The Beninging

Chapter 12

Alyssa stood there, heart pounding, her mind reeling from what had just happened. The weight of her decision still hung in the air like a dense fog. She had refused Dexter, but she knew he wasn't gone—not completely. The stones pulsed in her hand, reminding her of their terrible power and the danger they carried.

Dex had been thrown back, his twisted body lying motionless against the cold stone wall, but she knew he wasn't truly defeated. The stones wouldn't let him die. Not yet.

Alyssa had to act fast. She knelt by the stones, the cool energy humming through her fingers, almost calming her. But the tension in her body didn't relent. The ritual... She had to complete it before Dexter could rise again, before he could consume the full power of the stones.

Her hands trembled as she pulled out the small, worn book she had kept hidden in her cloak—a journal she had found in the temple. The ancient words, etched in faded ink, were the only guide she had. They spoke of a way to send the stones back, to break their hold on the living world and return them to the void from which they had come.

But there was a cost. There was always a cost.

As she flipped through the pages, she heard a soft groan. Alyssa's head snapped up. Dexter stirred, his skeletal hand twitching, clawing at the ground. His voice, ragged and low, echoed through the chamber.

"You can't run from this, Ally..."

Her pulse quickened. He was waking. She had only moments left. Ignoring the rising panic, Alyssa hurriedly scanned the ancient text, her eyes landing on the ritual.

Blood. A life for the stones' return.

Her breath caught. She hadn't realized it would demand a life.

The thought chilled her. She couldn't do it, could she? She wasn't a murderer. Not again. Not like before.

But Dex's twisted body began to stir more, his broken fingers curling into the earth as he pulled himself up, his voice like gravel scraping against stone.

"Alyssa..." His voice was more sinister now, filled with a venomous hatred. "You think you can stop this?"

Her mind raced. Could she really sacrifice herself? Or someone else? The stones were bound by blood—her blood—when she first touched them. But that night, something inside her had changed. The stone had already chosen her.

Dex's body jerked, his uneven legs pushing him up with a sickening snap. His skull twisted unnaturally as he raised his head, glaring at her. He started to move, faster than before, his grotesque form bending toward her. "Give me the stones!" he roared.

Desperation surged in her. The amulet glowed fiercely, reacting to the rising danger. She felt the energy building inside her, the raw power of the stones bubbling to the surface, overwhelming her senses.

Suddenly, she remembered—the amulet. It could channel the stones' power. But at what cost? Could it help her control this overwhelming force long enough to complete the ritual?

Alyssa gripped the amulet tightly, its glow intensifying as she focused her mind. If she could just draw enough energy from the stones to weaken Dex, to push him back long enough, she could finish this.

Her voice trembled as she began to recite the incantation from the journal. The ancient words rolled off her tongue, each syllable heavier than the last. The chamber began to shake, and the stones beneath her hands pulsed in time with the rhythmic thrum of her heart.

Dexter lurched toward her, his body barely holding together. "You won't stop me!" he snarled, his hand reaching out, inches away from her throat.

But Alyssa was no longer listening. She could feel the power of the stones flowing through her, the energy surging toward the amulet. Her entire body trembled as she channeled the force, trying to contain the overwhelming pressure that threatened to tear her apart.

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the amulet. It exploded outward, filling the chamber with blinding brilliance. Dexter howled in agony, the light searing his twisted flesh, forcing him back.

Alyssa's body shook as the energy threatened to consume her, but she held on, repeating the incantation, her voice growing stronger with each word. The stones hummed louder, vibrating beneath her fingers, until, with a deafening crack, a shockwave burst through the room.

Dex was thrown back again, his body slamming into the far wall. His broken form slumped to the ground, motionless, but Alyssa knew it wouldn't last. Time was running out.

She gripped the amulet, her breath ragged as she whispered the final words of the ritual. The stones must be sent back. It was the only way.

As the last syllable left her lips, the air grew thick with an unnatural stillness. The stones flared one final time before their light began to fade, sinking into the earth as if they were being pulled away, disappearing back into the void.

Alyssa collapsed to the ground, her body drained, the amulet falling from her hand. For a moment, she lay there, too exhausted to move, the chamber around her eerily silent.

But as she opened her eyes, she saw Dexter's body lying motionless. His twisted form was no longer moving, the stone's power finally released. The ritual had worked.

But as she looked at Dex's lifeless figure, a part of her knew this wasn't the end. There was always another price to pay.

Alyssa stayed on the cold ground, her body numb, barely able to process what had just happened. The stones had gone—pulled back to wherever they had come from—and Dexter... Dexter was gone too. At least for the moment.

But she couldn't shake the feeling of unfinished business. The air was still thick with a sense of dread, as though the evil that had been unleashed wasn't truly gone. She couldn't let herself relax, not yet. Not until she was sure.

With a heavy groan, she forced herself to sit up, her muscles aching with exhaustion. The chamber was dim now, the light of the stones having vanished, leaving her with only the faint glow from her amulet. She clutched it tightly, feeling the familiar warmth of its power. It had saved her life today—again.

She glanced at Dexter's body. The man she had killed. The man the stones had revived and twisted into a grotesque creature of vengeance. His face, half skeleton, half warped flesh, still sent chills down her spine. But now, he lay still. Lifeless. Finally,

Alyssa felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She hadn't meant to kill him that night. But in her panic, in her fear, the power of the stones had overwhelmed her. And now, everything was spiraling out of control.

Her mind swirled with memories—Dex with her in the rain, her hands shaking, the way his eyes had widened in shock as she had torn him limb from limb. She had tried to forget, to bury the memory, but it had clawed its way back, forcing her to face it.

Now, with the stones gone, what would become of Dexter? Would he stay dead this time? Or was there something darker still lurking beneath the surface, waiting for its chance to return?

As if in answer, a faint groan echoed through the chamber.

Alyssa's heart stopped. She turned slowly, her eyes wide with fear, and saw Dexter's body twitch. His hand jerked, fingers clawing at the ground.