Inside the spire, the atmosphere was suffocating, the walls pulsing with a sickly, red light. At the center of the chamber stood an altar, similar to the one in the shrine, but larger, more ancient. And above it, suspended in the air, was the heart of the gateway: a pulsating mass of dark energy, connected to the fabric of the Abyss itself.
The demon was waiting for them.
It stood before the altar, its body more terrifying than ever—its form now fully solid, its red eyes blazing with malevolent power.
"You cannot win," it snarled. "This world is mine. Your world is mine. All will fall before me."
Simon raised his gun, but he knew it was useless. This fight would be won by more than just brute force.
"Jared," Simon said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his gut. "You distract it. I'll shut the gateway."
Jared nodded, his face pale but determined. Without hesitation, he charged at the demon, gun blazing. The creature roared, swiping at Jared with its massive claws, but Jared was quick, dodging and weaving, keeping the demon occupied.
Simon ran toward the altar, pulling the journal from his pocket. There, scrawled in the margins, was a final passage he hadn't noticed before. The missing piece of the ritual. It was an incantation, but it required a sacrifice—something to bind the seal permanently.
Without thinking, Simon began to recite the words, his voice echoing in the chamber. The air around the altar began to crackle with energy, and the gateway started to flicker, growing unstable.
The demon howled in rage, sensing what was happening. It turned away from Jared and lunged at Simon, its claws outstretched.
But it was too late.
With the final word of the incantation, the gateway imploded, sending a shockwave through the spire. The demon let out an ear-splitting scream as its body disintegrated, torn apart by the collapsing gateway.
Simon collapsed to the ground, his vision swimming, his body heavy with exhaustion. The last thing he saw before the darkness took him was Jared, standing over him, bloodied but alive.
They had done it.
YOU ARE READING
The Ash Hollow Curse
HorrorIn The Ash Hollow Curse, Detective Simon Graves investigates a series of mysterious disappearances in the remote town of Ash Hollow, where he discovers an ancient demon called Gaki no Yami and a gateway to the Abyss. After a harrowing battle, Simon...
