Chapter 10: Descent into Darkness
Elias’s hands were cold and clammy as he stood at the edge of the chapel’s underground staircase. The old stone steps spiraled into darkness, a gaping void beneath his feet. He could almost hear the walls breathing, exhaling a silence so heavy it pressed against his chest.
Grayson, standing beside him, checked his revolver. “No turning back now.”
Elias exhaled shakily. “I wasn’t planning to.”
Father Mathis handed them an old lantern, its flame flickering uncertainly. “Be careful,” he warned. “The deeper you go, the stronger it becomes.”
Elias swallowed hard, then took the first step down. The air grew colder with every descent, and the stench of damp earth and decay filled his lungs. The shadows twisted unnaturally as their lantern light flickered, as if something unseen was lurking just beyond their vision.
After what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom. A narrow tunnel stretched ahead, its walls lined with symbols—similar to the one burned into Elias’s arm. His pulse quickened. “This place… it’s ancient.”
Grayson nodded, running his fingers over the carvings. “These symbols… they’re warnings.”
A whisper slithered through the tunnel, chilling Elias’s spine. He turned sharply, the lantern’s light barely reaching the far end of the corridor. Then, the whisper became a voice.
“You are not welcome here.”
Elias gripped Grayson’s arm. “Did you hear that?”
Grayson didn’t respond immediately. He was staring ahead, his face pale. “Elias… look.”
At the end of the tunnel stood a doorway, its frame covered in blackened handprints. The stone beneath it looked burned, charred as if it had been touched by something unholy. But it wasn’t just the doorway that sent terror slicing through Elias’s veins—it was the figure standing within it.
A robed silhouette, face hidden in shadow, hands outstretched toward them.
And as the lantern flickered, it stepped forward.
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