The room remained shrouded in gloom, an eerie chill lingering despite the blazing sunlight outside. After Vú N?m’s bone-chilling tale, the atmosphere thickened—heavy and suffocating with every breath. Yet, everyone still seemed bewildered, struggling to process what they had just heard.

  Deep waved his hand dismissively.

  "Aren’t you exaggerating a bit? There’s no such thing as a real Satan, the King of Demons. If he were real, where would he be in this world?"

  Ti?n nodded in agreement, his tone still tinged with disbelief.

  "Yeah, I’ve heard that name before—but only in Hollywood movies. If stuff like that were real, the world would be in chaos. Don’t try to scare me, sis."

  C?u D?ng crossed his arms and sighed.

  "I’ve heard stories about Satan too, but I’ve never seen anything concrete. There’s nothing on the internet or in any scientific record proving he exists. It’s just like those ancient legends."

  Amid the skeptical chatter, Tu?n stayed silent. His eyes remained fixed on My—his brilliant, beautiful fiancée who was supposed to be his wife soon. She lay unconscious, her eyes fluttering faintly, as if trapped between a nightmare and reality.

  “Could there really be a spiritual force targeting My…? Could Satan truly exist? That’s impossible…”

  The thoughts swirled in Tu?n’s mind like tangled threads. On one hand, he could feel an inexplicable force in play. On the other, he still clung to logic—maybe all of this was just the result of intense stress and hallucinations?

  Seeing that no one seemed to believe her, Vú N?m abruptly turned and rushed out of the room. Her slippers slapped loudly against the hallway tiles, echoing the rising tension in the house.

  Not even five minutes later, she returned, carrying a thick, timeworn leather-bound book. The faint scent of mildew hung in the air as her trembling hands placed the volume on the table. She began turning its yellowed pages.

  "Here. This old book was passed down by my grandfather. He was a real sorcerer—a true spiritual scholar who studied demonic entities. He wasn’t just some fortune-teller."

  She flipped to a page featuring a hand-drawn image, the ink faded with age. The figure was towering and muscular, with spiraled horns curling from its head, a crown resting on its forehead, and fierce amber eyes that seemed to burn into your soul. Beneath the illustration were ancient Chinese characters and a note in smaller script:

  "Satan – The Demon King who rules the Shadow Realm. Ruler of Hell’s domain and its many layers. The punishments of all nine circles are decreed by Satan himself."

  Vú N?m’s voice trembled:

  "The shadow I saw in Miss My’s mirror last night… it was exactly like this. That was Satan—I’m sure of it. Every detail matches."

  Silence fell over the room again.

  The ticking of the clock’s second hand suddenly seemed unnaturally loud.

  Though still unconscious, My shivered—as if her soul were struggling against an invisible force within a dreamscape.

  Tu?n stared at the drawing, a cold shiver creeping down his spine.

  "If what Vú N?m says is true..." — he swallowed hard — "...then we’re dealing with something beyond human comprehension."

  Debate gave way to silence. Time passed quietly. Outside the window, the harsh sunlight softened into a

  pale amber glow as day slipped into dusk.

  By now, it was nearly 5 PM. Outside, the golden hues of the setting sun blanketed the villa’s courtyard, but inside the room, the heavy silence lingered as everyone remained transfixed by the image of King Satan in Vú N?m’s ancient book and the eerie description that accompanied it.

  Suddenly, the sharp sound of the doorbell pierced the air, startling everyone.

  Vú N?m quickly stepped out onto the balcony, gently opened the door, and peered down toward the gate before exclaiming with joy:

  – "The master and madam are back! It’s My’s parents! I called them last night about Miss My’s condition, so they rushed home to check on her."

  Upon hearing that, C?u D?ng didn’t hesitate and hurried after Vú N?m toward the gate. His steps were more urgent than ever.

  Outside, a sleek black car had just pulled up. The door swung open, and out stepped Mr. Quy — a composed man with the bearing of a successful businessman — alongside his wife, Mrs. Lan, a graceful woman with eyes full of worry.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Mr. Quy spoke with urgency:

  – "As soon as we heard from Vú N?m this morning that something happened to our daughter, we dropped everything and took the earliest flight back to Saigon."

  Clutching her husband’s hand, Mrs. Lan added with a trembling voice:

  – "I still can’t believe this… Ever since that call from Vú N?m, I’ve had this uneasy feeling — as if someone or something has been watching over her from afar."

  C?u D?ng nodded in greeting and quickly said:

  – "Tu?n told me about My’s condition too, so I came over to check. Right now, Tu?n, Ti?n, and Deep are upstairs with her."

  Without waiting for another word, Mr. Quy responded firmly:

  – "Let’s talk inside. I need to see how my daughter is doing first."

  The gate swung open. They moved swiftly into the house and headed straight for My’s room. The sound of their footsteps echoed across the cool marble tiles. Every face was tense. From the wall, the antique pendulum clock emitted a dry, abrupt "click"—as if signaling that something long dormant was about to awaken.

  Inside the room, My still lay unconscious, her face pale and drawn. No one knew that a storm of supernatural energy was quietly brewing — deep within the chilling

  silence of this opulent villa.

  The bedroom door creaked open. Mr. Quy, Mrs. Lan, Vú N?m, and C?u D?ng entered, carrying with them a heavy, anxious atmosphere. The room was still bathed in soft, dim light. On the bed, My remained fast asleep—her face pale, with tousled hair covering one cheek.

