~ Chapter 10 - To Please Him ~

-Lilith, abandon the night and bring your shadow -Leon read aloud, without truly understanding what he was saying-.

After several minutes—nearly an hour, in fact—the two had managed to transcribe and translate the markings drawn within the red circle, ending up with that strange phrase.

-Well... I don't get it. Who's Lilith? -Leon asked cautiously-.

Ana shuddered inside. Sofía had already mentioned that entity earlier that very morning.

-You need to stay calm. It's a harmless circle, using serene and common elements. Usually not as effective as dark rituals, but much safer -Sofía had clarified-.

-What do you mean?-

-Venus can be summoned in more... aggressive ways. Not necessarily with sacrifices, but maybe using a bit of blood.-

-Blood?! -Ana exclaimed, worried-.

-Relax. From what you're describing, that doesn't seem to be the case. There are much more sinister entities, like Lilith, for example. She's one you should fear. But this is just a white magic circle.-

Her mind returned to the present, where Leon was watching her, waiting for an answer.

-Lilith... is a kind of demon -Ana explained-. She's summoned through sacrificial rites. And you need to be careful. I don't really know much else.-

-You're lying -Leon said-. Ana looked at him, confused. -Listen, Ana, I'm not a genius, but I'm not stupid either, okay? Every time I told you something, I saw your reactions—you were piecing things together in your head the whole time. And that's great. But I took risks gathering all this, and I think I deserve an explanation.-

Ana felt guilty and selfish. She hadn't kept things from Leon out of distrust. It was just that explaining everything felt like a waste of time—like Leon would never grasp the connections she'd made.

He deserved an apology.

-I-I'm sorry. You're right. It's just... so much has happened these past few days, I felt like I needed to figure it out on my own before trying to explain it.-

Ana told him about the circles she found in her house the previous night. About Venus and the moon. Their symbolism and the possible reasons for summoning her.

-So both houses are connected -Leon reasoned after hearing her story-.

-Y-yes... at least, it seems that way. There've been invocation rituals in both.-

-More than just that, right? Both houses were trying to achieve the same thing—just in different ways.-

-What do you mean?-

-Both Venus and Lilith are entities tied to beauty and seduction. As if the people behind the cults were trying to cast a love spell or something.-

-A... love spell?-

Ana's eyes widened as she inhaled sharply.

Of course! How hadn't she realized it herself? In the end, Leon wasn't as dim as he first seemed.

Still, something felt suspicious. The speed and ease with which Leon had connected the dots seemed too convenient—like he wasn't even struggling with the ideas.

-You're lying too -she accused-. There's no way you're solving all this that easily. You're hiding something.-

-Well...-

-No 'well'. You need to tell me, just like I did.-

Leon sighed. It was only fair. He hadn't withheld the story about the guest room because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't like the idea of sharing photos around. It felt like Ana might innocently talk too much and make things even worse.

But he needed her.

-Alright. I'll tell you. But no sharing anything with anyone. This stays between us.-

Ana nodded. Outside, the clouds were scattered across the sky, but it was late enough that the sun barely shone. It was nearly six. Leon finished his tea and continued the story.

After seeing the demonic altar among all those sinister objects, he ran out of the shed. Gradually, the feeling of being watched crept in. His fear and distress brought him to tears again. This time not so silently—no one could hear him anyway.

The dread of having to enter the room from his nightmares. The place where he had so often begged to hear laughter and whispers.

He walked to the hall like someone heading for death row. He didn't even know how to move anymore—trying to watch ahead and behind him at once. The sensation of being pursued grew with every step, but he didn't stop.

He approached with the caution of someone confronting the final answer to all his questions.

The door towered above the rest. The hall was massive, nearly spanning the entire left wing of the house. There were large windows offering a view of the garden, the rooms, and part of the yard—but all of them were either sealed or draped with curtains as tall as the glass.

Leon knew it would be impossible to find the key again, so he had no choice but to force one of the locks. The main door's lock was completely impenetrable, no matter the tools. His grandmother had always been obsessive about locking that room. However, in all his years wandering the mansion, Leon had discovered a second door that led to the guest hall. It was locked too, but the mechanism was much weaker. After some effort, it gave way.

He expected to be hit by that musty, stale smell again—but was surprised by the friendly scent of cinnamon and red fruits. That instantly caught his attention, though it didn't stop him.

He stepped cautiously into the hall. He had never seen it from the inside, and though it nearly gave him a heart attack, it was far more elegant and picturesque than he'd imagined.

In the middle of the room stood a long ebony table, covered with a red cloth.

To one side was a fine china cabinet, filled with porcelain dishes, crystal glasses, and silver utensils.

Above, a massive chandelier completed the luxurious room—so different from the decrepit state of the rest of the mansion.

-How odd -he thought-.

The aroma invited him to stay. The threat of being watched vanished, replaced by a comforting sense of security—so pleasant it felt unreal. It was only his willpower that pulled him out of that dangerous calm, especially in such a hostile place.

