Chapter 9 The Eclipse

The night of the eclipse, Willow Creek felt alive with tension. The air buzzed, and the sky was blood-red. Ethan, Marcus, and Lila stood in the chamber, the vial on the altar. The journal lay open, its pages fluttering without wind.Lila checked her watch. "Ten minutes until the eclipse peaks."Ethan's heart pounded. The shadows were moving again, coalescing into a formless mass above the altar. The voice roared in his mind: Accept your place, or all will fall."Ethan, you okay?" Marcus asked.Ethan nodded, gripping a hammer.

"Let's end this."As the eclipse darkened the sky, the shadow grew, its edges sharp and hungry. Lila chanted the failsafe ritual from the journal, her voice steady despite the chaos. Ethan raised the hammer, aiming for the vial. But the shadow lunged, knocking him back. Pain seared his chest, and the voice screamed: You are mine.Marcus pulled him up. "Do it, Ethan!"With a yell, Ethan smashed the vial. Light exploded, blinding them. The shadow shrieked, collapsing into itself, and the chamber shook. When the light faded, the altar was cracked, the vial gone.They stumbled outside, gasping. The sky was clear, the town quiet. It was over.Or so they thought when suddenly an unexpected event occurred