Mia's voice trembled as she pulled on Olivia's arm. "Why are we backing away? We'll die faster if we try to run from it!"
Olivia glanced at her, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. "Mia, look at the chains," she whispered, pointing at the glowing bindings that wrapped around the demon's body. "If this thing wanted us dead, it could have killed us the moment we walked into the cemetery. It's stalling… like it's waiting for something."
Mia's eyes widened with realization. "You think it needs us for something?"
Olivia nodded, her gaze never leaving the demon's cold, hungry eyes. "It's not just fear. There's something else. Something we haven't figured out yet."
The demon's cruel smile twitched as though amused by their exchange. "Clever little girls," it hissed, its voice dripping with mockery. "But running, stalling, fighting—it won't matter. You'll both end up where you belong, one way or another." The chains rattled, the sound echoing ominously through the fog as it prepared to strike.
Ignoring the demon's threats, Olivia continued to back away, pulling Mia with her. Mia raised the cross she carried, muttering an exorcism prayer she vaguely remembered from a movie they'd watched together. "By the light that binds evil, I command you—"
The demon let out a deep, mocking laugh, the sound reverberating through the air. "You think that trinket will save you?" it sneered, though Olivia noticed a flicker of irritation flash across its gaunt features.
As the demon's frustration grew, the chains binding it began to glow brighter, the light pulsing with an eerie intensity. The demon recoiled, snarling in pain as the light seemed to burn into its flesh.
Olivia and Mia exchanged quick, tense glances. There was something they had missed, something tied to the chains. "The map," Olivia whispered, urgency creeping into her voice. "We missed something. The chains… they're connected to the tombstones somehow."
With shaking hands, Olivia opened the bible again, flipping to the page where the map was sketched. As her eyes scanned the map, she noticed a small set of numbers near their current location, right next to the symbol they had seen on the tombstone.
"What do these numbers mean?" Olivia muttered, trying to make sense of them. "They don't match the number of tombstones."
Mia glanced between the map and the demon, which was still writhing in pain. "Maybe it's not about the tombstones… what if it's something else? Pages? Verses?" she suggested, her voice barely above a whisper.
Olivia's eyes widened as the realization hit her. "Of course. It's connected to the bible." She stared at Mia, half in disbelief, half impressed. "How did you figure that out?"
Mia smirked, despite the tension. "Lucky guess. I'm a genius, remember?"
Olivia let out a soft chuckle, but her amusement quickly faded as the demon growled menacingly, its chains rattling in fury. Its pale, skeletal frame shuddered under the force of the glowing light, as if the inscriptions on its chains were tightening their grip.
The frequency of the glowing chains seemed to sync with the map's glowing ink. Olivia's mind raced. Miss Price had said the map was just an ordinary one, with ink that glowed in the dark—but this was far beyond anything normal. There was a secret here, something hidden within the bible's pages, and it was more powerful than they had realized.
The demon's voice cut through Olivia's thoughts. "These chains won't hold me forever," it spat, though its body trembled under the force of whatever magic bound it.
Olivia's instincts screamed at her. She had an idea—one that sounded ridiculous, even to her—but something about it felt right. "The bible," she whispered to herself. "It's not just a map. It's… connected."
"What are you thinking?" Mia asked, her voice filled with anxiety as she noticed Olivia slowly stepping toward the demon.
Olivia kept her gaze fixed on the creature. "If this bible is part of what's keeping the demon bound, maybe… maybe it can control it. Miss Price gave it to us for a reason."
Mia's eyes widened in horror. "Olivia, that's insane! You're walking right toward it! If you're wrong, we're dead!"
"I know." Olivia's voice was steady, but inside, her heart raced. Every step she took felt like a gamble with death, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the edge of discovering something crucial. The demon's white, glowing eyes followed her, narrowing as if it, too, was anticipating her next move.
The demon's chains flared once again as Olivia drew closer, its body convulsing as though in agony. Mia stood frozen, torn between terror and disbelief, clutching her cross tightly.
Olivia paused, just a few feet away from the creature. She could feel the power emanating from the bible in her hands, the connection between it and the demon undeniable. It was a risk—one she wasn't sure she could afford to take—but if her instincts were right, this bible was the key to everything.
The demon's growl deepened. "You think you can control me?" it snarled, its voice laced with both fear and fury.
For the first time since they had encountered the demon, Olivia felt a spark of hope. "We're about to find out."
Suddenly, as Olivia entered its range, the demon's expression twisted with malevolent intent, and it lunged toward her. "Olivia, look out!" Mia's scream pierced through the fog as the demon's clawed hand slashed through the air, aimed directly at her.
Olivia's heart froze as time seemed to slow, the demon's claws inching closer, its jagged nails glinting in the faint light. This is it, she thought. This is how it ends. Just like in the movies—everything slowing down before death.
But before she could process her fear, the map in her hands exploded with light. A brilliant burst of energy radiated from it, catching both her and Mia by surprise. The demon, which had been mere inches away from striking her, was suddenly jerked back by the chains that bound it. The chains tightened with an unnatural force, dragging the creature backward with a violent, electric crackle.
The demon let out a bloodcurdling scream as it clawed at the ground, trying to resist the pull of the chains, but its efforts were in vain. The chains seemed to have a life of their own, pulling it toward the origin of their binding. The creature's talons scraped across the ground, leaving deep gouges in the dirt, the sound grating against Olivia and Mia's ears, sending shivers down their spines.
"What's happening?" Mia gasped, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Olivia could only stare, the light from the map still glowing faintly in her hands, as the demon struggled against the force dragging it. The white-eyed creature snarled, its twisted features contorted with rage, but its defiance was futile.
As it was pulled closer to the anchor of its chains, it twisted its head toward Olivia and Mia, its voice dripping with venom. "You think this will save you? You think these chains can hold me forever?" Its voice became a low, guttural growl. "I know there's a disturbance in this cemetery. It did not just opened my prison but also opened the others. You better relish on your temporary peace cause when I escape from these chains, I will feast on your flesh while relishing your pain and fear… we will meet again."
The demon's laugh echoed around them, a twisted mockery that lingered in the cold air, even if it was dragged by its chains it hatred still passed through into the mist, leaving behind an unsettling silence.