The air was thick with tension as Sarah, Lila, Mark, and Lisa stood in the clearing, their hearts racing from the confrontation with the ancient entity. The remnants of Blackwood Manor lay behind them, a crumbling monument to the secrets they had unearthed. The whispers of the ash still echoed in their minds, a haunting reminder that their battle was far from over.
“What just happened?” Mark asked, his voice shaky as he scanned the darkened woods around them. “Did we really defeat it?”
“I don’t know,” Sarah admitted, her gaze fixed on the spot where the creature had risen. “But I have a feeling this isn’t over. That thing… it was *ancient*. It’s been trapped for centuries, and now it’s free.”
Lila shivered at the thought, her scar pulsing faintly as if responding to the lingering darkness. “We need to regroup and figure out our next move. If it’s still out there…” Her voice trailed off, fear evident in her eyes.