Free Web NovelChapter 57: Hotel Destroyed
When Victor arrived at the hotel, his heart was pounding in his chest.
The street was empty and everything was silent.
The partially damaged façade of the place was just a prelude to the chaos he would find inside.
With cautious steps, he pushed open the double entrance door and it creaked slightly.
The interior of the hotel was a vision of desolation worse than Victor could have imagined. Overturned furniture, broken objects and shards of glass all over the floor. The air was impregnated with the metallic smell of blood and the silence was disturbing. There was no sign of life, not even the distant sounds of the battle outside penetrated this place.
Victor couldn’t understand. It had only been ten minutes since it all began, how could half the village have already been hit and be in this state?
Restless, Victor advanced slowly with his sword raised. He made his way around overturned tables and sofas, past overturned chairs and up to the reception desk. There, he found fresh traces of blood.
The hunter bent down to examine the marks on the floor. They were footprints mixed with the marks of skeletoid boots. Someone had fought these things here. His thoughts turned to Leebeth and Donan, the elderly owners of this place.
Victor began to search the rest of the space. He found skeletoid corpses on the floor, their forms slowly disintegrating after death.
The creak of metal doorknobs turning echoed through the corridors as Victor investigated each room. Some rooms were untouched, as if their occupants had fled before the attack. Others were real battle scenes, with broken furniture, blood on the walls and guests’ bodies scattered about, some torn apart.
Finally, in one of the rooms with the door ajar, Victor found an elderly couple. They were lying on the floor, covered in wounds. They were Leebeth and Donan. There was no doubt about it. Victor’s heart squeezed with sadness. He approached them slowly and recognized them immediately.
Donan was still holding his beloved’s hand, even with a sword hole through his stomach.
"Rest in peace," Victor murmured, closing his eyes for a moment in respect for the dead.
It was then that Victor noticed a curious detail. Among the furniture in the room, there was a chest of drawers with a drawer that was half open, as if someone had been looking for something there or had opened it for a moment. He approached it and opened it completely. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Inside, he found a handful of clothes, bronze coins and a carefully folded letter. Then he took the letter and began to read.
"Dear Leebeth and Donan Morley,
This is Eleanor. I write to you with a heart full of joy and hope, as the time has finally come to share some special news with you.
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for all the love, guidance and wisdom you have given us over the years. You are the example of dedication, care and perseverance that have always inspired us.
It is with great happiness that we announce our engagement! After many years of friendship and companionship, Marcus and I have decided to take the next step in our journey together.
Our love has grown and matured over time, and we are looking forward to sharing our lives as husband and wife.
We would love to have you with us at this special moment. It’s important for your child. We plan to hold the wedding ceremony in the garden of our house in Klento on December 25th. It will be a simple and intimate celebration.
We know that distance can be an obstacle, but we don’t want that to stop you from sharing our joy. We are preparing everything to welcome you in the best possible way and ensure that you have a comfortable and welcoming stay with us.
We hope to see you soon to celebrate this unique moment in our lives together.
With all our love and gratitude, future Eleanor and Marcus Morley" ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Victor read the letter carefully and his mind spun. One of the couple’s children would be getting married in a few days, but there they were, with cold skin and fresh blood still dripping from their bodies.
Victor wondered if he could have arrived earlier, if he could have done something to save them, something to prevent all of this, but he knew that the answer to every question was yes. He could have prevented all this and all the destruction in Agocester Village if he had been quicker.
It was then that he heard a low creak, an almost imperceptible sound even in the silence. Victor looked up and noticed the shadow of something moving behind him.
A skeletoid was rising from behind the door of the room he was in. The small sword in its hand was already stained with blood, indicating that it was the same monster that had killed Leebeth and Donan. Its eyes shone with a cadaverous light, fixed on the back of Victor’s head.
The hunter sensed the undead’s presence, but didn’t turn around. There was no fear in his gestures, only a sad resignation and a silent determination.
Instead of preparing for battle, Victor chose to try once again to change that day. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the cold night breeze caress his sweaty face, as if it were a last breath of freedom.
The skeletoid attacked, and the cold blade pierced the air towards Victor’s heart. The impact was almost imperceptible, an instant of pain followed by a sense of relief.
Victor didn’t scream, he didn’t struggle. He just silently thanked it for the new chance.
The skeletoid retreated, and the sword was still embedded in Victor’s back, almost through his chest. The hunter fell to his knees, blood slowly staining his clothes and the already stained floor.
Then the world faded around him, the colors blending into shades of gray before absolute black enveloped him. The pain disappeared, replaced by a deep calm.
When Victor woke up this time, he wasn’t in all the pain he felt the second time. He stretched his right hand towards the ceiling and spread his fingers as wide as he could.
"I’m back again... Now, I’m going to do exactly what I was avoiding doing in my first and second chance." Victor said.
