The chapel's heavy silence enveloped them like a cloak. Sera could still feel the aftershocks of the power that had surged through her, but the worst of it had passed. She leaned against Aidan, her chest heaving with exhaustion, struggling to find steady ground in a world that felt like it was shifting beneath her feet. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to writhe, as if the very walls were alive, aware of the strange force she was beginning to wield.
Aidan's hand, warm and firm against her back, brought her a small measure of comfort. She tried to steady her breath, but her mind raced in a hundred different directions. How was she supposed to control something she didn't understand? She had only just begun to grasp the fact that these powers weren't just an accident—they were hers. She was connected to something far older than herself, something vast and powerful, but at the same time, terrifying. The knowledge sent shivers through her, colder than any draft that swept through the chapel.
"What just happened?" Aidan's voice was a low whisper, but the tension in his tone was undeniable. "Are you okay?"
Sera nodded, though it was more for his sake than her own. The truth was, she wasn't okay. "I don't know what's happening to me, Aidan," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's like... like something inside me is waking up. And I can't control it."
Aidan's eyes narrowed, his expression deepening with concern. "This power, it's not just some accident, Sera. It's connected to something... much bigger. And you're the one who's carrying it."
Her head spun. "What do you mean? I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of this."
He gently tilted her chin up, locking his gaze onto hers with an intensity that made her heart stutter in her chest. "I know. But whether you asked for it or not, it's inside you now. And I have no idea what it wants from you, but I'm not going to let it destroy you."
Sera swallowed hard, her throat dry. "I don't want to hurt anyone, Aidan. I don't know what to do." Her voice cracked with the weight of her fear, and she could see his expression soften.
"You won't," he said firmly. "I won't let you. I'll be here with you, every step of the way. We'll figure it out."
But deep down, Sera felt a creeping doubt. No matter how much she wanted to believe him, she knew that something was wrong. She could feel it in the very air around her, in the whispers that clung to the edges of her mind. She was the key to something, but the key to what? And what would happen when she unlocked the wrong door?
Suddenly, a sharp, cold wind cut through the chapel, making the candles flicker wildly in their sconces. Sera's heart skipped a beat as she looked up, eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. The shadows in the corners of the chapel seemed to stretch and move unnaturally, and the low hum of energy that had been building in her veins suddenly felt more alive, more aware.
Before she could react, the ground beneath her feet seemed to shift. A tremor ran through the stone floor, like something was moving beneath it. Her breath hitched in her throat as the chapel's ancient walls creaked, groaning under an invisible weight.
"Did you feel that?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear.
Aidan's grip on her tightened, his eyes darting around the room. "Stay close," he said, his voice low and steady. "Something's wrong. We're not alone."
Sera's pulse quickened. She felt it then—the presence. It was distant, but it was there. A dark energy, an ominous force creeping toward them. She couldn't explain it, but she knew it was not natural. Not human.
And somehow, it was connected to her.
Suddenly, the air grew colder, almost unbearably so. A gust of wind howled through the broken windows, carrying with it the scent of something foul—decay, rot. It made Sera gag, but she forced herself to stand tall, to face the growing storm. The power inside her surged again, instinctively trying to push her forward, but she held it back, too afraid of what would happen if she let it loose.
Aidan moved in front of her, his body blocking hers from whatever dark force was approaching. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice grim but filled with resolve.
But Sera could feel the pull, the call of the power inside her. It was no longer a passive thing—it was alive, breathing, moving, whispering. You're the key. You are the only one who can stop it.
The words echoed in her mind like a mantra, the strange force coiling tighter within her chest. Her hands trembled as she reached for Aidan's arm, the gold spark of energy flickering around her fingertips. She could see it now, clearer than ever—the magic wasn't just some side effect. It was part of her, part of her destiny.
But what was it meant to protect her from?
With a sharp crack, a figure emerged from the shadows. Tall, cloaked in black, with eyes that glowed like burning embers. His presence was suffocating, his very being a poison to the air around them. Sera's stomach dropped as recognition flashed across her mind.
It was him—the one who had been haunting her thoughts, the one whose dark presence had followed her through the cracks of reality. The demon.
"You should not have come here, Sera," the figure growled, his voice a guttural rasp that seemed to vibrate through her bones.
Her heart raced in terror, but the power inside her flared in response, rising to meet the dark force that loomed before them. She could feel it now—the connection. The demon wasn't just an enemy. He was the source of her power. And unless she could understand it, unless she could master it, they were both doomed.
"What do you want from me?" Sera's voice shook with a mixture of fear and defiance.
The demon's lips curled into a twisted smile. "What I've always wanted, Sera. You."
Before she could react, Aidan stepped forward, his hand raised, a protective barrier crackling to life around them. "Stay back," he warned, his eyes fixed on the demon. "You won't get to her."
But Sera wasn't so sure. Her power was swelling again, stronger than before, and as much as she wanted to hide behind Aidan, she couldn't. Not anymore.
"Stand down, Aidan," she whispered, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "I'm the key to this. I need to face him."
Aidan looked at her in shock, but before he could protest, she stepped forward, her hands glowing with golden light. The demon's laugh filled the room, cold and mocking.
The game begins now, Sera.
And this time, she was ready.