Chapter 15: The Ritual of Binding
The air in the police station felt heavier as Kai and Ray prepared for what lay ahead. The woman in the holding cell—who had been nothing more than a cryptic, mysterious figure moments ago—was now the only source of guidance they had. Kai could sense the dread looming over them, thick like fog, but there was no turning back now.
Kai glanced at Ray, who was pacing the room, unable to mask his frustration. "I still don't get it. This whole thing—sacrifices, binding rituals, and all this goddamn supernatural crap—it feels like we're walking into the lion's den with our hands tied." His voice was filled with bitterness.
Kai didn't respond immediately. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the journal in his hands—the journal Doyle had left behind. He had seen its cryptic, faded pages for what seemed like an eternity, but now, in the light of what they had learned, they felt like keys to a lock that hadn't yet been opened. He flipped through the pages, his fingers skimming over the ink stains, sketches of symbols, and diagrams.
"The woman mentioned that the ritual can only be completed at the old church," Kai finally said, his voice low. "We need to move quickly. The longer we wait, the more dangerous this gets."
Ray stopped pacing and fixed him with a look. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's just hope we aren't too late."
---
The old church at the center of Stowntown had been abandoned for decades. It sat atop a hill overlooking the town, its spire long since worn down by time, its wooden doors sealed tight with rusted chains. There were whispers among the locals about the church, tales of it being cursed or haunted. Kai had dismissed them as local superstition, but now, standing at the foot of the hill, he couldn't help but wonder if there was more truth to those stories than he'd ever realized.
Ray let out a low whistle as he scanned the perimeter of the church. "This place gives me the creeps. What kind of church is built like this?"
"A forgotten one," Kai muttered, taking a step forward. The wind howled through the trees surrounding the hill, rustling the leaves in a symphony of haunting whispers. "The kind that gets left behind when the world moves on."
The woman, still in her cell, had provided them with only the barest details. She spoke of a forgotten relic buried beneath the church, a stone altar where the binding ritual was to take place. The problem was that the Harbinger would do everything in its power to stop them. Kai wasn't sure if it was more terrifying that the creature was hunting them or that the creature might be the only thing holding something worse at bay.
The ground beneath them was soft, muddy from the previous night's storm. With every step, Kai could feel the pressure building in his chest. His heart pounded relentlessly, not from fear, but from the weight of the decision they had yet to make. He glanced over at Ray, who was walking beside him, his face hard as stone. They had crossed into dangerous territory, and Kai knew there would be no simple way out.
They reached the base of the church's steps, and Kai hesitated for a moment. His mind was buzzing with questions. How much of this was real? Was there a way to stop the Harbinger without sacrificing someone? The woman had said the ritual required a willing participant—but who would willingly bind themselves to such an existence? No one should have to bear that burden. But was there any other choice?
"Ready?" Ray's voice broke him from his thoughts.
"Let's do this," Kai replied, drawing his gun and pushing open the creaky wooden doors.
---
Inside, the church was cold and dark, the air thick with dust and decay. The pews were overturned, and the once-beautiful stained-glass windows were cracked, their colorful shards scattered across the floor like forgotten dreams. It was a place forgotten by time, left to rot in silence. But despite the decay, there was something else—a presence, heavy and oppressive, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
"We need to find the altar," Kai said, his voice low.
Ray nodded, but his hand instinctively went to the grip of his own weapon. "Something feels wrong."
Kai's gut tightened. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to move, twisting and shifting, as though the church itself were alive.
They moved cautiously through the church, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust. The altar, when they found it, was buried beneath layers of rubble—stone and wood scattered across the floor, making the once sacred space feel like a forgotten tomb. A stone slab, covered in carvings and symbols, lay at the center of the room. It was nothing like the altar Kai had expected. It looked ancient, older than anything they had seen before.
"This is it," Kai said, his voice barely above a whisper. He crouched beside the slab, running his fingers over the symbols etched into its surface. "This is where the ritual needs to be performed."
Ray stood behind him, scanning the room for any signs of movement. "And the Harbinger?"
Kai didn't answer right away. He was focused on the slab, tracing the markings with his fingers. "It's here, somewhere. It knows what's about to happen."
Just as he spoke, the ground beneath them trembled. A low, rumbling sound echoed through the church, and the air grew thick with the scent of something foul, like rot and decay. The temperature dropped drastically, and Kai's breath turned to mist in the air.
"Here it comes," Ray muttered, his grip on his weapon tightening.
The doors of the church slammed shut, the force of the impact sending dust flying into the air. Shadows began to gather in the corners of the room, swirling, coalescing into shapes that defied logic. Kai could feel its presence now, not just in the room, but in his very bones. The Harbinger was close.
"Get ready," Kai said, his voice steady despite the rising terror in his chest.
The shadows twisted, forming into the familiar monstrous shape—the Harbinger, its towering form covered in rotting flesh, eyes glowing with an unnatural light. It stepped forward, the ground shaking with each step. Kai could feel its hunger, its rage, and he knew that they had no time to waste. The ritual needed to be completed before the creature reached them.
Ray fired first, the shot echoing in the silence of the church, but the Harbinger's thick skin absorbed the bullet as if it were nothing more than a fly's sting. It growled, a sound that rattled the very foundation of the church, and lunged forward, its massive clawed hands reaching for them.
Kai didn't hesitate. "Move!" he shouted, pulling Ray away from the charging creature.
The two of them darted toward the altar, ducking behind debris as the Harbinger slammed into the walls with a force that splintered wood and stone. It was only a matter of time before it reached them.
Ray was already pulling something from his coat—one of the relics they had retrieved earlier, a talisman that was supposed to ward off the creature. But as he held it up, the Harbinger screeched, its form flickering in and out of focus. It didn't care for the talisman. The creature's eyes locked onto them, and it lunged again, faster this time.
Kai grabbed Ray by the shoulder, shoving him toward the altar. "Now! We have to complete the ritual!"
Ray hesitated, but only for a second. They both reached the altar, scrambling to position the stone slab as the Harbinger neared, its growls growing louder with each passing second.
Kai pressed his palms against the altar, feeling a surge of energy—something ancient, something powerful. The symbols on the stone began to glow, faint at first, but growing stronger as they channeled the ritual.
The Harbinger roared in fury, but it was too late. The ritual had begun.
The earth trembled beneath their feet, and the shadows screamed in protest. But the stone slab held firm, its power flaring to life, as the Harbinger's figure started to distort, its form dissolving into the shadows from whence it came.
And as it did, a voice—low, deep, and ancient—whispered through the air: "You have chosen. The balance is restored."