Alisha hadn't run far, yet the horrifying scene burned itself into her memory—a memory she would never escape. Her father, her unwavering protector, was dead. Not just dead, but brutally executed. His head, severed cleanly from his neck, tumbled onto the dirt with a grotesque thud, leaving a glistening trail of crimson behind it.
Time slowed as Alisha's breath hitched. The demon turned to her, its smile wicked and cruel. With a predatory grace, it vanished from its spot and reappeared before her, as if the distance was insignificant.
Its claws, sharp and gleaming, brushed aside the strands of her dark hair, grazing her cheek. The contact sent chills down her spine, the sting of its claws mingling with the overwhelming fear that paralyzed her.
"You see," the demon cooed, its voice dripping with malice. "Papa lied... So I killed him for lying."