The landscape blurred as they sped through the desert, the day's heat beating down on the jeep, adding a stifling intensity to the already charged atmosphere inside. Elias sat in the back, his mind still reeling from the visions that had haunted him through the night. The images of that lost civilization, the dark rituals, and the power they had wielded felt as real as his surroundings, almost as if they were memories rather than dreams.
Marie's gaze flicked back to him every few minutes, her worry barely concealed. She hadn't spoken much since they'd broken camp, but he could feel her tension. On the other hand, Jonas remained focused on the road, his expression unreadable as they drove deeper into the barren desert.
Elias knew the entity hadn't left him. The whispers were faint now, mere suggestions at the edges of his thoughts, but they were there, reminding him that the bond had not been severed. And with each mile they put between themselves and the excavation site, the pull of the entity grew sharper, as though it were stretching across the desert to reach him.
"We need to take a break," Marie said abruptly, her voice slicing through the silence.
Jonas shot her a questioning look, but she shook her head. "Just… stop for a minute. We need to regroup."
Jonas hesitated but pulled the jeep over to the side of the road. They stepped out, the desert heat nearly unbearable as they gathered in the meager shade provided by the vehicle. Marie looked to Elias, her face etched with concern.
"Elias," she began, her voice soft but insistent. "We need to talk about what's happening. Since we left the site, you've been… different."
Elias tried to shrug off her words, but he could feel the weight of her gaze. "I'm fine. I just need time to… process."
Jonas crossed his arms, his expression hard. "With all due respect, you're not fine. We've all seen it. The whispers, the visions—you're hearing things, seeing things. You said the entity was following us, and now… now it's like it's taking over."
Elias's jaw tightened. He wanted to argue, to tell them they were wrong, but the truth was gnawing at him. The entity's influence had woven itself into his mind, a constant, pulsing presence he couldn't ignore. He felt its power and hunger growing stronger with each passing hour.
Marie stepped closer, her voice pleading. "We have to find a way to sever the connection, Elias. This isn't something we can just ignore. If we don't do something now, you could lose yourself completely."
Elias forced himself to meet her gaze. He could see the fear in her eyes, not just for him but for what might happen if the entity took complete control. It was as though she could see the darkness creeping into him, the way it had entwined itself around his thoughts, shaping his actions.
"What do you suggest?" Elias asked, his tone sharper than he intended.
Marie hesitated, glancing at Jonas before she answered. "There might be a way… to exorcise it. Maybe there's something in our research, some ancient method to counter this kind of influence."
Elias clenched his fists, frustration building within him. "You think this thing can be exorcised? It's not some ghost haunting a house—it's a power older than anything we've ever known. It's a god to the people who built that tomb, and it won't just disappear."
Jonas stepped forward, his gaze steely. "That may be true, but right now, we either try something or sit back and watch as it consumes you. And if that happens, it won't stop with just you, will it?"
The words hit Elias hard. He knew Jonas was right; the entity's influence wasn't confined to him alone. It had taken Garrow, and now it was coming for him. And if he allowed it to take hold and let himself fall under its control, he would be no better than Garrow—another pawn in the entity's grasp.
Elias took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Fine. We'll look into it. There has to be something in our research that can help."
Marie's face softened, relief flickering in her eyes. "Good. We'll look through everything we have and gather information about civilization and rituals. There might be a clue that can help us break the connection."
Jonas nodded, determination hardening his expression. "Then let's get moving. The sooner we figure this out, the better."
By the time they arrived at the university, dusk had fallen, casting long shadows over the campus. The once-familiar hallways felt foreign to Elias as they walked through the main building, heading toward the department's library and archives. He could feel the entity's presence pressing against him, its whispers now a constant undercurrent, filling his thoughts with dark promises and fractured memories of a time long past.
They settled into one of the secluded study rooms, spreading their notes, artifacts, and translations across the table. The air was tense as Marie began sifting through the scrolls and tablets they had gathered over the years, her fingers tracing the ancient symbols as she searched for any hint of a solution.
Elias tried to focus, but the entity's influence was growing stronger, clouding his thoughts and warping his perceptions. He could see the faint outlines of figures moving in the periphery of his vision, shadowy presences that flickered and disappeared whenever he turned his head.
