Screech... Screech... Screech...
A man tightened the noose he had tied to the ceiling of a bathroom with a broken roof. He also prepared a stool beneath it. His cold, soulless expression made the person facing him tremble in fear.
"Hang yourself."
"Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?" the woman asked, her body limp, her face pale.
"From the beginning, when I asked you to switch souls with Alana, my goal was to kill you—not to help you fix your relationship with Lukas."
"I should've never trusted you… Why are you people so cruel? What did I do wrong?"
"Your mistake was being weak. Didn't you wish for peace? To stop suffering? Then go… follow your parents to the afterlife!"
The man lifted her onto the stool and forced her to place the noose around her neck. Sandra—trapped in Alana's body—was too weak to resist, her strength sapped by a special sedative.
"I'm going to use your body to hide my precious diamond," he sneered, then kicked the stool, letting her body dangle in the air.
"When the Blood Moon rises, Alana's soul will be my feast. It's my final chance to achieve immortality. If I fail... I'll vanish. I'll be destroyed. And I won't let that happen."
His eyes glowed red as he grinned wickedly. He was Luciano, a demon who had taken human form, granted one thousand years to roam Earth.
His time was nearly up. After hundreds of years of switching identities and traveling the world, soon he'd be dragged back to the hell he came from.
To become immortal, he had to devour the soul of the last descendant of Alanca—humans with diamond souls, gifted with the power to switch lives.
You guessed right. Alana was the last of her kind. She would've remained hidden… if she hadn't abused her ability for money.
"Now that Alana's soul is inside Sandra's body, it'll be much easier to keep watch. She's within reach," he cackled, just as a bolt of lightning cracked through the sky.
"You'll make me eternal, my sweet diamond." He laughed maniacally.
*****
Later That Day
"A rare celestial event will grace the skies at the end of this year—the long-foretold Blood Moon. Don't forget to witness this rare and beautiful phenomenon..."
Sandra rubbed her arms, shivering as the news played. She remembered her mother's warnings about the demon Luciano, who hunted diamond souls—souls like hers.
She prayed her soul hadn't been detected. Being trapped in someone else's body was already punishment enough. She didn't want to become prey to a demon.
"Sandra!" Lukas's voice jolted her from her thoughts. She frowned at him, irritated by the sight of his pale face.
"I'm hungry… my head hurts. Can you cook something so I can take medicine?" he pleaded weakly.
"Oh, now you beg for my kindness? After you ignored all of it before?"
"Yes, I was wrong. But I can't take it anymore. My whole body hurts…" Lukas staggered to the sofa, resting his head on her shoulder.
Sandra sighed. His body felt feverishly hot. She helped him lie down, then brought a towel and cold water to make a compress.
"Tch. Only when you're sick do you get clingy. When you're healthy, you're like a heartless demon," she muttered as she placed the cloth on his forehead. Lukas just pouted in silence.
Now, when Sandra started scolding him, he was no match. Her firepower rivaled his mother's. Whatever dominance Lukas once had, it had melted away like ice under lava.
"I'll make you some soup. Wait here!" she said curtly, heading to the kitchen.
Lukas hugged a cushion, listening to the noise of clanging pots and pans. He smiled hearing it—it meant she was still there, still taking care of him.
"The Blood Moon?" he murmured, turning up the TV volume. It sounded familiar.
He remembered—when his grandfather was alive, he once told Lukas about someone who had a diamond soul, a descendant of Alanca. He said demons would hunt them under a blood moon, desperate for immortality.
Lukas had once shaken hands with the man as a child. He'd looked like a normal human—nothing unusual.
He'd always thought the story was just a silly joke, but the memory lingered.
A while later, Sandra returned with a tray—soup, rice, a glass of water, and some paracetamol.
"Eat first." She stirred the soup, blew on a spoonful, and offered it to him.
"San… do you believe demons can disguise themselves as humans?"
"Yes," she answered casually.
"You do?" Lukas blinked in surprise.
"I mean, look at you. Aren't you one? You heartless demon," she said, smacking his shoulder.
"I'm serious! Grandpa used to say a demon named Luciano disguised himself as a man."
Sandra froze. The name hit her like a bolt of lightning.
"Really?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"He said every Blood Moon, Luciano would hunt someone with a diamond soul to gain immortality."
Sandra's hand trembled. So Lukas knew about this. She'd thought only her family knew.
"I once met Grandpa's friend—his name was George Albern. He said his kids and grandkids were the last of the diamond souls. He promised to introduce me to his granddaughter someday. But he died before he could."
"George Albern?" Sandra's eyes filled with tears. So Lukas's grandfather knew her grandfather?
Was their meeting really a coincidence? No—this had to be fate. Something much bigger was happening.
"But I'm sure it's all just nonsense," Lukas chuckled. "He said they could switch souls. Who believes that kind of stuff?"
"Yeah, you're right." Sandra smiled faintly, hiding the pain in her chest. Her tears flowed before she could stop them.
"Why are you crying?" Lukas wiped her tears gently. Had he said something wrong?
"I'm just scared… What if a demon really comes to devour my soul?"
"Your soul is a diamond?" Lukas laughed and ruffled her hair playfully.
"Who knows?"
"Ridiculous! Don't overthink it. It's just an old tale Grandpa used to scare me with."
Lukas kept laughing, but Sandra cried even harder. He pulled her closer and hugged her tight.
"Don't cry. It's just a myth."
Sandra clung to him tightly. If only he knew… She really was a diamond soul. Demons would hunt her. She could be devoured the moment the Blood Moon rose.
"Lukas…"
"Yeah?"
"What if I am the one? The diamond soul. And a demon comes for me?"
"Great. I'll be a widower soon."
"You jerk!" she smacked his chest.
"I'm just kidding!" Lukas laughed. "If that did happen, I'd help you hide."
"Hide?"
"What else could I do? I'm not exactly equipped to fight demons. If I knew their weakness, I'd protect you. But since I don't… hiding sounds good!"
"You coward husband!" Sandra slapped him. "Eat your own food, take your medicine—I'm going to nap!"
Lukas stared after her. What did he say that was so wrong?
"You really love yelling at me…" he grumbled.
"San, get ready! We're going to the beach tomorrow!" he called out, raising his voice with a grin.