A dark and foreboding night descended upon the land, shrouded in an aura of malevolent energy. The spirit of the shadows stirred, as if sensing the arrival of a new presence. A bolt of ancient, primal power surged through the air, striking the newborn child with unbridled force. the infant's tiny form seemed to absorb the energy, its cries echoing through the night as the soul within began to stir.
" Olivia, the kid is crying, can you check on him?"
Olivia rushed to the room, her heart pounding in her chest. As she entered, she let out a blood-curdling scream. Bryce's eyes jolted open as Olivia's scream pierced the air.
" what's wrong?" he muttered to himself.
Bryce's feet pounded the floor as he sprinted towards the sound of Olivia's scream. his heart was a drum in the chest, beating out a rhythm of dread. He burst into the room, and the scene before him seared itself into his mind like branding iron.
Olivia lay on the floor, her body surrounded by a dark pool of blood. The silence that followed her cream was oppressive, heavy with an unspoken menace. Bryce's eyes scanned the room, and his gaze landed on the bed. Their child sat there, playing with a toy, laughing and chattering away in a voice that was oblivious to the horror that had unfolded.
The contrast between the child's innocence and the tragedy that had occurred was like a slap in the face. Bryce felt like he'd been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him. He stared at Olivia's lifeless body, his mind reeling with questions. " what happened? who could have done this?"
The child laughter bounced off through the room, a jarring reminder that life went on, even in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Bryce's eyes lingered on his child, and for a moment, he felt a spark of hope. But it was quickly extinguished by the reality of the situation. Olivia was gone, and he was left to pick up the pieces.
Bryce scooped up the kid, but the little one wriggled free, tumbling to the floor. To Bryce's astonishment, the one-year-old scrambled to his feet and took off towards the hall.
" Hey, come here!" Bryce called out, chasing after him. As he turned into the hall, he was met with a surreal sight: the kid was sitting on the couch, remote control in hand, watching TV.
Bryce plopped down beside his kid on the couch, and they watched tv together. He pulled the little one onto his lap and started brainstorming names. ' Liam?' he suggested, but the kid shook his head. ' Ethan?' Another head shake. ' Mason? Logan?' The kid continued to reject each name. Bryce chuckled and asked, " okay, what do you want to be called then?" The kid's eyes lit up, and he grabbed a pen and notebook from the coffee table. In surprisingly steady handwriting, he scribbled out a single word: "Executioner."
Bryce stomped his feet on the ground, shaking his head. " No, no, Executioner isn't a name and there's no way am calling you that." The kid's face crumpled, and tears began to well up. Bryce quickly covered the little one's mouth. ' shhh, it late. someone can hear you.' The kid tears stopped as quickly, Bryce whispered, " okay, okay. I'll call you." The kid's face brightened, and they settled in to watch TV together.
As the night wore on, they both drifted off to sleep, the TV still blaring in the background. outside, dark spirits watched them from the shadows, their faces twisted into sinister grins.
" Is the soul in that child a reborn soul, a curse from the lightning God?"
" Yh I guess, the kid has been reincarnated."
The dark spirits shared a malignant giggle before vanishing into the night.
[ alarm rings ] 6:25am.
Bryce woke up to an empty room. " Executioner?" he called out, no response. He looked around, but Executioner was nowhere to be seen. He stepped outside scanning the area. Finally, he spotted the little boy sitting on the ground, chewing on something. But what caught Bryce off guard was how much Executioner had grown-he looked more like a three-year-old now. His white hair flowed in the wind, and his green eyes sparkled as he looks up at Bryce. He was wearing nothing but boxer.
As Bryce approached, Executioner turned, a cobra dangling from his mouth. Bryce's heart electrified. " put it down, it's dangerous!" He shouted. Executioner's face broke into a smile, and he slowly removed the snake from his mouth. With a calm demeanor, he stepped on it's head and mashed it into the ground. Then he run towards Bryce, his eyes aglow. " Bryce, I'm hungry," his voice clear and confident. Bryce mind reeled as he stared at the child.
' This wasn't the one-year-old he remembered. How had he grown so much? how did he know Bryce's name?
Bryce scooped up Executioner, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions. But then reality hit him like a ton of bricks - Olivia was gone, and he still had to bury her.
Bryce laid Olivia's body to rest, digging a grave and gently placing her inside. He covered her with earth, then adorned the grave with flowers, stones, and a wooden cross. As he knelt, tears streamed down his face, and he whispered prayers. Suddenly, a noise rang out from the house. Bryce rose, hoping to find Executioner being his usual rambunctious self.
Instead, he saw a man in black jacket crash through the window. The stranger regained his footing and made a dash, yelling, " he's a devil!" Bryce took a step forward, but a gunshot cracked loud.