Chapter 44: The Heart of the Curse

Kai's mind raced, but there was no time to waste. The creature continued to crawl toward them with unnatural speed, its grotesque grin still stretched wide, as though mocking them. It was like fighting a force of nature—something that wasn't bound by human limitations. Each shot Kai fired had no effect, and each step backward only made the pressure of the curse more unbearable. It felt like the very air around them was thickening, suffocating them.

Taylor's breath came in shallow gasps, and he glanced nervously at Kai. "We can't just keep shooting at it. It's not doing anything! We need to find whatever is powering it."

Kai nodded, his mind already forming a plan. If this thing was a part of the curse—and the curse was a force that seemed to transcend the limits of life and death—then this wasn't just about killing it. It was about stopping the source of the curse itself. The creature wasn't the heart of the problem; it was a symptom, a manifestation of something much darker, deeper, and older than either of them could fully understand.

"We have to find the source," Kai said through gritted teeth. "We have to find where this curse is coming from and destroy it."

"How do we do that?" Taylor's voice was desperate, but Kai could see the resolve in his eyes. They were in this together. They couldn't give up.

"The mirror," Kai whispered, his eyes narrowing. "It all started with that damn mirror. And I think that's where we'll find the answer."

The creature lunged again, its distorted limbs flailing. This time, Kai was ready. He pushed Taylor out of the way just as the creature tried to claw at him. With a steady hand, Kai raised the shotgun and fired, sending the creature flying backward once more. But this time, it didn't regenerate immediately. It seemed to pause, as if waiting for something.

"The mirror," Kai repeated, more to himself than to Taylor. "It was the source of everything. If it was the thing that started the curse, then maybe... just maybe... it's still the key to ending it."

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked, his voice strained.

"I think the mirror has to be destroyed," Kai said. "I think it's tied to the curse. That's where everything started. If we destroy it, we destroy the power behind this cycle. And maybe..." His voice trailed off, his gaze locked on the decaying station around them. "Maybe we can finally break the 27-day cycle."

"But how do we even find the mirror?" Taylor asked, his eyes darting around the room, searching for any clue.

Kai turned his attention to the walls of the station. The place was dilapidated, full of shadows and hidden corners, but he knew that if they didn't act fast, the curse would swallow them whole. His gut twisted, telling him that the clock was ticking. They couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"I don't know where it is yet," Kai admitted. "But I know where it was—at the old church."

The church. The place where it all began. The place where he'd first seen the mirror, where the first wave of terror had been unleashed. It had been abandoned for years, the building slowly falling into ruin just like everything else in Stowntown. But if the mirror was still there, it was the only place that could hold the answers.

"Let's go," Kai said firmly, looking at Taylor. "Now."

They moved quickly, as quietly as they could, stepping over broken furniture and shattered glass, keeping their eyes on the creature. It hadn't moved since they'd shot it, but Kai could feel its gaze following them as they made their way out of the station.

The rain had started to pour, a steady downpour that only added to the oppressive atmosphere of the town. The streets were slick, the cobblestones reflecting the dim light of the street lamps. It felt like a ghost town, eerily silent except for the sound of their footsteps and the distant rumble of thunder.

As they approached the outskirts of Stowntown, the church came into view, silhouetted against the dark sky. It was a crumbling structure, long abandoned by the townspeople after the curse had taken hold. Kai could feel the weight of the place, the darkness that clung to it.

"It's here," he said, his voice quiet but determined.

The church's door creaked open as Kai pushed against it, revealing the dark interior. The air inside was thick, heavy with dust and the scent of decay. The pews were overturned, the altar broken and in pieces. But what caught Kai's attention the most was the center of the room. There, amid the destruction, stood the old mirror.

It was just as he remembered it—tall, ornate, with silvered edges and a frame intricately carved with symbols he didn't understand. But as he stared at it now, he could see the reflection—his reflection—standing behind him.

Only, it wasn't just him.

The reflection in the mirror was twisted, distorted, and in the place of his own face was the smiling figure from earlier—the woman. The same one that had greeted him in the station. Her eyes were wide and lifeless, her smile too wide, too wrong.

Kai's breath caught in his throat. He knew now for certain that this was the heart of the curse.

"This is it," he whispered. "This is the source."

Taylor stood beside him, his eyes locked on the mirror. "What do we do now?"

Kai took a deep breath, the weight of everything pressing down on him. He had no idea how to destroy the mirror—how to break the curse. But he knew one thing: he had to try.

"Don't look into it," Kai warned. "We can't let it pull us in. We need to break it, no matter what it takes."

Without another word, he raised his shotgun. His finger tightened on the trigger.

The moment the shot rang out, everything changed.

The mirror shattered, the glass splintering into a thousand pieces. The air crackled with a sudden, overwhelming energy, and the room seemed to tremble. The figure of the woman in the reflection disappeared, but her voice lingered in the air.

"It's not over, Kai."

Before Kai could react, a force—something unseen but tangible—slammed into him. He was thrown backward, crashing into one of the broken pews. The world spun, and for a moment, everything went dark.

.