James hurried into the house and went straight to his bedroom, trying not to draw anyone's attention. Reaching under his pillow, he pulled out the crystal.
"This might be my way out…" he murmured, staring at the strange droplet-like movement swirling inside the crystal.
"James, dinner's ready!" Hannah's voice called from the kitchen.
He quickly hid the crystal back under his pillow. "I'll be right down!"
That evening's meal was more subdued than usual. Hannah tried to chat with the children, but the mood remained grim. James barely touched his food, his gaze drifting repeatedly toward William, who was eating quietly, head bowed.
"Dad…" Emma asked softly. "Are you feeling sick?"
"No, sweetheart," James replied, forcing a smile. "I'm just a bit tired."
"Then you should finish your meal so you'll have some strength." Emma's bright eyes shone with innocence. "You have work again tomorrow, right?"
Her simple question pierced his heart like a dagger. "Excuse me… I have a headache."
James rose and left the table, heading to his bedroom. As he walked away, he could hear Hannah consoling the children behind him. "Don't worry, he's probably just exhausted…"
In the dimly lit bedroom, James sat on the edge of the bed and took out the crystal again. This time, he noticed it felt warmer than before, and the liquid-like droplets inside churned and swirled with increasing violence and speed.
"If I sell it…" he spoke to himself, "I might get enough money…"
But suddenly, a numb sensation shot up his arm. Alarmed, he looked down to see his skin turning hard, almost like tree bark.
"What is this?" He tried shaking his hand, but the feeling only intensified, creeping up to his shoulder.
Tiny footsteps sounded from beyond the bedroom door. James quickly hid the crystal beneath his pillow, struggling to steady his breathing—but he couldn't stop his body from trembling.
A gentle knock followed. "Dad…?" William's uncertain voice came through.
"Don't come in!" James called out, doing his best to hide the tremor in his voice. He stared at his arm in terror, the skin still darkening into a rough bark-like texture.
"Dad… I just wanted to say…" The boy paused. "It's okay. I understand…"
James closed his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks. The ache in his chest was so deep he could hardly breathe. "My boy…"
"I'll try my best to help you with work," William went on. "I'm not great at studying, but I'll train myself…"
The child's words cut like a knife. James wanted nothing more than to stand up, to embrace his son and promise everything would be all right—but he couldn't. Not when his body was changing so horribly.
"William…" he said, voice barely above a whisper. "Go to bed. I… I'm sorry…"
Soft footsteps retreated. James could hear the faint sound of his son crying. Rage and anguish welled up inside him. His fingers dug into the blanket until the veins stood out in his arm.
Gradually, the bark-like skin receded, leaving only an itchy, burning sensation behind. James reached under his pillow, feeling the warmth of the crystal radiate against his fingertips.
'I can't sell it...' he thought. 'It must be worth more than just money. It must be able to help me more than that...'
'Perhaps...' he thought, 'perhaps this is a gift from The Divine Ordainer... the way out I've been waiting for...'
That night, once the rest of the house had fallen silent, James sat gazing at the crystal in his hand. Moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the frenzied motion of the droplets within. They twisted and writhed, dancing in increasingly wild, chaotic patterns, as if performing some frantic ritual.
Suddenly, a loud banging on the front door shattered the silence. "James, you in there?" a gruff voice shouted.
James's heart lurched. He knew that voice all too well. It belonged to men from the Golden Ring.
"It's time to pay up," another voice barked. "How long did you think you could hide?"
"W-wait!" James stuffed the crystal into his pocket. "I'm coming…"
He opened the door to find three rough-looking men. Hannah and the children, awakened by the commotion, peered out anxiously.
"Please… just give me a little more time," James pleaded, voice trembling. "The mansion canceled their order, but I promise I'll—"
"Enough!" the leader snarled, shoving James so hard that he crashed into his work table, scattering tools across the floor. "The mistress has given you more than enough chances. Search the place!"
The other two quickly split up, rifling through drawers and turning tables upside down. Everything was in chaos.
"Stop!" Hannah rushed forward, only to be shoved violently aside. She fell, striking her head on the edge of the table.
"Mom!" William cried, rushing to her side. She lay still, blood seeping from her temple.
"Hey…" One of the intruders grabbed Emma's arm as she wailed. "We can take these kids, maybe get a good price for them somewhere—"
"Let go of Emma!" William lunged at him, only to be knocked back with a hard slap.
The group's leader eyed Hannah's unconscious form with a cruel smirk. "She's pretty enough. Madame Red's place would be happy to have her, I bet…"
"Leave my mother alone!" William snatched up a small carving knife from the floor and charged at the man about to lay hands on Hannah.
"You little brat!" The leader kicked William aside. "You wanna die?"
"Dad…" Emma sobbed, struggling to free herself. "Daddy, help me…"
James forced himself upright, in spite of the pain from being slammed into the table. "Don't you dare touch my family!"
He lunged at the leader, swinging wildly, but the man sidestepped with ease, driving a solid punch into James's midsection. James doubled over in agony.
