At a moment when everyone was completely unaware of the threat behind them, Haidar noticed the red needle on his compass suddenly pointing backward. Immediately, he turned his body around. He saw a large creature charging toward them. The creature was incredibly fast and silent. Without realizing it, Yana had already been grabbed by its left hand, and in an instant, it was near Feshikha, who remained unaware.
"FESHIKHA!!" Haidar shouted.
Time seemed to slow down. Feshikha saw the terrifying creature. Its head appeared to protrude outward, with ears pressed tightly against its skin. Its neck was thick, almost as if fused with its head. Its arms were large and long, and its legs looked strong but slightly unbalanced, struggling to support its oversized body. Its body seemed patched together multiple times, covered in large stitched wounds. At the tips of its fingers, random nails grew, even sprouting from its fingerprints. On its stomach was a wide mouth, sealed shut with rows of large, disgusting fangs. Its face had eyes that looked like inward-pointing holes, a nose bone exposed without skin, and sharp fangs densely lined along its wide, chilling grin.
Feshikha stood frozen, her face cold and stiff, unmoving. It was as if flashes of her life had quickly passed before her eyes. She knew she needed to get away, but her body wouldn't respond. Realizing the creature's grip was unavoidable, she slowly closed her eyes.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!" The sound of fast-running footsteps echoed.
Just moments before the creature's hand could claim its second victim, Haidar ran and grabbed Feshikha, slamming both of them to the floor. They rolled quickly, avoiding the creature's powerful grip, and the salt bottle Feshikha was carrying fell from her hand. The creature, still running, failed to catch its prey. Haidar immediately took aim, pointing his revolver at the creature. With determination and confidence, he pulled the trigger.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The revolver fired.
Three bullets shot rapidly toward the creature. Two bullets landed in its right ankle, and one embedded itself in the side of its right knee. The creature appeared shocked and in pain, falling hard and losing its balance as it stumbled from its run. Yana was released from the creature's left hand and was thrown, landing near the western staircase.
"Fesh...kha" A faint, echoing voice reached Feshikha.
"Feshi..." The echoing voice called out again.
"...Shikha" Once more, the voice echoed.
Feshikha, still in shock, tried to snap back to reality. Everything seemed a little blurry and echoed around her.
"Oi!! Feshikha!!" Haidar shouted, trying to get her attention.
"Huh? Yes?" Feshikha replied, looking dazed.
"Get a grip! I need your help here!" Haidar said, staying alert.
"You're right, sorry," Feshikha responded, regaining her focus and composure.
Feshikha and Haidar stood back up. The creature, too, pressed its hands against the floor, trying to support itself to stand. "Hrooaarrr!" The creature roared as it rose, but it wobbled slightly, losing its balance due to the pain in its right leg. It turned its body, locking its gaze on Haidar with an angry and annoyed expression. Yana, startled, tried to push herself away from the creature.
"Feshikha, it seems like the creature is targeting me now," Haidar said to Feshikha.
"Yeah, that's pretty obvious," Feshikha replied.
"I'll keep it busy. You finish drawing the circle on the floor and get inside it with the others," Haidar instructed.
"Alright, I understand," Feshikha answered, ready for action.
"Bang!!" The revolver echoed again. A bullet shot straight toward the creature's head, but it was blocked by its left hand. "Splut!" Red liquid splattered as a wound formed where the bullet hit its hand, which acted as a shield. The creature reacted in pain, glaring at Haidar with fury before charging at him with incredible speed. Haidar, in turn, rushed toward the creature, while Feshikha ran in the opposite direction, trying to retrieve the bottle of salt.
"GRROOAAHHH!!" The creature roared, opening its mouth filled with rows of sharp fangs. It then threw a powerful right punch at Haidar, who was running toward it. "BAMM!" Haidar jumped, dodging the punch that slammed hard into the floor. Haidar landed firmly and quickly moved along the creature's arm toward its shoulder. When he reached the shoulder, his left hand swiftly grabbed the silver axe from the holster on his back.
"Ka-chunk!" With a certain mechanism, the axe extended longer. Haidar leaped onto the creature's back, twisting his body to face the same direction as the creature. Building momentum, he steadied himself, raised the axe above his head, and then swiftly and forcefully slammed the blade into the back of the creature's skull.
"Chop!" Haidar's axe lodged into the creature's head, causing him to dangle from its massive back. "Arrrgghhh!" The creature roared in pain, trying to shake Haidar off, but he held on firmly, swaying with the creature's movements. Haidar then aimed his revolver, preparing to attack.