  Mr. Quy froze for a few seconds. His hand clenched into a fist, his throat tightening. Never before had he seen his daughter in such a frail and broken state.

  Standing beside the bed were Tu?n, Ti?n, and Deep, all looking exhausted. When they saw the couple enter, the three of them gave respectful nods.

  Tu?n — the future son-in-law — spoke with a somber tone:

  – "Bác Quy, Bác Lan… honestly, we don't even know how to explain this properly. From the outside, it might seem like My is having some kind of psychological breakdown… but based on what Vú N?m described and what we’ve read in that ancient book… it’s highly possible that she’s being haunted by some kind of spiritual force."

  Mrs. Lan furrowed her brows, her voice trembling with concern:

  – "You’re saying… a spiritual force? This isn’t something to take lightly. If that’s true, then our daughter is in serious danger."

  C?u D?ng slowly sat down on a chair, his gaze thoughtful:

  – "Last night, My was still perfectly fine at my daughter’s wedding. She laughed, she talked. But as soon as she came home, she started having nightmares… then panicked, and she hasn’t been herself since."

  Deep nodded, arms crossed:

  – "That’s right. Everything happened so fast. Just yesterday she was a normal person… and by this morning, she turned into this…"

  Ti?n, eyes still fixed on My’s face, added:

  – "This whole thing… it’s just bizarre. It doesn’t feel like normal stress at all."

  The atmosphere in the room grew heavier. Everyone could feel the cold, fog-like air closing in around them. Outside, the sky had shifted to a gentle amber of sunset—like two worlds silently clashing. On one side: light and reason. On the other: darkness and the inexplicable.

  Mr. Quy and Mrs. Lan moved to sit on the edge of the bed, their eyes frozen in shock as they took in their daughter’s haggard appearance.

  Mr. Quy furrowed his brow, his voice choked:

  – "Dear God... my daughter… how could she end up like this after just one night?"

  Mrs. Lan clutched her husband’s hand tightly, her voice filled with deep concern:

  – "We need to take her to the hospital right away. What if this is some kind of neurological issue?"

  Mr. Quy nodded, then pulled out his phone and dialed their private doctor.

  – "Doctor, come to my house immediately. My daughter... something’s happened. Please, hurry."

  After hanging up, he sighed heavily, unable to hide the anxiety on his face.

  Mrs. Lan turned toward Vú N?m, her gaze sharp and demanding:

  – "Tu?n said you mentioned something about an ancient book… What’s that all about? Tell me clearly."

  Without hesitation, Vú N?m stepped to the table, picked up an old, worn leather-bound book, and opened it to a specific page.

  – "Madam, last night when Miss My was screaming, I went into her room to check. At that moment, in the large mirror next to the wardrobe, I clearly saw a massive dark figure sitting on a throne. It had horns… and in the middle, it wore a crown."

  Mrs. Lan’s eyes widened in shock:

  – "What?! Are you sure? Did you see it clearly, or were you just imagining things because you were scared?"

  Vú N?m turned the book around and showed the page to Mrs. Lan and Mr. Quy:

  – "I remember it very clearly. I was completely lucid at the time… and in this book—passed down from my grandfather, who was a spiritual master and dedicated his life to studying the supernatural—he taught me about the world of demons and gods when I was young. In here, there’s a depiction that looks exactly like the shadow I saw. Here… this is Satan, the Demon King. He has eyes as deep as an abyss, long sharp claws, and a twisted smile as if mocking the souls of the damned… the ruler of Hell, said to be the judge and punisher of sinful human souls."

  The room fell silent. A chill crept up everyone's spine. C?u D?ng suddenly shivered and slipped his hands into his coat pockets, speaking softly:

  – "Is it just me, or is it freezing in here? I’ve got goosebumps all over…"

  The ticking of the wall clock echoed loudly in the silence—each second pushin

  g them closer to a terrifying truth.

  Vú N?m glanced around the room, then spoke in a solemn tone:

  – "I have a friend who is a seasoned spiritual master. If everyone, especially sir and madam, are willing to trust me, I’ll invite him here to assess the situation. He might know a way to break this."

  Deep and Ti?n spoke up in unison, their voices tinged with both curiosity and unease:

  – "If you say so, Vú N?m… maybe it’s best to combine both medical treatment and spiritual guidance."

  C?u D?ng nodded thoughtfully:

  – "Yes, I agree. We have nothing to lose at this point… maybe it’ll help My recover."

  Mr. Quy held his wife’s hand tightly, his eyes red with emotion:

  – "Let the doctor examine my daughter first. As for you, Vú N?m, call the spiritual master right away. We must save my daughter at all costs."

  Tu?n stepped closer to the bed, his eyes on My, who was still unconscious. His voice was urgent, choked with emotion:

  – "We have to try everything now. I can’t just stand here and watch my fiancée spiral deeper into this madness."

  Vú N?m nodded and stepped out of the room. When she returned, her voice was low and somber:

  – "I’ll contact him right away. But it will take at least two more days for him to get here… he’s currently performing a sacred ritual in a remote northern mountain region."

  Inside the room, no one spoke further. All eyes turned toward My, the once-beautiful and proud young lady… now seemingly imprisoned in an invisible, shad

  owy realm beyond reach.