Beneath the Shattered Sky

Chapter 13: Beneath the Surface

 

The next day, Maya couldn’t shake the lingering dread from the ritual. The dark figure, the oppressive energy—everything felt like a warning. 

At breakfast, Dante slouched in his chair, his usual calm replaced with exhaustion. “That ritual was a patch job. It didn’t solve anything.” 

Maya stirred her coffee absently. “It gave us time. We need to figure out what’s really going on with Aiden’s building—and his father’s experiments.” 

Dante hesitated, then leaned in. “I’ve been thinking. Aiden knows too much, but he’s not telling us everything. If we’re going to stop this, we need the full story.” 

---

That afternoon, they met Aiden in the partially constructed building. He was pacing in the open corridor, his hands shoved into his pockets. 

“You look terrible,” Aiden said, glancing at them. “Bad night?” 

Dante shot him a sharp look. “You could say that. Care to explain why you didn’t tell us about the sacrifices needed for the ritual?” 

Aiden stiffened. “It wasn’t relevant. The ritual’s just a temporary solution.” 

“Exactly,” Maya cut in. “We need more than temporary fixes, Aiden. What aren’t you telling us?” 

For a moment, Aiden said nothing, his eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. Finally, he sighed and motioned for them to follow him. 

---

They descended into the hidden floors beneath the building. The air grew colder with each step, and the faint hum that had haunted Maya for weeks seemed to resonate in the walls. 

On the second underground level, Aiden led them to a steel door. He paused, his hand on the handle. 

“What you’re about to see... It’s going to change everything you think you know,” he said. 

He pushed the door open, revealing a stark white room filled with strange equipment. At the center was a glass chamber containing a preserved body—a woman with auburn hair, her features eerily peaceful. 

Maya’s breath caught in her throat. “Who... who is that?” 

“My mother,” Aiden said, his voice hollow. “She died during one of my father’s experiments. He couldn’t let her go, so he preserved her here. But the experiment didn’t just affect her—it unleashed something else.” 

---

Dante stared at the chamber, his expression a mix of shock and horror. “The entity... It’s connected to her?” 

Aiden nodded. “Her death was the catalyst. The rift opened because of her, and it’s been growing ever since.” 

Maya stepped closer to the chamber, her heart pounding. “Is she still... alive?” 

Aiden shook his head. “No. At least, not in the way you think. Her body’s preserved, but her soul... It’s trapped in the rift. And the entity feeds on it.” 

Maya’s stomach churned. “So the only way to stop the entity is to close the rift. Permanently.” 

Aiden hesitated, then nodded. “But closing the rift means destroying everything connected to it—including her.” 

---

Maya felt a surge of sympathy for Aiden. As much as he frustrated her, she couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a loved one twice. 

“There has to be another way,” she said, her voice soft. 

“There isn’t,” Aiden said firmly. “I’ve tried. For years. But every attempt to close the rift has failed. The entity is too strong.” 

Dante crossed his arms. “Then we need to weaken it. If it feeds on energy, maybe we can cut off its supply.” 

Aiden frowned. “How? It’s been feeding on people for decades. It’s practically unstoppable.” 

Maya straightened, determination in her eyes. “We’ll find a way. But we need to work together—and you need to stop keeping secrets from us.” 

---

As they left the underground room, Maya felt a new sense of purpose. They had a plan, even if it was vague and dangerous. 

But as they reached the surface, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone—or something—was watching them. 

Later that night, as Maya sat alone in her apartment, the hum returned. It was louder this time, more insistent. 

She glanced toward the door in the hallway, her stomach twisting with fear. 

The voice came again, low and pleading. **“Help me...”** 

Maya clenched her fists, fighting the urge to move toward the door. 

“Not this time,” she whispered to herself. 

But the voice changed, becoming deeper, more menacing. 

**“You can’t ignore me forever, Maya.”** 

Her blood ran cold. The entity knew her name.