Author's Note:
Please be aware that this story is set in an alternate timeline. Therefore, certain events and details may significantly differ from reality. Additionally, the story references a historical era when women were persecuted and burned as witches. These references are purely for narrative purposes and do not reflect modern beliefs or practices.
Furthermore, this narrative delves into complex and controversial topics, challenging societal norms and historical perspectives. Reader discretion is advised, as some themes may be unsettling or provocative. Read at your own risk.
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ISADORA
"VICTORIA!"
The rain was pouring heavily, echoing the turmoil I felt inside. The noise of the rain was overpowering everything else, just like my fear—fear that this might be the last time I'd see my sister.
"Victoria!" I chased after my sister down the long hallway of our home. Her waist-length hair danced in the wind as if she couldn't hear me, carrying a large bag filled with her belongings.
I grabbed her arm and forcibly turned her to face me. "Victoria, what the hell are you doing?!"
She couldn't look me in the eye. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, and she seemed determined not to listen.
"Do you even know what you're getting into?"
"I'm going with him—with them," she replied weakly. "I felt a real family with them, sister..."
"You're joining a cult, Victoria! Are you stupid?!" I screamed in her face, my voice shaking with anger, fear, and desperation.
"It's not a cult if it's a family!" she shouted back.
She quickly walked away, and I followed her again, desperate and unsure of what to say. I was at my wit's end, but what could I do?
She opened the large door leading outside our home. The strong wind blew inside, and the rain was still pouring hard. Thunder and lightning roared, but despite this, my beloved sister stepped out.
For the last time, Victoria turned to face me.
Our eyes met.
Yes, our eyes met. The last memory she left me before...
I blinked and returned to the present, scanning my surroundings.
A large fire burned in the middle of the forest. Many women were dressed in white gowns, some completely naked.
I was startled when someone touched my cheek. I looked up slightly and saw the silhouette of a man in front of me. He held my chin gently but firmly, making me look up at him.
The man with no identity.
No one knew who he was, but rumors about him were rampant, especially among the women in our area.
They said he was a god.
"Your name?" he asked, his voice like melted chocolate. Deep, cold, yet calm and... deceptive.
He crouched slightly in front of me, and his appearance became clearer.
A god.
Words weren't enough to describe his image.
"Isadora," I replied softly.
His fingers caressed my cheeks, down to my neck. Goosebumps rose on my nape and down my back as he traced the lines on my neck. Gentle, careful, yet insistent.
"Isadora," he repeated my name, which sounded regal when he said it. "Why do you want to be part of this family?"
Family?
Was this what he promised Victoria?
It was indeed tempting, as my sister and I had been without a family for a long time—it was ironic that Victoria didn't see me as family, but even so, I would swim the ocean to bring her back to the home we built.
But ten years had passed!
"I want to be yours," I lied. "But first... what will I get if I offer my soul to you?"
A smile slowly spread across his lips—he seemed pleased with my question. He brought his face closer to mine, his breath brushing against my lips.
"The call of the flesh," he whispered. "I can give you everything that," his large hand rested on my chest. "--everything your body cries out for at night when you're alone, Isadora."
I was stunned.
That was a sin for a woman! What he was saying was a sin!
"That is—" I couldn't finish my sentence as he gently pulled the end of the ribbon on my dress.
"—a sin?" he completed my sentence. I continued looking up at him, at the fire behind him, at the women whose minds seemed poisoned—
"Is the call of the flesh truly a sin?" he asked me. "Don't you want to experience sin without committing it, Isadora?" he asked again as he slid my dress off my shoulders.
His eyes traveled from my body back to my eyes.
A god.
"Do you want to be mine?"
I nodded. He smiled and caressed my cheek again. I closed my eyes, feeling his touch—
—disgusting.
My sister.
Where was my sister?
Why wasn't she here?
"Because she's not here," he suddenly said, startling me.
I pulled away from him as I heard his deceitful laugh. I shivered as he slightly tilted his head to look at me closely. I felt the heat from the fire behind him more intensely on my skin now.
"You look just like your sister."
"Where is she?" I asked weakly.
Was it true? Were the rumors true? The rumors that if you tried to leave, they would kill you and eat all the flesh from your body?
But he didn't answer.
The god in front of me didn't answer anymore.
He just smiled, revealing his white teeth and two small, sharp fangs.
Before I lost consciousness, I heard him whisper in my ear. "I hope you're as sweet as she was."
He wasn't a god.
He was a devil.
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