Chapter 9: Confronting the Keeper
"So brave," Eliza sneered, her voice low and venomous. "Do you think that artifact will save you? Do you think it can undo what's been done?"
Evelyn's pulse raced, but she tightened her grip on the mirror, forcing herself to meet Eliza's piercing gaze. "It's not about undoing the past," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "It's about stopping you. This ends tonight."
Lucian stepped forward, his presence grounding Evelyn in the storm of tension. "You can't hold onto this forever, Eliza," he said, his tone hard. "The curse is unraveling. The spirits are restless. You've lost control."
Eliza's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Control?" she echoed, her voice mocking. "You think this was about control? No, Lucian. This was about survival. About ensuring our family's legacy would endure. You, of all people, should understand that."
Lucian's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. "You sacrificed lives for power," he said, his voice shaking with anger. "You used Evelyn—manipulated her—to fuel your greed. That's not survival. That's cruelty."
"And what would you know of cruelty?" Eliza shot back, her eyes narrowing. "You're nothing more than a ghost. A shadow of what you once were. Do you really think you have the strength to defy me?"
Lucian didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at Evelyn, his expression softening. "You don't have to listen to her," he said. "You're stronger than she thinks. Stronger than she'll ever be."
Evelyn swallowed hard, her fear battling with the spark of determination in Lucian's words. She took a deep breath, her fingers brushing against the cracked surface of the mirror. The glass pulsed faintly beneath her touch, as though it could sense the tension in the room.
Eliza's gaze shifted to the mirror, her smile faltering. "You don't even know how to use it," she said, her voice sharp. "Do you? That mirror is a key, yes, but it's also a weapon. It will take everything from you. Do you really think you're ready for that kind of sacrifice?"
Evelyn hesitated, doubt creeping into her mind. The ledger had warned of the mirror's cost, but it hadn't explained what that cost would be. Was she ready to pay it? Could she?
"She's lying," Lucian said, his voice cutting through the haze of uncertainty. "She wants you to hesitate. To doubt yourself. Don't let her win."
Eliza laughed, the sound hollow and cruel. "Oh, Lucian," she said, her tone dripping with disdain. "Always the noble protector. But your time is over. This is between me and Evelyn now."
With a flick of her wrist, the shadows in the room surged forward, coiling around Evelyn and Lucian like living tendrils. Evelyn cried out as the darkness tightened, cold and suffocating, pulling her toward the center of the room. She struggled against the force, her hands scrambling to keep hold of the mirror.
"Evelyn!" Lucian shouted, his voice distant and muffled. She could barely see him through the swirling darkness, his figure a pale blur against the shadows.
"Let her go!" Lucian's voice roared, and the lantern he held flared with a sudden burst of light. The shadows recoiled, hissing as the light cut through them, and Evelyn stumbled back, gasping for air.
Eliza's smile faded, her eyes narrowing. "Impressive," she said, her tone cold. "But futile. You can't fight the darkness, Lucian. It will consume you, just as it has consumed this place."
Evelyn straightened, her grip on the mirror tightening. Her heart pounded, but the fear that had gripped her moments before was fading, replaced by a fierce determination. She wasn't going to let Eliza win. Not this time.
"Eliza," Evelyn said, her voice cutting through the tense silence. "You've spent your life clinging to this curse, to this power. But it's over. You can't keep running from the consequences of what you've done."
Eliza's eyes burned with fury, and the shadows around her seemed to surge in response. "You know nothing of consequences," she hissed. "You think breaking this curse will bring peace? It will bring chaos. The spirits bound to this place—they are not your allies. They are vengeful, hungry, and they will destroy everything in their path once they are free."
"Maybe they will," Evelyn said, her voice unwavering. "But that's a risk I'm willing to take. Because anything is better than letting you continue this nightmare."
Eliza's lips curled into a snarl, and she raised her hands, the shadows coiling tighter around her like a storm. "You are a fool, Evelyn," she spat. "And fools do not survive this place."
Before Evelyn could respond, Eliza lunged forward, her hands outstretched as the shadows surged toward Evelyn like a tidal wave. Evelyn braced herself, holding the mirror up like a shield. The glass flared with a brilliant light, cutting through the darkness and forcing Eliza to recoil.
The force of the light sent shockwaves through the room, rattling the shelves and scattering the candles. Evelyn stumbled back, the mirror trembling in her hands as the shadows around Eliza writhed and hissed. For the first time, Evelyn saw fear in her aunt's eyes.
"You don't understand what you're doing!" Eliza shouted, her voice panicked. "That mirror will destroy us all!"
Evelyn met her gaze, her own fear replaced by a steely resolve. "Then so be it," she said.
She stepped forward, the mirror glowing brighter with each step. The cracks in the glass pulsed with energy, and Evelyn could feel its power coursing through her, sharp and overwhelming. The shadows lashed out, but the light from the mirror burned them away, clearing a path toward Eliza.
Lucian's voice called out behind her, but she couldn't make out the words. Her focus was entirely on Eliza, on the fear etched into her aunt's face as Evelyn raised the mirror higher.
"Eliza Carrington," Evelyn said, her voice ringing out like a bell. "Your time is over."
The mirror flared with a blinding light, and Evelyn felt the air shift, the weight of the curse trembling around her. She didn't know what would happen next, but she knew one thing for certain: there was no turning back now.