Chapter 3 Echoes of the void

The single word, "AWAKENED" slammed into Elara's mind with the force of a physical blow. Her knees buckled, and she instinctively reached out, her fingers clenched on the rough edge of her work bench for support. The bone in Dante's hand pulsed in sickening synchronicity with the echoing dread in her soul.

Dante's strong arms were around her instantly, his usual guarded demeanor replaced by a raw concern that surprised her. "Elara! What's wrong?"

She couldn't speak, she couldn't draw breath. The ancient presence, the entity the symbol represented, felt terrifying close, its awareness a suffocating weight. It was as if a long-dormant eye had finally opened, its gaze fixed directly on her.

The shadowy form in the corner of the workshop flickered, solidifying slightly. It was tall and gaunt, its features indistinct, yet radiating an aura of immense, cold power. The air around it crackled with an energy that made the hairs on Elara's arms stand on end.

"What in God's name....?"the brute beside Dante muttered, his hands now firmly on his weapon, his eyes wide with a fear that mirrored Elara's

Dante, however, remained focused on Elara, his grip firm.

" Tell me", he urged, his voice low and urgent. "What was that? What did you hear?"

Swallowing hard, Elara finally managed a choked whisper. "It....it knows I'm here. The symbol....it's a conduit. And my magic....it's like a turning fork, resonating with its call".

The shadowy figure in the corners shifted, and a voice, not spoken aloud but directly planted in their minds__a voice like the grinding of glaciers and the sigh of dying stars__echoed through the workshop. "THE LAST....OF THE BLOOD....YOU CARRY THE ECHO...."

Panic flared in Elara's chest. It knew about her lineage, The ancient bloodlines of enchantres that had been alive but extinguished. A bloodline that was apparently the key to entity's awakening.

Dante's grip tightened on her arms. "What is it saying?"he demanded, his eyes darting between Elara and the shadowy figure.

"It....it recognized me" Elara stammered." My blood....it's connected to it somehow".

The shadowy figure took a slow, deliberate step forward, and the magical tremor in the air intensified. Objects on Elara's shelves rattled and the faint scent of ozone was overpowered by the cloying, ancient odor she had sensed earlier.

"We need to get out of here", Elara urged, her voice trembling. "This place....it's drawing it in".

Dante didn't hesitate. He nodded to his man. "Luca, stay here... watch it", he pulled Elara towards the shattered door.

Luca's eyes widened in disbelief. "Boss, have you lost it? Stay here with that thing?"

"Just watch it" Dante repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And if it moves, you know what to do ".

As Dante practically dragged Elara through the ruined doorway and into the relative dimness of the cemetery. The voice echoed in her mind again, laced with a chilling anticipation " The echo....will lead the way...."

They stumbled through the overgrown gravestones, the cool night air a slight reprieve from the suffocating atmosphere of the workshop. But the sense of being watched, of being hurted, clunged to Elara like a shroud.

"What was that thing?"Dante asked, his breath coming in ragged gasps as they hurried away from the mausoleum.

"What did it mean, 'last of the blood' ?"

Elara didn't answer immediately, her mind reeling from the entity's mental intrusion. Finally, as they reached the relative safety of Dante's waiting car, she turned to him, her eyes wide with a dawning horror.

"That....that was something ancient ", she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Something that feeds on the very essence of life and magic. And my bloodline.... we weren't just enchanters. We were....guardians. We were meant to keep it asleep".

She looked back towards the darkened mausoleum, a shiver tracing her spine. "And now", she said, the weight of a terrifying realization settling upon her. "I think I just woke it up".