Chapter 9

The Entity's Game

The air in the forest grew heavier with every step Evelyn took, as though the ground itself resented her presence. Beside her, the rogue werewolf moved with a predatory grace, its sharp eyes scanning the darkened path ahead. They were close now—closer than they'd ever been. The journal's cryptic map had led them to a gnarled path veined with ancient roots, spiraling toward the heart of Blackpine Forest.

But the forest had begun to change.

Evelyn first noticed it in the way the trees bent unnaturally, their twisted limbs reaching down like skeletal fingers. The shadows seemed to pulse with life, stretching and recoiling in time with her breaths.

"This place is wrong," she muttered, her voice trembling as her hand tightened around the journal.

"It's the entity," the werewolf growled, its voice low and guttural. "It knows we're here. It doesn't want us to reach the artifact."

The further they ventured, the more the forest began to warp. The trees seemed to close in around them, forming an oppressive canopy that blocked out what little moonlight filtered through. The whispers started soon after—faint, indistinct murmurs that seemed to come from all directions at once.

"Have you heard that?" Evelyn's question was hardly audible above a whisper.

The werewolf's ears twitched as it nodded. "Disregard it. Fear is the entity's prey. It is attempting to shatter you.

It was difficult to ignore the whispers, though. They increased in volume, becoming guttural voices that seemed to address her directly.

One voice snarled, icy and poisonous, "Turn back."

With a hint of desperation, another said, "Save yourself."

Even though Evelyn put her hands to her ears, the voices continued to grow louder and invade her thoughts. Visions of her family, their faces twisted in pain as they fell prey to the curse, started to flicker before her eyes. Under the full moon, she witnessed her father, mother, and ancestors all changed into hideous creatures that were wailing in agony.

"No!" she screamed, stumbling forward.

The werewolf caught her arm, steadying her. Its eyes burned with urgency. "Stay with me, Evelyn. It's not real."

The roots writhed like snakes as the ground underneath them started to change. The curse began to stir within Evelyn, a primordial force tearing at her thoughts. Her heart pounded, and she sensed the beast inside her waking, clamoring to be let loose.

"Keep moving," the werewolf urged, pulling her forward.

But then the shadows coalesced, forming a towering figure in their path. The entity was not flesh but a mass of writhing darkness, its form constantly shifting. Two hollow eyes burned like embers, and a low, resonant voice filled the air.

"You dare enter here?" With a tone full of hate, it bellowed.

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat as she froze. The strength of the thing was like a smothering weight, its presence overwhelming.

The werewolf snarled, taking a defensive step in front of Evelyn, "We're not going anywhere." "We own the artifact."

The entity laughed, a sound that echoed through the forest like the creaking of ancient trees. "Foolish creature. The artifact does not belong to you. It belongs to me. And I will not relinquish it to those who are already mine."

The entity raised a shadowy limb, and the forest came alive with illusions. Evelyn blinked, and suddenly she was no longer in the forest. She was standing in her childhood home, her parents sitting at the kitchen table, their faces serene.

"Evelyn, come sit with us," her mother said, her voice warm and inviting.

"No." Evelyn shook her head and muttered. This wasn't genuine, she realized. It isn't possible.

However, the vision was so reassuring and real. She wanted to believe it for a second.

"Evelyn, please stop!" 

She was drawn back when the werewolf's voice cut through the delusion. With a gasp, she realized she was back in the tangled forest.

The entity chuckled once more, saying, "Your mind is fragile, girl. It won't take much to break it." 

As they advanced, Evelyn felt the curse intensifying; her senses were keener than before, but her control was eroding; she clutched her head in agony as pain shot through her skull, and she gasped, "I can't—" The werewolf growled, "You can," "You have to. The artifact is close." However, Evelyn wasn't sure how much longer she could fight, as the beast inside her was hungry, gnawing at her mind, urging her to give in. 

The entity appeared to sense her struggle and asked, "Why fight it?" in a seductive voice.

Finally, they reached a clearing. At its center was a stone pedestal, overgrown with moss and vines. On it perched a little, luminous orb—pulsing with an unsettling, silver brightness.

"The artifact," Evelyn murmured, taking a step toward it.

However, the entity's laughing resurfaced as she approached. "Go ahead and accept it. Watch what occurs.

With her palm hovering over the orb, Evelyn hesitated. The murmurs in her head were back, louder than before. Her eyes were full of doubt as she turned to face the monster.

"Is that a trap?" she inquired.

It was impossible to read the werewolf's eyes. "There is only one way to know."

The entity's voice filled the clearing as Evelyn grabbed for the relic, and the shadows surrounding her became stronger.

"Child, this is just the beginning. The moment you touch it, your fate is sealed."

Her hand hovered over the orb, her heart pounding. Every instinct screamed at her to stop, but the thought of freedom from the curse was too strong to ignore.

The clearing seemed to hold its breath as Evelyn made her choice.