Later that night, while Lyssa was sleeping peacefully in the small room the seer had provided for her, the old man silently entered carrying a calabash in his hands. His presence was shrouded in mystery as he moved towards the sleeping girl. Rounding the calabash over her, he began to murmur ancient incantations under his breath, his eyes filled with a strange intensity.

As he raised a small knife, he made a swift motion as if he intended to pierce it into Lyssa's heart. Just as he was about ...