Kendrik and Mikeal shared their harrowing tales, leaving Jakob shocked but also relieved. "Looks like you guys had it rough, huh?" Jakob said.
Mikeal nodded. "You have no idea. Maybe you had a better day than us."
Jakob's curiosity piqued. "How can you be sure?"
Kendrik pointed out, "You look like you just escaped unscathed. Whatever was after you didn't catch up.
Jakob chuckled, casting a stern glance at Tomaso and the recruits. "So, what happened to you guys?" Mikeal's curiosity piqued.
Tomaso began, "We-"
Jakob interrupted, "Let me explain."
Taking a deep breath, Jakob recounted his story. After Kendrik's wounds reopened, he took charge, leading the group with the Map of Fate. Initially, the map revealed the Forest of Temptations, but then the landscape shifted, displaying the Cemetery of Horrors.
"The map turned black, like burnt paper," Jakob described. "I thought it was worn out, but it showed me the path.
Kendrik and Mikeal exchanged knowing glances.
"I remember Kendrik peering over my shoulder, and he asked what I saw." Jakob continues
Kendrik was more confused than he'd never been before.
Jakob nodded. "You asked, 'What do you see?' I said, 'It's like yours but different. The Cemetery of Horrors."
Jakob's expression turned grim. "I followed the map, and the destination was similar to your Lust Forest, Kendrik, but with differences. The Cemetery had decaying leaves, soft grass like fertile soil, and unsettling atmosphere. The weather was eerie."
Mikeal's eyes narrowed. "The Map of Fate seems to tailor its challenges to each of us."
Jakob's voice trembled as he continued his tale. "The map showed our progress, but also... another pair of footsteps, following us. I stopped to investigate, and the map revealed those footsteps closing in, pace quickening."
Mikeal's eyes widened. "What did you do?"
Jakob's breath caught. "I told everyone to run. I didn't explain; I just folded the map and fled. I ran through every path I thought would lead me to safety, desperate to escape the dark murderous intent chasing after me."
Kendrik's grip on his bag tightened. "Did you see it?"
Jakob shook his head. "No, but I heard it's footsteps gaining on me. I ran until I was out of breath, managed to put some distance between us, and stopped at the cemetery's edge. But I was lost."
Mikeal's expression turned grim. "What happened next?"
Jakob's voice dropped to a whisper. "I called out for you guys, but only my echo replied. A mysterious fog rolled in, engulfing everything. I tried to run but it was relentless. The fog surrounded me, and I heard eerie cries: Why did you leave us?"
Tomaso's eyes darted nervously.
Jakob's words spilled out in a rush. "I saw ghostly hands reaching for me, smoke-like fingers grasping. And then... something pulled me under the soil. I felt myself being dragged down, suffocating."
The group fell silent, the weight of Jakob's ordeal settling heavy.
Mikeal broke the silence. "At least you escaped and made it back safe."
Jakob coughed, a hint of irony in his tone. "You think that's the end of my story?"
Mikeal's eyes widened. "Wait, there's more?"
Jakob cleared his throat, continuing. "After being pulled underground, I don't remember what happened. But I crawled out in a different location - the Cemetery of Evil. The sky was red, the moon looked exploded...I was disoriented."
Kendrick felt uneasy.
Jakob described standing amidst hundreds of tombstones, panic-stricken. "I saw my own grave: 'Here lies Jakob Lukas Dynasty; next to my parents'."
Kendrik's voice trembled. "What about mine?"
Jakob's eyes locked onto Kendrik. "I'm getting to that."
Tomaso and the recruits emerged from their own graves, relief and confusion etched on their faces.
"We gathered, questioning each other," Jakob said. "I still had the map, but my mind was reeling. I couldn't separate reality from illusion."
Tomaso asked, "Where are the others?"
Jakob's expression turned grim. "I said I wasn't sure, but we heard to searching. My head was spinning, pain unbearable."
Just then, an ominous giggle echoes through the cemetery, sending shivers down our spines.
"What was that?" Tomaso whispered.
Jakob's eyes scanned the darkness. "I don't know, but it's coming from all around us."
Mikeal bit his nails, anxiety etched on his face. "So, did you see who it was?"
Jakob exchanged a cautious glance with Tomaso and the recruits, as if warning them to remain silent.
