Chapter 13: The Unearthed Truth

Kai jolted awake, his neck stiff from the awkward position he'd fallen asleep in at his desk. The dim light of dawn filtered through the station's blinds, casting long, golden streaks across the room. His head pounded, but the fragmented notes sprawled across his desk reminded him that rest was a luxury he couldn't afford.

Ray was seated across the room, nursing a cup of coffee and scrolling through reports. He looked up as Kai stirred. "Mornin'. You look like you had a date with a cement mixer."

Kai rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the grogginess. "Feels like it too."

Ray set his mug down, his expression growing serious. "I've been going through the town records—everything I could find on Stowntown's history. Guess what? This curse has been around longer than the town itself."

Kai straightened in his chair. "How's that possible?"

Ray tossed a stack of papers onto the desk. "The land Stowntown's built on used to belong to a settlement called Hollowbrook. It was wiped off the map in the early 1800s—no survivors, no records, just gone. But according to these old reports, they found symbols similar to the ones we've been seeing carved into stones around the settlement."

Kai flipped through the papers, his eyes narrowing at the sketches of the symbols. They were crude but unmistakable. "So the curse didn't start here. It started in Hollowbrook."

Ray nodded grimly. "The settlers who founded Stowntown must've carried the curse with them, either knowingly or by accident. And if Hollowbrook was destroyed by the Harbinger..."

Kai finished the thought. "...then Stowntown could be next."

---

By mid-morning, they were back at the farmhouse. The snow had melted slightly, revealing patches of dead grass and muddy ground. The property was eerily silent, the kind of silence that set Kai's nerves on edge.

"Still gives me the creeps," Ray muttered, tightening his grip on his flashlight.

Kai led the way, stepping carefully through the broken front door. The air inside was stale, carrying the faint metallic scent of blood. The memory of the slaughtered family flashed through his mind, but he pushed it aside.

"We need to find that basement again," he said, his voice steady. "There's more down there."

Ray hesitated. "You sure about that? Last time, we barely made it out before the Harbinger showed up."

Kai glanced over his shoulder. "If we don't figure this out, there won't be a next time. Let's move."

---

The basement was as cold and dark as they'd left it. The flickering beam of Kai's flashlight revealed the same crude altar at the center of the room, surrounded by the cursed symbols etched into the floor and walls.

Kai crouched beside the altar, his eyes scanning the carvings. "These marks are different," he murmured, running his fingers over the jagged lines. "They're older—more worn. Like they've been here longer than the farmhouse itself."

Ray knelt beside him, his expression uneasy. "If the farmhouse was built on top of these... maybe the settlers knew. Maybe they were trying to contain the curse."

Kai pulled out Doyle's journal, flipping to a section near the back. "Doyle mentioned something about containment rituals. The Order must've tried to suppress the Harbinger at some point, but something went wrong."

Ray shined his flashlight toward the far wall, revealing a series of faint, barely visible carvings. "Kai, over here."

Kai followed the beam of light, his heart skipping a beat. The carvings were intricate, depicting scenes of ritual sacrifices, monstrous figures, and what appeared to be a massive, fiery gateway.

"This isn't just about the Harbinger," Kai muttered, his eyes tracing the carvings. "The seals the woman mentioned... they're here. These marks must represent the gateways she talked about."

Ray frowned. "So destroying the marks doesn't just weaken the Harbinger—it risks opening these gateways?"

Kai nodded, his mind racing. "That's why the Order used sacrifices. They weren't just feeding the Harbinger—they were using its power to keep the seals intact."

Ray's face darkened. "And now we're undoing all of it."

---

A sudden noise from above snapped both men to attention.

Kai drew his gun, motioning for Ray to stay quiet. They listened, their breaths shallow. The sound came again—a faint creak, like footsteps on the floorboards above.

Ray whispered, "You think it's the Harbinger?"

Kai shook his head. "If it was, we'd already be dead. Stay close."

They moved cautiously back toward the stairs, their footsteps silent on the cold concrete. At the top of the stairs, Kai paused, his hand on the doorknob.

"On three," he mouthed.

Ray nodded, his gun raised.

"One... two... three."

Kai shoved the door open, his flashlight cutting through the dim light of the farmhouse. The living room was empty, but the creaking continued, coming from the far end of the house.

They moved in tandem, sweeping each room with practiced precision. The creaking led them to the kitchen, where a back door hung open, swinging slightly in the wind.

Kai stepped outside, his eyes scanning the surrounding woods. The snow was disturbed, tracks leading away from the house.

"Someone was here," Ray said, his voice low. "And they didn't stick around."

Kai knelt by the tracks, studying them. They were human, but larger than average, the imprints deep in the snow.

"These aren't normal," he muttered. "Whoever—or whatever—made these was heavy. Too heavy for a person."

Ray swallowed hard. "You think it's connected to the Harbinger?"

Kai straightened, his jaw tight. "I don't think we're dealing with just one threat anymore. Let's get back to the station."

---

Back at the station, Kai and Ray pored over the new information, their nerves frayed. The woman in the holding cell watched them from behind the bars, her expression unreadable.

"You've seen the seals, haven't you?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Kai looked up, his eyes narrowing. "What do you know about them?"

Her gaze shifted to the journal in his hands. "The seals are ancient, older than this town, older than the Harbinger. They bind something far worse than you can imagine. If you destroy them..."

She trailed off, her expression dark.

Ray slammed his hand on the desk. "If the seals are so important, why didn't you tell us this sooner?"

The woman met his gaze, unflinching. "Would you have believed me?"

Kai stepped closer to the bars, his voice cold. "What's the 'something' they're binding? What happens if the seals are broken?"

The woman's lips pressed into a thin line. "The Harbinger is a warning, a shadow of the true darkness. If the seals break, it won't just be Stowntown that suffers. The entire world will feel the consequences."

Kai's stomach turned, but he refused to let the fear show. "Then tell us how to stop it."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "The only way to stop it is to restore the balance. Sacrifice someone willingly. That's the only way to appease the Harbinger and keep the seals intact."

Ray shook his head, his voice rising. "There has to be another way! We're not just going to—"

Kai held up a hand, silencing him. "We'll find another way," he said firmly. "But you're going to tell us everything you know."

The woman hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I'll tell you. But you won't like what you hear."

Kai glanced at Ray, determination hardening his expression. "We're already past the point of liking anything. Start talking."