Chereads / The Cursed Arcane / Chapter 6 - 6. The struggles.

Chapter 6 - 6. The struggles.

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Jacob's POV

He had been running for quite some time, and the wraith was slowly but surely catching up to him. As he sprinted down the corridor, a blinding flash of pain coursed through his body. The wraith's scythe had already hit him in the back, throwing him across the distance.

"Argh!" he cried out as he crashed into a nearby door, breaking it instantly.

"Damn, that hurt," Jacob groaned, turning to see the wraith just inches away, staring at him with murderous intent. The entire room fell silent as Jacob locked eyes with this creature from the depths of hell. The wraith tilted its head to the side.

"You're onto me, aren't you?" it hissed, leaning closer until its face was just a few inches from Jacob's. His heart rate skyrocketed, his breathing quickened, and his eyes widened in terror. The wraith looked like a grim reaper come to enact vengeance.

Then, without warning, the wraith turned and dashed toward a specific area of the ship.

"What?" Jacob muttered, struggling to his feet, unsure of what was happening. He glanced in the direction the wraith was heading.

"Emma!" he gasped, eyes widening.

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**Emma's POV**

Emma and Ava stared in horror at the wraith before them. The towering figure had reached them and was now standing menacingly close.

"What?" Emma whimpered as the wraith grinned beneath the veil that covered most of its body.

"Wow," it laughed. "Did you really think sending those two worthless pieces of flesh could distract me from my masterpiece?" Its bloodlust seemed to fill the room.

"W-what happened to them?" Emma asked, trembling, her mind racing to the worst possible scenario.

"Oh, them..." it grinned. "They're both going to die anyway. By now, the poison should be affecting that virtuous boy... what was his name again? Ah, Zilong. Eww, what a disgusting name," the wraith sneered.

"And that other boy? Well, let's just say he won't live to see the sunrise," it chuckled darkly.

The words sank into Emma and Ava's minds, paralyzing them with fear. There was no way to escape. They would be next. Ava knelt in defeat, tears streaming down her face. "Brother..." she whispered. The sisters had lost all hope and were ready to accept their fate. The wraith raised its scythe, and they closed their eyes.

*Slash.*

Moments passed, and Emma kept her eyes shut. It wasn't until Ava gasped that she dared to open them. She looked up to see a black-haired boy standing in front of them, shielding both her and Ava from the wraith's brutal attack. A huge gash was on his chest, and his pure white Gucci shirt was soaked with blood—Jacob's blood.

Emma watched in horror as her brother defended her from this demonic being. Tears flowed down her face as she took in the sight of Jacob, his back to her, a gash stretching across it, black blood oozing from the wound. The front injury was even worse—a gash from his shoulder to his lower body. His body trembled, but he remained on his feet.

"Just go..." he whispered, his voice faint but determined. He had shielded them in time, sparing them from a brutal death.

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Jacob and Emma were the children of a wealthy engineer whose resources had shaped the world. Growing up, Emma had always protected Jacob because he was the younger twin. She shielded him from bullying at school and even at home.

Their family members, including their aunt and uncle, pretended to love them but were demons in disguise, reminding them constantly of their mother's death.

"Aunt, can you help me comb my hair?" young Emma once asked her aunt. Her mother had always done it, but since her passing a month ago, Emma had no one to help her, and even the maids were too busy.

"Get out of my sight! Don't you ever ask me that again. Don't you remember it was your fault your mother died? Don't you ever forget that," her aunt snapped.

From that day onward, their family fell apart. There were fights, disagreements, and a lack of the bonds that usually held a family together. It seemed their mother had been the glue that kept everything in place, and when she died, everything started crumbling.

Their father became distant, and their aunt eventually seduced him. They couldn't sleep under the same roof anymore. They became unwanted, like pests. The only reason they were on this ship now was because their father was obligated to bring his biological children. Otherwise, he would have left them behind.

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The wraith raised its scythe and swung it down with lightning-fast speed, aiming for Jacob's neck.

"KAZUYA!"

The wraith stopped its giant scythe just inches away from Jacob's neck. It turned to look at the door and saw Zilong, panting heavily, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes warm as they stared at the wraith.

The wraith was enraged. It visibly shook, gripping the scythe tightly, glaring at Zilong.

"How... how do you know my name?" the wraith growled, its glowing green eyes widening in shock.