The battle with the mysterious stranger left Richie and Sarah exhausted but resolute. Yet, as the days passed, the sense of victory began to erode, replaced by an insidious fear that crept into their lives, seeping into the very fabric of their existence. The artifact, though powerful, seemed to hum with a constant reminder of the darkness they had barely managed to push away.
It began with the dreams. They started off as faint whispers, fleeting images that vanished with the morning light. But soon, they grew more vivid, more terrifying. Each night, Richie and Sarah would wake in a cold sweat, their hearts pounding, the echoes of their nightmares still ringing in their ears.
