Chapter Forty-Four: The Mark's Secret

The glow of the marking pulsed, casting silver veins along the stone walls. The entity let out a shriek, its form rippling with rage and fear. But it did not vanish.

Instead, it lunged forward, its shadowy tendrils slamming into the tunnel walls, sending cracks racing through the stone. The ground trembled beneath Elena's feet.

Leon's breathing was still uneven, but he pushed himself up, his hand gripping the stone wall for support. His eyes locked onto the glowing symbol, and something in his expression changed.

Recognition.

"Elena—" His voice was urgent, his gaze sharp. "Step back. That mark... I remember it."

Elena barely had time to react before the entity lashed out again, its tendrils coiling toward her like living chains. She stumbled back, her heart hammering, but the glow of the marking seemed to repel the shadows.

Leon's gaze darkened. "This isn't just a ward... It's a seal."

Elena's breath hitched. "A seal for what?"

Leon didn't answer immediately. His fingers brushed against the marking, his pupils dilating as flashes of buried memories surfaced—memories that had been locked away for centuries.

A darkened chamber.

A ritual.

Blood on the stone.

And a voice whispering—warning him of something he was never meant to remember.

Leon's jaw clenched. The entity wasn't just any spirit. It was bound here… because of him.

The realization sent a cold shiver through him. He had been part of this.

But before he could say another word, the entity attacked again.

The tunnel quaked as jagged shadows burst from the walls, forcing Leon and Elena apart. The marking's glow flickered, struggling against the onslaught.

Elena hit the ground hard, dust and debris raining around her. The entity was getting stronger.

Leon clenched his fists, stepping forward despite the pain searing through his body. He could feel its influence trying to pull at him—to weaken him again.

No. Not this time.

"Elena!" His voice cut through the chaos. "We have to break the seal completely!"

Elena's mind raced. Break it? Would that stop the entity—or unleash something worse?

But she had no time to question it. The entity was closing in, its form stretching unnaturally as it let out a horrifying, distorted sound.

Leon's memory was still foggy, but one thing was clear: If they didn't act now, they wouldn't make it out alive.