A Deal with Darkness

Long ago, there was a woman named Alin, who lived in a kingdom characterized by social classes, with the commoners at the bottom, followed by the nobles, and at the top, the rulers. Alin belonged to the common class, but she possessed a unique beauty, and she loved to walk daily along the river near the city, outside the walls. One day, while walking along the riverbank, she caught the eye of a young man named Routin, the prince of the land and son of King Arius.

Routin was captivated by Alin's beauty, especially her long black hair that shimmered in the sunlight. He cautiously approached her, trying to speak to her, but was surprised to find that she was a woman of great shyness. She glanced at him for a moment, then ran away without uttering a word, her face full of deep embarrassment.

Alin returned home, her heart filled with thoughts of Routin, the handsome prince who had tried to speak with her. In the following days, she began to visit the river daily, hoping to see him again. They exchanged glances from afar, and over time, they grew closer, eventually starting to converse. Gradually, Alin fell in love with Routin, and they spent time together during the spring, running through the fields and around the river. Routin gave her a white rose, which Alin kept with great joy.

One peaceful evening by the river, as Alin and Routin walked together and spoke of their dreams and aspirations, Routin smiled and said:

"Do you know when time stops?"

Alin paused for a moment, looking at him with eyes full of curiosity. He continued, saying:

"It stops when you speak, and also... when you smile with all your heart."

Alin smiled shyly, and those words touched her deeply, meaning far more than what Routin had said. It was a moment filled with happiness and hope.

Their love lasted for two years, until one day Alin couldn't find Routin by the river. Days passed without him appearing, making her grow increasingly anxious. After a full week, she finally saw him. She ran toward him in great surprise, but was shocked by what she saw. Routin was not the same. His face lacked the usual happiness and eagerness. He pushed her away and said in a harsh tone:

"How dare you touch me, a lowly commoner like you? Do you even know who I am?"

Alin froze in place, unable to say a single word. When she looked behind him, she saw the king and queen approaching, their gazes filled with disdain. Then, Routin turned away from her as she collapsed to the ground. Alin overheard the king and queen discussing his engagement to a princess from another kingdom. She couldn't understand what was happening, and all that filled her heart was despair and profound sadness.

She burst into hysterical laughter, not knowing why, laughing loudly for no reason. As they walked away from her, rain began to pour heavily on her still form, indifferent to everything around her. Then, a black dog approached her, its eyes glowing in the darkness. Suddenly, the dog began to laugh, and its body began to transform in a terrifying manner. As its features changed, it became a horrifying creature that filled Alin with dread.

It approached her slowly and said in a chilling voice:

"Do you seek revenge?"

Alin lifted her head toward him and whispered:

"What do you think of a deal? Your soul for revenge?"

The creature then pulled out an old contract and pointed to a spot of her blood. It was the moment Alin had been waiting for. Her anger and the bitterness in her heart led her to agree without hesitation.

The creature laughed heartily and said:

"I will return to collect the price at the right time."

Months later, Routin married the princess of another kingdom, and everyone in the land celebrated with feasts when they learned that the princess was pregnant. But that night, as everyone slept, Prince Routin suddenly woke up. He looked beside him to find the princess drenched in blood, her belly torn open. When he looked ahead, he saw Alin, now transformed into a horrifying creature with a long tongue, devouring the unborn child from the dead princess's womb.

Routin fell from the bed, screaming for the guards. But when he turned to the door, he found their heads lying on the floor before him. When he looked back at Alin, he noticed something strange. The ceiling and floor seemed to have flipped. He felt a bizarre sensation, and when he looked at himself, finding his body headless, he realized that he had fallen too.

That moment was the last thing Managal remembered before beginning to burn in the fire. Her tears scattered in the final moments of her life, feeling every ray of pain mixing with regret. In her last breath, she remembered Routin's words from one of the days before:

"Do you know when time stops?"

"When you speak, and also... when you smile with all your heart."

She recalled how he had said it to her with a warm smile.

A desperate laugh escaped her as her tears fell down her cheeks. How could those words now feel like a stab in her heart? Those moments had been the most beautiful of her life, but now they had become a bitter memory

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