Midnight Courier

The air in the room suddenly thickened, and all sounds seemed to vanish, leaving only the echo of their heartbeats. Jack's eyes were wide, and his body was frozen in place, unable to move. His voice trembled as it escaped from his throat, "What... what is this?"

Jamie slowly rose to her feet, her gaze locked onto the headless figure in the corner. Her heart was racing, but she did not retreat. Instead, as the invisible threat drew closer, her body instinctively tensed.

"Jack," she said in a low voice, "Close the door. Don't let it in."

Jack, paralyzed by fear, stood motionless, unable to respond. Sandra, growing impatient, slapped his shoulder, pulling him back from the door and slamming it shut.

The wild wind howled outside, and the rain battered the windows, yet the room was cloaked in an eerie silence.

The headless figure remained motionless in the corner, as if it were a stone. Its black attire seemed to float in the air. Every nerve in the room was taut, the very atmosphere suffocating.

"What is it?" Jack finally regained some sense, his voice tinged with despair. "How can something like this even exist?"

"This isn't just any ghost," Jamie took a deep breath, her eyes cold with resolve. "This is a curse, or... some ancient power. It doesn't belong to this world."

Sandra quickly checked the weapons at her waist but knew that conventional firearms would be useless against such a force. "We have to find the source, or it will never stop."

Jamie nodded, her gaze still fixed on the headless figure. She began softly chanting a protective incantation passed down through her family. A faint light began to glow in the air around her.

"You can't escape," the headless figure's voice suddenly rang out, chilling and deep, as if it came from the abyss. "It has already chosen you."

Jamie did not respond, continuing her incantation. The talisman in her hand began to glow faintly. She knew that this was the only way to stop this unknown force. Her family had once encountered such a power, and she herself had always been haunted by certain forgotten curses.

Suddenly, the headless figure slowly raised its hand and pointed toward the center of the room. As it moved, the air grew unbearably cold, and the shadows on the walls began to twist as if being pulled and stretched by some invisible force.

"Your fate... has already been sealed."

As the voice faded, the temperature in the room dropped sharply. Black liquid began to seep from the floor, as though it were oozing up from deep beneath the earth.

Jamie spun around, and saw a yellowed piece of paper drifting down to the floor, landing at her feet. It was covered in ancient runes, exuding a strong aura of coldness.

"This is..." She picked up the paper, her eyes widening in recognition. The content was not fully comprehensible, but one name stood out—"Shen Family."

"It's the curse of the Shen Family..." Her voice grew low, "They've been setting the stage for this moment all along."

"The Shen Family?" Sandra raised an eyebrow. "Does this have anything to do with your family?"

Jamie nodded, her expression turning grave. "This isn't a coincidence. Our families were once deeply connected, and all of this is to awaken an ancient power."

The headless figure slowly advanced, each step laden with threat. Jamie immediately pressed the talisman onto the paper, her hands forming a seal as she recited a more complex incantation.

"The curse of my family— I will end your terror."

With the final word, a sharp, piercing sound erupted in the air, and the black liquid quickly dissipated. The figure began to blur and gradually dissolved into nothingness.

Moments later, the room returned to silence.

Jack, his face pale with fear, almost collapsed to the ground. "What... what was that? Why did it happen?"

Sandra let out a long breath, lowering her gun, and shook her head. "I don't know, but what we do know is that we're safe—for now."

Jamie walked over to the window, gazing out into the dark, rainy night. Her expression was complex. "This is only the beginning, Jack. We are not out of danger yet." Her eyes seemed to peer into the distant shadows lurking beyond the glass.

"Next, we must face even greater challenges."

4o mini