A Marvelous Spectatle

As Claude struggled in vain to break free from the clutches of the shadowy figures, he could hear the man's voice in the background, preaching with fervor.

"You see, my friend, this is what happens when one defies the will of God. He punishes those who do not follow his path, those who stray from the righteous way. And you, my friend, have strayed far from the path. You have denied God's grace and rejected his offer of salvation. You have angered him, and now you must pay the price."

The man's words echoed in Claude's mind, adding to his terror. He had never believed in God or any religion, but now he wondered if he had made a mistake. Was there really a higher power out there, one that could control his fate and punish him for his actions?

He had always known that death was inevitable, but he never thought it would come in such a horrific way.

As the shadowy figures closed in on him, Claude felt his strength give way. He collapsed onto the ground, and his body was wracked with pain and fear. He felt the cold embrace of death envelops him, felt his life slipping away.

In his final moments, Claude thought of all the things he had left undone, all the people he had left behind. He wished he could turn back time, do things differently, and make amends. But it was too late. Death had come for him, and there was no escaping it.

However, before Claude could draw his final breath, he heard a roaring chant in a foreign, ancient word. The voice was deep and powerful, and it seemed to shake the very foundation of the illusion around him. For a moment, Claude felt a glimmer of hope, a sense of fervor that he had never felt before.

As if driven by madness and wrath, Claude's eyes abruptly turned bloodshot, his muscles tightened and brimming with explosive power, and he had the urge to tear everything that stood in his path. It was like his primal instinct had been forcefully roused awake.

However, before he could rampage his way through everything, the same voice with a different chant resounded again in his ears.

This time, Claude felt his body become heavy and sluggish. His mind was flooded with images of himself lying in bed, surrounded by empty snack bags and discarded video game controllers. He could feel the weight of the blankets on his body, the softness of the pillows beneath his head. He wanted nothing more than to stay there forever, to never leave the comfort of his own home.

As the conflicting emotions of fervor and lethargy clashed, Claude felt a strange sensation in his mind. It was as if something had snapped, and a wave of clarity washed over him. Suddenly, the illusion surrounding him began to dissipate, and he found himself back in the middle of the street.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened to him. Was he losing his mind? Or was he really stuck in some kind of supernatural trick?

Claude looked around and saw that there were no shadows or dark creatures looming over him this time. The only presence he felt was the man standing a few feet away, his eyes blazing with fury. Claude felt a sense of relief wash over him, but it was quickly replaced with fear as he remembered the man's previous threat.

"Imbecile! Where are you? How dare you ruin the sacrifice ritual I'm about to offer to my lord?!" Claude could see the anger boiling inside the man's eyes. He seemed to be on the verge of exploding in a fury.

"You think you can just wander around here and disturb our sacred ritual? You are nothing but a nuisance, a filthy rat in our grand plan!" the man continued to shout, his voice echoing through the deserted street.

"I will not let you ruin everything! Not when we are so close to completing the ritual and achieving eternal power!" he added, his words filled with fanaticism and zealotry.

Claude could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he looked at the man, who seemed to be completely lost in his own madness. He knew he had to get out of there before things got even more dangerous.

"Step back a little." A soft voice with a hint of authority suddenly sounded from behind him, followed by a pat on his shoulder.

This...

He had already heard this voice before. Its familiarity was unmistakable. Just moments ago, it had rescued him from the clutches of death itself. Without it, Claude shuddered to think of the horrors that awaited him.

Claude hastily turned around, but only manage to catch a fleeting glimpse of the figure's back as it passed by. Yet his eyes were drawn inexorably to the delicate earlobes, adorned with exquisite ruby-colored teardrop earrings. Their intricate beauty left him momentarily speechless, afraid that even the sound of his own voice might damage their delicate splendor.

Claude couldn't help but notice the person's long, raven hair drifting in the wind, giving it an otherworldly appearance. The dark locks seemed to have a life of their own, flowing and swaying with each passing breeze. As the person walked away, its alluring aroma wafted through the air, leaving Claude entranced.

It turns out the person who rescued him was a woman!

He watched in silence, his eyes still fixed on the mysterious stranger's back as she walked into the distance. Claude felt a strange pull towards the person, a desire to know more about her. Who were this person with the mesmerizing earrings and enchanting scent?

He then looked down and noticed her attire. She was wearing a pair of tight-fitting shorts that showed off her long legs, and a black windbreaker that fluttered in the wind. Her outfit gave off a sporty vibe, but the way she carried herself exuded confidence and grace.

As she walked away, Claude couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for not being able to see her face clearly. He wondered who she was and why she had saved him from the clutches of death. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was deeply intrigued by this mysterious woman, and he couldn't wait to find out more about her.

Wait, that's not important!

"That guy is dangerous! Call the police!" Claude cried out urgently. His phone had already dropped somewhere when he was caught in the middle of the illusion. Therefore, he could only place his hope on the woman to call the police.

She didn't even flinch, simply waving her hand dismissively as if his warning was nothing.

'What's she going to do?' Claude was astonished. The woman didn't take out her phone, nor screaming for help. Instead, she approaches the man fearlessly.

Suddenly, she pressed both her gloved palms into the ground, and the earth shook violently. The wind howled, and the sky grew dark as if anticipating the chaos to come.

A deafening rumble filled the air, and the ground collapsed at a terrifying pace. Sharp, jagged bone walls erupted from the soil, trapping the man within their deadly embrace.

He tried to escape, but it was too late. The sinking earth and rising walls were too fast, and he was caught in the midst of their devastating grip.

Ren watched from a safe distance as the ground around the man crumbled half a meter deep, and the walls rose five meters tall, creating an eight-meter-wide boundary. The woman had unleashed a power that was beyond human comprehension.

After the man was trapped, he looked no less than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. He was trembling, and his eyes were literally bulging out of their sockets.

The area around them was a complete mess. The ground had sunk, and the bone walls had erected with such force that the surrounding trees had been uprooted and snapped like twigs. The birds had flown away, and the only sound that could be heard was the man's labored breathing.

...

Claude's jaw hung agape, the elasticity of his muscles stretched to the limit. If his eyes could pop out of their sockets, they surely would have. The supernatural phenomena he had just witnessed were nothing short of miraculous.

As a reasonably superstitious person, Claude had always believed in things like the Zodiac, Feng Shui, ghosts, spirits, and supernatural things. But seeing it with his own eyes was an entirely different experience. The ability to instantly create enormous bone walls and a sinkhole was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Claude was sure even the most experienced shamans would be left speechless and questioning the authenticity of their own power if they were to witness what he had just seen. Compared to the incredible display of supernatural ability before him, their own capabilities would seem insignificant.

As he stood there in shock, Claude's palms grew slick with sweat, and the temperature of the surrounding area seemed to rise noticeably. Then, he saw something that terrified him.