We barely had time to catch our breath before Evelyn was already planning our next move. The destruction of Blackwood Manor and the defeat of its guardian had been a victory, but the lingering darkness in the air served as a grim reminder that this was far from over.
The group gathered in the small cabin that had become our makeshift headquarters. It was a humble place, but it had an air of safety and comfort that we desperately needed after the chaos of the mansion. The walls were lined with books, most of them on the occult, and maps of the town were spread out on the large table in the center of the room.
Sheriff Carter, Tommy, Evelyn, and I sat around the table, our expressions grim as Evelyn laid out the next steps.
"We've managed to destroy the first piece, but there are still more out there," Evelyn said, her voice steady but laced with urgency. "The next location is even more dangerous. We'll be heading into the heart of the forest—Frostwood Hollow."
"Frostwood Hollow," Sheriff Carter repeated, his brows furrowing. "That place has been abandoned for years. There've been stories about it, rumors that it's cursed."
"It is cursed," Evelyn confirmed. "And the curse is tied directly to the piece we're after. The guardian there is known as the Wraith of Frostwood. It's an ancient spirit bound to the land, and it's said to be nearly impossible to defeat."
Tommy swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly. "So, how do we fight something like that? We barely made it out of the mansion alive."
Evelyn sighed, leaning forward. "We're going to need more than just the amulet this time. We'll need to perform a ritual to weaken the Wraith before we can even get close to the piece. But the ritual is dangerous. It requires blood—our blood."
"Wait," I said, my stomach turning at the thought. "You mean we have to… bleed ourselves to weaken this thing?"
Evelyn nodded, her expression grave. "Just a small amount, but it has to be from all of us. The ritual binds our life force to the Wraith's, creating a temporary link that will weaken it. But the Wraith will feel the link, and it will come after us with everything it has."
Sheriff Carter ran a hand through his hair, his face lined with worry. "This just keeps getting better and better. But if it's the only way, then we'll do it. We don't have a choice."
Tommy looked like he was about to protest, but he bit his tongue, nodding reluctantly. "Fine. I'll do it. But what happens if we don't make it out? If this Wraith is as powerful as you say…"
"We can't think like that," I interjected, trying to keep my voice steady. "We've made it this far, and we'll make it through this too. We have to."
Evelyn began to outline the details of the ritual, her voice calm and methodical despite the growing tension in the room. "The ritual requires us to be at the center of the Wraith's domain—right where the piece is hidden. We'll draw a circle in the ground and each of us will need to spill a few drops of blood into it. Once the circle is complete, the Wraith will be weakened, but only for a short time."
"What happens after that?" Sheriff Carter asked, his voice rough. "How do we destroy the piece?"
"That's the hard part," Evelyn admitted. "The piece will be protected by the Wraith until it's weakened. Once the ritual is complete, we'll need to destroy the piece as quickly as possible. The amulet should help with that, but we'll need to act fast. The Wraith will only be weakened for a few minutes at most."
"And if we fail?" I asked, a chill running down my spine.
"Then we'll have unleashed the full power of the Wraith," Evelyn said softly. "And it won't stop until we're all dead."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the gravity of our situation pressing down on us like a weight. We were about to enter a place that no one had returned from alive, facing a spirit bound by a curse older than any of us could imagine. But there was no turning back now. The fate of our town—and perhaps much more—depended on our success.
The next day, we set out at dawn, the forest of Frostwood Hollow looming before us like a dark, twisted labyrinth. The trees were tall and ancient, their gnarled branches intertwining to form a dense canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. The air was thick with mist, and an eerie silence hung over the forest, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or distant animal call.
As we ventured deeper into the forest, the oppressive atmosphere grew stronger, the shadows lengthening and twisting as if alive. The path we followed was barely visible, overgrown with roots and vines, and every step felt like it was taking us further into the unknown.
"This place is worse than I imagined," Tommy muttered, his eyes darting nervously from side to side. "It's like the forest itself is watching us."
"It is," Evelyn replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Wraith is everywhere here. It controls the forest, and it knows we're coming."
We pressed on, the sense of dread growing with each passing moment. The deeper we went, the colder the air became, until it felt like we were walking through a freezing fog. Our breath came out in white puffs, and the chill seeped into our bones.
Finally, we reached a small clearing in the heart of the forest. The ground was bare and cold, and at the center of the clearing stood a large, ancient stone altar covered in moss and runes. The amulet in Evelyn's hand glowed faintly, casting an eerie light over the clearing.
"This is it," Evelyn said, her voice tight with tension. "This is where the piece is hidden. And where we'll perform the ritual."
We gathered around the altar, and Evelyn began to draw the ritual circle on the ground, using a piece of chalk from her bag. The circle was filled with intricate symbols and lines, each one carefully placed according to the ritual's instructions.
As she worked, the forest seemed to close in around us, the shadows growing darker and the air even colder. The sense of being watched was almost overwhelming, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was moving just out of sight, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"We need to do this quickly," Evelyn said, finishing the circle. "Once we start, there's no turning back. Everyone ready?"
We nodded, though I could see the fear in Tommy's eyes and the tension in Sheriff Carter's posture. But there was no hesitation. We knew what was at stake.
Evelyn handed each of us a small, sharp knife. "Just a few drops of blood," she instructed. "And be ready. The Wraith will come as soon as it senses the ritual."
With trembling hands, I made a small cut on my palm, watching as the blood welled up and dripped onto the ground inside the circle. Sheriff Carter and Tommy did the same, and finally, Evelyn added her own blood to the circle.
As the last drop of blood hit the ground, the air around us seemed to thrum with energy. The circle began to glow faintly, and the temperature plummeted even further, to the point where I could feel the cold biting into my skin.
Then, from the shadows, came a low, haunting wail—a sound that chilled me to the core. The Wraith had arrived.
The shadows at the edge of the clearing began to twist and writhe, forming a dark, amorphous shape that slowly took on a vaguely human form. The Wraith of Frostwood was a tall, gaunt figure, its body shrouded in tattered, ethereal robes that seemed to flow and shift with the wind. Its face was obscured, but the hollow eye sockets that stared back at us were filled with an ancient, malevolent hunger.
"You dare to disturb my domain?" the Wraith hissed, its voice like the rustling of dead leaves. "Your blood will feed my power, and your souls will be mine!"
The Wraith lunged forward, its bony, clawed hands reaching for us. But as it crossed the boundary of the ritual circle, it recoiled with a shriek of pain, the light from the circle flaring brightly and driving it back.
"It's working," Evelyn shouted, her voice filled with a mix of relief and urgency. "But it won't last long. We need to find the piece—now!"
I turned to the altar, frantically searching for any sign of the piece. But the altar was covered in runes, each one pulsing with dark energy, and there was no obvious place where the piece might be hidden.
"The altar," Sheriff Carter called out, pointing to a small, hidden compartment at the base. "There! It must be inside!"
Tommy and I rushed to the altar, prying open the compartment with all our strength. Inside was a small, ornate box, similar to the one we had found in Blackwood Manor. The box was heavy and cold to the touch, and I could feel the dark energy pulsing from within.
As I reached for the box, the Wraith let out another ear-piercing shriek and surged toward us, its form rippling with rage. The light from the circle was flickering, weakening under the Wraith's assault.
"Hurry!" Evelyn cried out, her voice strained. "The circle won't hold much longer