Episode 3 - A Demon

He continued to work like nothing happened, he acted like his usual self even though the pain both physical and emotional was creeping up on him.

The day passed in a blur of tasks and responsibilities, soon it was time to leave for home. 

He walked through the city streets, but his mind was still preoccupied with the comments he had overheard earlier. 

He couldn't help but question his actions, wondering if his actions were truly worth it in a world that often failed to appreciate them.

Then, as he walked, he noticed the tear on his sleeves—a stark reminder of the encounter with the child and his mother earlier in the day. 

Their smiles and gratitude had reminded him. That was enough for him to be back to his old self. The doubt he had for himself disappeared quickly. It began to lift his spirits once more, and he put on a big smile as he breathed.

The business of the urban night continues, Jiexin once again coincidentally stumbled upon the old man he had seen earlier, clutching a cardboard sign with a dire message. The old man was still there.

The man's voice, though hoarse and strained, resolutely carried his ominous warning on the busy street.

"They are coming! The concealment of the atrocious history will soon be unveiled! Humanity is bound to be doomed! They are coming to punish us again! Be warned! Be warned!"

Despite the cold weather and his evident exhaustion, the old man continued to shout these haunting words, his fervent belief in their message echoing through the streets. 

Unable to turn away from the man's desperate situation, Jiexin decided to take action. 

He purchased water and food from a nearby stall and approached the old man with genuine concern. 

"Excuse me," he called out, trying to get the old man's attention.

The man turned to look at Su Jiexin, his eyes filled with weariness and uncertainty. 

"You can have these", he genuinely smiled.

Jiexin extended the food and water with a kind smile, offering them. But as the old man's gaze met Su Jiexin's, a sudden and unsettling transformation overcame him. 

The warmth that Jiexin typically received from the strangers he helped was replaced by a look of sheer terror. 

The old man's features contorted with fear, and he let out a piercing scream.

"AHHHH!"

He collapses backward onto the pavement in his frantic attempt to distance himself from Jiexin.

The abrupt and horrifying scream drew the attention of those nearby, who witnessed an unexpected scene. 

Jiexin stood there, baffled and alarmed by the old man's extreme reaction. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

However, he continued to shout, trembling uncontrollably as he pointed an accusatory finger at  Jiexin. 

"No! No! Get away!" he cried out, his voice quivering. "You awful demon! Get away from me!" 

He raised his voice even louder, his eyes wide with horror, as the crowd began to gather, equally bewildered.

Jiexin remained bewildered by the old man's inexplicable reaction, unable to comprehend why he had been labeled a 'demon'.

Then, a woman stepped forward, her voice trembling as she pointed to the night sky. "

"What is that?" she asked, her finger directed toward an unexpected phenomenon above.

The collective gaze of the crowd, including Jiexin and the old man, shifted upward to follow the woman's pointing finger. 

There, hanging in the dark expanse above, was a colossal orb of light.

"The hell is that?" someone muttered, their voice tinged with awe and unease.

It bathed the night in a strange, dual-toned glow, flickering between shades of red and white. Its presence was unsettling, and a sense of foreboding descended upon the gathering crowd.

"The judgment has come," the old man whispered, his eyes fixed on the unearthly spectacle.

"They are coming."

His words, delivered in a tone of fearful certainty, hung heavy in the air. To those around him, they were cryptic and unsettling, leaving everyone to wonder just what he meant by 'they'.

For a long, eerie moment, the city was held in a strange trance as they all watched the enigmatic orb in the sky. 

It was as if time itself had paused, and the bustling urban life had come to a standstill.

The once bustling streets had fallen into an eerie silence, save for the occasional murmur or gasp from the onlookers. 

Jiexin couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine as he gazed at the inexplicable phenomenon.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the colossal sphere in the sky began to shrink. The intense light it emitted gradually faded, leaving behind a world plunged into an unsettling silence. 

The orb continued to contract until, with a blinding flash, it exploded into a brilliant ray of light that pierced the night, turning the night into day for a few breathtaking seconds.

Jiexin, caught off guard by the sudden burst of radiance, quickly averted his gaze, closing his eyes tightly to shield them from the searing light. 

As he cautiously reopened his eyes, his vision slowly began to adjust. He immediately noticed the old man lying unconscious on the cold ground.

Concern etched across his face, Jiexin hurried over to the old man's side. 

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, unsettled and worried..

But amidst the momentary chaos and confusion, a chilling scream cut through the air. It was a sound that sent a shiver down the spines of all who heard it.

People scattered in all directions, desperately trying to distance themselves from the source of that terrible scream.

Then, emerging from the midst of the disoriented crowd, came the woman who had earlier pointed to the sky. 

Her eyes were wide and unblinking, her expression twisted into an unsettling grin. In her unnaturally thin hand, she held a man suspended by the neck, choking the life out of him with otherworldly strength.

"Hehehehahaha!" she cackled, her voice now eerie and inhuman.

"I've been reborn!" Her words carried an unsettling weight as if something within her had fundamentally changed.

The scene was surreal and horrifying. Jiexin, still crouched beside the unconscious old man, watched in stunned disbelief as this once-ordinary woman appeared to be transformed into something altogether different.

Two black horns were growing on her forehead and her skin began to change to crimson red. Her eyes were empty black. Her teeth fell out, replaced by razor-sharp teeth with her long black tongue tongue hanging.

The horrifying transformation continued as Jiexin, paralyzed by fear and disbelief, witnessed the woman's ghastly actions. 

With a swift, unnatural movement, she snapped the man's neck as if it were a mere twig, causing his lifeless body to crumple to the ground. The crowd, already in a state of panic, recoiled in terror at the gruesome sight.

"AHHHH!"

A disorienting scream of a woman was heard throughout the street and people started running from the scene.

"How I missed being back on Earth!" the woman exclaimed, her voice a haunting blend of mirth and malice. 

"Let's have fun again, humans!" Her eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

As if in response to her own words, the woman's nails began to elongate, transforming into wicked, razor-sharp claws. She raised her monstrous hand, the grotesque appendages glinting menacingly in the dim light. 

"I am Rifena, an afferior demon of the abyss, and a sinner of Akedox!" she proclaimed with chilling confidence.

"It's an honor for my name to serve as your last memory, humans!"