The sun was already high when Karl woke up from his bed. He stood up and grabbed some fresh clothes from his bag. He made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower, brushing his teeth and shaving his facial hair. As he admired his reflection in the mirror, he felt satisfied with his appearance. Not wanting to disturb his friends Argel and Henry who were still asleep in their beds, he decided not to wake them up.
Karl headed to the cafeteria and placed an order for his breakfast. He positioned himself near the window, sipping his coffee. He enjoyed some bread, scrambled eggs, and native sausages. Once he finished his meal, he stepped outside and hopped onto his motorcycle. Parking it under the Mango tree in front of La Paradiso Hotel, he couldn't help but sweat in the scorching heat of the morning sun as he eagerly waited for his girlfriend. Standing alongside his motorcycle, he observed the people passing by. Glancing at his wristwatch, he realized it was already 8:38 in the morning.
His longing for Rose grew stronger with each passing moment. He couldn't wait to see her and express his deep love for her. Among the crowd walking from the hotel's entrance, he spotted a familiar face that filled him with excitement. Without hesitation, he started the engine of his motorcycle and rode towards her. As he came to a stop in front of his girlfriend, he playfully said, "Hey, hop on!" while winking at her. Rose was initially startled, but her expression quickly transformed when she saw him.
"Oh, Karl, it's so good to see you," she exclaimed smiling.
"It's great to see you too," Karl responded, planting a passionate kiss on her lips. Rose climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and held on tightly to his waist. Karl revved the engine and drove his motorcycle north, heading down the highway.
Inside the hotel, Julius woke up alone in a spacious room, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms in the air as he yawned. He scanned the room, searching for his older sister, Rose. Rising from the bed, he sat and listened attentively, hoping to hear her presence.
"Ate Rose?!" Julius called out, eagerly waiting for a response. But there was silence. "Ate Rose?!" he shouted again, this time raising his voice. Still, no answer came. The room remained quiet, with the gentle sunlight peeking through the curtains. The only sound was the faint hum of the air-conditioner. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he grabbed the remote control and adjusted the temperature to make the room less cold. Satisfied, he stood up and walked towards the bathroom to relieve himself.
As he emptied his bladder, he suddenly heard noises coming from the room. Turning his head towards the sound, he called out, "Ate Rose, is that you?" He listened attentively and realized someone had turned on the TV. Finishing his business, he hastily pulled up his pajamas and hurried back to his bed. Glancing around the room, he detected an unfamiliar smell lingering in the air. The realization that he was alone in the room intensified his fear.
Again, the voice called out, almost like a whisper, "...Julius." He stared at the closet, hearing the voice emanating from within. His heart raced, and he swallowed nervously.
"Who... Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"It's me, Rose... come with me," the voice replied, hissing.
"Liar! You're not my Ate Rose! Go away and leave me!" Julius shouted, his fear turning into sheer terror. The voice inside the closet remained silent. Instead, he heard the creaking sound of the closet door opening, and he caught a glimpse of pale hands pushing it outward. Panic engulfed him as he sprinted towards the main door, desperately attempting to open it. He grasped the doorknob, only to discover that it was locked. Thoughts of his sleeping parents in the other room raced through his mind.
"Mom! Dad! Help me, it's me, Julius!" he screamed in terror, pounding on the door with his delicate arms. "Mom! Dad! Open the door!" He continued to pound, all the while keeping a wary eye on the woman with jet black hair and a pale body slowly crawling towards him.
"Come to me now, little boy," the woman said, her head twisting unnaturally, her eyes a chilling shade of ruddy red.
"Mom! Dad!" Julius voice sounded tight and shrill. He was desperate and shaking in fear as the woman approached him, just a few meters away. He quickly jumped onto the bed, snatched his blanket, and covered himself with it. From under the bed, he heard something scratching its way towards him. Clutching the blanket tightly, he held it close to his body. Suddenly, a powerful force yanked the blanket from his grasp, causing it to fall a few meters away onto the bed. He caught sight of three pale women crawling on the ceiling, their fiery eyes fixed on him, their black lips licking forked tongues. Julius screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Mom! Dad!" he called out again, his voice choked with tears. The saltiness of his tears blurred his vision. His bed began to shake violently from side to side, inducing more panic. He leaped off the bed and darted towards the door. However, a pale hand emerged from the marble floor, seizing his feet and causing him to collapse onto the floor. Julius let out a terrified scream as he saw the hand gripping his right foot, desperately trying to pull him down. Just as he thought all hope was lost, someone opened the door and a pair of rescuing feet entered the room, swiftly lifting Julius into his hands.
"Julius, are you alright, son?" his father's voice reassured him, holding him securely.
"Dad!" Julius cried out, trembling with fear and wrapping his arms tightly around his father's neck. Gradually, the room returned to normal, an eerie silence broken only by the faint hum of the air-conditioner.
"Shh! It's alright now, son. Dad is here. They won't harm you anymore," his father soothed, his voice calming. Casting an alert gaze around the room, he searched for any signs of danger.
"Where's Rose?" he asked anxiously. Julius, still sobbing on his father's shoulder, didn't respond.
"Where's your sister?" he asked again. "Rose!" he called out, stepping into the room and detecting the strange scent that permeated the air. The sulfurous odor unsettled him.
"Oh my God," he muttered, standing before the flat-screen TV. A creeping fear crawled up his spine. On the dark screen, he saw his reflection surrounded by four shadows gliding inside the hotel room, their eyes filled with anger as they stared back at him. And behind them stood a familiar face, grinning insolently as it watched him.
"Asmodius?" Roland whispered, his gaze fixed on the reflection of the man on the TV screen.
"Aren't you pleased to see your brother again, Michael? Didn't you expect to see me once more after such a long time?" replied the familiar man in the TV reflection, sending chills down Roland's spine. He possessed various voices that emanated simultaneously from his mouth whenever he spoke.
"Impossible! How did you escape from the endless Abyss?" Roland bravely questioned the creature.
"Is it wrong to visit my brother? Is it wrong to see my former comrade in battle again?" it quickly replied, releasing a booming laughter.
Julius tightened his embrace around his father, terrified by the ominous voice emanating from the entity with whom his father was conversing.
"Do not involve my children, Asmodius, for I will not hesitate to imprison you once more in the realm of the fiery ocean," Roland warned.
Only resonant laughter echoed in response from Asmodius as the TV suddenly exploded, along with the lights in the room.
"Until we meet again, brother..." the voice said, reverberating in Roland's ears and gradually fading until it could no longer be heard.
Then, Roland heard a familiar scream outside the room that almost made his heart leap out of his chest.
"Edna?" he whispered.
Swiftly, Roland exited the room, carrying the trembling Julius, overwhelmed with fear.
"Edna!" he called out to his wife in the adjacent room.