Chapter 9: Sources

Back at the Ninth Division headquarters, Yahya and Adam moved with quiet purpose, their coats still damp from the dock's mist and their faces drawn from what they'd witnessed. They'd made the arrangements for Suraya's body to be retrieved, but the image of his twisted, decaying figure lingered in their minds. 

As they walked through the dim hallways toward the briefing room, Yahya glanced at Adam. "We're starting to see a pattern, but it's murky. I don't know if we're dealing with here."

Adam nodded, his face grim. "Whatever it is, it will come to light sooner or later. And it's targeting those on the edge of sanity—like Evelyn and Suraya."

When they entered the briefing room, Jusof was already waiting, hunched over a series of rune diagrams and ancient texts scattered across the table. His fingers traced the symbols on a sketch of Evelyn's belt, eyes gleaming with a mix of fascination and concern.

"Jusof," Yahya said, pulling up a chair across from him. "We need to understand these symbols, both on Evelyn's belt and now the marks on Suraya's hand. Whatever the Circle of Sorn is doing, it's using people's guilt and grief against them. And I think these symbols are a key."

Jusof looked up, his face serious. "I've been studying these symbols since you brought the belt in, and now with the mark on Suraya's hand, I'm more certain than ever: these are sigils of invocation. Specifically, they're designed to weaken the will and make the wearer or bearer more susceptible to… influence."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You're saying they're marks of control?"

"Exactly," Jusof replied, nodding. "It's primitive but powerful. The runes on the belt, for instance, were crafted to channel energy—usually emotions like guilt or regret. They amplify whatever the wearer is already feeling, bringing it to a breaking point. And if Suraya's hand bore a similar symbol, then he too was part of their ritual."

Yahya lit a cigarette, the faint trail of smoke curling toward the ceiling. "And what about Denavolt? His body rose, just like Suraya's did when he... well, when he expired. Are they creating some kind of connection to the Hollowing?"

Jusof's face darkened as he picked up a second diagram, showing Suraya's hand sketch next to the belt's symbols. "It's possible. The Circle of Sorn is playing with forces they can barely control. This rune—here," he tapped a small symbol in the corner of both diagrams, "is particularly dangerous. It's designed to keep souls bound to a particular object or person, making the body susceptible to reanimation, even after death."

Yahya clenched his jaw. "So, we're looking at rituals that not only manipulate the living but also bind the dead. Is it common in this world of yours?"

"Yes, and no," Jusof continued, "and the Circle of Sorn seems to exploit individuals like Evelyn and Suraya. They don't kill them directly; they break them down, plant these cursed symbols on them, and use them as conduits for something larger. The Hollowing has created fractures in our reality, and these symbols act like a tap, allowing the Circle to draw upon whatever power exists in those fractures. Something that was not supposed to be common became common."

Adam's eyes narrowed, and he spoke quietly, as if to himself. "It's like setting traps for the vulnerable. Evelyn's guilt, Suraya's fear—they're both ideal for whatever purpose the Circle has."

Yahya leaned back, thinking over everything. "So, if the Hollowing weakens the barriers between life and death, the Circle is using that instability to manipulate people like Evelyn and Suraya—pushing them over the edge and, when they die, binding them to this world. They're creating ghosts—real ones—using the Hollowing as fuel."

Jusof nodded solemnly. "Exactly. The fact that these symbols are carved directly onto personal items or skin suggests an even deeper level of control. They're pulling in power from their victims, shaping them into tools for the Circle's rituals. The pain and despair these people felt—it amplifies the curse, gives it more potency."

"So that means Evelyn's guilt and Suraya's fear fed the curse," Adam muttered, as if putting the pieces together aloud.

"But why?" Yahya's brow furrowed as he stared at the symbols. "First, what's the circle trying to accomplish by binding the dead? Secondly, we still don't know what pushed Denavolt over the edge. Third, how will we stop them from harming more people?"

Jusof hesitated, his eyes falling on another ancient text open beside him. "I have a theory, but it's not good news. In occult lore, certain rites require... vessels. Sacrifices who are mentally or spiritually fractured are ideal because they make it easier to breach the wall between worlds. The Circle of Sorn may be amassing a reservoir of souls to either summon something or open a rift entirely. And if that's their aim, they're using these marks to ensure no soul they touch ever truly leaves."

The room fell silent as Yahya absorbed the gravity of Jusof's words. The Circle wasn't just playing with the Hollowing—they were actively weaponising it, turning it into a portal for something sinister.

Adam broke the silence. "Then we need to figure out where they're going to strike next. They've left trails with Suraya and Evelyn, but if this is all leading somewhere, we're running out of time."

Yahya extinguished his cigarette, his eyes narrowing with resolve. "Jusof, I will be honest with you. I don't know anything about the supernatural world. But to do something like this. It must not come out of nowhere. There must be sources to it. Is there anything we can do to mess with a symbol to make it useless?"

Jusof's eyes became wide as he nodded slowly, already scrawling notes in his journal. "You remind me, all supernatural phenomena must have sources, and we can track these ruins to the sources with a ritual, but to do that we need to activate these ruins ourselves."

Yahya glanced at Adam, who gave him a firm nod. They had no other choice but to stop this before the Circle's plan reached its deadly conclusion.

"All right," Yahya said, standing. "Jusof, prepare whatever you need. Adam calls the captain and Kara for supervision. I activate the ruin on the belt." 

Yahya said as he took off his shirt, revealing the muscular body of a soldier with battle scars.