"Bang!" A single bullet shot through the creature's head. Red liquid sprayed from its face as the bullet tore through, ripping out a small chunk of flesh from inside its head. The creature's appearance became even more horrifying, with a gaping hole where its nose used to be.
Haidar pressed the barrel of his revolver against the creature's broad back, aiming for where its heart should be. "Bang!" Another bullet pierced through the front of its chest, tearing through the area where its heart was supposed to be. The impact created a hole that spewed red liquid and scattered small bits of flesh.
"AAAARRRGGGHH!" The creature howled in agony. The added weight of Haidar clinging to the axe caused it to stagger backward slowly, struggling to stay upright and reach for Haidar. After a few moments, its balance began to falter. Realizing this, Haidar quickly positioned his feet firmly on the creature's back. With a powerful push, he propelled himself away from the creature, yanking the axe free from its skull. Instantly, red liquid splattered as Haidar flipped backward, landing and then jumping back twice, assuming a defensive stance.
"Braak!" The creature collapsed onto its back after a few erratic movements. "Kling-klang!" Empty bullet casings clattered to the floor. With the creature's movements halted, Haidar took the opportunity to reload his revolver. He then cautiously approached the large, motionless body, keeping his revolver aimed forward and staying on guard.
Meanwhile, Feshikha was trying to create a circle large enough to accommodate everyone. With limited materials, she had to arrange everything as efficiently as possible. Suddenly, "Kyaaa…!!!!" a female servant with a bob-cut hairstyle screamed. All eyes turned to her, and everyone was shocked to see numerous hands gripping Helena. The hands emerged from a fleshy hole in the floor behind her.
"Madam!!" shouted the servant with the bob cut.
The servant tried to approach Helena and pull her free from the grip, but one of the unknown creature's hands struck her stomach. "Aaackk!" The servant cried out in pain and was flung into the wall beside the double door, knocking over two large vases with a loud "Bruughh!" The servant collapsed, unconscious.
"Helena!!" Henry shouted, frozen as he watched two of the creature's hands tighten around his wife's neck.
From the hole behind Helena, an unsettling aura emanated—a cold, dark aura reminiscent of a silent night in a graveyard. Another creature slowly emerged from the hole. It had the appearance of a tall, pale-skinned woman wearing a white kebaya and a black kamen, with no footwear. Her long hair cascaded to the floor, and her fingernails and toenails were sharp and pointed. The creature extended its arms, moving closer, and tightly embraced Helena. It then rested its head on Helena's left shoulder, near her cheek. Its face was covered by a plain white mask. One of the hands emerging from the hole silenced Helena's mouth as she struggled to break free, but the grip of the many hands completely immobilized her.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!" Haidar ran toward Helena, turning his attention away from the large creature lying on the floor in front of him.
However, before he could get halfway, Haidar stopped. The white-kebaya creature pressed its middle fingernail against Helena's neck, lightly scratching her skin and causing a small trickle of red liquid to flow. Everyone was shocked and kept their distance, careful not to provoke it.
"Clever," Haidar muttered, somewhat impressed.
"Grrh-heh-heh!" A strange laugh echoed from the direction of the fallen creature.
Haidar immediately looked toward the source of the laugh and saw that the creature, which had been lying on the floor, was now at the edge of the hole, trying to enter it. Haidar quickly aimed his revolver at the creature, ready to shoot. But suddenly, the large creature pointed toward Helena. Haidar felt it was warning him—its gesture made it clear that no one should interfere, as Helena was now its captive.
"Tch," Haidar clicked his tongue in frustration.
The large creature had fully entered the hole in the wall. Before disappearing deeper, it glanced at Haidar briefly. The wounds on its face and chest gradually closed and healed, and then it flashed a wide, mocking smile. The creature seemed to believe it had outsmarted Haidar, as its true target might have been Helena all along. It then turned away and ventured further inside, followed by the mouth of the hole shrinking and closing. Gradually, the fleshy mass began to shrink and vanished without a trace.
"Gone?" Haidar muttered in confusion.
He shifted his focus to the long-haired creature. He walked toward it, stopping at the same distance as the others, and with a serious expression, he aimed his revolver forward.
"Hey, you could hurt Helena!" Henry exclaimed, trying to grab Haidar's revolver.
"Wait, let go! I'm only targeting the hands holding her," Haidar said, struggling to free himself from Henry's interference.
