Lessie: "Let's knock…"
Garnet raised his hand to knock, but before he could, the door creaked open on its own. A cold, heavy air rushed out, sending chills down their spines. Everything suddenly went black.
Lessie blinked slowly, her vision blurry. A voice echoed faintly in her ears.
Random Stranger: "Lessie... Lessie… Oh, you're awake."
Lessie groaned and sat up. She was in her bedroom—her childhood bedroom. The soft lavender walls, the small bookshelf by the window, the familiar smell of her mother's cooking—it was all there. She turned to see her mother standing by the bed, smiling warmly.
Lessie (groggily): "Mom? What… what happened?"
Mom: "Nothing, honey. You were just sleeping a little too long. Come on, let's have breakfast."
Lessie hesitated but followed her mother to the dining table. The warm aroma of pancakes and syrup filled the air, but her appetite was dulled by a strange sense of unease.
As they sat down, Lessie spoke up, her voice unsure.
Lessie: "Mom, I… I had the strangest dream."
Her mother looked up, her smile faltering slightly.
Mom: "What did you see, honey?"
Lessie: "It… it was something strange in the basement. You were there too. You were praying… to something. A goat-like beast standing in the middle of a star. You were crying to him. And… oh, Mom, my head is hurting again."
Lessie clutched her head, wincing in pain. Her mother quickly moved to her side, stroking her hair.
Mom: "You need to rest, sweetie. You're just tired. Sleep a little more."
Before Lessie could protest, her mother touched her forehead lightly, and Lessie's eyes fluttered shut. She fell into a deep sleep.
Her mother sighed heavily, lifting Lessie in her arms and carrying her back to bed. She placed her gently under the covers and quietly locked the door from the outside.
In the dark, damp basement, a ritual site was already prepared. A large pentagram was drawn on the floor, candles flickering at each point. In the center stood a figure—a statue of Baphomet, its menacing form towering over the room. Lessie's mother knelt before it, her hands trembling as she began to pray.
Mom: "Dear Satan… Hail to you. I believe in you, I trust you blindly. But… she doesn't know any of this. She has no idea. And I don't want her to. She's just a normal child. Please, I beg you, don't let her discover any of this."
The room grew colder, and a deep, guttural voice echoed from the shadows.
Satan: "I hear your prayers. But the child… she is dangerous. She will destroy me in the future."
Her mother's breath caught, her voice shaking.
Mom: "No… no, she won't. She's just a child. She doesn't even know you exist."
Satan: "The future is already written. If she lives, it will be my downfall. You must kill her now."
Mom (crying): "I can't! She's my daughter."
Satan: "Then you must promise me something. If she chooses the path to destroy me, you will kill her. If you don't, one of her friends will kill you instead."
Her mother hesitated, tears streaming down her face. Finally, she nodded.
Mom: "I… I promise."
The voice faded, and the room fell silent. Her mother wiped her tears and slowly ascended the stairs, locking the basement door behind her.
When Lessie woke up hours later, she remembered nothing of the dream or the events that had transpired. Her days passed uneventfully, and years rolled by. Now fifteen, she was staying with a friend at school, unaware of the dark secrets buried in her past.
Garnet (shaking Lessie's shoulder): "Lessie? Are you okay?"
Lessie snapped back to the present, blinking in confusion. The darkness around them was suffocating.
Lessie: "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Why is it so dark in here?"
Garnet: "I have no idea."
A deep, unfamiliar voice echoed through the air, startling them both.
Random Voice: "Welcome, visitors. I am Williams."
Garnet (narrowing his eyes): "Who are you? A demon? An angel?"
Williams (calmly): "I am neither. I am merely a guide. This place is where people confront their past. It seems your friend, Lessie, has already seen hers. Now it's your turn, Garnet."
Before Garnet could respond, the darkness around him shifted. He was no longer in the house but standing in a small, cluttered room. The sound of muffled crying filled the air, and his chest tightened.
Garnet: "No… no, not this."
The crying grew louder, and Garnet recognized the voice—it was his mother. He shut his eyes, shaking his head violently.
Garnet (yelling): "Stop! I don't want to hear this. Stop it!"
Williams: "This is not my doing, Garnet. This is the truth. The truth you've buried deep inside."
Garnet (pleading): "Please… just make it stop."
Williams: "It will stop for now, but you cannot run from it forever. Sooner or later, you must face it. There is no escape from the truth."
The crying ceased, and the darkness returned. Garnet felt himself being pulled back to reality. He opened his eyes to see Lessie staring at him, concern etched on her face.
Garnet (shakily): "Let's go. We need to keep moving."
Williams: "Before you leave… a question. Who came with you?"
Garnet: "Who? Just me and Lessie."
Williams chuckled, his voice tinged with something unplaceable.
Williams: "She is stronger than she looks. Be cautious, Garnet. She can kill you both."
Garnet (alarmed): "Who?"
But Williams was gone, his words lingering in the air like a warning.
To be continued in Chapter 5