Shattered reflection

Chapter 18: Whispers of the Forgotten

Mia and Jake returned to the journals, deciphering each line with renewed urgency. They could sense that they were on the brink of something monumental—a way to confront the shadows for good. The ring pulsed with energy on Mia's hand, its dark weight feeling both like a burden and a tool, whispering of untapped power.

Late one night, Mia stumbled upon a passage she hadn't noticed before. It was written in the same neat, faded handwriting as the rest of Lucien's journal, but there was something different about this page—a level of fear and desperation that hadn't been present in his earlier entries.

It read:

"The power we sought was never ours to command. I see that now, after the countless lives claimed in the name of shadows. But there was a way—a hidden path, one that could sever the darkness from this world forever. The 'Forgotten Key,' they called it, a binding spell older than even the shadows themselves. But it requires a willing soul, someone who can resist the pull, who can withstand the weight of ancient forces. The cost is high, yet it may be our only hope."

Mia read the words aloud, her voice steady but heavy with the realization of what it meant. "The 'Forgotten Key.' It's a binding spell. Something to sever the darkness from our world."

Jake's eyes widened. "So that's it, then? A way to finally end the shadows?"

"Maybe," Mia said, running her fingers over the faded words. "But it says there's a cost. Something about a 'willing soul'... I think it needs someone who's been touched by the shadows and can resist them."

Jake looked at her, his face etched with worry. "Mia, are you saying it has to be you?"

She nodded, though fear twisted in her stomach. "The ring... it responds to me because I've faced the darkness. If anyone can use this 'Forgotten Key' to bind the shadows, it has to be me."

Jake's face turned pale. "And what does it mean, a 'willing soul'? What kind of cost are we talking about?"

Mia shrugged, unwilling to admit her own fear. "I don't know. Maybe it's just... a sacrifice, like Lucien said. Or maybe it means I'd have to give up my own connection to the shadows. Either way, I don't think there's another option."

Jake's hand clenched into a fist. "There has to be another way. You don't have to do this alone."

But Mia shook her head. "I've come this far. I can feel it, Jake. If I don't end this now, it'll haunt us forever. And it'll keep spreading, claiming more people, more lives."

Jake's face twisted with anger, but he nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Then I'm staying with you."

They spent the next day preparing, gathering everything they'd need for the ritual Lucien had described. Mia studied the journal's entries over and over, memorizing the symbols and incantations that would summon the Forgotten Key. The ring pulsed in sync with her heartbeat, as if it were waiting for the moment when she would unlock its true power.

At dusk, they returned to the ruins, the place where the Covenant's power had once thrived. It was quiet now, an eerie silence settling over the stones that seemed to breathe with memories of the shadows.

Mia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the words of the binding spell. She could feel the ring's energy coursing through her, reaching out to the shadows that lingered just beyond the edge of the world. The darkness felt alive, restless, as if it sensed the impending end of its dominion.

"Are you ready?" Jake asked, his voice steady but filled with an undercurrent of worry.

Mia opened her eyes and nodded. "It's time."