Episode 16: The Bloodline's Curse
937 Words
Story:
The discovery hit Lena like a thunderclap. Her family—the Hartleys—were not just victims of the entity’s curse. They were its creators.
Edith’s words haunted her as she and Isaac pored over crumbling tomes and faded letters in the historian’s cluttered study. The records detailed her ancestor, Thaddeus Hartley, a man of ambition and desperation who had turned to forbidden rituals to secure his family’s wealth. In doing so, he had summoned the entity, forging a pact sealed in blood.
The deal had worked—for a time. The Hartleys became prosperous, revered. But the entity’s price had been steep: the souls of its summoner’s descendants, claimed one by one over centuries.
“How could they do this?” Lena whispered, her voice trembling. “How could he do this to us?”
Isaac reached for her hand. “You’re not him, Lena. You’re not bound to his choices.”
“But I am,” she said, her voice rising. “Every step I take, every decision I make—it all comes back to this curse.” She stood abruptly, knocking over a stack of books. “I have to end it.”
The next day, Lena and Isaac ventured into the town archives, desperate to uncover anything that could break the curse. Ravensbrook’s history was darker than she could have imagined. Stories of missing children, unexplained deaths, and eerie rituals painted a picture of a town steeped in fear and bloodshed.
“Your ancestor didn’t just summon the entity,” Isaac said, holding up a faded illustration of a ritual circle. “He made it part of this place. The land, the people—it’s all tied together.”
Lena’s heart sank as she stared at the image. The ritual circle bore the same strange markings she had seen carved into the altar in the forest.
“Then we need to undo it,” Lena said firmly.
Isaac hesitated. “Lena, breaking a bond like this—it won’t be easy. And it might not be safe.”
“I don’t care,” she said. “If it means ending this, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
That night, Lena returned to the forest, determined to confront her ancestor’s legacy. Isaac trailed behind her, his expression a mix of concern and determination.
The altar loomed before them, its carvings glowing faintly in the moonlight. As Lena approached, the air grew heavy, charged with an oppressive energy.
“You’re sure about this?” Isaac asked.
Lena nodded, though her hands trembled. “It has to end here.”
She placed her hands on the altar, and the forest seemed to shudder. Whispers filled the air, growing louder and more distinct.
“Lena Hartley,” the entity’s voice hissed, cold and mocking. “At last, you’ve come home.”
The world around them shifted. The forest faded, replaced by a shadowy void where Lena stood alone. The entity appeared before her, its form shifting between shadow and flame.
“You are my blood,” it said, circling her like a predator. “You cannot escape me.”
“I don’t want to escape,” Lena said, her voice steady despite the terror clawing at her chest. “I want to end this.”
The entity laughed, a sound that echoed like a thousand voices. “End it? You cannot end what you are. Your bloodline is mine, bound to me for eternity. Accept it, and I will grant you power beyond imagining.”
Lena’s resolve wavered as the entity extended a hand, its shadowy fingers curling toward her. For a moment, she saw a vision of herself, draped in dark robes, commanding the entity’s power with ease. The thought was intoxicating.
“Don’t listen to it!” Isaac’s voice broke through the vision, and the void shattered around her.
Lena found herself back at the altar, Isaac gripping her arm. “It’s trying to manipulate you,” he said, his voice urgent. “You’re stronger than it is.”
The entity roared, its form materializing above the altar. “You are nothing without me!” it bellowed, its voice shaking the ground.
Lena stepped forward, her fear giving way to anger. “I am more than my bloodline,” she said. “And I will not let you control me.”
Reciting the incantation Edith had given her, Lena began the ritual to sever the curse. The symbols on the altar glowed brighter, and the entity howled in rage.
The ground beneath them cracked, and shadowy tendrils lashed out, wrapping around Lena. Pain shot through her as the entity’s voice filled her mind.
“Break the curse, and you break yourself,” it hissed. “You will lose everything.”
Lena faltered, the words cutting deep.
“Lena!” Isaac shouted, his voice pulling her back. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
Grasping her hand, Isaac joined her in the incantation. Together, their voices grew stronger, drowning out the entity’s cries.
As the ritual reached its c****x, the entity let out a final, ear-piercing scream. The tendrils released Lena, and the altar shattered, sending a shockwave through the forest.
The silence that followed was deafening. Lena collapsed to her knees, her body trembling.
“Did we do it?” she whispered.
Isaac knelt beside her, his face pale but hopeful. “I think so.”
But as they stood, a cold wind swept through the forest, and Lena felt a familiar presence.
The entity’s voice echoed faintly, a sinister whisper. “You cannot destroy me, Lena. I am you.”
- Writer
