appeared before her with the gust of wind. At the same time, she heard Royce's startled cry as two provocatively dressed young women appeared on his side. Their eyes, however, were not flirtatious but deadly cold.
"Hey, Cathy, don't be in such a rush to leave!" The woman leading the trio in front of Cathy was the one they had met at the fast-food restaurant, her face wearing a mocking expression. "If it was only me, I wouldn't dare to keep you here. But don't look back, your man there? I'll make sure they take good care of him."
Listening to her words, Cathy couldn't help but look back at Royce with a hint of worry. Sure enough, he managed to stand up shaky, shrugged his shoulders towards the two women he was facing, and spread his hands, indicating his casual attitude towards them. He appeared quite relaxed.
"You're making me uncomfortable!" One of the women said, suddenly thrusting her face forward towards Royce, making a bizarre and grotesque sound. Her face transformed as if the sound had come from her gut, and the skin on her fair face began to fall off in patches, revealing the bloody muscles beneath. Her beautiful face now was a grotesque mask of flesh and blood.
Two long fangs appeared from her mouth, accompanied by a foul breath.
Frightened, Royce couldn't help but step back, and he ended up sitting on the road. The grotesque creature let out a chuckle that was as nauseating as a sound squeezed out from a crack.
"No——" Royce cried out in panic, followed by a sharp and echoing sound resounding in the night sky.
Everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound and were immediately stunned... Yes, nothing could be more horrifying than the scene they were witnessing.
The night in the suburbs of Los Angeles was getting thicker.
After spearing the last piece of meat with his fork, the young man slowly brought it to his mouth. As he was chewing slowly, he saw a figure reflected on a pane of glass in the restaurant.
A person in a long black robe, with his head also covered, was standing in the living room.
The person's face seemed to be a black hole, nothing could be seen clearly, it was like a deep, bottomless cave, emitting a chilly, gloomy aura.