The stone circle held an unsettling energy, and Maya knew it wasn't just a coincidence they had been drawn here. Mr. Park examined the symbols carved into the stones, tracing their grooves with careful precision. "These are old," he muttered, "older than anything we've encountered so far."
Maya knelt beside one of the stones, her fingers brushing against the carvings. The symbols seemed to pulse under her touch, faintly warm as if alive. A faint hum filled the air, growing louder as the sun dipped below the horizon. "We're not alone," she whispered.
The shadows around them deepened, and the whispers returned, louder and more insistent. They spoke in overlapping voices, fragments of sentences that made no sense. Maya clutched the sacred dagger, her grip tightening as a cold wind whipped through the clearing.
"We need to act fast," Mr. Park said, pulling a vial of crimson liquid from his bag. "If this is another focal point for the curse, we need to neutralize it before it spreads."
As they began the ritual, the ground beneath them trembled. The symbols on the stones glowed brighter, their light casting eerie shadows that danced across the trees. Maya chanted the incantations Elara had taught her, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her chest.
A figure emerged from the shadows, its form shifting and unstable. It resembled Felix, but his eyes burned with an unnatural light. "You shouldn't be here," it said, its voice layered with multiple tones. "You don't understand what you're dealing with."
Maya hesitated, her heart aching at the sight of her brother's likeness. "Felix?" she whispered. "Is that you?"
The figure tilted its head, a smile twisting its features into something grotesque. "Felix is gone. But his sacrifice opened a door—one that cannot be closed."
The ground split open, and tendrils of darkness erupted, snaking toward the stone circle. Mr. Park threw the crimson liquid onto the stones, the liquid sizzling as it met their surface. The light from the symbols grew blinding, and a high-pitched screech filled the air.
Maya thrust the dagger into the ground at the center of the circle, channeling every ounce of her willpower into the act. The darkness recoiled, the tendrils retreating into the chasm as the ground sealed itself. The figure of Felix disintegrated, its laughter echoing long after it was gone.
When the light faded, the clearing was silent. Maya and Mr. Park exchanged a glance, their exhaustion evident. "We stopped it—for now," he said. "But whatever door was opened, it's not fully closed."
Maya nodded, determination hardening her features. "Then we'll find a way to close it. For good."