He searched the cabinets but found nothing of interest.

He checked behind every piece of furniture. Still no clues.

It wasn't until he opened the final door of the farthest wardrobe in the guest room that he discovered something new.

The closet was crammed with dresses. Every one of them made from the most exquisite and expensive fabrics he'd ever touched, as if freshly delivered from the priciest dry cleaner.

Each had a small tag with notes attached. Some still legible, others faded.

-This one shows off my legs -said the first, on a short black dress-. Leon was disgusted by the thought of that damned old woman wearing something so youthful.

-He kissed me -said the second, tied to a red strapless dress-.

-He says it brings out my neck -read the third-.

-Makes me look taller.-

-Hides the wrinkles.-

And so on, through about ten glamorous, costly dresses—until one caught his eye. It was light blue, the shade of clear Caribbean waters. But what mattered most was its note:

-He says it brings out my blue eyes.-

That puzzled Leon. His grandmother didn't have blue eyes—hers were plain brown.

His string of suspicions peaked when he found a sort of notebook full of letters. All addressed to "him."

-Didn't it say his name? -Ana asked, interrupting-.

-Well, maybe. I don't know. Most of it was written in weird symbols and a language I couldn't understand.-

-You didn't take a photo?-

-W-well... yes.-

Ana noticed Leon's discomfort. He avoided her gaze. She realized they couldn't keep working together if he didn't feel safe.

-Look, I'm not forcing you to show me the picture. And I won't share it with anyone. If you feel okay showing it to me, we'll try to figure it out. If not, that's perfectly fine -she said, disappointed to lose such a valuable clue-.

But apparently, that's what Leon needed to hear. He didn't say much, just tapped his phone a few times. Within seconds, the photo was on Ana's phone.

Indeed, some symbols were unreadable. In fact, she hadn't seen anything quite like them before.

-Look... I'll be honest with you -Ana said, eyes still on her phone-. I don't understand this. But I have a friend who might help. I can...-

-Do whatever you need. Just don't let anyone know about my grandmother's jewels.-

-Of course, not a word -Ana said, sending Sofía the photo-.

-He hasn't mentioned anything about jewels until now. But I'm not asking -she thought-.

-So, what did the notebook say? -Ana asked to keep Leon going-.

-Like I said, most was written in strange symbols. What I could read were pleas. Begging him to come back. That she was beautiful again. Always the same idea.-

Ana's phone vibrated.

-Girl, the stuff you send me! I'll check what language this is as soon as I'm off work -Sofía's message read-.

-Alright. So how do we connect all this? -Ana wondered aloud-.

-This isn't my strength, but we've got invocation circles in two separate houses.-

-Not just that -Ana added-. The entities summoned share a common goal: beauty. And from what your grandmother wrote, there's a reason for that pursuit. She wanted to be attractive to 'him.'-

-What do you mean? -Leon had never been into investigation-.

-She wasn't crazy. Or well, maybe she was. But not without a reason. She had a purpose. She wanted to seem beautiful to someone. That's probably where her madness began—she was willing to cross any line to get what she wanted. Abandon her family, waste her wealth. Even commit atrocities like sacrifices...-

Silence fell.

-It makes me wonder... -she continued-. Leon, how did your grandparents die?-

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, drained and powerless.

-I don't know. My grandfather disappeared during a storm when I was a baby. And my grandmother's autopsy was never clear. They said it was a heart attack or something.-

Ana shuddered, a chill running through her body—realizing a horrible past.

-Leon -she said, searching for the right words-. I think your grandmother faced the consequences of dealing with such dark forces.-

Leon stood. The situation was overwhelming him, and he could barely take it anymore. Reliving these painful memories was torture.

-This is too much.-

He walked to the door. Outside, the sun was nearly gone. Just minutes of dusk remained before night sealed the sky.

-Hey, wait! -Ana ran after him-. Where are you going?-

-I need to think. You're saying a demon killed my grandmother—how am I supposed to feel? Happy?-

-Hey! We haven't finished solving this -Ana caught his arm halfway through the garden-.

Leon turned to her. His gaze, honest and pure, gave off such peace that Ana felt she could sleep inside it.

-We will solve it. I just... need some time alone. These days have been too much for my poor little brain -he said with subtle humor-.

Ana gave a faint smile.

-Don't insult your intelligence. You're not only clever—you're the bravest man I've ever met -she praised him. Then added playfully- Though, I haven't had the best luck with men.-

Leon smiled back.

They said goodbye with the warmth of two people finding shelter in one another—accepting how deeply their friendship had grown out of the needs of their individual worlds.

Ana waved to the truck until it disappeared.

She sighed and turned around. Now alone, she faced the house again.

Night had fully fallen, and the first drops of a storm were already soaking what little grass remained in the front yard.

She took a few seconds to observe the house, certain she'd have to go back inside. She scanned each window, and only entered after making sure she saw strange shadows behind every pane.

END OF CHAPTER 10