Chapter 38: The Beast Awakens
While darkness swallowed Janet, Luca's rage burned brighter than ever.
His sports car roared across the last stretch of paved road before he reached a dead end.
The GPS flickered.
Ahead lay only dense forest, twisted trees, and an almost invisible path. His informer's words echoed in his head:
> "That estate—no one returns from it. No cell signal. No cameras. No records. Only madness."
But Luca had never cared for rules—or danger.
He grabbed a duffel bag from the trunk, slung it over his shoulder, and entered the woods without hesitation. Inside were two guns, a flashlight, a dagger, and a single photograph of Janet—torn from a high school magazine.
His fingers clenched around it.
He had failed her once. Not again.
As he navigated through the forest, wolves howled in the distance. Branches clawed at his face. His shoes sank in wet mud. But Luca didn't stop.
Lightning cracked.
And in the flash of light—he saw it.
A massive estate, almost invisible beneath layers of fog and vines. Its towers pierced the sky like dark spears. The air smelled of blood and rust.
Luca narrowed his eyes.
"Your time is over, Dmitri," he muttered. "I'm coming for her."
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