Chapter 196 A Dark Reunion

Suzuka's heart raced as she walked into the dimly lit Bear's Paw, a local bar. As she looked around, not much action was going on inside. The place was quiet, save for the low hum of conversation coming from a few patrons scattered throughout the bar and the noise rain was making outside.

David took a quick look and said, "It would seem that he and his goons are not around at the moment. He usually hangs at the bar around this time, drinking with his buddies. We should wait a few minutes; he may show up."

Suzuka let out a weary sigh, "Oh well," she agreed, "let's find a seat and wait a bit."

She quickly found the closest empty table and took a seat, signaling to the approaching waitress that she wasn't ready to order yet. David sat in front of her. 

Meanwhile, Hermit sought refuge within the small, cold, confining wooden box that Suzuka had placed him in. The sound of raindrops, like a mournful symphony, increased in intensity as they pelted the wooden lid above him. The pitter-patter of raindrops on the wooden lid above formed a melancholic rhythm that echoed in his ears. The drumming of the rain formed a dissonant noise with the distant rumble of thunder.

 He huddled in the limited space, his bony knees drawn tightly to his chest, while his spindly arms wrapped around them. He curled into a pitiful ball, cocooning himself within the shelter of his oversized, meaty ears for warmth and comfort.

His thumb, a source of solace in times of despair, found its way to his lips, and he began to suck on it with a desperation born of the cold and the fear. Hermit's goblin form was drenched, his frail body shivering with the relentless chill, and his teeth chattered in response. Nibbling on his thumb was his only respite.

The box, a rough-hewn prison of splintered wood, showed no mercy to its occupant. The cruel splinters bit into Hermit's frail side and tender skin, adding to his torment. Several cracks marred the box's walls, affording him glimpses of the tempest outside through a tiny, rain-smeared hole, and through one such gap, Hermit's lifeless stare fixed on the world outside. Raindrops splashed upon the puddles, making a pleasant sound. 

With a vacant, unseeing gaze, Hermit observed the rain as it splashed into the growing puddles around him. His lips parted, and he uttered a haunting sound, a guttural echo of the torment he had endured, "Brrr! Cold... s-so cold... don't want them to find me... the pain... the pain... why do they hate Hermit? Scary rain... bad rain... Hermit's cold. Hermit's alone... Why is the sky so mean, Master Helen? Hermit's just a goblin... scared, alone, and... cold..."

Hermit sniffled and wiped his tears while sobbing, "I just want a warm hug... a hug from gobbie friend. Not to be beaten and soiled."

 Each time passing by townsfolk rushed past his hiding place, he stirred and convulsed with a muffled squeak, "Eeeek!" as though he was struck by the hand that had inflicted so much pain upon him.

His shivering form curled tighter within the confines of his feeble sanctuary, his eyes glassy with a mixture of terror and despair. The thunder rumbled overhead, the storm raging on, as Hermit's pitiful cries faded into the night, lost among the relentless downpour.

Suzuka was casually sitting inside the inn, completely unaware of Hermit's plight, when she heard a bartender say a name that made her blood run cold.

"Jacob, I think you've had enough drinks. How about you call it a night? Eh?" the bartender said, addressing a man whose face Suzuka couldn't see.

Her mind raced as a flood of memories washed over her. Jacob - the man who had once kidnapped her and subjected her to Derrec's twisted experiment, the same man she had believed was long gone. Her body went numb as the realization struck her: Jacob was in the same room. The man who had abducted her in the past, and all this time, she had held the impression that he, along with the rest of his group, was dead.

As Jacob spoke up, his voice broke Suzuka's frozen state, and her heart sank as she recognized his voice. 

"Hey hey ma man, I'm not that drunk yet. Give me another shot! Eh? Ma man?" he said, slurring his words slightly.

Upon hearing and remembering his voice, her rage, buried deep within, began to surface. She turned to David, her voice low and intense, "Sit tight. I just noticed an old 'friend' I have to say hi to, no matter what."

With a monstrous intensity, she marched towards him, and before he even realized what was happening, she placed her hand on his shoulder. In a menacing tone, she said, "Well, well, well, Jacob. Looks like you've had enough drinks for... well... forever." 

She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Because when I'm done with you, you won't need anything anymore."

Jacob's bloodshot eyes widened in drunken disbelief as he slowly turned his head to meet Suzuka's gaze. The moment he saw her red glowing eyes, the flood of memories came rushing back. He remembered those same piercing eyes that had stared into his soul as she had ripped his chest bone out and left him to drown in his own blood. Panic gripped him, and a maniacal scream tore itself from his lips.

