force, he tore from himself the winged demon who was drinking his blood and drew a glittering sword from its sheath.
Reflections of the silvery light of its point fell on the black plumage of the gloomy bird, and it, soaring high into the sky, began headlong downward to inflict a wound in Roderick’s back.
Another moment, and he would have been dead, but he, despite the bird’s evil designs, managed to dodge, and he himself struck her so strong that he pierced his wounded body with pain. Now Roderick felt his victory. The rustle of wings subsided, the fiery lightning of bloody eyes no longer tormented him with their deadly gaze, something shot up in the darkness, and a wild deafening cry echoed over the cemetery, but in the next moment everything disappeared. Calm reigned here again, but it was an oppressive silence that foreshadowed danger. Somewhere behind him there was a noise, and Roderick turned sharply, holding the sword tightly in his hands and always ready to fight. But there was nothing to be seen anywhere. Then, as if out of the darkness itself, a tall and sombre figure in black clothing emerged.
“And you are still true to your dream, young prince,” the black monster whispered with malicious mockery, and his bloody eyes flashed with fierce fire. Only now Roderick saw that the grim demon’s left shoulder was covered with hot blood. Before him stood his worst enemy, who killed Emily. Roderick hated him as he never did.
“You are brave, since you could come here, right behind her, for your sad love,” the bloody demon said in the same mocking voice, “but now you are in my possession. The same fate awaits you as your beautiful Emily. Because of her, two hearts are already dead: her unfortunate lover and yours. I will not allow her daughter to ruin many more lives with her beautiful face of the dream itself. She is my death, but remember, Roderick, I am stronger than God who blessed her.
“No,” Roderick whispered, “no, I know who you are, you are darkness, you are evil, but you are not stronger than good, my love is stronger than darkness, and the forces of light are even more powerful, like my God. After all, contrary to your black desires, the world has faith in it, there are dreams, there is love, and I believe that a dream given by God can prevail over you.”
“No,” the fire demon laughed, “you must die with her today, and her daughter will die with you.”
He looked at Emily’s body lying at the stone cross, and his gaze burned with blood. Roderick, looking at Emily’s beautiful face, gained new strength.
“You will never defeat me, demon,” he protested.
“So come on, try to save your dream,” an ominous smile reflected in the eyes of the bloody demon.
“I’ll save her,” Roderick shouted, running away from this devilish place to where he wanted to find salvation for his last hope, but for a long time behind him sounded the laughter of a bloody demon.
“Run,” the demon whispered, “try to catch and save your dreams, but I will still win.”
He walked over to Emily’s corpse and stood next to it. He was given to command the world of shadows, but it was not in his power to kill eternal love. She was lying on the cold ground, beautiful, pure, light, as before in her life, and even more beautiful than then. But he did not want to succumb to the charm of her beauty.
“You are beautiful, Emily,” he whispered, “but you are dead, as will your daughter. I hate love and I despise people’s dreams. I am stronger than fate, and by killing her, I will prove to you that I am the strongest of all, This is my oath, and let all the forces of evil come to my aid.”
His gaze flashed with fire again, and he extended his black arms as a sign of his strength.
“I will destroy anyone who gets in my way, even my own heart,” he shouted. “I will kill you, a human dream, you are dead, Maerlin.
This mad scream echoed along the entire coast, and the magic rocks themselves seemed to shudder from the hatred and anger that filled it.
Meanwhile, Roderick quickly ran along the coast to a lonely house. He was supposed to fulfill his vow, but still behind him he heard the dreadful and blood-curdling laugh of the demon. Roderick fled with a drawn sword in his hand, he was ready to fend off any danger, he knew that now all the forces of evil rose up against him. He was helped by a sincere love for the beautiful Emily. Even if she herself died, love for her will live in his soul, in his heart and in himself. He had to keep his vow to Emily, a vow to defeat the forces of darkness at all costs and save her daughter Maerlin. Roderick was ready to keep his oath even at the cost of his life in memory of his love. One thought drove him forward along the sandy coast, past the magical rocks, the witch’s castle and the forces of evil embodied in them. In spite of everything and in spite of all the forces of evil that want to destroy him, he had to win, he had to get to a lonely house by the sea before the demon descended there. A black-bloody fog lay on the ground, and before the eyes of the tired Roderick appeared the grim victims of the vampire devil, who after their death became his voluntary followers. Seeing their crazy and terrible face, Roderick was glad that this did not happen to Emily. A bloody ghost of a fire witch stood in his way at the witch’s rocks. Her wild eyes glared directly at Roderick. Her deathly pale face was like a snow-white mask, shining in the darkness with a predatory grin.
“Come to me,” she called to Roderick, holding out her long arms to him.
Her call made the prince run even faster. He gathered all his last strength and tried not to notice either bloody visions or witchcraft fog. At the same time, he did not notice his own fatigue.
Finally, the ring of rocks ended, and with it their magic power ended.
Just a little, and he will get there. Roderick saw a fork in three roads, one leading to the sea, one to the rocks, and the third to Emily’s house.
Where the roads diverged in different directions, there was a stone cross.
Roderick stopped involuntarily to see what was written on him in small letters that cut deep into the stone. For a moment it seemed to Roderick that a black bird was sitting on the cross, thirsting, as before, for his blood. However, instead of a bird from the darkness creeping on the ground, a huge black wolf appeared with the same bloody eyes glowing in the darkness with magical fire.
Roderick managed to dodge his jump and found himself on another road. He boldly moved forward along the mysterious road, and nothing could stop him. Now the road turned into a viscous quagmire, then the branches of forest trees clung to him and tore his clothes, then someone reached out to him from the very darkness of the forest.
A gap had already appeared behind the trees, there, by a small lake, was Emily’s house.
The root of the tree wrapped itself around Roderick’s feet and, involuntarily falling, he dropped his sword. The earth opened up, and against the background of fire and darkness, the silhouette of a bloody devil clearly loomed. At the very last moment, he managed to jump up from the ground before it fell into the depths of hell. As soon as he raised his sword, everything was quiet again.
“My God,” Roderick said, gripping the sword tightly in his hands. Only now did he realize that the ground around him was soaked in human blood, rivers of blood had spilled here, but Roderick knew that Emily’s daughter was still alive.
Suddenly, some strange darkness again enveloped everything around, and in its misty veil on a huge stone near the
