Chapter Forty-Five: The Entity's True Nature

The air around them grew thick, suffocating—darker than it had ever been. The entity, once a mere shadow, now shifted into something more tangible, something far more terrifying.

Its form twisted and morphed, the edges blurring into shapes that defied logic. It was no longer just a spirit, but something ancient—a creature born of nightmares.

Elena stumbled back, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes widened as she took in its true form: A mass of writhing, slick black tendrils, a body that seemed to shift like a reflection in a pool of ink, pulling the very light from the room. Its face was... no face. Just a hollow abyss, a void with flickers of glinting, endless darkness where eyes should have been.

"What is this thing?" Elena gasped, her voice trembling.

Leon's eyes widened for the first time since their encounter. This wasn't just a ghostly entity.

It was far worse.

He stepped forward, his hand shaking as he reached for her, pulling Elena back toward him. It wasn't just bound here by the seal—it was something that had been waiting.

He looked at her, his voice low and barely above a whisper. "This… this isn't something we can just fight, Elena. It's not even human. It's the thing that's been waiting for me—waiting for my blood to return to these lands."

The creature's form seemed to pulse, an eerie, haunting sound reverberating through the walls. It was as though it were alive, aware. It wanted them.

Leon's heart pounded. The memories flooding back weren't enough. He needed to act before the entity fully emerged from its prison. It wasn't just tied to him—it was tied to this place. The curse that had bound him here. The pact made long before Elena ever stepped foot in the mansion.

The entity let out a low, guttural sound, vibrating through the air. It was speaking to him. Taunting him.

"You can't escape," the creature hissed, its voice like a thousand whispers that slid into their minds. "Your blood has always been mine, Leon Blackwell."

Elena's stomach churned. Blood. The same word had been echoed in their discoveries before. It had always been about blood—Leon's blood.

She turned to Leon, fear flickering in her eyes. "Leon, what is it? What does it want with you?"

Leon swallowed hard, his grip tightening on her arm. "It wants to control me. It's what it's always wanted. But now, it wants more."

He didn't have the luxury of time. The entity was growing more solid, its tendrils creeping closer. There was only one option.

He had to break the seal.

But first, he had to hold back the entity.

With a grim look, Leon turned to the marking once more. He could feel the power of the seal—but it wasn't enough. The entity was stronger than he anticipated. He needed to weaken it first, before they could escape.

"Elena," Leon called, his voice sharp. "Get ready."

He didn't wait for her response. With a burst of strength, Leon slashed his palm across the seal once again, his blood trickling onto the markings. The ground shook, and the air thickened with power.

But even as the seal began to break, the entity shrieked louder, as though it were resisting. It wasn't going down without a fight.