the silent heartbeat

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The entity's dark form loomed over me as it held the pouch of keys in one of its shadowed hands, its figure swathed in an ominous, shifting mist. The glint of the keys caught my eye, and my heart sank at the sight. This was everything we'd worked for, everything my friends and I had risked our lives to obtain—and now it was slipping through my grasp.

"In order for you to get the thing you want," the entity's voice oozed with malice, "you must endure the wrath of envy."

Before I could react, I felt a sudden, searing pain cut across my back. I screamed, my voice bouncing off the cold, stony walls of the cave as the pain rippled through me. But the entity didn't stop at one lash. The second followed, then the third, each strike more painful and intense than the last. It felt like my skin was being shredded, the raw agony taking my breath away. My hands clawed at the ground, my nails scraping against stone as I tried to focus on something—anything—to ground myself.

"Stop..." I choked out, barely able to speak through the pain. But the entity only laughed, its cruel voice filling the air.

Four. Five. Six. The lashes continued, relentless and brutal, each one tearing into me with renewed force. My screams grew louder, reverberating around me, until I could no longer tell where the echoes ended and my cries began. My vision blurred from the intensity of the pain, and I found myself teetering on the edge of consciousness.

I heard faint voices, distant and muffled, but they grew louder with each passing second. My friends. They were on the other side of the wall, trying to reach me. Desperation surged through me, giving me the smallest spark of hope.

"Hold on, we're coming!" Holland's voice called out, and I felt a sliver of relief, even as the lashes continued to fall. Seven. Eight. Nine.

The entity laughed again, louder and more twisted than before. "Oh, the sweet smell of flesh," it crooned, as though savoring my agony. The tenth lash landed, and I cried out, feeling every fiber of my being recoil from the pain.

But even through the agony, I could feel something else—a burning anger deep within me, a defiance that flared up in response to the entity's cruelty. I wasn't going to let this thing break me, no matter how much it hurt. My friends were trying to get to me, and I wasn't going to give up.

The entity finally stepped back, its dark form looming over me. I was trembling, gasping for air, the pain throbbing across my back like fire. But I forced myself to lift my head, to meet its gaze, even if my vision was hazy.

"Your cruelty won't stop us," I rasped, barely able to get the words out. "We've come too far. You can't make me give up, you're just like that fucking vengeful spirit we encountered twice in our journey! You act just like him!"

"Oh?" the entity taunted, its voice a mocking whisper. "Your bravery is admirable, but pointless, and every vengeful entity you encountered here, are just the same." It held up the pouch, letting the keys clink against each other. "You believe these keys are the answer. They may be. But are you strong enough to claim them back? Or will you let them slip from your grasp, as you cling to your futile bravery?"

I gritted my teeth, swallowing the searing pain in my back as best as I could. The echoes of my friends' voices grew louder. I could hear them now, slamming against the stone wall, trying to break through.

"Hang on, we're almost there!" Berryl's voice rang out, filled with determination. Hearing her, I felt a surge of strength run through me. My friends believed in me, and I wasn't about to let this entity take that away.