Gaja sat brooding in the living room, contemplating his plan to escape with Lysandra. He knew that if he continued to stay with Tenuksia, his life would be unsafe, as he would be pursued by Lysandra, who demanded accountability for her pregnancy. However, the child in Lysandra's womb was his, just like Melanko.
Last night, Lysandra had persuaded him to leave his family for her and their unborn baby. Lysandra wanted to start a new life with Gaja and their child. The pressure was mounting, and Gaja made a desperate decision: they needed to run away, taking all the valuables in his house.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll ask Tenuksia to go out and buy groceries. During that time, we'll pack everything into the car, quickly," said Gaja, looking at Lysandra.
"Are you sure this will work?" asked Lysandra, her voice tinged with doubt.
"If we stick to the plan, no one will know," Gaja replied confidently.
The next morning at Tenuksia and Gaja's house...
Gaja asked Tenuksia to go out and buy groceries, claiming he craved her chicken curry, for which they lacked the ingredients. Initially, Tenuksia was reluctant, but after repeated persuasion, she finally agreed.
"Darling, I'm craving your chicken curry," Gaja pleaded, feigning desire.
"What's gotten into you? You never eat that," Tenuksia retorted, glaring.
"Just this once..." Gaja continued to beg.
Finally, she relented, grabbing her car keys and handbag.
"I won't be long. You tidy up the storage room while I'm out," Tenuksia said before leaving.
"Alright, love... hurry back, or I'll be swallowed by the stone cave, longing for your chicken curry," Gaja replied as Tenuksia drove to the market.
As soon as Tenuksia left, Lysandra quickly ran to her neighbour's house. Gaja and Lysandra moved swiftly. They entered the storage room filled with treasure chests, gold, and cash.
"We'll take everything. Don't leave anything that Tenuksia could use to track us," Gaja said, lifting a heavy wooden chest filled with gold bars.
Lysandra packed important documents, money, and jewellery into a large backpack. Gaja transferred these items into the car parked behind his house. They worked silently, fearing the neighbours might hear any noise.
After everything was done, Gaja ensured the storage room looked untouched. He locked the door and hid the key atop a cupboard. Lysandra cleaned their footprints from the floor.
"Now we wait until night. I'll go out, pretending to drive for a bit. You wait for me by the roadside two kilometres from here," Gaja said, smiling with satisfaction.
That night, Gaja acted as usual in front of Tenuksia and their child, Melanko. "I feel like going for a drive after dinner to clear my mind," he said.
Tenuksia merely nodded, suspecting nothing.
Once Gaja left, he sped to the agreed location. Lysandra was already waiting with a large backpack in hand.
"Get in quickly! We can't waste time," Gaja said, opening the car door.
They drove far out of town, leaving all old memories behind. Lysandra smiled with relief, thinking she was safe, with someone willing to take responsibility for her pregnancy.
Tenuksia woke early that morning and noticed something amiss. Gaja hadn't returned all night. She walked to the storage room to check their valuables. However, it was locked. This was unusual; this room was never locked, she thought.
She retrieved the spare key and opened the door. Her eyes widened at the sight inside.
"What?! All our treasures are gone!" she screamed.
Melanko, who was having breakfast, immediately ran to his mother. "What happened, Mum?"
"All our gold, money, and jewellery... all gone!" Tenuksia said, her voice filled with anger and anxiety.
Melanko pondered for a moment before saying, "Mum, last night I saw Dad leave with a woman. They got into the car together."
Tenuksia's eyes widened. "A woman? Who?!"
"The woman who often comes to our house... Lysandra, Marlina's younger sister."
Tenuksia clenched her fists tightly, her face flushed. "Gaja! How dare you betray me?! You'll regret this!"
Seething with rage, Tenuksia immediately prepared to cast her spell, the frog bloating curse. Anyone targeted by this spell would have their stomach swell instantly. In her secret room, she gathered the necessary items: two black frogs, red candles, chicken blood, and a silver needle. She also collected Gaja's and Lysandra's undergarments from Merilton's yard.
"Gaja, Lysandra... you will both pay. I'll make sure you both suffer!" she said, stabbing the silver needle into the black frog's body.
She chanted incantations that echoed throughout the room. The black candle's flame flickered, as if responding to her call. The ritual ended with Tenuksia throwing the frog's body into the blazing fire.
"Now, you relax and wait. You'll face the consequences," Tenuksia said, smiling sinisterly.
Gaja and Lysandra relaxed on the beach, enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of the sea. They felt free and powerful with the wealth they had taken from Tenuksia's house, far from Tenuksia and other problems.
"We did it, Gaja. This is our new life," Lysandra said, smiling.
Gaja nodded. "Yes, a new beginning. We don't have to worry about anything anymore."
However, the tranquillity didn't last long. Suddenly, they heard screams from several women on the beach. The group of women looked at them as if they had never seen humans before.
"Your stomachs! Look at what's happening?!" screamed a woman, pointing at Lysandra and Gaja's rapidly swelling bellies.
Gaja and Lysandra looked at the woman with annoyance for disturbing their happiness. Then their gaze shifted to their own stomachs. They appeared pregnant, even though their bellies were flat moments ago. Their beach attire couldn't hide their rapidly expanding abdomens.
"Gaja... what's happening?" Lysandra asked, her voice trembling.
"No... it can't be!" she screamed.
Gaja looked at his own stomach. He was experiencing the same thing. His belly was swelling rapidly, as if he were pregnant.
"What is this?! This is Tenuksia's doing!" Gaja shouted in fear.
They both collapsed onto the sand, trembling in pain and fear. Their screams echoed across the beach, accompanied by the crashing waves. The group of women earlier fled from them.
Tenuksia sat in her chair, smiling with satisfaction. "Gaja... Lysandra... you think you can run from me? You should know, no one can betray me and get away with it."
She gazed at the still-burning black candle, smiling contentedly.
In that luxurious house, Tenuksia rose with a sharp gaze. After tormenting Gaja and Lysandra from afar, she suddenly thought, what if they managed to find a cure for her spell and returned for revenge? "I won't let anyone else come to steal or betray me," she whispered, stepping purposefully.
She took a small bottle of enchanted black oil. With her oil-dipped index finger, Tenuksia drew secret symbols in every corner of her house, including doors, windows, and walls