THE TRAP

The morning after the terrifying events of the previous night, the group woke to a heavy silence. The fear that had gripped them when Lucas fell into the trance still lingered, thick in the air. They all sat in silence, eyes filled with uncertainty. The chief remained unconscious, and they decided it was best not to wake him. He had been through enough, and they couldn't risk putting him under any more stress.

Lucas, however, was determined. He didn't waste time. Once he noticed the others were awake, he spoke. "I've sent my reflection to spy on Eli," he began, his voice steady despite the fear that clung to him. "It found where his body is hidden."

Tessa looked at him, concern in her eyes. "What do you mean you sent your reflection?"

Lucas smiled slightly, but there was a hint of weariness in his expression. "It's a long story," he said. "But let's just say I've learned to use it to gather information."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "You can send your reflection to spy? And it can find things out about Eli?"

"It's not easy, but yes," Lucas answered, his gaze hardening. "The reflection followed Eli's trail and found his body."

The others exchanged a look of confusion and unease. "Where?" Caleb asked, his tone filled with urgency.

"The Oaks Children's Park," Lucas replied, his voice grim. "Just before the old church. Eli's body is there, and it's doing something... His body is chanting some sort of mantra, but his soul isn't in it."

The others exchanged a look of unease. "What do you mean his soul isn't in it?" Caleb asked.

"His soul is gone," Lucas explained. "It's wandering, probably gathering strength to return to his body. But his body is still there, using some dark magic to chant this mantra. The body is acting on its own."

Ryan frowned, processing this. "Even if we find his body, what good does that do us? His spirit could still come back and finish what it started."

Lucas met his gaze. "If we trap his body, he can't use it to perform his ritual. His body can't move without the soul. It's just a vessel—if it's trapped, he won't be able to regain control."

The group fell into thoughtful silence. Tessa spoke next, her voice low but filled with resolve. "And how do we trap it? How do we keep him from taking his body back?"

"There's an ancient containment device," Lucas said. "It's called a Glass Sarcophagus. It's powerful enough to hold a body, even one possessed by dark magic."

Ryan nodded, his face set. "If this works, it'll stop Eli from coming back for his body, right? We can finally put an end to this."

Lucas nodded firmly. "We have to do this before his spirit regains control. If we fail, we're all done for."

The group gathered their strength and headed to the Oaks Children's Park, their nerves taut. The park, eerily silent, seemed like a far cry from the horrors it now held. The old church loomed in the distance, its crumbling stone walls a testament to the decay that had settled over the entire town.

They made their way toward the underground house. Inside, they found Eli's body, kneeling before a dark altar. Its mouth moved on its own, chanting the same mantra over and over in a rhythmic, unnatural way. The body seemed to be alive with dark energy, but there was no soul to be found. It was as if the body was a hollow vessel, being guided by a force far beyond what they understood.

"We need to move quickly," Caleb whispered, his hand gripping his weapon.

With great care, they loaded Eli's body into the back of a disposal truck, driving toward the library. The air in the truck was thick with unease, each member of the group lost in their thoughts about what lay ahead.

Arriving at the library, they were relieved to find it empty, but the silence felt off, like it was holding its breath. They made their way to the basement, where they found the Glass Sarcophagus, a gleaming, otherworldly container. It shimmered with an eerie light, and they could sense its power even before they placed Eli's body inside.

With great care, they positioned the body inside the sarcophagus. The seal clicked shut, and for a moment, they allowed themselves to believe they had succeeded. They stood together, their breath held in anticipation.

But then, a chilling voice echoed through the room, sending shivers down their spines. "You think you've won?"

They turned, eyes wide with horror. The voice was cold, full of malice—but it came from nowhere, as if the air itself was speaking.

"I won't let you trap me," the voice continued. "Give me my body back."

The group stood frozen, their hearts pounding in their chests. Before they could even react, they saw the impossible happen: Eli's body, still sealed in the sarcophagus, moved. The chant grew louder, more frantic, and the sound filled the room, almost like it was alive. His body was moving on its own, but no soul was there to guide it.

And then, Eli's essence found a new vessel. He possessed the body of a townsperson who had wandered too close to the library. The person's eyes glowed with a sinister light, their face twisted into an unnatural grin.

"You think you can stop me?" Eli's voice echoed from the possessed body. "I'll take everything from you."

"No," Lucas shouted, his voice filled with determination. "We're not giving you back your body!"

Eli's possessed vessel lunged toward them, and the group scattered, racing for the library's exit. Their hearts pounded in their chests as the possessed townsperson gave chase, a sickening energy pulsing from the body.

They reached the front of the library, the air thick with tension, and quickly ran outside. They had to act fast.

The group burst through the door of the chief's house, breathless and frantic. Behind them, the pounding of fists on the front door echoed, relentless. They quickly locked the door, the sound of the possessed person's blows reverberating through the wooden frame, as if the walls themselves were shaking in fear.

"We need your help," Lucas gasped, eyes wide with urgency.

