Tonight is the perfect night to share this tale. I owe you an apology for not revealing the whole truth when you first asked. But now, I’ll take this opportunity to fill you in on all the details I left out.
Halloween, exactly 1982 years ago… I lost the love of my life, the mother of my daughter, my wife, Aria. What’s even more devastating? It was my fault. I, Spiegel Rothchilds, was a warlock of a coven I dare not name. I married the love of my life, and together we welcomed a beautiful daughter, whom we named Tabitha. My life felt like a dream—an enchanting wife, a lovely daughter, and another child on the way. I was on the brink of becoming the youngest Elder in my coven. Everything seemed flawless.
Halloween night, October 31st, marks the moment when the gates of the underworld swing wide open, unleashing spirits and demons upon our world. This is the perfect night for any ritual. Traditionally, every coven uses this night to express gratitude to their deities for their powers. This year, I was chosen to guard the sacrifice—a girl no older than 13, just about the same age as my daughter at the time. She was locked in a cage, cold and starved. The night before the ritual, as I walked by, she grabbed my ankle, her weak hands clinging desperately. She begged for her life, and a swarm of emotions overwhelmed me. I couldn’t help but think, what if it was my daughter?
I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her to endure unspeakable torment before the ritual. It was said that the gods relished the cries of agonized souls, believing the adrenaline made the sacrifice more delectable. In a moment of desperation, I made the gravest mistake of my life: I left the cage unlocked at dawn and returned home to my family.
When the time for the ritual came the next day, Aria and Tabitha stayed home, as she was feeling unwell from the pregnancy. The ritual started and it was time for them to bring out the sacrifice for the tortures. I was preparing myself to act surprised when they’ve realized that the girl escaped.
Instead, I witnessed the guards dragging out two individuals and throwing them to the ground. Suddenly, I felt a grip on my arms from behind, forcing me to my knees before the blazing fire. I lifted my head to see what was happening and caught sight of the girl—the one I thought I had saved—stepping out from behind the crowd. She smiled at me, but it was the most sinister smile I had ever seen. Then, she turned to the leader of our coven and nodded. It was a test—a test I had failed miserably. Now, it was time for me to pay the price. I thought my coven would kill me and use me as a sacrifice, but I was far too naive. They had a far more sinister plan in store for me. As I looked closer at the two individuals the guards had brought out, my heart sank. It was my daughter…and my pregnant wife.
Our leader told me to choose. They want me to choose between my Aria and Tabitha. They wanted me to choose which to sacrifice. This was the punishment for betraying my coven. I took a deep breath… And pointed at my daughter. It was an impossible decision. I love my daughter but I couldn’t live without my dear Aria.
The entire coven laughed. It seemed like they were all in on it. Everyone knew about this except for me. Our leader turned towards the guard who was holding my Aria captive and gave him a signal. In that moment, everything became clear. There was never a choice; they wanted to sacrifice my unborn child. The anguish of a pregnant mother knowing her child would be forever damned would create the ultimate sacrifice. They made me choose because they wanted my daughter to know I’d choose her mother over her. How did I not see this?
Before I could gather my thoughts, I felt a demonic power seize control of my body. I tried to scream, but to my horror, I realized I was no longer in control. I felt myself smile. Confused and hopeless, the guards let go of my arms. My body was free but I wasn’t in control. I saw myself walking towards Aria. I wanted to grab her and run but my body wouldn’t listen no matter how much I tried.
The guards handed me a dagger. I tried to resist, but my hand reached out and grasped the cold handle. A laugh echoed in my ears—my own laugh.
I looked into my Aria’s eyes, longing to tell her how much I loved her, but the words wouldn't come. I just stood there, staring, until someone grabbed my head and pressed their lips against mine. The scent of rotten teeth and wriggling maggots filled my mouth. I tried to pull away but felt myself kissing back.
As she pulled away, I saw her face. It was Ariana… Aria’s sister. Before I could comprehend what was happening, my hand swung across Aria’s throat. Her blood sprayed across my face, its warmth burning against my cold skin. Her eyes were filled with sadness, confusion, and betrayal.
The demon made me watch her choke on her own blood. I tried to turn away, but I couldn’t. My eyes stayed wide open while the demon laughed and laughed. He whispered to me “This is your fault, you need to watch what you’ve done...” and finally it was over. I saw the life in her eyes slowly fade away. She fell to the floor and then that was it. The love of my life, the mother of my daughter and my unborn child died in front of me.
This was the torment they had orchestrated for my wife—my ultimate betrayal as a husband. In her final moments, she died believing I had betrayed her. She thought I had an affair with Ariana and was willing to sacrifice her and our unborn child to ascend to the rank of Elder. They wanted this forsaken energy to feed the Gods.
The dark energy finally drained from my body, but it was too late. Collapsing to the ground, I sobbed uncontrollably. Celebratory laughter and cheers echoed around me. My arms and legs felt as heavy as a thousand tons. Desperation clawed at my mind; I wanted to end my life to join Aria in damnation. But then I thought of my daughter. I had to ensure her safety. Just as I tried to stand, a blow landed on my face. I could barely see until I heard my daughter's cries.
"How could you?" she demanded.
I tried to tell her it wasn't me, but I was too weak to speak. She spat in my face with disgust, kicked me in the stomach, and stormed off. I lifted my head and saw my coven dancing with joy around the fire. Amidst the revelry, I spotted Ariana. She looked my way, and our eyes locked. She laughed and revealed her true self. This wasn’t Ariana, she must be a shapeshifter. I couldn’t believe it. It was the girl that I rescued. This bitch ruined me. I promised myself that I would find this girl and skin her alive. But, I’m too weak to even stand. I didn’t know what my coven had planned for me. To them, I was a traitor. However, death would be too merciful. They've left me alive to wallow in guilt. I've lost everything. They released my daughter, knowing she would hate me for what I did to her mother.
I think that's enough for tonight. Maybe next time, I’ll share how I escaped.
Goodbye for now, deary.
Comments