Sinister Inheritance

Chapter 7: Astral

The spirits were getting restless. The candelabras in the room flickered violently, their flames shrinking before being snuffed out one by one. The darkness crept in quickly, wrapping around the room like a suffocating shroud. Shadows stretched and twisted unnaturally, slithering along the walls as if they had a life of their own.

I clutched the talisman tightly against my chest, its faint warmth the only thing grounding me in the encroaching void. The whispers began again—low at first, murmurs that rose to a chorus of anguished wails and bitter, accusing cries. Their voices filled the room, overlapping, seeping into my mind like poison.

"You do not belong here!" one spirit snarled, its voice sharp and venomous.

"She bears his blood!" another hissed, its tone dripping with contempt.

The shadows coalesced into shifting forms, barely human shapes with hollow, glowing eyes. They loomed closer, circling Elias and me like wolves sizing up their prey. The air grew colder, sharp and biting, each breath painful in my chest.

"Stay close, Helen!" Elias barked, his voice cutting through the cacophony. He raised a hand, his own form flickering slightly in the dim light. The spirits seemed to recoil from him, but only briefly.

"They won't stop!" I shouted, my voice trembling. "They're trying to drive us out—or worse."

The talisman in my hand began to glow faintly, its warmth growing stronger. I looked down at it, the intricate skull design shimmering with a golden hue. "The talisman," I muttered, my breath visible in the freezing air. "It's reacting to them."

"Then use it!" Elias urged, his tone desperate but steady. "Channel its power before they overwhelm us!"

I hesitated, unsure how to wield something I barely understood. But as the spirits closed in, their whispers turning to guttural roars, I raised the talisman high and shouted with all the strength I could muster:

"Per lumen domus huius et sanguinis, quem maledicis, regredi praecipio!"

The glow intensified, a brilliant burst of light that erupted from the talisman, cutting through the darkness like a blade. The spirits shrieked, their forms unraveling as the light struck them. The whispers turned to agonized cries before fading into silence. The room grew still, the oppressive chill lifting slightly.

Elias steadied himself, his form solidifying again. He looked at me with a mix of relief and concern. "They won't stay gone for long," he said grimly. "We need to move. The house is waking up."

I nodded, clutching the talisman close, its warmth a fragile comfort against the terror that lingered. Whatever lay ahead, I knew this was only the beginning.

"We're waiting for you, Helen," a voice like grinding stone echoed through the room, low and guttural. It sent a chill down my spine, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. The sound reverberated through the walls, as if the very house itself were speaking, alive with malice.

I froze, clutching the talisman so tightly my knuckles turned white. "Who's there?" I demanded, though my voice cracked under the weight of fear.

The shadows around us began to stir again, writhing like serpents. From the depths of the darkness, a figure started to emerge—a shape barely human, its edges blurred as though it were made of smoke and ash. Its hollow, glowing eyes locked onto me, and a cruel smile twisted across its half-formed face.

"We've been waiting for a long time," the voice said again, louder now, as if it came from everywhere at once. "Your blood called us, Helen. Your father's sins demanded it."