The shadow twisted, as if considering her question. Then, a voice, deep and resonant, but not like the spirit that had spoken through Lucas-it was older, darker, like something from the depths of the hellish earth-echoed through the room.
"I am Ago...
The eerie light of the cavern bathed everything in a sickly green glow, casting long, wavering shadows on the rough stone walls. Mrs. Marques, Lucas, and Calamansi lay sprawled on the cold ground, their bodies aching from the fall. Dust swirled in the air as they struggled to their feet, their breaths coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The oppressive weight of the underground burial ground pressed down on them like a leaden blanket.
"This is bad... really bad," Calamansi whispered, clutching at her chest, her fingers trembling as they traced the strange symbols carved into the walls. "What is this place?"
Lucas staggered to his feet, his eyes wide as he scanned the chamber. "I think it's ancient... a tomb. They were buried here, the forgotten ones. This must be where their souls are trapped." His voice shook, the words barely leaving his lips.
Mrs. Marques, still catching her breath, gazed around in horror. The air down here was thick with an unnatural cold, and the low, echoing whispers of the spirits swirled around them like a haunting melody. She could feel them-watching, waiting.
Suddenly, from the far end of the cavern, a low rumble filled the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the ancient symbols on the walls began to pulse more violently, casting flashes of blinding light across the chamber. A crack tore through the stone floor, splitting the ground wide open, and from the fissure, a dark, writhing mass began to rise-more spirits, their forms twisted and grotesque, dragged themselves free from the depths of the earth.
"They're coming!" Calamansi shouted, her voice sharp with terror.
Lucas turned, his eyes darting frantically across the cavern. "We have to get out of here!" he cried, but before they could move, the spirits began to converge on them, their hollow eyes burning with fury and vengeance. The cavern was filled with their wailing, shrieks of anguish and cries for justice.
Out of the shadows, Agouro emerged once again, his monstrous form towering above them. His face had become even more twisted, a grotesque blend of human and nightmare, and his body seemed to shift and pulse with dark energy. His red eyes locked onto them, and his voice echoed through the cavern like the rumble of thunder.
"You cannot escape your fate," Agouro snarled, his voice like the grinding of stones. "You will suffer as we have suffered."
Mrs. Marques felt a surge of dread, but something deeper stirred within her-an anger, a determination that had been kindled by the spirits' stories. She had promised to remember them, to tell their truths, but she wouldn't allow them to exact their revenge in this twisted way.
With newfound courage, she stepped forward, her voice shaking but firm. "We understand your pain... your anger. But this isn't justice. This is vengeance!" she shouted, her words ringing out against the stone walls.
Agouro's eyes narrowed, his form pulsing with dark energy as he floated closer. "You think you understand?" he growled. "You, who walk in the world of the living, cannot comprehend the torment of being forgotten. Of being erased."
The other spirits surged forward, their skeletal hands reaching out, their voices a cacophony of rage. Mrs. Marques could feel the ground quaking beneath them, the air thickening with the weight of their fury. Lucas and Calamansi stood frozen, their faces pale, as the spirits began to close in.
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