Chapter 5 - The Awakening

The creatures closed in, their bodies shifting and contorting with every step. The air was thick with the stench of dark magic, and I could feel the oppressive weight of their presence pressing in on us. My heart pounded in my chest as I instinctively reached for the magic within me, but it felt… distant, like I was being pulled away from it.

Hazel stepped forward, her hands raised, and the air around her crackled with energy. "Stay close!" she commanded, her voice strong despite the fear that hung in the air. The creatures hesitated for a moment, as if sensing the power she was wielding, but then they moved forward again, their twisted forms undeterred.

"Jake," Hazel called over her shoulder, "now's not the time for hesitation. Trust your abilities! Focus!"

I nodded, taking a deep breath. I could do this. I had to.

I closed my eyes for a moment, grounding myself in the energy around me, reaching for the magic that flowed through the ley lines beneath the earth. It was faint, but it was there. It wasn't the same as before—chaotic and disorienting—but I could still feel it. It was my only chance.

I exhaled sharply, forcing the power to rise within me. A wave of warmth rushed through me, filling the void I'd been feeling. The magic surged, and my hands sparked with energy as I raised them, just as the first of the creatures lunged toward us.

The creature's claws scraped the air, but I was ready. With a burst of magic, I sent a blast of energy toward it, knocking it backward. The creature shrieked, its body warping in the air before it vanished into a wisp of shadow. The energy from the ley lines flowed through me, and I felt stronger with each passing second.

Hazel's eyes widened in surprise. "Good! Now keep it up!"

I turned to see the other creatures closing in, but I could feel their presence more clearly now. They were projections, but the magic that created them was strong—too strong for us to handle with just brute force. I needed to do more.

I focused on the altar, where the swirling vortex still pulsed, its power growing stronger with every passing moment. It was drawing on the ley lines, using their energy to feed the creatures. If I could stop the flow of power, I could weaken the creatures and force the summoning to end.

"Jordan!" I shouted, hoping that something could break through to him. "Snap out of it! This isn't you!"

But Jordan was too far gone. His eyes were wide, his body still moving toward the altar as if guided by an invisible hand. He was trapped in whatever force had taken hold of him, and there was no way to reach him in time.

I turned back to the creatures, determination hardening my resolve. They were closing in, but I could stop them. I could fight back.

Hazel was already moving, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. "Focus on the source!" she yelled. "Destroy the anchor and the creatures will fade!"

I nodded and sprinted toward the altar, pushing past the creatures as they lunged at me. My magic crackled, sending shocks through the air as I deflected their attacks, but I didn't slow down. The altar was my target. It was the key to ending this nightmare.

As I reached the stone altar, I could feel the power swirling around it, growing stronger by the second. The air was thick with magic, and the ground beneath me seemed to pulse with every beat of the ley lines. I could see the faint symbols on the altar, glowing brighter as I approached.

I raised my hands, gathering every ounce of energy I could muster. The air around me hummed with the power of the ley lines, and I could feel the magic thrumming beneath my feet. With a final surge, I thrust my hands forward, sending a blast of concentrated energy directly into the altar.

The symbols on the stone flared to life, glowing brighter than ever before. A shockwave of power radiated outward, throwing the creatures back and sending a pulse of energy through the clearing. The altar groaned as if it were alive, its surface cracking under the strain of the magic.

But the blast didn't stop there. The vortex of shadows that had been swirling around the altar began to collapse inward, its power starting to drain away. The creatures, once full of malice, began to flicker and fade, their forms disintegrating into wisps of shadow as the magic that fueled them unraveled.

I staggered back, breathing heavily, as the last of the creatures vanished. The air around me seemed to calm, the oppressive energy lifting. But I didn't have much time. I turned toward Jordan, who was still standing near the altar, his expression vacant.

"Jordan!" I shouted again, running toward him. "You have to snap out of it! We're not—"

Before I could finish, the ground beneath us shook violently, the air crackling with renewed energy. The altar's glow intensified, the symbols on its surface flickering with dangerous instability. It wasn't over yet.

Hazel appeared at my side, her face grim. "We need to go. Now. It's not just the altar—there's something more coming."

I looked back at the altar, the energy swirling around it beginning to twist in unnatural patterns. Something dark, something ancient, was stirring beneath the surface, and we were about to face its wrath.

Hazel grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward the edge of the clearing. "Hurry! This place is unstable! We can't stay here!"

The ground continued to shake as the vortex intensified. The shadows began to stretch, pulling themselves up from the earth like tendrils, seeking to reclaim the energy we had disrupted.

With a final glance at Jordan, whose eyes were still clouded with the influence of the magic, I made the hardest decision I had ever made.

I turned and ran, not looking back.

As we fled, the clearing erupted behind us in a flash of blinding light, followed by a deafening roar that shook the trees to their roots.

The disturbance wasn't over. And I had no idea how much worse it was going to get.