The Silent Ones
Lena's heart raced as the sound of the earth splitting, cracking, and moaning seemed to overwhelm her senses. The air felt suffocating, charged with a malevolent energy that made her skin crawl. She wanted to scream, to run, but the darkness was too thick, and the air too heavy, as though the very atmosphere of Nightfall itself was pressing down on her.
The crack in the wall widened, and from the blackened hole, something—something ancient and powerful—began to emerge. At first, it was a vague shape, a shadow against the pale glow that poured from the crack, but it quickly solidified into something that could only be described as otherworldly.
A figure, tall and gaunt, with skin as pale as death itself, and eyes that seemed to glow with a malevolent light. Its limbs were long and unnatural, twisted as though it had been sculpted from the darkness itself. More figures followed, one after another, emerging from the crack like nightmares brought to life.
"The Silent Ones…" Ray murmured, his voice barely audible. His face was ashen, drained of color. "They were sealed away long ago, but you… you opened the door."
Lena's pulse quickened. "What do you mean?"
Ray took a step back, looking toward Ethan, who had become eerily still, his face expressionless. "We thought we could bury the truth—bury the town's sins," he said, his voice trembling with fear. "But the Silent Ones, the ones who were lost to the sea—they never truly died. They've always been here, waiting. And now, they're awake again."
Lena couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But my father… what does he have to do with all of this?"
Ray closed his eyes, as though the answer pained him. "Your father was the one who uncovered it. The curse—the pact that bound the Silent Ones to this town. He thought he could stop it, but…"
He trailed off, his eyes flickering toward the figures now emerging from the crack, their glowing eyes fixed on Lena. She took a step back, feeling the cold chill of their gaze on her skin.
The leader of the Silent Ones—tall and regal, with an eerie, unsettling presence—stepped forward, his voice like a hiss.
"We have waited long enough, child. And now, you will join us."
Lena's blood ran cold as the words struck her. She felt a wave of dizziness sweep over her, as if the air around her had turned to ice. The Silent Ones were no longer just stories. They were real—and they wanted her.
"No!" Lena shouted, stumbling backward, her mind racing. "I won't join you. I won't let you take this town!"
But the figure only tilted its head, its glowing eyes narrowing. "The town belongs to us. It always has. And now, so do you."
The crack in the wall began to pulse, the glow intensifying, and Lena realized with a sickening certainty that this was just the beginning. The curse had never been meant to end. It was meant to keep the town—and its people—in thrall to the Silent Ones forever.
Suddenly, Lena felt the ground beneath her tremble violently. A loud crashing sound erupted from somewhere far below, and the entire room shook.
"We have to leave," Ray shouted, grabbing her arm. "They've awakened, and they won't stop until they have you."
But before they could move, the ground split open beneath them, and a cold, inescapable darkness flooded the room.
Lena barely had time to scream before everything went black.