Chapter 1 A Trap

• Lying on the bed weakly, I felt my face burning up, and the heat seemed to intensify with each passing moment. The sensation was so overwhelming that I began to pant heavily.
• A sensation seemed to weigh on my body, and as I extended my hand, I came into contact with something smooth, while a delicate hint of perfume lingered in the air.
• Is it a woman? Why does it feel like she's naked? Why am I lying in bed with a naked woman?
• I wanted to move my arm to push that woman away but to no avail. Perplexed, I couldn't help but wonder why my body felt so devoid of energy.
• While I was still feeling bewildered, the woman made a sudden move.
• She twisted around my body with the grace of a snake. The sensation of her remarkably smooth skin nearly pushed me to the brink of losing my sanity.
• A slippery sensation, which could have been her tongue, slithered across my chest.
• Her tongue brushed across my nipples and went south until it reached my belly button. It then slithered into my belly button.
• I couldn't help but shiver. After licking my belly button, she clearly wasn't satisfied as she continued heading south and bit at my boxers.
• Wait! That is...
• Before I could stop her, she was already busy removing my boxers with her mouth.
• Right then, the door was forcefully kicked open with a loud bang.
• Both the woman and I jolted in shock.
• Someone rushed in and took pictures of us both.
• After delivering a tight slap, the person pointed the camera at me and spoke in a smug manner. “Marcel Larson, I can't believe you did this! You claimed you needed to borrow money to help your younger sister, but instead, you used it to hire a prostitute!”
• Finally regaining my senses, I broke into a cold sweat at the unexpected appearance of the newcomer.
• As the shock subsided, I could finally move again. I glanced at the newcomer, who turned out to be my mother-in-law, Helen Fanning.
• The memories of what had happened earlier flooded back to me. I remembered that my younger sister, Sabine Larson, desperately needed money for a crucial operation as she was gravely ill. In my desperation, I had tried to borrow money from Helen, my mother-in-law, but she had coldly rejected my plea.
• Feeling disheartened, I was about to leave when Helen suddenly halted me, claiming she had changed her mind. She offered to lend me the money I needed, but with a condition—I had to drink alcohol.
• For every glass I drank, she would lend me ten thousand. Determined to help my sister, I gritted my teeth and downed ten glasses of alcohol before eventually losing consciousness.
• When I regained consciousness, this was the scene that greeted me.
• It was a cunning scheme orchestrated by Helen to trap me. She had harbored resentment toward me as she desired her daughter, Bethany Xenos, to marry into a wealthy family and lead a lavish lifestyle. However, Bethany rejected such prospects, and I unknowingly became an obstacle to Helen's aspirations of joining the upper-class society.
• Anger rose in me like a tide. I couldn't believe she would do this to me when I was in trouble.
• When Helen wasn't paying attention, I grabbed her camera and pulled the film out.
• However, her frantic response led to painful wounds as she scratched and clawed at my body in an attempt to retrieve the camera.
• Without a word, I put on my clothes, ignoring Helen and the prostitute she hired. Once dressed, I pushed the door open and stumbled out.
• That day was the day of Sabine's surgery, and time was running out. Unfortunately, I had yet to gather enough money for her surgery.
• I had to rush to the hospital as soon as possible.
• “Marcel, you can't escape from this! When you return, you better divorce Bethany!” Helen's enraged voice echoed after me as I hurriedly left the scene.
• I was born into a prestigious family and was given the name Marcel Larson. However, when I was twelve years old, tragedy struck, and my family was wiped out overnight.
• My father sacrificed himself while trying to protect the family, while my mother sustained severe injuries as she fled with Sabine and me.
• Sadly, my mother's health deteriorated over the next five years, and she passed away. Left to fend for ourselves, I had no choice but to find a way to survive and support Sabine on my own.
• The details of the tragedy that befell our family were blurry in my memory, and I could barely recall what had transpired back then.
• However, before my mother's passing, she entrusted me with a cross-shaped amulet and told me to keep it safe.
• The cross-shaped amulet, known as the Ankh, was believed to be the symbol of life and was often depicted in Ancient Eskaria wall drawings.
• My mother didn't provide a thorough explanation, but I had a hunch that my family's tragic downfall was somehow connected to the mysterious amulet.
