INFERNAL PASSION

Dark shadows

The air inside the library grew colder as the hours passed, a biting chill that seemed to seep through the very stone of the ancient walls. Gabriel could feel the pressure mounting, the knowledge they sought still eluding them, despite their efforts. The others were scattered throughout the library, each absorbed in their own search, their eyes scanning the faded pages of ancient texts. The weight of the past hung heavily over them, the echoes of the mistakes of those who had come before an ever-present reminder of what was at stake.

He ran his fingers over the spine of a particularly worn tome, the leather cracked and brittle. He could feel the energy thrumming through it, a pulse that seemed to call out to him. He pulled it from the shelf, the cover embossed with symbols similar to those they had seen at the entrance to the library. As he opened the book, the pages crackled, the parchment yellowed and fragile beneath his touch.

Diana approached, her footsteps barely audible against the stone floor. She paused beside him, her gaze shifting to the book in his hands.

- Find anything interesting? - she asked, her voice quiet, as though she feared disturbing the silence that enveloped them.

Gabriel looked up, his eyes meeting hers for a moment before returning to the book.

- I'm not sure yet. There's something about this one. I can feel it... like it's important, but I can't quite place it.

Diana leaned in, her brow furrowing as she studied the symbols on the page.

- Those symbols... I think I saw them in one of the other books I was looking at. They're a warning, aren't they?

Gabriel nodded, his eyes scanning the text, the words written in an ancient script that was both familiar and strange.

- Yes, I think so. It's warning of the dangers of trying to control the power. It talks about the sacrifices that were made, the cost of wielding something so vast, so ancient. It's like it's trying to tell us that the power itself isn't inherently evil, but it's the intentions of those who use it that determine its outcome.

Diana frowned, her eyes darkening as she considered his words.

- So, it's a mirror, like Elara said. It reflects who we are, what we want. If we let our ambitions get the best of us...

Gabriel's voice was somber as he finished her thought.

- Then we become the very thing we're trying to fight against. That's why it's so dangerous. It's not just about power—it's about who we are as people, what we're willing to do to achieve our goals.

Diana looked at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination.

- And are we willing? To face ourselves, I mean? To see what's really there?

Gabriel held her gaze, his expression softening.

- I think we have to be. It's the only way we stand a chance. We have to understand what's inside us, the good and the bad, if we're going to wield this power without losing ourselves to it.

Diana nodded slowly, her gaze shifting to the book in his hands.

- Then we keep going. We keep searching until we find the answers we need.

Gabriel offered her a small smile, his heart warmed by her resolve.

- We will. We're not giving up now.

From across the library, a sudden noise echoed through the vast chamber—the sound of a book falling, followed by a string of curses. Gabriel and Diana exchanged a glance before hurrying over to where Vincent was standing, his face a mix of frustration and embarrassment as he bent to pick up the fallen book.