He collapsed to the floor, his body trembling.
"What happened?" the Alchemist demanded.
"I don't know," Jack Ryder panted. "I touched the shadow, and it felt like it was trying to pull me in."
"Are you hurt?" the Alchemist asked.
"No, I don't think so," Jack Ryder said.
The Alchemist helped him to his feet.
"You're lucky," she said.
"I'll say," Jack Ryder agreed.
"Now, let's get some light in here," the Alchemist said.
They lit a lantern, and the Alchemist set to work examining the shadow.
"This is strange," the Alchemist muttered.
"What is it?" Jack Ryder asked.
The Alchemist shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it," she admitted.
"Is it dangerous?" Jack Ryder asked.
"I'm not sure," the Alchemist replied.
They looked around, but there were no more shadows.
"Let's clean up," the Alchemist said.
They washed the shelves and counters, and swept the floor. The apothecary looked almost normal again.
"Now, let's get some sleep," the Alchemist said.
"Do you think this will happen again?" Jack Ryder asked.
"I don't know," the Alchemist admitted. "But we'll be prepared if it does."
Jack Ryder's alarm bells were ringing in his mind, but he didn't have the courage to question the Alchemist's words. He nodded, and followed the Alchemist to his bedroom.
The next day, the two of them were awoken by the sound of shouting outside.
"What's going on?" the Alchemist asked, rubbing her eyes.
Jack Ryder was already pulling on his boots. "Let's find out," he said, grabbing his coat.
The two rushed to the front door of the apothecary and stepped outside. The morning was cold and gray, the sun struggling to pierce through thick clouds. A small crowd had gathered in the street, voices raised in panic.
"What's happening?" the Alchemist called out.
A man turned to them, his face pale and anxious. "The shadows," he said breathlessly. "They're moving. People say they're alive."
Jack Ryder and the Alchemist exchanged a glance. Without another word, they pushed through the crowd, following the murmurs and pointing fingers.
At the edge of the village, they saw it—a massive, writhing shadow spilling out from the forest like black ink. It twisted and curled along the ground, reaching toward anything in its path.
"That's…not natural," Jack Ryder muttered, his stomach twisting with unease.
The Alchemist stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied the phenomenon. "This isn't just a shadow. It's something else entirely."
A villager ran up to them, clutching his chest as he gasped for air. "It swallowed Old Man Harris!" he cried. "One moment he was standing there, the next… gone!"
Jack Ryder felt a chill creep up his spine. "We have to stop it," he said, his voice firm despite the fear clawing at his mind.
"How?" the Alchemist asked, her voice sharp. "We don't even know what it is."
Jack stared at the shadow, remembering the icy grip he'd felt the night before. "We can't just stand here and let it consume everything. There must be something we can do."
The Alchemist nodded reluctantly. "I have some ideas, but it's going to be dangerous."
"I think we're past worrying about that," Jack replied grimly.
She motioned for him to follow her back to the apothecary. As they hurried inside, the Alchemist began rifling through shelves and cupboards, pulling out vials, herbs, and strange instruments.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked, watching her work with swift precision.
"I'm preparing a banishment ritual," she explained. "If this… thing… is some kind of malevolent force, we may be able to drive it back."