Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 52

In that instant, Ares dodged the knife, his reflexes fast to avoid the attack on his stomach, and Sebastian rushed towards the men too. A sharp, piercing pain in my head blurred my vision.

I shook my head violently, clearing my view, focusing my eyes back to Ares and was about to sigh in relief that he wasn't hurt when I noticed the drops of blood dripping on the ground.

My breathing seized for a while, gaze shifting to Ares' coat sleeve, seeing bloodstains on it.

The pain in my head became unbearable, a memory flickering in my eyes, disconnecting me from my surroundings.

Drip!

Drip!

Drip!

The profound silence was shattered by the sound of blood dripping from the tip of the massive butcher knife in Mother's hands.

My body froze, unable to move, as I stared into those wide, bloodshot eyes fixed on me, radiating nothing but insanity.

In the eerie stillness, the bedroom door behind her creaked open further, revealing a man equally drenched in blood. A silent gasp escaped my lips as I recognized Mother's brother, Uncle Jim. They used to talk and laugh with Papa, and...

When his eyes met mine, his eyebrows raised in surprise before shifting back to Mother.

My heart drummed loudly in my ears as my body trembled violently under their piercing gazes. Mother stared at me, a blank expression on her face before a wide smile broke onto her lips, revealing her teeth. In that moment, she looked less like a human and more like a monster wearing a human face.

What would they do to me?

Amidst my losing senses, survival instinct kicked in, and I stepped back, intending to escape when my foot slipped on the blood-smeared floor, and my body tumbled backward down the stairs.

The worn wooden floors of our countryside house creaked loudly along with my shriek, making a sharp noise as I tumbled down the stairs. My head, shoulder, and arms hit each step, and I landed with a harsh thud on the floor.

A painful cry escaped my lips, my eyes fixed on the figures standing outside the bedroom door. The dim light from the room cascaded on them amidst the heavy darkness of the night.

Despite the pain from the fall, my brain couldn't register the damage as my body moved on autopilot, rising to my feet and staggering away to escape from them. I rushed deeper into the house, running towards the living room and then making my way down to the basement. I opened a secret door in the midstairs and slipped inside, closing it firmly. This hiding spot had been my secret refuge countless times in the past, and Mother was still oblivious to this place.

My heart pounded crazily inside my chest as I listened to the faint sound of heels ticking against the floor, accompanied by heavy footsteps of the man. The entire house was enveloped in darkness, and I couldn't see anything except for the strong foul smell clinging to my hands and clothes. I knew I had blood stains on my cream-colored frock and all over me.

A wave of nausea hit me, and bile rose in my throat. I quickly covered my mouth with my violently shaking hands, suppressing any sound from escaping me that might give away my location.

My ears attuned to the faintest sounds outside, tracing the haunting cadence of their footsteps in the living room. The basement door groaned open gradually, accompanied by the ominous echo of heels.

"Where are you, Elysia? I'm gonna find you," Mother's calm voice slithered through the air, and the bass of their approaching footsteps reverberated on the basement stairs.