Semua Bab What the River Demands: Bab 1 - Bab 9

A year ago, when my mom was eight months pregnant, she slipped and fell into this river.To be exact, the one who died… was my little brother.That summer, I went back home. My dad, who had always treated me with distant indifference, and sometimes even hit me, suddenly said he wanted to take me fishing. I did not dare say no. I knew that if I talked back even a little, he would not hesitate to hit me."Elaine, do you still have enough money for college?" he asked out of nowhere on the way to Sorrowmere River.For a second, I felt something warm in my chest. After all these years, this was the first time he had ever shown concern for me."Yeah, it's enough," I said quickly.I knew better than anyone that he hated spending money on me.At home, only Grandma treated me well. She had even bought me my phone.Dad gave me four hundred a month. Everything else I needed, I earned myself through livestreaming.We arrived at the Sorrowmere River in our village. While my dad prepared th

To be exact, the one who died… was my little brother.My dad had always wanted a son. However, with all his smoking and drinking, his body was a mess. Some time later, I do not know how he managed it, but he spent a tremendous amount of money and sought out someone who used some kind of forbidden ritual to forcibly "create" a male fetus.It felt like… life had been tampered with. Like something that should not exist.Only when my mom was pregnant did he finally restrain himself a little. A man who had never cared about books actually opened a dictionary and picked out a name ahead of time."Victor Hale," he said, unusually serious."So he'll grow up to bring honor to the family."A year ago, when my mom was eight months pregnant, she slipped by the river and fell in. By the time someone found her, she was already unconscious.They barely managed to save her life.The baby did not survive.After that, my dad became even more violent. He hit me more often than ever.My mom… she

My dad had me pinned down. My mom had lost it again, muttering over and over, "Drink it. If you drink it, my Victor will come back."She scooped up another bowl of soup and tried to force it into my mouth. I gathered all my strength into my foot and stomped hard on my dad's foot.He cried out in pain and loosened his grip. I did not hesitate. I lunged forward and slammed straight into my mom.That was it.My dad snapped."If you don't drink today, you're not leaving this house alive!" His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging across his forehead.He grabbed a knife from the corner and swung it at me. I ran for the door without thinking.Forget the restless spirit. Forget the life exchange.None of that mattered anymore.All I knew was that if I did not get out right then, my dad would actually kill me."What is going on here!" Grandma was back.The moment she saw the knife in my dad's hand, she rushed over and stood in front of me."Elaine, go back to your room and sleep. I'll

I finally released the breath I did not realize I had been holding and kept walking toward the river, the baby's body still strapped to my back.Then suddenly, I heard it.Footsteps. Fast.Someone was running toward me."There's only one path to the river. That little brat runs fast. I shouldn't have listened to my mom."Just one more night. After tonight, Victor will come back. We have to find her."My blood turned icy. It was my parents.So everything Alaric said… was true.I could not let them find me. I hurried toward the river, trying to stay quiet. However, panic made me clumsy. My foot snapped down on a dry branch.Crack.The sound was loud enough. They had definitely heard it.I bolted.However, the terrain there was uneven and full of holes. My foot slipped into a dip in the ground and I fell hard.Before I could get up, my dad rushed over and kicked me. Pain shot through my body as I struggled to stand."What are you carrying on your back!" he shouted.I looked

I heard a dull grunt.However, … there was no pain.Slowly, I opened my eyes.A man was standing in front of me.I had no idea when he had appeared.He stood there, calm and controlled. He wore a long dark coat, a leather belt fastened at his waist. Everything about him looked sharp and clean, like he did not belong to this world at all."Alaric? Didn't you say you'd wait on the other side?" I called out."I figured you wouldn't trust me," he said. "So I came over."His gaze flicked over me. "As expected. You're not wearing the banana leaves."I had no comeback for that, so I stayed silent."Get lost! This is none of your business!" my dad shouted, pointing at him.Alaric did not even look bothered. "Are you sure you're in any position to say that?" He gestured behind my dad.Something crawled out of the water.Its body was twisted and deformed. Its face was a sickly green, its teeth long and jagged. It moved fast. Too fast.A rotting stench spread instantly through the a