"Didn't you see earlier? That creature could harm Helena if you're reckless," Henry argued, still trying to block Haidar.
"Really? I don't think so," Haidar replied with a suspicious expression.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Henry asked.
"Looking at the previous victims, why didn't the creature just kill her right away? No one even noticed the hands attacking, right?" Haidar pointed out.
"That's..." Henry was at a loss for words.
"It's as if they need her alive," Haidar concluded.
Henry stopped trying to block Haidar and listened carefully. Meanwhile, the long-haired creature remained still, showing no reaction.
"Not to mention the other creature. I thought it would keep attacking since they have a hostage, but it just left like that," Haidar continued to explain.
"It's still too risky. Helena's safety is the priority," Henry insisted, trying once more to intervene.
"Tch… That's why we need to act fast," Haidar said, pushing Henry aside and aiming his revolver forward.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three bullets shot out rapidly. "Splat! Splat! Splat!" Instantly, the bullets pierced through and severed three of the hands gripping Helena, causing them to fall to the floor. Meanwhile, the long-haired creature remained calm, unfazed by Haidar's attack, still clinging tightly to Helena.
"Huh? No reaction," Haidar muttered under his breath.
He immediately prepared for another attack. "Tap! Tap! Tap!" Suddenly, the female cook ran toward Helena, blocking Haidar's line of fire, which caught him off guard.
"Hey… IDIOT, what are you doing?!" Haidar shouted, warning the cook.
The cook then tried to pull Helena free from the remaining hands restraining her. Haidar quickly adjusted his aim to avoid hitting her. "Bang! Bang!" Two more shots rang out, severing two more of the gripping hands and sending them to the floor. At the same time, the cook continued trying to pull Helena free.
She switched tactics, attempting to pry open one of the remaining hands. But suddenly, the long-haired creature moved. Its head twisted unnaturally, turning toward the cook. It then used its left hand to swat the cook away, sending her crashing to the floor.
"Damn it!" Haidar cursed.
Haidar prepared to attack again, but the creature, along with the remaining hands, shifted Helena's body into Haidar's line of fire. Reluctantly, Haidar holstered his revolver and grabbed his axe, charging straight toward Helena. "Tap! Tap! Tap!" Haidar ran, but before he could get within striking range, someone suddenly grabbed him from behind, locking his movements.
"Hah!" Haidar gasped in surprise.
The others were equally shocked to see that it was Cahya who was restraining Haidar. His face was eerily blank, with black liquid oozing from his eyes, nose, and gaping mouth. To make matters worse, his stomach was torn open, adding to the horror in the mansion's hall.
"YOU DAMN BASTARD, LET HAIDAR GO!!" Feshikha screamed as she charged at Cahya.
Feshikha ran and spun, delivering a powerful kick to Cahya's head. He was sent flying, releasing Haidar and crashing to the floor.
"Nice work, Feshikha," Haidar said, steadying himself.
"These creatures move so silently," Feshikha muttered in frustration.
"Krrakk-krrakk!" Cahya began to rise again in an unnatural manner. His body arched backward, supported only by his head and feet, and then slowly, he lifted his head until his entire body stood upright without his feet shifting at all.
Staggering, Cahya immediately charged at Feshikha and Haidar. Feshikha countered, spinning her body to deliver a kick to Cahya's head with her right leg. However, Cahya easily blocked the kick with his left hand. "Bang!" Haidar quickly fired a shot at Cahya's head, causing his defense to falter. Seizing the opportunity, Feshikha gained momentum and struck Cahya's face with her left foot, sending him stumbling backward. "Tap! Tap! Tap!" Haidar ran toward Cahya and swiftly swung his axe. "Splat!" Cahya's head was severed, falling to the floor as his body collapsed.
"HELENA!!" Henry shouted.
Before Haidar and Feshikha could catch their breath, the long-haired creature and its gripping hands pulled Helena into the hole from which they had emerged. Without hesitation, Henry sprinted after her and leaped into the hole.
"Wait, Mr. Henry! Ah, damn it!" Haidar cursed as he ran after them, stashing his axe in the holster on his back.
"Haidar, your briefcase!" Feshikha reminded him.
"You hold onto it. I've got what I need. Finish the circle and use whatever you need from the briefcase," Haidar instructed.
Feshikha nodded and watched as Haidar jumped into the hole after Henry and Helena. Just like before, the fleshy hole began to close, shrinking until it disappeared completely. The other hole also vanished without a trace, leaving the mansion's hall in eerie silence.
To be continued...