The chief, still groggy from his rest, slowly sat up, his brow furrowing at the sight of the group. He could see their distress, and something in his gut told him it wasn't good.

"Explain," the chief muttered, his voice raspy from sleep.

Without hesitation, the group quickly relayed everything—how they had found Eli's body, trapped it in the glass sarcophagus, and thought they had succeeded. But it wasn't over. Eli's spirit had found another vessel, and now it was wreaking havoc.

"You didn't think to tell me what you planned to do?" the chief snapped, his voice low with frustration. "You went behind my back? You don't understand what you're dealing with!"

They exchanged uneasy glances. They knew they had made a mistake in not consulting the chief earlier, but they had acted out of desperation. There was no time for apologies now.

"I know, Chief," Lucas said quickly, his voice urgent. "But what we need right now is your help. We don't know what to do next."

The chief paused, his sharp eyes scanning each of them. Then, with a heavy sigh, he reluctantly nodded.

"Fine," he said, rubbing his temples as if trying to steady himself. "But you've messed with forces you don't understand. I can help, but you need to listen carefully."

The chief slowly rose from his chair, his movements slow but deliberate. He walked to a dusty table in the corner of the room, where several old tomes lay. He flipped through one of the books and began tracing his finger along the text. After a few tense moments, he found what he was looking for and looked back at the group.

"You have two options," the chief said, his voice grim. "One: you can use fire and salt. It's a ritual that burns the spirit out of the body, but it's dangerous. Unpredictable. You could lose control."

The group shuddered at the thought.

"Or..." The chief's voice dropped, his gaze shifting to a large mirror hanging on the wall. "You could use the mirror. This one's... different. It can force the spirit out. But it requires precision and the right chant. Even then, it's not guaranteed to work."

Lucas glanced at the mirror, unease creeping up his spine. There was something unsettling about it—something ancient. He could feel its power just by looking at it.

"The mirror?" Caleb asked skeptically. "Can it really expel a spirit like Eli's?"

"It can," the chief confirmed. "But it's not foolproof. You have to be careful. The longer the spirit's been inside a body, the harder it is to get rid of."

The group exchanged uneasy glances. They had no choice. The mirror was their only option.

They gathered the strength to move forward. The chief's words weighed heavily on them, but there was no time to second-guess. They had to act.

Moving swiftly, they positioned the mirror in the middle of the room, its surface reflecting the dim light. The energy in the room grew tense, and the group stood around it, waiting.

"Remember," the chief warned, his voice low and serious, "once you start the chant, you have to commit. There's no going back."

Lucas nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He stepped back, feeling the tension rise in the air. He wasn't ready, but they had no other choice.

The chief stepped forward, his face solemn, his eyes filled with resolve. "Stand back," he said, his voice steady despite the danger that loomed. "This is the only chance we've got."

The group made room for the chief as he positioned himself in front of the mirror. He took a deep breath and began the chant, his words calm but full of power. The air in the room seemed to thicken with every syllable.

"By the light of the old ways," the chief muttered, his voice growing louder, "I command the spirit to depart. Leave this body and never return. I bind you to this reflection, to the glass, where you shall be trapped."

The mirror began to glow, its surface shifting as though alive. The group watched in awe as the light intensified, then began to pulse, each beat like a heartbeat of the room itself. The possessed body outside continued to slam against the door, its movements jerky, almost inhuman.

The chief's chant echoed in the air, the power building with every word. The glow of the mirror brightened, casting long shadows around the room.

But then, just as they thought they had succeeded, the mirror began to crack. A sickening sound filled the room as the glass splintered under the pressure.

The possessed body fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Silence followed. The group held their breath, waiting for something, anything.

When they opened the door to check on the possessed person, they were met with a chilling sight. The person lay lifeless on the ground, their body cold and unmoving.

They hadn't realized it, but the mirror had done its job. The body was no longer inhabited by Eli's spirit. But the victory was short-lived.

Eli's voice rang out from nowhere, cold and mocking.

"You think you've won?" Eli sneered. "You're wrong. You have no idea what you're dealing with. I will possess every soul in this town. And when I'm done, I will take over this world."

The words sent a chill through the group. They had stopped Eli for now, but it wasn't over. His spirit was far from finished.

"You've made a mistake," the chief muttered under his breath, his face hardening. "You thought you could trap him. You've only angered him."

Lucas felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Eli wasn't just a threat; he was something worse—something they weren't prepared for.

"We have to stop him," Tessa said, her voice strained. "How do we stop him for good?"

The chief looked at her, his expression conflicted. "We need to destroy his soul completely. The body is just a vessel. If we sever the connection between the body and the soul, if we sever that tether, Eli will have no way of returning."

The group nodded, understanding the gravity of what they had to do. To stop Eli, they couldn't just trap him in a body—they had to sever his soul, once and for all.

But that was easier said than done. The question now was how.

"We'll need something more," the chief said, his voice grim. "We'll need a ritual to sever that bond. Something stronger than what we've tried so far. But I don't know if we have enough time."

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