• As a child, my father had told me that whoever possessed Ankh would receive the protection of the gods.
• Looking back, I found it ironic and somewhat humorous.
• If the gods truly protected my family as my father had believed, then I wouldn't have been left to fend for myself after our tragic loss.
• After my mother's passing, at the tender age of seventeen, I was left with the responsibility of supporting both myself and Sabine. Life was tough, but I managed to endure it.
• Three years ago, devastating news struck once again when Sabine was diagnosed with cancer. I made a difficult decision and essentially sold myself to the Xenos family. They offered me a substantial sum of one hundred grand as a betrothal gift, which I used to finance Sabine's medical care.
• In name, I was the husband of the Xenos family's daughter, but in reality, they treated me as nothing more than a servant.
• For the past three years, I had worked tirelessly to serve the Xenos family, enduring their constant insults without a single complaint.
• Meanwhile, Sabine's condition worsened. She needed one final surgery, but the cost was a staggering three hundred thousand dollars.
• My wife, Bethany, was on a business trip and didn't answer her phone.
• Unable to afford the exorbitant surgery fee, I swallowed my pride and approached the Xenos family for help, only to be met with humiliation and false accusations in return.
• Feeling dejected and disheartened, I eventually arrived at Sabine's ward, but to my surprise, the person occupying it was someone I didn't recognize at all.
• In a state of shock, I demanded, “W-Who are you people? Where is my sister?”
• The family members of the patient looked at me, and one of them spoke up. “Are you talking about the little girl? I believe she got discharged as she couldn't afford to pay the medical bills.”
• “What?” I roared, my mind going blank with disbelief. Without a moment's hesitation, I spun around and ran out of the ward in a state of panic.
• Just as I arrived at the staircase, I heard a chilling scream from outside. “Someone jumped off the building!”
• I immediately ran over and saw a frail body lying in a pool of blood in the courtyard. It was Sabine!
• “Sab!” I howled in distress, rushing over to gather her into my arms.
• Sabine's breaths were shallow as she looked at me with a weak smile. She whispered, “Marcel, people say I'm a burden to you. I-I'm going now. I won't be a burden anymore. Please live well...”
• “Sab, that's nonsense! Don't listen to them!” I cried out desperately, whipping my head around and yelling, “Help! Save her!”
• A few doctors and nurses ran over to us, but someone stopped them. “They still owe the hospital over thirty thousand. If you save them, are you going to bear their medical bills?”
• The doctors and nurses hesitated, afraid to proceed and save Sabine due to the outstanding medical bills.
• “Marcel, don't waste your money.” Sabine held my arm tightly as blood trickled out of her mouth. Her smile remained as she said, “I consider myself blessed to be your sister in this lifetime. It's just a pity that my time is coming to an end. If there is another lifetime, I hope to be your sister once again.”
• After Sabine said that, her arm slowly went limp.
• My heart constricted in pain as I hugged her tightly and cried out in anguish, “Sab, don't leave me! Please, don't go!”
• With the passing of my parents, Sabine was my only living relative, and now she was leaving me too.
• I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, as if her departure was my fault.
• Tears streamed down my cheeks as if I wanted to cry all the tears in my life until there were none left.
• Amidst my sobs, I felt a sudden pain flare up in my eyes. As my tears fell onto Sabine's cheeks, I noticed they were tinged with red.
• I didn't know what was happening until someone shrieked, “Why are his tears red?”
• “He's crying tears of blood!”
• As my tears rolled down my cheeks, mingling with Sabine's blood, they turned red.
• Then, something truly incredible occurred.
• The blood-tear mixture defied gravity and floated into the air. Like a tentacle, it reached toward the Ankh cross in front of my chest.
• Suddenly, my head was filled with a resounding explosion. A holy and elegant voice, seemingly transcending time, spoke next to my ear. “I am Isis, the goddess of health and magic. Why are you crying, my child?”
• I found myself seemingly pulled into a vast and spacious realm. Before me stood a radiant goddess, emanating a soft glow that illuminated her benevolent countenance. She looked at me with kindness and warmth, filling me with awe and wonder.
• “A goddess?” I stared at her in disbelief, doubting my own eyes. I had no idea gods existed in this world!
• A glimmer of hope ignited within me.