CHAPTER 214: BROKEN CIRCLE

Holding a cup of beer, Raphael sat on an old wooden chair that made a creaking sound with the slightest movement. He leaned back into the chair and listened to the night insects and birds filling the silence with their noises. His eyes shifted to the sky, which was clear, revealing dozens of stars shining brightly.

Raphael adjusted his coat before chugging down a mouthful of the liquid in his hand. It burned down his throat, making him cough a little. The warmth from the drink lessened the effect of the chilling cold. He drifted into deep thought when he noticed the stiff silence around him, the birds and insects had gone silent.

He frowned, dropped the cup on the ground, and rose to his feet as he listened for anything. But there was nothing, just utter silence. It unsettled him, for it was unusual for everything to go silent in the middle of the night unless there was something lurking in the darkness that kept the night creatures away.

He reached for a light torch and grabbed it. "Who is there?" he shouted, but there was no response. "Show yourself and I’ll show you mercy!" he called again, yet still no answer.

He scoffed and turned back toward the chair, about to sit, when a scuffling sound reached his ears. Raphael froze, then narrowed his eyes in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing. He raised the torch higher for a better view, that was when he saw something white. A dress.

As he continued to stare, it became clearer. It was a white dress covered in blood and dirt. Then, the figure wearing the dress came into view. It was a woman with long black hair, her face turned away from him.

"Show your face. Who are you?" Raphael’s voice echoed as he shouted. The woman didn’t turn but began to cry, her shoulders trembling.

"What are you doing here this late at night? Do you need any assistance? Are you lost?" Raphael’s voice lowered as he tried to maintain his calm and act rational.

At first, the woman said nothing and continued to cry, but then she spoke. "Yes, I am lost. Can you help me find my way and save me?" Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Turn around. I want to see your face," the man demanded.

Slowly, the woman turned to face Raphael, and his face paled, the torch almost slipping from his grip. "W...what? How is this possible?" he stammered, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"It’s truly me, Elizabeth. It’s your wife," the woman said, her face almost completely covered in dried blood with burst skin at the side of her head.

Raphael swallowed hard. "No... that can’t be. You cannot be Elizabeth," he muttered.

"It’s me... and I’m here with your sister, Talia." She stretched out her hand toward the darkness, where another woman stepped forward. She was also dressed in a white gown, just as filthy and torn, her face hidden beneath dirt and dried blood.

Raphael’s eyes widened, his heart thundering in his chest. "There’s no way... you are both dead. I must have had too much to drink," he whispered, looking around as if the night itself might reassure him of this madness.

"You’re not intoxicated. This is really us. Raph, you have to help us. Let us in. We have nowhere else to go. If we remain here any longer, we will die. Help us, please," Elizabeth pleaded, while the other woman just stared ahead with a blank expression.

Raphael shook his head as the torch slipped from his fingers, landing on the ground with a thud, its fire still blazing. "No! No... get out of my head, demon! I know you’re deceiving me," he spat through gritted teeth.

"We are real. You must help us, Raph..."

"Stop calling me that!" he screamed, frustration twisting his voice as he glared at the bloodied woman.

"I cannot," Elizabeth whispered, her voice breaking. "Because you are choosing to let us die again. You must help us, please. Do not let us die again. Do not forsake us like you did before."

"Forsake you? I never did that!" Raphael shouted back, anguish in his eyes. "I would have saved you without a second thought but I couldn’t. And I regret it every damn day of my life."

Elizabeth’s lips trembled. "Now you have the chance to save us. Let us in, and save us from the cold hands of death."

"I... I can’t. You are already dead. Forgive me for not coming home earlier. Perhaps I could have gotten there soon enough to save you both..." His voice cracked, choked with guilt and sorrow.

"You can still help us. Clear a path for us, and we will come in and be with you forever." She pointed toward the circle.

Raphael glanced at it, then back at her. "No... I can’t..."

A sudden sharp pain burst through his skull, forcing him to groan loudly. His hands shot up as he clutched his head in agony.

"Please, Raphael... save us." Elizabeth coughed, and thick black blood poured from her mouth, dripping down her jaw onto the already bloodstained cloth.

The pain in his head intensified, forcing him to fall to his knees. Veins bulged across his forehead and neck, his face flushed red, and sweat glistened on his skin as he struggled to breathe. "I... I..."

"Please... do not let me die. I don’t want to leave my sweet daughters. Please..." More blood gushed from her mouth as she too collapsed onto her knees.

Raphael blinked rapidly, disoriented, when he suddenly felt his body rise against his will. His legs dragged him forward in heavy steps toward the circle. "What... no!" he managed to rasp, straining to stop, but his limbs no longer obeyed him.

He fought desperately to keep his body under control, but it was useless. His feet carried him to the edge of the circle. One hand shot out toward Elizabeth, who had risen shakily, her bloodstained arm stretching to meet his.

The instant his hand brushed hers, his feet scraped through the line of sand, breaking the circle. "No..." he whispered, horror flooding his eyes.

Everything fell silent.

Raphael’s other hand slipped from his head, the pain had vanished. He glanced at his outstretched hand. No one stood before him. Realization struck like a blade to the gut. Dropping to his knees, he frantically tried to fix the circle, shoving sand back into place with trembling fingers.

"Good gods... what are you doing, Raphael?" Callum’s voice came from behind. He hurried around to see, and when his eyes fell on the broken markings, his face drained of color.

Raphael’s voice trembled, "Get away from here, Callum. Shit.. shit.. shit. I’ve fucked up bad. Go inform..."

"Gentlemen, I don’t think that will be necessary."

Both men turned at the sound of the voice. From the shadows, Zal stepped forward, his eyes blazing red, a terrifying smile curling his lips. He crossed the broken markings of the circle with ease, inhaling deeply.

"Ah...I already feel much better now," he said with a pleased sigh.

~~~

Panting, almost out of breath from running and from the fear coursing through his veins, Viktor pounded on the door to Lucian’s chamber. The older man must have been asleep, for it took a couple of minutes before he finally opened the door.

The moment his weary eyes fell on a disheveled Viktor, Lucian already knew something was terribly wrong. "What happened?"

"The demon... it has somehow managed to get into the castle. I... I don’t know what to do, Lucian. This might be the night we all die," Viktor whispered, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Though the news sent a cold shiver down his spine, Lucian was forced to put on a brave front, anything less would mean death for them all. "Viktor, look at me." He gripped the young man’s shoulder firmly. "This is no time for sulking or surrender. We must act quickly, or many lives will be at stake. The demon shall not win we must ensure that."

His grip tightened. "We can’t give up now. In a few hours, the villagers will begin arriving at the castle, and with the demon here, that would be suicide. We must move swiftly to prevent it. Do you understand?"

Viktor let out a shaky breath, running his fingers through his hair. "Yes, I..." He swallowed hard, drawing in a breath of determination, "What should we do now?"

"That’s the spirit, boy." Lucian slapped him on the shoulder. "I will go to Salistra and report this to her. We must prepare to put the demon back to sleep. You will warn everyone in the castle to remain in their chambers and keep their doors locked."

"Very well. I’ll get to it immediately."

"Good. And Viktor, be safe."

Viktor gave him a faint smile. "You too, old man." He turned and dashed down the hallway. Lucian shut his door and hurried in the opposite direction, toward the crypt.