Whispers of the Night

Chapter 11

As Detective James arrived at the hotel where Sarah was staying, he exchanged a few words with the manager, hoping to get some insight into the attack Sarah had experienced. Disappointingly, the manager had no information to offer; even the CCTV footage in the hallway yielded no clues. Undeterred, James learned that Sarah had been relocated to a different room after the incident. With a sense of determination, he decided to inspect her old room first for any overlooked details before proceeding to her new accommodation on the second floor.

Upon reaching Sarah's new room, James pressed the doorbell, waiting patiently for her response. Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing Sarah's face, etched with a mixture of apprehension and relief. Despite her evident unease, she extended a hesitant welcome, inviting the detective inside. James noticed the weariness on her face. 

"How are you feeling, Sarah?" he inquired, his tone gentle yet probing. 

Sarah managed to smile, her eyes betraying the exhaustion she felt. 

"I'm better now, detective. Thanks for coming," she replied.

"Hey, please call me James," he offered, attempting to ease the tension. Sarah nodded. 

"Can you tell me what exactly happened last night? Be as detailed as possible," he requested, his expression serious as he awaited her response.

Sarah recounted her terrifying experience to the detective, carefully omitting any mention of Arthur. She couldn't shake off the feeling that revealing his involvement might complicate things. 

"So, you escaped through the window and ran into the woods, is that right?" James inquired.

"Yes, I had no other choice," Sarah confirmed, her voice trembling slightly.

"I hid behind bushes for a while, then came back and informed hotel security. They conducted a search, but the attacker was nowhere to be found," she lied smoothly, concealing the truth about her savior. 

Sarah's description of her attacker clearly resembled an asur, thought James. Before visiting Sarah, he went to check her old room, where he noticed a broken door that was evidence of a powerful blow. The detective's jaw clenched with tension. This was the second time an asur had attempted to harm Sarah—first in the ruins and now at her hotel. 

"She's lucky to be alive... again," James thought grimly. His detective mind was racing with questions while Sarah lay seated on the sofa, hoping that the detective would not catch her lie.

The stillness of the room was abruptly shattered by the ringing of Detective James's cell phone. He answered it to find one of the search party officers on the other end, reporting the discovery of another headless corpse in the forest.

"Where!?" James demanded, his adrenaline surging.

The search party inspector quickly shared the coordinates of the body's location via text. James entered the coordinates into the map on his phone, his tension mounting as he realized the location was just a few feet away from Sarah's hotel.

He glanced at Sarah, his expression tense and urgent. "Come with me!" he instructed.

Confused but sensing the gravity of the situation, Sarah followed James out of the hotel. They hurried to the location where the corpse had been found.

The clan leader was chanting mantras near the fire pit when Rahu arrived, his footsteps echoing ominously in the cavern. 

"I have bad news," said Rahu, his voice low.

The clan leader slowly opened his eyes, revealing a calm but powerful gaze. "What happened, Rahu?" he asked, his voice steady and composed despite the dark undertones.

Hesitantly, Rahu looked down and relayed the events of the previous night to his master—the confrontation between Arthur, Sarah, and Mathew.

"How is that possible?" the clan leader asked, his expression controlled. "How can the prince kill someone like Mathew with no power?"

"He... He fed on a soul, master," Rahu stammered.

"He killed a human?" A small spark of interest ignited in the clan leader's face.

"No... no, master," Rahu corrected quickly. "Before confronting Mathew, he had a terrible fight with Charles, who went to capture him on your orders. Charles was able to overcome the prince, but at the end, the prince killed him with a golden knife and fed on his soul."

The clan leader's eyes widened with disbelief. In a sudden fit of rage, he punched his fist against the cavern wall, which, upon his mere touch, blasted apart. 

"He fed on an asura soul!" the clan leader roared, his voice echoing with fury. The raw power of his anger reverberated through the cavern, sending shivers down Rahu's spine.

"Yes...Yes Master. That is correct," and Rahu took a few steps back from his master. His head low in respect and his hands trembling in fear. 

The clan leader was furious. His eyes were burning with hatred. "He dares!! He dared to feed on his own kind! He broke the most important rule of the Asura clan. First, love with a human, and now this. I won't spare him. I will make sure he suffers for the rest of his life. Every passing moment, he will beg for death, but I won't grant him that freedom," thundered the clan leader. He moved closer to Rahu. His gaze was fixed on his informer. 

In that dimly lit cavern, something sinister was being planned between the clan leader and his informer. The past was about to repeat itself, and this time, Sarah and Arthur was going to get their fate sealed in a cycle of torment and despair.