Chapter 8: The Hollow Eyes
Elias’s breath hitched as the figure took another step forward. The glow of its eyes seemed to pulse like embers, flickering in the darkness of the underground passageway. Grayson raised his revolver, steady but tense.
“Stop right there!” he barked.
The figure didn’t obey. Instead, it tilted its head, the motion eerily unnatural, like a puppet being jerked by invisible strings. A dry, raspy whisper echoed through the corridor, though no lips moved.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Elias gritted his teeth. “Who are you?”
The whisper came again, but this time, it was layered—multiple voices speaking as one.
“Turn back. Or you will see.”
Grayson took a step forward, gun aimed at the figure’s chest. “See what?”
The figure’s form shimmered for a second, as if the shadows themselves were peeling away. And then, suddenly, it lunged.
A guttural, inhuman screech filled the air as the thing moved with unnatural speed. Elias barely had time to react before he was slammed against the cold stone wall, his breath knocked from his lungs. Grayson fired his revolver, the gunshot reverberating in the confined space. The bullet hit the figure—but instead of falling, it simply staggered, as though the impact had barely mattered.
Elias struggled to push away, his fingers scrambling for anything to defend himself. His flashlight rolled to the ground, the beam casting long, frantic shadows against the walls. He caught a glimpse of the figure’s face—no, not a face. A void. A black abyss where a human face should have been, swirling like ink dissolving in water.
The thing let out a piercing shriek, and suddenly, Elias’s mind was filled with visions—
A chapel bathed in blood. A robed figure standing before an altar. A girl screaming as shadowy hands pulled her into the abyss. A name being carved into stone.
His name.
Elias’s vision snapped back to reality as Grayson grabbed his arm, yanking him away. “Move!”
They ran, their boots slamming against the stone floor. The figure’s screeching pursuit echoed behind them, its heavy footsteps growing closer. They reached the staircase, scrambling up the steps two at a time. Elias nearly tripped, but Grayson pulled him forward. They burst through the chapel doors, slamming them shut behind them.
Silence.
Only their ragged breathing filled the air. The night outside was eerily still, as if the world itself had held its breath.
Elias pressed a shaking hand against the door, his heart hammering in his chest. “What the hell was that?”
Grayson didn’t answer right away. He was staring at Elias’s arm.
Elias followed his gaze—and felt his stomach drop.
There, burned into his skin like a fresh brand, was a single, jagged symbol.
The same symbol carved beneath every name in the underground passageway.
He had been marked.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqG6ynwzLaF
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Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for reading The Whispering Shadows up to this point! Your support and enthusiasm mean the world to me. I hope you’re enjoying the mystery, suspense, and eerie twists along the way. There’s still more to uncover, and I can’t wait to share what’s coming next! Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters, and feel free to share your thoughts!
Happy reading! 🖤 70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTV1WPIF8X
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