"Who do you think you are?" the leader sneered, kicking him in the ribs. "Just a worthless dog of a carpenter—"
"Dad!" Emma's terrified cry rang out.
Gritting his teeth, James tried to rise again, but one of the thugs grabbed his arms from behind, pinning them. Another began to pummel him mercilessly, fists and feet slamming against his body in a relentless barrage.
"Stop it!" William again attempted to intervene, knife in hand.
"Damn kid!" The leader seized William by the collar and slammed him down on the workbench.
"William!" James screamed, trying to break free. In the struggle, he was knocked backward against the wall. The crystal in his jacket pocket pressed sharply into his chest, piercing the skin near his heart.
"Bet this bastard won't be getting up again," the leader spat on James and turned his attention to Hannah, still unconscious. "Pity to waste such a fine woman…"
"Heh… yeah," one of the others agreed with a leering grin. "Maybe we should sample the goods before selling her off. Save ourselves some money that way—"
"Dad…" Emma whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Raw fury exploded in James's veins. The terror in his daughter's voice combined with the men's vile words filled him with a murderous rage he had never known. His blood felt like it was on fire, burning through every vessel in his body.
"Aaargh!" His scream tore through the night as his body began to convulse violently.
Agonizing heat spread through every inch of him. He felt like molten metal was flowing through his veins, burning him from within. Each bone in his body began to twist and reshape under his skin, every joint contorting in some grotesque transformation.
"Don't… touch… my family…" he managed to choke out, his voice distorted and barely human.
"What the—still alive?" One of them turned around, only to freeze when he saw James's skin begin splitting and cracking. Bark-like growths sprouted from beneath the ruptured flesh.
"By The Divine Ordainer… that thing…"
James's howl escalated, echoing in the workshop. His arms and legs elongated, fingers warping into jagged, wooden talons like an animal's claws. His skin hardened in patches of coarse bark and reptilian scales, twisting outward in bizarre ridges. His face contorted, jaw stretching into a savage muzzle lined with razor-sharp fangs, yellow eyes glowing like a wolf's in mid-hunt.
He was a hideous hybrid of human, tree, and beast—a monstrous chimera bristling with savage power. Muscles bulged in twisted knots beneath the bark-like skin, great spines jutted from his back like a porcupine, and his hind legs bent into the shape of a wolf's, ready to sprint and hunt prey.
"D-Dad…" Emma gasped in horror, staring at the horrifying creature her father had become.
"Run!" the thugs screamed, releasing the children to fumble for their weapons.
They were too slow. With the speed of a hungry wolf, James's monstrous form lunged at the leader who had harmed his family. The man tried to raise his knife, but the beast was upon him in an instant.
Its claws raked through cloth and flesh as though it were paper, splattering blood in a violent arc. A terrible scream echoed, then cut off as the beast's powerful jaws closed around the man's throat, ripping it away with one savage jerk.
"Demon! It's a demon!" shrieked the remaining two. One tried to stab the creature, but his blade snapped against the hardened scales. The other swung a chair, only to see it splinter uselessly against the monster's form.
The beast turned, glowing yellow eyes locking onto them. It sprang forward with lightning speed, impaling one man's abdomen right through to his back. Lifting him high, it slammed him onto the floor so hard that bones snapped like dry twigs and intestines spilled out across the floorboards.
The last man tried to flee, but a newly sprouted tail lashed out from the beast's spine, coiling around his legs and yanking him off his feet. Dragged back, he could only scream for mercy before the beast's jaws clamped down, tearing through his flesh in great, bloody chunks.
The animal instinct overwhelmed James's mind, filling him with a hunger he had never known. The scent of blood and fear from his prey drove his hunting instincts further, compelling him to devour the flesh before him. Blood and shredded meat spattered everywhere, the sound of gnashing teeth echoing in the small workshop.
"D-Dad…" Emma whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
Abruptly, the creature paused and turned, drawn by her voice. Yellow eyes fixed on his family—Emma cowering behind Hannah, who lay unmoving. Blood dripped from the monster's jaw and claws as it studied them, caught between conflicting urges.
"James…" Hannah whispered, trying to shield the children. "I know you're still in there somewhere…"
The beast growled low in its throat and took a step closer. Part of James's mind still recognized his loved ones, desperately fighting to protect them. But another part was consumed by the feral urge to kill and feed, the hunger still pounding through his transformed body.
"Dad… please…" Emma sobbed, hiding her face against her mother's side.
William gripped the carving knife again, placing himself between the creature and his mother and sister. "Dad… I know you're still in there…"
The hideous figure trembled. A flicker of memory flashed through its consciousness: William helping in the workshop, Emma's bright laughter, Hannah's warm smile. Then another stab of agony ripped through James's monstrous body, making him snarl in torment.
"Run, children!" Hannah cried, trying to pull them back.
But William stood his ground, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Dad… come back to us…"
The beast shook violently, haunted by the conflict raging inside it. Animal instinct urged it to pounce on the frightened humans before it, but the memories of family kept it at bay. It growled in anguish, its talons digging deep grooves into the floorboards.
