Chapter 32: Another Friend Gone

***Sam's hands cradled her husband's tense face, her fingers tracing the lines of worry etched on his skin. "Breathe, my love," she whispered, her voice a soothing balm. "I've got a plan brewing in my mind. All I need is your help to spring Mr. Levi from the basement prison that's holding him captive."***

***With a resolute nod, Raymond vanished into the shadows, descending into the basement's depths, his faith in Sam's ingenuity illuminating the darkness.***

***Moments later, he reemerged, his face set in a determined expression, as he supported the frail figure of Chris's father, who stumbled alongside him, weakened by his prolonged captivity and the huge amount of wolfsbane that was regularly pumped into his body everyday.***

***The faint light from above danced across the Levi's gaunt features, accentuating the deep lines of suffering etched on his face.***

***Raymond guided the captive man to the dining table, his firm grip brooking no resistance, as Sam's authoritative voice sliced through the air. "Place your right hand on the table, palm up," she directed, her eyes blazing with a fierce intensity, as Levi trembling hand refused to complied.***

***With a swift, unyielding motion, Raymond pinned Levi's trembling hand to the table, holding it in a vice-like grip as Sam's blade flashed in the dim light, slicing through the air to carve a blood gash across Levi's palm.***

***As the first droplets of blood welled up, Sam's eyes blazed with an otherworldly intensity, her cut right palm descending to meet Levi's in a macabre waltz. The air seemed to vibrate with anticipation, and then, as if summoned by some ancient, forgotten power, a tempestuous gust of wind exploded into the room, whipping hair into a frenzy and sending shadows dancing across the walls like restless spirits.***

***A triumphant smile spread across Sam's face as she turned to Raymond, her eyes gleaming with a fierce satisfaction. "It's done," she whispered, her voice dripping with a sense of dark finality.***

***Then, her gaze shifted to the captive man, her expression twisting into a cold, merciless mask. "Bid farewell to your wife, Levi," she spat, her voice venomous. "You have limited time,soon, you'll be nothing but a memory... and a cautionary tale."***

***With a curt nod, she gestured to Raymond, who stepped forward, his grip closing around Levi's arm like a vice, dragging him back towards the darkness of the basement, leaving behind only the faint echo of Sam's haunting words.***

***With a fluid motion, Sam glided to the edge of the table, where the candles cast a warm, golden glow and the star symbol seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy.***

***She stood poised, her eyes fixed on the doorway, awaiting Raymond's return. As soon as he appeared, his face set in a determined expression, Sam extended her hand, offering him a sleek, dark bottle adorned with intricate symbols. "Ash," she whispered, her voice low and mysterious, as Raymond's fingers closed around the bottle, his eyes locking onto hers with a deep understanding.***

***"When you arrive at their hideout location, encircle its walls with the sacred ashes, a potent barrier that will shackle the witch's powers and render her magic mute. As long as she remains within those confines, she'll be powerless to stop you. Strike swiftly, Raymond, and claim our child's freedom. I'll be waiting, for you both return."***

***Raymond's arms enveloped his wife, his lips brushing against her forehead in a tender, kiss. His whisper was a soft breeze in her ear: "I love you, see you soon." in the same breath, his hands closed around her fragile neck, his fingers tightening with a deadly, as he snaps her neck.***

***Her body slumped, lifeless, as he carefully laid her on the sofa, a macabre tableau of domestic bliss. Then, with a calculating calm, Raymond turned away, his eyes rising to the map on the table, his mind already focused on the next, deadly step.***

***The instant Sam's life force fades away, the blood on the map began to stir, as if summoned by a malignant force. Like a dark, viscous serpent, it slithered across the parchment, weaving a twisted path through the streets and alleys, until finally, it came to rest at the crumbling entrance of the abandoned amusement park.***

***There, it pooled, a sickening, blood stain, as if pointing an accusing finger at the very location where Lisa was being held captive, her fate hanging precariously in the balance.***

***With the map's dark, bloody message seared into his mind, Raymond's hand closed around the bottle of Ash like a vice, as if it were a talisman of vengeance.***

***He tucked it into his pocket, the weight of it a cold, comforting presence, before turning the key in the ignition and unleashing a torrent of speed and fury onto the night-shrouded streets, bound for the abandoned amusement park, and the fate that awaited him there.***

***—————————————————————***

***AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK***

***The delicate, greenish glass bottle on the table exploded in a shower of shards, its fragile form shattering the illusion spell that had held their location hiding.***

***Paris's lips curled into a sly, anticipatory smile as she turned to face Stage, her eyes glinting with a mischievous light. "The veil is lifted, the puppet strings are cut," she purred, her voice dripping with seductive menace. "He's coming for us, and now... the games begin."***

***With a slow, deliberate stride, Stage approached Lisa, his eyes burning with a cold, calculated intensity. He gathered her fragile form into his arms, cradling her with a tenderness that belied the horror to come.***

***"I wish things didn't had to end this way," he whispered, his voice dripping with regret, "but your insatiable greed has brought us here." With those words, his hand shot forward, a blur of motion that ended with his fingers closing around Lisa's heart.***

***He ripped it free, the sound of tearing flesh echoing through the air as Lisa's eyes froze in shock. Paris's jaw dropped, her face paling in horror, for she had never expected Stage to be the one to kill Lisa. The room seemed to hold its breath, the only sound the heavy, wet thud of Lisa's lifeless body slumping to the floor.***

***Stage's gaze shifted, his eyes locking onto Paris with an unnerving intensity, as a slow, sinister smile spread across his face. "The mantle of pain has been passed," he whispered, his voice dripping with malevolent relish. "Now, it's my turn to make someone suffer pain."***