Chapter Forty-Six: The Price of the Seal

Leon's breath came in sharp gasps as the seal trembled beneath his bloodied fingers. The power in the air crackled like a storm waiting to break. The entity roared, its tendrils lashing out, desperate to stop what was coming.

The seal wasn't just breaking—it was demanding payment.

A price.

Leon felt it pulling at him, demanding more than just blood. It wanted something deeper, something that could shift the balance of power.

He staggered back, his mind flashing through fragmented memories—things he still didn't fully understand. The mansion. The curse. The thing lurking beneath the surface.

Leon staggered back, the weight of the moment pressing down on him like a physical force. He felt a pull deep within him, as though the seal was reaching into his very soul, tearing through the barriers he had built up over centuries. He had known this day would come—the day when the price for his blood would demand more than just his will. It demanded a sacrifice.

Elena stood frozen behind him, her wide eyes locked on the creature that writhed in the air, still emerging from the dark shadows of the room. Its form was almost solid now, its movements slow but deliberate as it watched them with malicious intent. She could feel the weight of the entity's gaze, as though it saw every hidden fear within her.

"Leon," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What are you doing? What's happening?"

Leon's jaw clenched, and he could see the pulsing glow of the seal, now weakening by the second, as if fighting back. But he knew there was no turning back. The entity would stop at nothing to claim him and his blood, and the longer they waited, the more power it gained.

"I have to finish this," Leon muttered, his voice low and strained. "It's the only way."

His hand shook as he reached toward the seal again, his palm hovering above the fractured marking. The air around him crackled with dark energy, and he could feel his own blood calling to the seal, urging him to give more—to sacrifice something greater. The price was clear now.

His blood. His essence.

He reached deeper, unwilling to hesitate, even as a voice in the back of his mind screamed at him to stop. The seal was asking for more than just blood now—it wanted his connection to this cursed land. It wanted him to sever his ties, to rip the very fabric of his existence.

"Leon, no!" Elena shouted, her voice rising in panic as she saw the change in his expression. His face was becoming pale, and his hand shook with intensity.

But it was already too late.

Leon pressed his palm fully against the seal, and the world seemed to shudder around them. The air shifted, growing cold and oppressive, and a dark energy swirled, wrapping itself around his arm like chains. His blood began to drain from his body, not just from the wound on his hand, but from deeper within him. His very being felt as though it were being siphoned away, leaving him weak and hollow.

The creature screeched, its roar a violent clash of agony and fury. But Leon didn't stop. He had no choice.

His eyes glowed a sickly amber, and for a moment, he could feel everything—the entity, the seal, the blood—all of it flooding through him like an ocean of memories and pain. He could feel the weight of the curse he had carried for so long. The price for his existence here, the price of his immortality, was finally coming due.

Then, with a final, painful burst of energy, the seal broke completely.

The dark energy swirled around them and for a moment, everything went still. The entity stopped moving, its tendrils hanging in the air like something suspended in time. Leon's breathing became ragged as he stumbled backward, his knees weak beneath him. He could feel the last remnants of his strength draining away, the sacrifice he had made taking hold.

Elena rushed to his side, catching him before he collapsed. "Leon… what did you do? What did you give up?"

Leon's voice was barely a whisper as he gripped her arm for support. "Everything," he said softly, his gaze unfocused. "Everything I was…" His voice trailed off.

But the creature had not been defeated. It was still there, hanging in the air, but now it seemed... weaker. More vulnerable.

Leon's head lolled to the side, his strength ebbing away. His hand gripped the book—the only piece of the puzzle that might still offer some clue to what they were dealing with.

Suddenly, the entity shrieked one last time, its form growing in intensity again. The sacrifice had not been enough to end it. Now, something far worse was about to be unleashed.

"No," Elena whispered, her voice filled with horror. "It's not over."

But Leon's grip on her tightened, and with a last, defiant look, he whispered, "It won't stop until we finish this… until the truth is revealed."

Elena didn't know what he had done, but she could feel it—the weight of what had happened, the sense that things had changed forever.

The darkness around them began to shift, closing in once again. The entity wasn't finished yet—it was only just beginning.

And they were running out of time.