"Dad… are you in pain?" Emma's small voice trembled as she peeked out from behind her mother.
That innocent voice awakened a spark of humanity in James. But fresh waves of torment immediately cut through him, his transformation intensifying. More spikes and scales erupted from his flesh as the beast fought to take complete control.
"William! Take your sister and run!" Hannah shouted, pushing her son away.
"But Dad—"
"I'll stay with him! Go now!"
William hesitated but then grabbed Emma's hand. "Come on, Emma! Hurry!"
"No! I won't go!" Emma sobbed, struggling against her brother. "Dad… Daddy…"
Her cries drove the beast into even greater distress. It thrashed wildly, shattering tables and chairs, fighting the insatiable hunger that raged beneath its twisted form.
"James…" Hannah stepped closer, tears flowing. "I know you're still in there. You love our children—remember their laughter?"
The creature turned toward her, its eyes flickering between savage yellow and the warm brown they once had. But then another spasm of pain made it howl in agony. The savage instinct swelled once more, drowning out his human thoughts.
"Run…" came a rasping, half-human voice—a final plea from the man still trapped inside. "Run far away… before I—"
The sentence never finished. With a terrible shriek, the creature lunged at Hannah with terrifying speed. Claws and fangs sank into her flesh before she could even cry out. She had no chance to flee, and James had no time to realize what he was doing.
"Mom!" the children shrieked in horror.
Blood splattered across the floor as the beast tore Hannah's body apart, devouring her remains in frenzied bites. After consuming its fourth victim, a flicker of humanity briefly returned to James.
"No… no…" he groaned in a ragged voice. "Children… run away! Run now!"
William seized Emma's hand and bolted for the door.
But the monstrous power overtook James again. Seeing what he had just done—feeling his wife's flesh in his jaws—shattered what remained of his mind. The beast snarled and charged after them.
William reached the front door and slammed it shut, hoping to buy Emma a few precious seconds. "Run, Emma! Hurry!"
As he turned to follow, an unnaturally elongated arm crashed through the door, razor-sharp claws seizing him. Blood welled where they tore into his flesh.
"Run, Emma!" William cried out, tears streaking his face. "Don't look back! Just go!"
Emma's heart-wrenching sobs tore through the night air, but her small legs carried her away from the house. William's screams echoed behind her, but she didn't dare turn around.
She couldn't bear to see what her father had become.
Her brother's dying screams pursued her as Emma ran, heart pounding, tears blurring her vision. "Help!" she shouted into the darkness. "Someone, please help us!"
Her small feet tripped on the damp earth, sending her sprawling, but she scrambled up immediately and kept running, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Please help my dad! Help William!" she cried out again and again as she fled.
Yet no one emerged from the darkened houses. Windows remained shuttered, doors locked tight. The village slept on, deaf to her pleas.
Finally, the sound of hoofbeats and carriage wheels broke through the night. Emma spotted the warm glow of a lantern on an approaching dark carriage. Without thinking, she threw herself directly into its path.
"Stop! Help, please!"
The driver yanked hard on the reins, bringing the horses to a lurching halt mere steps from the terrified child.
"What's happening?" A woman's voice called from inside as the carriage door swung open.
A girl of about sixteen stepped down, her face illuminated by the lantern's glow. She had a delicate oval face, fair skin that contrasted with her brown hair loosely braided over one shoulder. Her dark, elegantly arched eyebrows furrowed with concern as she took in the trembling child before her.
Two guards—a man and woman in protective gear—stepped down after her, hands hovering near their weapons, while the driver remained atop, controlling the still-nervous horses.
"Help..." Emma sobbed, her voice breaking. "My dad... he—"
…
Inside the carpenter's shop—once filled with the comforting scent of sawdust and polish—only the stench of blood and death remained. Mutilated bodies lay in pools of crimson, torn to unrecognizable pieces. Tools and furniture lay scattered and broken across the floor, silent witnesses to the horror that had unfolded.
In the center of this carnage knelt James, his warped body still fluctuating between human and monster. One moment, patches of his skin would harden into tree bark; the next, they would transform into reptilian scales. His blood-soaked hands shifted between brutal talons and trembling human fingers.
Tears streamed from eyes that flickered between feral yellow and human brown. His sobs were a twisted sound—a haunting mixture of human weeping and bestial growling.
"Hannah... William..." he croaked, voice barely recognizable. "What... what have I done..."
His gaze fixed upon the remains of his wife and son, overwhelming guilt and grief crushing what was left of his soul. Each time he recognized anew the horror of his actions, another piece of his humanity crumbled away.
"Someone..." he whispered through his tears. "Please kill me... before I hurt anyone else..."
But no one dared approach. No one would confront the creature that was neither fully human nor beast, kneeling amid the remains of its own family. James could only wait in his torment, surrounded by the carnage of those he had loved, praying that someone would come to end his suffering.