Sins of the Ancestorz

By nightfall, they were back in the cellar. Eleanor led the way, her lantern casting eerie shadows on the walls. Eliza and Daniel followed closely, the weight of their task pressing down on them like a physical force.

The stone slab loomed ahead, its carved symbols seeming to shimmer in the dim light. Eleanor knelt beside it, her gnarled hands tracing the grooves of the symbols.

"These marks," she said, her voice low, "are part of the original binding. They're meant to keep the passage sealed unless someone of the bloodline unlocks it."

Eliza hesitated. "How do I unlock it?"

"With blood," Eleanor said simply, pulling a small blade from her cloak. She handed it to Eliza, her expression unreadable. "Just a drop. The stone will recognize your lineage."

Eliza's hand trembled as she took the blade. The thought of offering her blood to something so ancient and malevolent made her skin crawl, but she had no choice.

She pressed the tip of the blade to her fingertip, wincing as it broke the skin. A bead of blood welled up, dark and glistening. She let it drip onto the center of the stone.

The reaction was immediate. The symbols glowed a fiery orange, and the stone began to rumble. Dust and debris shook loose from the ceiling as the slab shifted, sliding aside to reveal a dark, gaping hole.

A wave of cold air rushed out, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of decay.

"What's down there?" Eliza asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"The truth," Eleanor said. "And the Watcher's heart."

Daniel shone his flashlight into the hole, revealing a narrow staircase carved into the earth. The steps descended into darkness, their edges crumbling with age.

"We don't have much time," Eleanor said, motioning for them to follow.

Eliza swallowed her fear and stepped onto the staircase, the cold stone biting into her bare feet. Daniel followed close behind, his flashlight cutting through the gloom.

The passage seemed to go on forever, twisting and turning until Eliza lost all sense of direction. The walls were damp and lined with strange, faintly glowing symbols that pulsed in time with her heartbeat.

Finally, the tunnel opened into a cavernous chamber. At its center stood a massive stone altar, its surface covered in the same symbols as the binding stone.

But it was what lay above the altar that made Eliza's blood run cold.

Suspended in midair was a swirling mass of darkness, its form constantly shifting and writhing. It was impossible to tell where it began or ended, but its presence was suffocating, filling the room with an oppressive energy.

"The Watcher," Eleanor whispered, her voice filled with equal parts awe and dread.

Eliza took a step back, her legs shaking. "How do we stop it?"

Eleanor turned to her, her expression grim. "You sever its anchor. But to do that, you'll have to confront everything it has taken from your family—all the sins, all the pain. It will try to break you, Eliza. You have to be strong."

Eliza's heart pounded as she stared at the writhing mass. She could feel its gaze on her, cold and unyielding, as if it was already burrowing into her soul.

"I'm ready," she said, though her voice wavered.

The Watcher stirred, and the room grew darker, the air thick with malice.

The ritual was about to begin.

• Get access to advanced chapter only on my Patreon.

patreon(.)com/Bersertales