The news spread like wildfire. The creatures were closing in.

Sophia moved fast, grabbing a stick of chalk from her bag and dropping to her knees. Her fingers, stained with old ink and ritual dust, traced practiced patterns across the wooden floor. Her hands were steady, but her breathing quickened as glowing lines began to take shape—sigils of protection, each humming with latent energy.

“This will buy us some time,” she said through gritted teeth, “but not much.”

Moments later, the nightmare descended.

Figures emerged in the distance—twisted shadows with teeth, claws, and flickering forms that didn’t fully obey the laws of nature. They moved like smoke and muscle, circling the house like vultures starved for flesh. One leapt forward with an inhuman screech, crashing toward the living room window.

The moment it crossed the sigil’s boundary, a crimson flame erupted from the chalk. It wasn’t fire—it was something older, hungrier. It consumed the creature entirely, leaving behind nothing but scorched air and the acrid scent of burnt decay.

Sophia recoiled from the heat, sweat beading on her brow. “We have to go!” she shouted, her voice cracking under the pressure. “Now!”

“Run where?” Alex barked, panic simmering beneath his anger. “They’re everywhere! We can’t outrun them!”

Silence fell like a guillotine.

The fire outside raged, but inside the house, the shadows grew longer. Olivia clutched Emma to her chest, shielding her trembling daughter’s eyes. James stood stiff, jaw clenched, unable to look away from the horror unfolding beyond the walls. Even Sophia hesitated now—her eyes flicking to the windows, calculating, doubting.

Then Angelo stepped forward.

His voice was quiet, yet it cut through the fear like a knife.
“If the seal is removed,” he asked, “will it come back?”

Sophia turned to him, startled. “No. I told you—this seal is like a dam. It’s holding back a flood. If I remove it…” She paused, eyes darkening. “I don’t know what happens next. The pressure could destroy everything.”

Angelo’s gaze was steady. “But if the creatures feared the presence before—”

“They’ll run again,” Alex interrupted, realization dawning in his eyes.

“No!” Olivia cried, stepping forward. Her voice broke as she grabbed Angelo’s arm. “You don’t know what you’re asking. You don’t know what you’ll become.”

Angelo looked at her—at the fear, the love, the desperation in her eyes—and offered a sad, tired smile.
“If I can save you all… then I’ll become the monster.”

Olivia’s legs gave out. She sank to the floor, clutching Emma even tighter, sobbing into her hair. James turned away, fists trembling at his sides. Alex stared at Angelo, torn between anger and admiration, and didn’t say a word.

Sophia’s lips parted, as if to object—then she closed them. There was no time. The air was growing colder. The creatures were getting closer.

She gave a single nod.

“Lie down.”

Angelo moved to the center of the room and lowered himself, eyes closed, arms at his sides.

“No!” Olivia tried to stop her, but Angelo stepped between them. His voice was soft. “Please. Let me do this.”

James and Alex held her back, tears in their eyes, as Sophia knelt beside him. Her hands moved with reverence and fear, brushing aside the old sigils. Then she began to draw again—new symbols, deeper, more ancient. The floor pulsed beneath her hands. She whispered words none of them understood, and a sickly glow bloomed across Angelo’s chest.

One seal undone.
The second broke on its own.
The third shattered like brittle glass.

A soundless roar echoed through the room as something unfurled.

And in that moment, Angelo heard it again—
A voice no longer distant or cold,
but alive.

Thrumming with hunger.
Eager.
Unchained.

“Time to destroy.”