A Sacrificial Tool

Liu Xin's mother's voice was like cold iron chains, tightening around their hearts. Sandra and Jamie both felt a suffocating pressure. The woman before them showed no sign of remorse, as if this conversation had been fated.

"You..." Jamie gritted her teeth, stepping forward. "What exactly did you do?"

Liu Xin's mother's eyes flashed with a cold smile before she slowly spoke. "Do you know? By investigating my daughter's death, you've already touched something you shouldn't have. You think her death was just a car accident, but she was nothing more than a pawn, a tool I sacrificed to achieve my own goals."

Sandra furrowed her brow. "A sacrificial tool? What are you talking about?"

Liu Xin's mother chuckled softly, shaking her head. "You think her death was just an accident? No, her death was part of a plan—so that I could achieve something. She died not just as a tragedy for her, but as a sacrifice for a greater benefit."

"Benefit?" Jamie's eyes grew even sharper. "You killed your own daughter just to achieve your goal?"

"To gain more power," Liu Xin's tone was devoid of warmth. "To completely control the lifeblood of that world. My daughter... she was just a casualty. And you two, you've become the final step in my chess game."

Before they could react, the room's lights suddenly went out, plunging them into total darkness. The air grew unnervingly cold, as if an invisible force had surrounded them. Jamie and Sandra's breathing grew erratic, their senses heightened, yet they could see nothing.

"Do you think you can stop me?" Liu Xin's voice echoed again, but this time it did not come from her body. It seemed to come from everywhere around them, a whisper from the very air. "Everything is already decided—past, present, future—I have already seen through it all."

The chill in the air became unbearable, and suddenly, faint footsteps could be heard, as if someone were moving quietly, slowly approaching. The dim light revealed that everything in the room was warping, the walls cracking, and in the shadowed depths, blood-red eyes were watching them.

"This is the end," Liu Xin's mother's voice grew colder, as if the chains of fate had tightened around them.

In that instant, Jamie realized that the figure behind Liu Xin's mother was not her, but something far darker and more sinister.

"We need to leave! Now!" Jamie yelled, pulling Sandra toward the door.

But as they reached the door, it slammed shut by itself, locking them in. The cracking sounds of the walls grew louder, and the ominous figure drew closer.

"She... she's not alone," Sandra whispered, her eyes wide with terror.

Liu Xin's mother slowly turned around, unfazed by the impending threat, still smiling coldly. "You're too late. Did you really think you could stop all of this?"

"What are you summoning?" Jamie demanded, her realization dawning. The woman before her was not just a murderer but a controller of some dark, malevolent power.

"I am summoning... darkness." Liu Xin's mother smirked. "Everything is within my control, and even you cannot escape."

As her words ended, the air in the room became dense, the entire space contorting under an unseen force. The walls began to dissolve, and black mist poured out from the cracks, swiftly engulfing the entire room. Liu Xin's mother's figure started to blur, merging with the darkness.

"We have to get out of here!" Sandra screamed, throwing her weight against the door with all her strength. It burst open, and without hesitation, Jamie and Sandra ran, feeling as if they were being propelled by some invisible force. They sprinted away, not stopping until they finally broke free from the house.

When they looked back, the house had vanished, leaving only an empty street before them, as if nothing had ever occurred.

Silence fell between them as Jamie's heart raced, still unable to calm down. Though they had temporarily escaped the dark power, she knew this was far from over.

"Her mother..." Sandra murmured, her gaze heavy with thought. "Her death is far more complicated than we imagined. She's not just a murderer; she's being controlled by some kind of evil force."

"What exactly is she?" Jamie clenched her fists, her eyes burning with determination. "Who is she really, and why is she controlling such powers?"

Sandra remained silent for a moment before answering, "I don't know, but I believe this nightmare has only just begun."

The two stood in the deserted street, silently watching the distant fading light, filled with both fear and a strange desire for the unknown. They knew this wasn't just a story of revenge from the dead, but a confrontation with a dark force that could not be avoided.

And they, could no longer turn back.