Story 966: A Bargain in Blood

Mira’s breath caught in her throat. Her name, scrawled in fresh ink, glistened like a wound on the Cursed Book’s pages. The Ghoul Accountant let out a dry, rattling chuckle, stepping closer with its massive ledger clutched in its rotting hands.

“Debt must be paid,” it whispered, its voice crawling like spiders over Mira’s skin.

Draven raised his shotgun, but Elias grabbed his arm. “Won’t work. This thing doesn’t bleed.”

Zara’s eyes darted between the Cursed Book and the Ghoul Accountant. “What kind of name gets written in a book like this?”

Mira swallowed hard, feeling the weight of something shifting deep inside her. “A sacrifice.”

The room pulsed. The shadows along the walls stretched, growing tendrils that slithered toward them. The ghostly figures from the ledgers moved like puppets on invisible strings, their hollow eyes locked onto Mira.

The Ghoul Accountant tapped a skeletal finger against its ledger. “A life for a debt. You know how this works, Caldwell.”