Eternal Huntress

Chapter 35

The Heart of the Covenant pulsed in my hands, its eerie light casting long shadows across the church. The power radiating from the orb was intoxicating, like a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins, but beneath that rush, there was something else—something darker. The realization that I held more than just a key to victory settled in like a cold weight in my chest.

I glanced at Alex. His face, still pale from the fight, reflected the same uneasy mix of awe and fear that I felt. Blood seeped from a cut above his eyebrow, his shirt torn and soaked with both his and the creature's blood. But his eyes were clear, fixed on me with concern.

"Helena?" he asked cautiously, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. "Are you... okay?"

I wasn't sure how to answer. The power in my hand—this Heart—it felt alive, thrumming in time with my pulse. It was as if it was binding itself to me, digging deep into something primal inside. The sensation was both empowering and terrifying.

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "This... it's more than I expected."

I could feel the weight of it growing, not physically, but metaphysically—like I was tethered to something vast, something that stretched beyond time itself. It wasn't just magic. It was history, legacy, and blood—all bound together in one small, glowing object. And now it was mine.

Alex stepped closer, limping slightly, his expression torn between relief that the immediate threat was gone and worry over what was still to come. "Helena, we have the Heart. That means we can stop Gabriel. Whatever this thing is... you can control it, right?"

I wasn't sure I could answer that either. The Heart was ancient, crafted by witches more powerful than I could imagine, and its true nature was still a mystery. Could I wield it, or would it wield me?

The silence of the church pressed down on us, broken only by the distant sound of wind whistling through the broken windows. I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself, to focus on the task at hand. The Heart pulsed again, and I felt its power surge through me. It was overwhelming—like standing on the edge of a cliff and feeling the pull of the abyss below.

"I... I think so," I said, though the uncertainty clung to my words. "But we need to be careful. This isn't just a weapon. It's... something else. Something alive."

Alex's brow furrowed. He reached out, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. "We'll figure it out. We always do. But first, we need to get out of here before anything else decides to come crawling out of the shadows."

I nodded, still clutching the Heart tightly. I could feel it humming in my hand, its glow casting faint ripples of light across the floor. The temptation to tap into its power, to unleash whatever ancient force it held, was strong. But I fought it, knowing that right now, control was key. We had enough to deal with without adding more chaos to the mix.

With Alex's help, we made our way back through the abandoned church. Every step felt heavy, like the air around us had thickened with the weight of the Heart's presence. The walls seemed to close in on us, the darkness deeper than before. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched, that something still lurked in the shadows, waiting for its moment.

We finally stepped outside, the night air cold against my skin. The stars overhead were barely visible through the thick clouds, and the faint glow of the moon provided little comfort. The desolation of the old town around us felt oppressive, like the very ground was steeped in centuries of forgotten curses.

"We should head back to the flat," Alex said, his breath visible in the cool air. "Regroup. Figure out our next move."

I nodded, but something about the idea of returning to the flat, as if everything could just go back to normal, felt off. How could we return to normal after everything we had been through? After everything we had lost?

As we walked, I kept my gaze on the Heart, feeling its weight in my hands, the energy inside it swirling like a storm. Alex was right—we had the Heart now. We could stop Gabriel. But at what cost?

The flat was just as we had left it, but it felt different. The comfortable familiarity of the space was gone, replaced by an uneasy tension. I could feel the Heart's presence hanging in the air, like a ghost hovering just out of sight.

Alex helped me settle on the couch, his movements slow and deliberate. His wounds had healed, but the exhaustion was still etched into his face. He sat beside me, his eyes flicking to the Heart every few seconds as if expecting it to burst into flames.

"We need to figure out what to do with it," he said finally, breaking the silence.

I nodded, staring down at the orb in my hands. "I know. But it's not that simple. This... it's not just a weapon. It's like... it has a will of its own."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, his voice laced with concern.

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "When I touched it, I felt... something. Like it was trying to communicate with me. It's tied to something ancient, something powerful. I don't think it's just magic. It's something more."

Alex's eyes darkened. "So, what do we do? If it's alive, can we control it? Can we use it against Gabriel?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But we don't have a choice. We have to try."

The thought of facing Gabriel again sent a chill down my spine. He had been relentless in his pursuit of power, and now that we had the Heart, I knew he wouldn't stop until he had it. But this wasn't just about stopping Gabriel anymore. It was about survival—ours, and everyone else's.

Alex leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "We'll need a plan. We can't just walk into his lair and hope for the best."

I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. The Heart was powerful, but it was also dangerous. If we weren't careful, we could end up doing more harm than good.

But there was no time for hesitation. Gabriel wouldn't wait. And neither could we.

I glanced down at the Heart again, feeling its pull, its power thrumming beneath my fingertips. We would face Gabriel. We would stop him.

But first, I had to make sure that the Heart didn't stop me.

"Let's get some rest," I said quietly. "We'll need all the strength we can get for what comes next."

Alex nodded, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, but he didn't move. Instead, he stayed close, his presence grounding me as I tried to ignore the dark whispers in the back of my mind, the ones that warned of what the Heart might demand in return for its power.

But for now, I would hold on to it. And I would hold on to Alex.

Because as long as I had him, there was still hope.

And I wasn't ready to let that go. Not yet.