With unsteady legs, Jacob stumbled off the chair he had been sitting on, his movements fueled by raw terror and the haze of alcohol. He bolted outside, leaving the bar behind.

As he fled, his fear-fueled ramblings poured forth, "NO! Not her, not again, those eyes - she's comin' for me! It's payback time, man, payback! Gotta jet, I can't let her catch up, can't let her mess with me! That's the devil herself, I'm tellin' you! Run, Jacob, run!"

David and the other bar patrons watched in stunned silence as Jacob ran terrified outside the bar into the dimly lit street. 

Suzuka stood there for a moment before chasing after him, relishing the fear she had struck in Jacob's heart. With a wicked grin on her face, Suzuka stepped after Jacob, her claws extending from her fingertips as she prepared to strike. There was no escaping her grasp this time, and Jacob knew it. He was at the mercy of his demon, and he had no idea how he was going to survive.

Jacob's heart pounded in his chest as he ran through the deserted streets as the rain was pelting his skin. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he could feel his legs shaking beneath him. He stumbled over his own feet, the fear and horror inside him threatening to overwhelm him. Being drunk didn't help matters either, as his vision was blurry and his movements were uncoordinated.

He turned a corner and found himself in a dark alleyway, the only source of light coming from a flickering street lamp at the entrance. Jacob knew he had to keep moving, but his body refused to cooperate. He was frozen in place, his mind consumed with terror.

That's when he heard it. The sound of footsteps echoed through the alleyway. He turned to look behind him and saw Suzuka, the monster that had been chasing him. She was emitting a menacing aura around her, almost visible to the naked eye. Her red eyes were glowing from under the shadow that was cast on her face by the night.

Jacob's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan. He knew he couldn't outrun her forever, but he didn't want to die without a fight. He turned to face her, his fists clenched.

Suzuka advanced on Jacob, her drawn sword scraping menacingly against the wall. Simultaneously, her extended fingernails rasped along another wall, intensifying the already fear-inducing atmosphere. Jacob's resolve wavered as he recognized he was clearly outmatched. Bracing himself for the impending danger, he watched Suzuka approach, her sword gleaming in the occasional lightning flash's dim illumination.

Jacob fell to his knees, his body trembling with fear and exhaustion. He knew that this was the end, that there was no escaping Suzuka's wrath. He hung his head in defeat, rain dripping off his face, ready to accept his fate for what he did to her.

Suzuka approached him slowly, her sword still drawn and glinting in the dim light. Jacob could feel her presence looming over him, her menacing aura growing stronger with every passing second.

And then she spoke, "Remember me, Jacob?" she asked, her voice as sweet as poison.

Jacob looked up at her, his eyes wide with fear. He knew well who she was. Suzuka was the monster that had been haunting his nightmares for months. He had thought she was dead and he was safe in the town, but now she was here, standing over him with a sword.

"Yeah! Yeah... I remember you, girl," Jacob said, his voice barely a whisper.

Suzuka smiled cruelly, her red eyes glowing in the darkness as she said, "Good, I want you to remember me before you die."

Jacob closed his eyes and braced himself for the final blow, but it never came. Instead, Suzuka turned to leave. Jacob looked up, confused, and asked, "Wait! Why are you letting me go?"

Suzuka paused for a moment, her back still turned to him.

 The rain poured down in a relentless deluge, each drop a sharp note in the wild sound of the storm. Suzuka crouched down in front of Jacob, her words accompanied by the faint, rhythmic pattering of raindrops on the ground. The soft drumming of the rain formed a backdrop to their tense encounter.

She playfully tapped his shoulder with the tip of her sword, her voice a low, dangerous purr, "Oh, Jacob. You know, I thought you were dead for a long time." Lightning briefly illuminated the darkened street, casting eerie shadows around them.

 "I wanted nothing more than to get an opportunity to rip you limb from limb for what you did."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, adding an ominous touch to her words, but her tone softened as she continued, "But as time passed, my anger faded. It was almost two years since that day. Over all that time, I realized that I'd acquired the power needed to survive in this wretched world we live in." Rain slid down her sword's blade, gleaming like silver. 

"I might even go as far as saying I am grateful to you."

A flash of lightning and a roll of thunder punctuated her words, and for a brief moment, the world around them seemed to hold its breath. Suzuka's face remained inscrutable as she finished, "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I will punish you for all the pain you caused. You don't need to worry about that, I will think of something."

The rain continued to fall, providing a relentless, melancholic rhythm to their dark reunion.

Jacob, his clothes drenched and clinging to his body, asked with a quiver in his voice, "If you're not going to claim my life, then what do you want from me?"