Thud!
Sandra felt frustrated and furious when she saw her groceries scattered all over the supermarket floor. She had just finished shopping after spending hours carefully selecting each product she needed. Every item was chosen with thought, and she was so pleased with the results. But everything was ruined when a woman accidentally bumped into her.
As she looked down, her shopping bag had toppled over. Fresh fruits and vegetables rolled across the floor, a sauce bottle shattered, and a few cans of meat clattered aimlessly. Her face turned red, and her eyes burned with anger. All the carefully selected items were now ruined.
"Don't you have eyes?" she snapped at the woman, who just stood there staring meaningfully.
"Sorry," the woman said shortly.
"Just sorry? You wrecked my shopping!" Sandra's voice rose, laced with curses and harsh words. Her patience was clearly pushed to the limit.
And instead of properly apologizing, the woman just hurried away. If Lukas hadn't stepped in, Sandra might have chased and yanked her hair to vent her anger.
"Let it go, San. Don't cause a scene."
"She started it!"
"Still, just drop it! Let's go home!" Lukas picked up the spilled items and dragged Sandra toward the car. "Besides, you're too weak. Just a little bump and you collapse. You should exercise more!"
"You're siding with that rude stranger instead of your beautiful wife?"
"Enough, Sandra. I don't feel like arguing." Lukas grumbled in frustration. He shook his head at his wife who continued ranting endlessly.
They had just returned from a long trip, but her energy for anger was seemingly endless. Did she menstruate every day or what?
Meanwhile, the woman who had bumped into Sandra climbed into a car. In truth, that "accidental" bump had been intentional. Sandra had been her target all along.
"Well?" Kayla asked eagerly. Arhan, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror, waiting for Sara's answer.
"She is the bearer of the diamond soul. I'm certain that the soul inside Sandra's body isn't her own." The woman spoke breathlessly. Even with just a brief touch, her energy was nearly drained trying to read Sandra.
"Diamond soul? So you mean someone else's soul has possessed her? No wonder she's become someone else! I knew it! The real Sandra would never be this strong!" Kayla said sharply, filled with emotion.
"I don't dare help you hurt her. She's protected by demons for a specific purpose. My powers are limited. I couldn't read her fully. It needs deeper observation."
"I paid you a lot to eliminate her!"
"Do it yourself. I'm out. The only thing I can suggest is to take her to the grave of her original body."
"Her original body's grave?"
"Find out whose soul is inside her body."
Kayla furrowed her brows. Her memory flashed back to the night Sandra changed for the first time. That night, she had screamed the name Alana like a madwoman. Was that the original soul? A woman named Alana—whoever she was?
"Alana. I think Alana is the original soul," she said firmly.
"Who's Alana?" Arhan asked his sister.
"The first time Sandra changed, that's the name she screamed. I'm sure Alana is the real owner of the body."
"Bring her to Alana's grave, and she'll vanish. Her soul will return to its true, dead body." Sara added with hesitation. "But there's another possibility."
"What?"
"Sandra's original soul might return too."
"That's fine. The original Sandra was stupid and weak. That's exactly what I want!" Kayla said with a wicked smile.
Sara remained silent, unwilling to be involved any further. Not only could the demons kill her, but dealing with the dead was no easy task.
Those who were weak in life could be much stronger in death—especially if they died with unresolved grudges. This was far more dangerous than it looked.
"I'll return half your money. Don't involve me again. I've warned you, this mission is dangerous."
"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to make Sandra go back to the way she was. She can't have Lukas. My parents' revenge must be fulfilled."
*****
Sandra was still grumbling after they arrived home. She was still upset about what had happened earlier. Especially with Lukas' so-called kindness. He should've stood up for her and grabbed that woman by the hair!
"We just got back from a long trip. Aren't you tired?"
Sandra flopped down, taking a deep breath. He was right. She was exhausted. The long journey had drained her. Not to mention the groceries and fruit shopping afterward. She was completely spent.
"Lukas, don't say another word and make me angrier." Sandra hugged her pillow and closed her eyes, wanting to nap until the evening.
But before that could happen, a terrible nightmare took over. Noisy voices filled her head. In the darkness, she saw the real Sandra approaching her with a gentle smile.
"You! Why did you do this? Why?!" she screamed in frustration. "You trapped me! You killed Alana! You're evil!"
But instead of answering, the real Sandra said something else entirely, as if she were deaf to the cries.
"I knew from the start he would kill me. I knew I wouldn't return after we switched. But I'm relieved that my replacement is as strong as you. Please be careful and finish this mission. Haven't you fallen in love with him?"
"Stop changing the subject! This isn't the life I wanted!"
"Be careful of those around you. Including the demon—he's watching you. His goal in killing me was to get to you. He's very close… he's terrifying." Again, as if deaf, the original Sandra continued to speak of other things.
"Aaaarghhh!" Sandra woke up screaming. Lukas, who had been gently patting her cheek, shook his head.
"You've only been asleep for less than an hour!" Lukas handed her a glass of water. "Nightmare?"
Sandra nodded, trembling. Her face had gone pale from the dream. She was being watched by a demon? The real Sandra was murdered? Was the soul swap orchestrated from the start? But by who?
"Why are you sweating so much? Is the AC not cold enough?" Lukas shook his head again.
Sandra hugged her pillow tightly. If only she could identify the demon. If only she could smell or sense them. She didn't want to be devoured when the red moon came.
"Lukas, didn't you once talk about demons?"
"You dreamt about my story? You're seriously scared?" Lukas widened his eyes and chuckled.
"How can you tell a demon in disguise?"
"That was just a tale, not real! Why are you so scared?"
"Just tell me if you know any signs!"
"Grandpa used to say, demons in disguise look no different. They're just like us—regular humans." Lukas's tone turned serious. "But as the red full moon approaches, their bodies start turning red, like blood. The redness increases until the full moon. If they don't get a diamond soul by then, they'll be stuck in that form and return to their origin forever."
"Then how can a diamond soul protect itself?"
"I don't know. Grandpa said once detected, it's almost impossible to hide."
Sandra clutched her pillow tighter, anxiety building. She was getting more and more worried.
"Why are you so obsessed with this? If ghost stories scare you, stop talking about them!" Lukas ruffled her hair. "I have to go to the office for something urgent."
"You're leaving me alone when I'm terrified?"
"Do you want to come?"
Sandra nodded immediately and rushed off to change before Lukas could protest. It looked like she would need to stick by his side every day until the red moon passed. If someone was beside her, maybe the demon wouldn't dare to eat her.
The original Sandra had said the demon was someone close.
But who?
Now Sandra was truly on edge. She couldn't trust anyone anymore.