Execrable

Chapter 10

The journey back to the cave was a blur of anxiety and anticipation. We packed everything we could think of that might help—candles, salt, herbs, and the old ritual knife that Mr. Grimsby had given us, its blade dull but still sharp enough to serve its purpose. Bellatrix's hands trembled as she tucked the knife into her bag, her face set in a grim expression. There was no room for doubt or hesitation now.

The drive was long and tense, the landscape growing more desolate as we neared the mountains where the cave lay hidden. The closer we got, the heavier the air seemed to grow, as if the very earth was holding its breath, waiting for what was to come. The road wound through thick forests and steep cliffs, the trees casting long, eerie shadows across the path. It was as if the entire world was conspiring to keep us away, but we pressed on, driven by the knowledge that we had no other choice.

As we approached the base of the mountain, the sun began to set, casting an orange glow over the horizon. We parked the car at the edge of the forest and hiked the rest of the way, the weight of the box in Bellatrix's backpack seeming to pull us down with each step. The memories of that day when she first found the box came rushing back, and I could see the fear in her eyes as we retraced her steps.

Finally, we reached the entrance of the cave, a dark, yawning maw that seemed to swallow the light around it. The air was colder here, unnaturally so, and I could feel the presence of something watching us from within. It was as if the cave itself was alive, a sentinel guarding the darkness that lay inside.

"We have to do this now," Bellatrix whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the wind that had started to pick up.

We stepped into the cave, the darkness enveloping us like a shroud. The walls were damp and slick, the air thick with the smell of earth and decay. Our footsteps echoed off the stone, a hollow sound that seemed to grow louder with each step we took.

At last, we reached the chamber where Bellatrix had found the box. It was just as she had described it—an ancient, forgotten place, untouched by time. The symbols on the walls glowed faintly in the darkness, the same symbols that adorned the box. The connection between this place and the artifact was undeniable.

We set up the ritual in the center of the chamber, placing the box on the ground and surrounding it with the candles. The air grew colder as we worked, and I could feel the presence of the entity growing stronger, as if it knew what we were about to do. The shadows in the cave seemed to pulse and shift, alive with the same malevolent energy that had haunted our dreams.

Bellatrix took the knife from her bag, her hands shaking as she handed it to me. "You have to do it," she said, her voice trembling. "The blood of the marked... it has to be yours."

I hesitated, the weight of the knife heavy in my hand. The fear was almost overwhelming, but I knew there was no turning back. If we didn't do this, the entity would consume us both, and who knew how many others would suffer because of it?

With a deep breath, I made the cut, the blade slicing through my palm. The pain was sharp, but I ignored it, holding my hand over the box as the blood dripped onto the carvings. The symbols flared to life, glowing with an intensity that made me step back. The air in the cave crackled with energy, the shadows swirling around us as the entity fought against the ritual.

Bellatrix began to chant the words we had learned from the manuscript, her voice strong and steady despite the fear in her eyes. I joined in, our voices blending together as we recited the incantation that would seal the box and trap the entity once more.

The cave trembled, the walls vibrating as the entity's resistance grew stronger. The shadowy figure we had seen in our dreams began to form in the air above the box, its shape shifting and writhing as it struggled to break free. Its eyes, cold and piercing, locked onto mine, and I could feel its hatred burning into my soul.

But we didn't stop. We couldn't. The ritual was our only hope.

With a final burst of energy, the shadow was sucked back into the box, the lid slamming shut with a deafening crack. The symbols on the walls and the box glowed brighter than ever before, then faded into darkness as the ritual completed.

For a long moment, there was only silence. The oppressive energy that had filled the cave was gone, replaced by a heavy, still calm. I collapsed to the ground, exhaustion washing over me as the adrenaline faded. Bellatrix knelt beside me, her face pale but relieved.

"It's over," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

But as I looked at the box, now sealed and dormant once more, I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't truly over. We had won this battle, but the war was far from finished. The entity was contained, but it wasn't destroyed. It was still out there, waiting for the next time the box would be opened.

And deep down, I knew that this wasn't the end of our story. The darkness we had faced would return, one way or another. And when it did, we would be ready.

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Next Chapter coming out on next Saturday. Stay Tuned!

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