"Of course, we did," Jakob nodded, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jakob continued, recounting the events. "The person seemed to be everywhere, exploiting our blind spots. He stopped giggling, then whispered, 'I heard you're looking for others?"
Jakob's eyes clouded. "He emerged, his smile... unsettling. His lips were painted red - lipstick or blood, I couldn't tell."
I drew my sword, demanding, "Who are you? What do you want?"
The being stood still, its smile unnerving.
Kendrik interrupted, concern etched on his face. "Where are the other recruits?"
Tomaso's hands clenched, and he burst into tears. "They're dead"
Kendrik and Mikeal's hearts sank.
"What do you mean they're dead? How is that possible? Who could have done such a thing?" Kendrik demanded.
Jakob's voice dropped to a whisper. "You did."
The words hung in the air, and Kendrik's eyes widened with horror.
Mikeal's voice trembled. "Tell me that's not true."
Jakob avoided eye contact, shame and regret written on his face.
"I wish it wasn't, but it is. Kendrik killed almost half of the recruits. All he wanted was for me to bless him with the Mark of Cleanse."
The recruits cowered, fear radiating from their eyes as they gazed at Kendrik.
Kendrik's face crumbled, his eyes sunken, and his spark extinguished.
Jakob's hands trembled as he continued the story. "Right before Kendrik revealed himself, his smile dripped dark red saliva. He peeked at each of us and said, 'Let's play a game of tag.'"
Jakob's breath shook. "We readied our swords, waiting for his attack. But he vanished, swift as light. I felt the wind blow past me, and it was too late."
Jakob's voice cracked. "The evil being slaughtered the recruits he'd chosen for his twisted game. He appeared before Tomaso, the remaining recruits, and me, holding six heads. 'They'll make perfect Halloween masks,' he said."
Jakob's eyes locked onto Kendrik. "That's when he revealed himself as...you."
Jakob described the gruesome scene: Kendrik's carved body scars, the heads placed on his mouth, and the blood dripping from them.
"I was shocked," Jakob said. "Your aura was powerful, radiating darkness. I asked, 'Kendrik, why are you doing this?"'
Evil Kendrik replied, "Oh, naive little brother, I want the Mark of Cleanse - the same reason I killed Kendrick and your mother Asa."
Jakob's anger boiled over. "I attacked him with my sword each strike like fighting against you, but this one reveled in pain. We fought, exchanging scars, until I stepped him in the heart."
Jakob's eyes widened. "But instead of dying, he stepped back into the cemetery's shadows."
Kendrik's face contorted in anguish.
Mikeal's voice trembled. "Jakob, stop. You're hurting him."
Jakob's determination hardened. "He needs to know the truth."
Jakob's words hung in the air like a challenge. "He said to tell you, Kendrik, that he's waiting for you."
Kendrik's face darkened, his and confusion palpable.
"Okay, Jakob, that's enough!" Kendrik's voice cracked with restraint.
Mikeal intervened, sensing the tension. "Now that the horror's over, Jakob, did you also the map?"
Jakob's gaze remained fixed on Kendrik, anticipation etched on his face. "No, I still have it."
Jakob handed the map to Mikeal, but Kendrik snatched it, his eyes scanning the parchment.
As the map began to fade, Kendrik's grip tightened. He spotted something - a faint symbol, a hidden message - before it vanished.
Kendrik broke the silence. "We need to understand the Map of Fate's purpose. Why is it testing it like this?"
Mikeal's claw clenched, "At least we are safe for now."
As Mikeal's words faded, the castle's walls began to shudder. The stones creaked, and a section of the wall slid open, revealing a hidden door.
The group exchanged wary glances, their respite from the horrors momentary forgotten.
"Another surprise," Jakob muttered, hand on the hilt of his sword.
Kendrik's eyes narrowed. "Let's proceed with caution."
Mikeal stepped forward, his voice measured. "We should investigate. This door might hold answers."
The door creaked, inviting them into the unknown. Darkness reckoned beyond the threshold.
"Stay alert," Kendrik warned, map clutched tightly in his hand.
With deep breath, the group stepped through the doorway, leaving the relative safety of the castle behind.
As they ventured deep, the doors creaked shut, sealing their fate.