Beneath the Shattered Sky

Chapter 19: The Book of Echoes

The glowing book sat on the coffee table, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. Its presence was unsettling, filling the room with an invisible weight. Maya, Dante, and Aiden sat around it, the tension between them thick.

“We have to open it,” Maya said, breaking the silence.

Aiden frowned. “We don’t know what’s inside. It could be a trap.”

“It’s already affecting us,” Dante pointed out, gesturing to the flickering lights and the faint humming noise that had started again since they brought the book in. “We can’t just leave it closed and hope for the best.”

Maya reached for the book, her fingers trembling. The cover was cool to the touch, and as she flipped it open, a strange warmth spread through her hand.

The pages were filled with symbols—some familiar from Aiden’s notes, others completely alien. The ink seemed to shift and move, as though alive.

“What does it say?” Dante asked, leaning closer.

“I don’t know,” Maya admitted. “It’s written in a language I’ve never seen before.”

Aiden grabbed a notebook and began sketching one of the symbols. “This one looks similar to the ones in my father’s research. It might be a protective spell.”

Maya turned the page, and suddenly, the symbols began to rearrange themselves. The three of them stared in shock as the text transformed into readable words.

The first line read:
"To bind the darkness, one must embrace the light within."

Maya’s voice trembled as she read aloud. “What does that even mean?”

Dante frowned. “It sounds like some kind of riddle.”

Aiden’s gaze darkened. “It means the answer isn’t just in the book. It’s something we have to figure out ourselves.”

Maya flipped to the next page, but instead of text, the page showed an image: a mirror surrounded by shadows. In its reflection, there was a glowing figure holding a dagger.

“That’s the mirror room,” Maya said, pointing. “It’s showing us something from the underground chamber.”

“Or it’s showing us what’s going to happen,” Aiden said grimly.

Dante stood abruptly. “Then we need to prepare. We can’t go back there blind.”

Over the next few days, the trio delved into every resource they could find. Aiden pored over his father’s research, while Maya and Dante explored books on mythology and folklore, hoping to uncover any clue about the entity or the book’s significance.

Maya felt a growing connection to the book. It wasn’t just an object—it was a living thing, whispering to her in her dreams, calling her back to the chamber.

One night, she dreamed of the glowing figure again. This time, it wasn’t holding a dagger—it was holding her hand, guiding her through the shadows. She couldn’t see its face, but its presence was comforting, even as the darkness swirled around them.

When she woke, the book was glowing brighter than ever.

The strange occurrences intensified.

At school, Maya’s classmates reported seeing shadows moving in the halls. Dante’s apartment was filled with an unshakable chill, and Aiden swore he heard voices whispering his name at night.

“We’re running out of time,” Aiden said during one of their late-night strategy meetings. “The entity is getting stronger. If we don’t act soon, it’ll break through completely.”

“But what can we do?” Dante asked. “We don’t even know what we’re fighting.”

“We do now,” Maya said, her voice steady. She placed the book on the table and pointed to a passage she’d translated.

The text described an ancient being—one that thrived on fear and despair. It was drawn to broken souls, feeding on their pain until it grew strong enough to manifest fully.

“It’s using the rift as a conduit,” she explained. “The more fear it creates, the stronger it gets.”

“And the book?” Aiden asked.

“It’s a weapon,” Maya said, her fingers tracing the symbols. “But it’s incomplete. We need to unlock its full power to stop the entity.”

The book’s instructions were clear: the key to unlocking its power lay in confronting their own fears.

For Maya, the challenge was immediate. The shadows in her dreams weren’t just random—they were manifestations of her guilt and doubts. She had to face them head-on.

One night, she meditated with the book in front of her, allowing its whispers to guide her. She was transported to a dreamscape that mirrored her deepest insecurities: losing Aiden, letting Dante down, failing to protect the people she cared about.

But instead of running, she stood her ground.

“You’re not real,” she said to the shadows. “And you don’t control me.”

The darkness recoiled, and for the first time, the whispers became words of encouragement:
"You are stronger than your fear."

When she woke, the book had changed again. The dagger from her earlier dream was now etched into its cover, glowing faintly.

Dante and Aiden underwent similar trials.

For Dante, it was his fear of losing the people he loved. He dreamed of Maya and Aiden being consumed by the entity, their screams echoing in his ears. But when he focused on his memories of their kindness and strength, the nightmare dissolved.

For Aiden, it was his guilt over his mother’s death and his father’s obsession. He faced a vision of his mother, trapped in the rift, her voice accusing him of abandoning her. But when he spoke from his heart, telling her how much he missed her and how hard he’d tried to save her, the vision faded, leaving him with a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in years.

The three of them reconvened, their bond stronger than ever.

“We’re ready,” Maya said, holding the book. The dagger symbol was now fully illuminated, and the pages were filled with new instructions.

Aiden nodded. “Let’s finish this.”

But as they prepared to return to the chamber, the shadows outside began to gather, their forms more solid and menacing than before.

The entity wasn’t going to let them win without a fight.