Bella gripped the flashlight tightly, its beam cutting through the dense darkness of the woods. Every step felt heavier, her heart thudding with each crunch of leaves beneath her feet. The bone was out here somewhere, and so was the answer to the whispers that plagued her.
The air was thick, colder than it should have been. Her breath came out in clouds, and she couldn't shake the feeling that the forest was watching her. The rhythmic knocking that had drawn her out was gone, replaced by an unsettling silence.
She paused, shining the light in a slow arc. The familiar path she had walked many times felt different tonight—foreign, twisted. Shadows danced at the edges of her vision, and the trees seemed to loom closer, their gnarled branches reaching toward her like claws.
The whisper returned, faint but distinct, drifting on the wind. Bella tightened her grip on the flashlight, her pulse racing.
"I'm not afraid of you," she whispered, though her voice trembled.
The forest didn't respond.
She pressed on, deeper into the woods, following an unseen pull. Something was guiding her, leading her toward the bone she had thrown away. She didn't understand why, but she knew she couldn't turn back now.
The beam of her flashlight flickered, and Bella froze. She smacked it against her palm, trying to steady the light. It flickered again, then went out.
"No, no, no," she muttered, fumbling with the switch.
A gust of wind swept through the trees, and Bella shivered. In the pitch black, she felt exposed, vulnerable. The whispers grew louder, surrounding her.
Suddenly, a dim red glow appeared ahead, pulsing like a heartbeat. Bella swallowed hard, fear clawing at her insides. She knew she should turn back, but something about that glow drew her forward.
Her feet moved on their own, each step bringing her closer to the source of the light. As she approached, the glow intensified, illuminating a small clearing.
In the center lay the bone.
It rested atop a pile of twisted roots, the same eerie symbols etched into its surface. The red light pulsed from within it, casting long shadows across the clearing. Bella's breath caught in her throat.
*"You have found it. Now, complete the circle."*
The voice was no longer a whisper—it was loud, commanding, filling her mind. Bella clutched her head, shaking it violently.
"I won't do it!" she shouted. "You can't make me!"
The ground trembled beneath her, and the roots began to writhe, curling around the bone. The symbols glowed brighter, their light searing into Bella's eyes.
*"A life for a life. You cannot escape fate."*
Bella dropped to her knees, her hands digging into the dirt. The weight of the voice pressed down on her, crushing her resolve. Images flashed in her mind—Shane's face, their life together, the accident. And then, Eliza's warm smile, her unwavering support.
"No," Bella whispered. "I won't sacrifice her."
The roots tightened their grip on the bone, and the clearing filled with a deafening roar. Bella squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, everything went silent.
Bella opened her eyes, blinking in confusion. The red glow was gone. The roots were still, and the bone lay lifeless on the ground. She crawled forward, hesitant, and reached out with trembling fingers.
As soon as she touched the bone, a searing pain shot through her hand. She yelped, pulling back, but the bone clung to her skin, burning like fire.
*"The circle chooses its own sacrifice."*
Bella screamed as the symbols on the bone burned into her palm, their light searing into her flesh. She tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't budge. The pain was unbearable, and her vision blurred.
Then, in a flash of blinding light, everything stopped.
Bella collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. When she looked at her hand, the bone was gone, but the symbols remained, etched into her skin like a brand. She stared at them in horror, her mind racing.
The forest was silent again, but she knew it wasn't over. She had become part of the circle. The bone had chosen her.
Bella stumbled to her feet, clutching her hand. She didn't know what this meant, but one thing was clear: the circle hadn't been broken—it had shifted.
And now, she was the key.