ONLY THE BEGINNING

**Chapter 17**

Caleb awoke to the sound of distant thunder rumbling through the air. His eyes snapped open, but he saw nothing—only darkness. Panic gripped him for a moment, his breath catching in his throat as the memory of the shadows rushed back to him. He was still in their grasp, trapped in the void between worlds, but something had changed. The pressure around him had lessened, the suffocating darkness no longer pressing down on him with the same intensity.

His hand instinctively moved to the journal, and to his surprise, he found it still there, resting against his chest. The hidden page—he remembered it clearly, the faint light that had drawn him in just before the darkness swallowed him whole. It had to be the key, the last piece of the puzzle he needed to escape this nightmare.

With trembling hands, Caleb forced himself to sit up, straining to see anything in the pitch-black void. The shadows still lurked around him, their presence a constant, unsettling reminder of the danger he was in. But they seemed wary now, hesitant to approach, as if the light from the journal had somehow weakened them.

Caleb fumbled with the journal, flipping through the pages in search of the hidden one. His fingers brushed against something different—thicker, rougher than the other pages. His heart raced as he found the page he was looking for, the hidden text glowing faintly in the darkness.

The writing was different from the rest of the journal, less refined, as if it had been added hastily in a moment of desperation. The symbols were still in the language of The Order, but this time, Caleb felt a strange familiarity with them, as if some part of him had always known what they meant.

He read the text slowly, his mind absorbing every word, every symbol. The instructions were clear: a final incantation, a desperate plea to the ancient forces that had been summoned by The Order long ago. It was a last resort, a way to banish the shadows permanently—but the price was steep.

His hands shook as he read the final line: *To banish the shadows, one must offer a piece of their soul.*

Caleb's breath caught in his throat. The thought of sacrificing part of his soul—of giving up a piece of himself to these ancient forces—was terrifying. But what choice did he have? The shadows were relentless, and they would stop at nothing to consume him, to drag him into the darkness forever.

He had to make a decision, and he had to make it now.

Taking a deep breath, Caleb steeled himself for what was to come. He couldn't allow fear to paralyze him—not when the stakes were this high. He began to recite the incantation, his voice steady despite the terror gnawing at the edges of his mind. The words flowed from his lips, each syllable carrying a weight that pressed down on his soul.

The air around him crackled with energy as he spoke, the shadows recoiling further, their hisses growing louder, more frantic. They knew what was coming, and they were afraid.

Caleb's voice grew stronger, more confident, as he reached the final line of the incantation. The moment he spoke the last word, a searing pain shot through his chest, as if a piece of his very essence was being ripped away. He cried out, doubling over in agony as the pain intensified, his soul being torn asunder by the ancient forces he had invoked.

The shadows shrieked in unison, their forms writhing and twisting in the void as the light from the journal flared, burning them away. Caleb could feel them weakening, their presence fading as the power of the incantation took hold.

But the pain—it was unbearable. Caleb's vision blurred, his mind on the brink of collapse as he fought to stay conscious. He could feel his soul being pulled apart, the darkness trying to claim what he had offered, to take him down with it.

And then, just as he thought he couldn't bear it any longer, the pain stopped. The light from the journal exploded outward, a blinding flash that pierced the darkness, burning away the last remnants of the shadows. The void shattered, the oppressive weight lifted, and Caleb was thrown backward, his body tumbling through space as the world around him dissolved into blinding light.

When the light finally faded, Caleb found himself lying on the cold, hard floor of his apartment, his body trembling with exhaustion. The journal lay open beside him, the pages still glowing faintly, the hidden text now nothing more than a faint smudge on the yellowed paper.

He was alive. He had survived.

But at what cost?

Caleb forced himself to sit up, every muscle in his body protesting the movement. The apartment was dark and silent, the only light coming from the faint glow of the journal beside him. He could feel the emptiness inside him, the piece of his soul that had been ripped away during the ritual. It was a hollow, aching void, one that would never be filled.

But the shadows were gone. He had banished them, at least for now. The price had been high, but he had won.

Or so he thought.

A cold breeze swept through the apartment, rustling the pages of the journal. Caleb's heart skipped a beat as he looked up, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. The air felt heavy, thick with the same malevolent energy he had felt before.

And then, from the corner of the room, he heard it—a faint, guttural growl, low and menacing. The shadows were gone, but something else had taken their place. Something darker, more powerful, and far more dangerous.

Caleb's breath caught in his throat as the growl grew louder, the sound reverberating through the walls, shaking the very foundation of the apartment. The ground beneath him trembled as the light from the journal began to fade, the darkness creeping back into the room.

But this time, it wasn't the shadows.

It was something far worse.

Caleb scrambled to his feet, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what was happening. The journal was his only hope, but it was failing him—the light that had protected him before was flickering, growing weaker with each passing second.

The growl echoed through the apartment again, louder, more insistent. Caleb's eyes darted to the door, his heart pounding in his chest. He had to get out. Whatever was coming, he couldn't face it alone—not without the journal's protection.

He bolted for the door, his hand fumbling with the lock as the walls around him began to crack and splinter, the very fabric of reality tearing apart. The growl turned into a roar, the sound deafening, as the darkness closed in around him, swallowing the last remnants of light.

Caleb flung the door open, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he stumbled into the hallway. The ground beneath him shook violently, the walls crumbling as the apartment was consumed by the darkness. He could feel it behind him, the presence, the thing that had taken the place of the shadows. It was coming for him, and it wouldn't stop until it had claimed him.

With one last desperate burst of energy, Caleb sprinted down the hallway, the roar of the creature echoing in his ears. The walls around him began to close in, the darkness reaching out with twisted, clawed hands, trying to pull him back.

But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

Caleb burst through the front door of the building, his lungs burning as he gasped for air. The night was cold and still, the sky clear and filled with stars. But the peace was short-lived.

From behind him, he heard it—a final, earth-shattering roar that shook the ground beneath his feet. Caleb spun around, his eyes wide with terror as the darkness exploded out of the building, a massive, swirling vortex of malevolence that consumed everything in its path.

And from within the vortex, he saw it—a figure, tall and imposing, with eyes that burned like fire. It stepped out of the darkness, its form shifting and warping, as if it was made of the very essence of the void.

Caleb's breath caught in his throat as the figure locked eyes with him, its gaze burning into his soul.

This was it. The end.

But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the figure vanished, swallowed by the vortex as it imploded, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

Caleb collapsed to the ground, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear. The night was still, the darkness gone, but the terror lingered.

He had survived—again. But he knew, deep down, that it wasn't over.

It was only just beginning.