Marie glanced up, her expression strained. "Elias, are you alright?"
He shook his head, pressing his palms against his temples. "I don't know. It's… it's everywhere. I can feel it."
Jonas reached across the table, his hand gripping Elias's arm firmly. "Hold on, Vayne. Focus on what's real. We're here. The stone isn't."
Elias took a shaky breath, forcing himself to concentrate on the table before him. The symbols, the fragments of language—they were real, tangible. But the entity's presence was there too, like a shadow looming over his every thought, warping his perceptions and drawing him deeper into its grasp.
Marie's voice broke through his haze. "Here, look at this."
She slid a scroll across the table, pointing to a passage etched in faded ink. The symbols were unfamiliar, but as Elias stared at them, a sense of recognition stirred within him, a memory buried deep in his mind.
"It's a ritual," Marie explained, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. "A purification rite. It's used to sever bonds with spiritual entities, to break connections that can't be controlled."
Jonas's face lit up with a spark of hope. "That could work. If we can figure out how to perform it, we might be able to end this."
Elias studied the symbols, their meaning slowly unfurling in his mind. The entity's whispers grew louder, almost frantic, as though it recognized the threat posed by the ritual. The shadows at the edges of his vision twisted, shifting restlessly.
"We'll need to gather the right materials," Marie said, her voice laced with determination. "Incense, herbs, objects to create a circle of protection. It's not foolproof, but it might be enough."
Elias nodded, though his heart pounded with anxiety. The entity wasn't just an ancient spirit; it was something far more powerful and had survived centuries of entombment. But he had to try if there was even a chance of severing its hold.
Jonas stood, determination hardening his expression. "I'll get what we need. Let's do this tonight. We can't risk waiting."
Marie glanced at Elias, her eyes filled with worry and encouragement. "You can do this, Elias. We're here with you."
Elias swallowed, steeling himself. He didn't know if the ritual would work if they could truly sever the bond with something as ancient and powerful as the entity. But he couldn't let it take him, couldn't let it spread its darkness through him.
"Alright," he said quietly, his voice filled with a resolve he didn't fully feel. "Let's do it."
The study room was transformed as they prepared for the ritual. Its usual academic sterility was replaced by a sense of foreboding as they placed candles, incense, and objects of protection in a circle on the floor. The ancient scroll lay open in the center, its words written in a language almost forgotten to time, but now, under Elias's gaze, it glowed faintly as if responding to his presence.
The room was dim, the shadows lengthening as the candles flickered, casting dancing shapes on the walls. Elias knelt in the center of the circle, his heart pounding as he watched Marie and Jonas move around him, lighting the candles, scattering the protective herbs, and murmuring words of encouragement.
Marie handed him a small vial, her gaze steady. "Drink this. It's part of the ritual—a cleansing solution to strengthen your defenses."
Elias took the vial, swallowing the bitter liquid without hesitation. It burned as it went down, filling him with a strange warmth that spread through his limbs. He felt a faint sense of clarity as though a fog had lifted, but the whispers lurked at the edges of his mind.
Jonas nodded, signaling that everything was ready. "Whenever you're ready, Elias."
Elias took a deep breath, focusing on the symbols on the scroll as he began reciting the purification rite's words. The air grew colder as he spoke, and the shadows around him twisted and shifted, growing darker as though the entity was resisting, fighting to maintain its hold.
The whispers intensified, filling his mind with frantic pleas and dark promises, offering knowledge, power, anything he desired if he would just stop. But Elias pressed on, his voice growing stronger, each word rejecting the entity's influence.
Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through his mind, like claws raking across his thoughts. He gasped, clutching his head as the entity's voice screamed in his mind, a final, desperate attempt to hold onto him.
But then, with one last, resounding word, Elias felt the presence break. The darkness lifted, the whispers silenced, and for the first time since they had left the tomb, he felt… free.
Marie and Jonas watched him anxiously, their expressions relieved as he looked up, his gaze clear and steady.
"It's done," he whispered, the weight of the bond finally lifted. "It's over."
But even as they embraced, a lingering shadow crept at the edge of his mind—a reminder that, while the bond had been broken, the entity itself still waited, buried beneath the sands, its influence forever etched into his soul.