I crept through the decrepit abbey ruins, ducking under crumbling archways and skirting around collapsed sections. Anywhere filled with such deep shadows seemed an ideal place for a hidden entrance to secret catacombs below.

As I searched, questions buzzed endlessly through my mind. Would I even find anything useful down there? The order that had trapped Zalthos was gone centuries ago. What if their records held no answers?

No. I couldn’t afford to think like that. This monastery had to hold the key to imprisoning the demon again. The alternative was too terrifying to consider.

I peered down a darkened stairwell leading below ground, then paused. An unnatural silence had fallen over the ruins. The birds and insects that had been softly chirping and chittering earlier were now eerily quiet. Apprehension prickled my skin.

"You waste your time searching these meaningless ruins.”

Zalthos’s whisper slithered into my mind as the demon manifest partially behind me. I whirled to face him, fists clenched.

“Begone, fiend! I command you!”

The demon clicked his tongue in mock pity. “You do not command me. If anything, I command you.” His spectral form wavered in the shadows. “You only persist in this futile quest because you fail to accept our bond.”

I stood tall, glaring into those soulless crimson eyes. “I will never accept bonding with a filthy demon!”

Zalthos swept his arms out, indicating the crumbling ruin. “Where else can you turn, John? These long-dead priests had powers far beyond you. Their order is dust, their knowledge lost.” His voice echoed hypnotically in my skull. “But together, you and I could—”

“Enough!” I shouted, clutching my head. “I do not need you, demon! Now begone!”

Zalthos drew back, fading once more into nothingness. “We shall see, John...”

As his oppressive presence retreated, I sagged against a mossy wall, shaking. Each time Zalthos invaded my mind felt like a psychic assault. And his tempting words were growing harder to resist.

I had to stay strong and block him out. The answer to ridding us of the bond had to be here...somewhere...

With renewed determination, I ventured down the crumbling stairwell into the darkness. The air grew cooler, tinged withdamp and decay. These bricks hadn’t felt sunlight in centuries.

I passed through dank empty chambers with vaulted ceilings held up by mildewed pillars. Only my flashlight beam cut through the heavy shadows. These must have been cellar storerooms and such back when the abbey was still in use.

But where was the entrance to the legendary catacombs?

Just as frustration threatened to overwhelm me, the flashlight glinted off something: A worn symbol carved into the far wall. Brushing away grime revealed an ornate cross with a swirling circular pattern at the center. Could this be...?

Holding my breath, I pressed both hands to the center of the carving. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, with a grating rumble, the stone wall slowly slid inward before sliding aside.

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Beyond lay a tunnel sloping down into unfathomable blackness. The secret catacomb entrance! I wanted to cry out in victory, but kept silent, not wanting to alert Zalthos to my discovery. Gripping my flashlight, I slipped into the passage, whispering a prayer that the way would still be clear after all these centuries.

The slope leveled out into a maze of tunnels lined with stone tombs and dusty bones. Generations of monks clearly lay resting beneath the abbey. Somber Latin prayers were etched into the walls between the creepy old burial alcoves.

Navigating the disorienting labyrinth, I feared I would get lost down here forever. But eventually the tombs and remains grew fewer, giving way to bare tunnels that had to predate the graves.

Surely this was the sacred lair of The Order of St. Chronos, keepers of ancient knowledge. Excitement quickened my steps. Their records of binding Zalthos centuries ago could still be down here somewhere!

At last the tunnel opened into a large chamber with a high arched ceiling. Strange symbols adorned the walls, illuminated by my bobbing flashlight beam. Stacked stone slabs in the center resembled an altar of some kind. Was this where The Order had worked their mystical ritual to imprison Zalthos?

I hurried to the slabs, hopeful of finding some inscription or clue. But the surface was smooth, giving no secrets away. Cursing under my breath, I examined the arcane markings along the walls. If there was any wisdom left to find, it would be hidden here.

Studying the symbols closely, I recognized crosses and biblical references amongst the strange shapes and lettering. My rudimentary Latin picked out a few words, like “salvation” and “eternal.” Nothing relating to time demons though.

I stepped back, gazing around in frustration. There had to be some record of Zalthos’s binding here! I hadn’t come all this way just to fail now.

As I stood there, head bowed in despair, the silence of the ancient chamber abruptly shattered. An earth-shaking explosion somewhere above made the walls tremble. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.

My head snapped up in alarm. Had the ruined abbey collapsed on itself? But no—that blast was too violent for a simple cave-in. Heart pounding, I cast my flashlight beam toward the tunnel. Had someone else found this sacred place?

I crept back through the shadows toward the catacomb entrance. Muted sunlight was visible up ahead filtering in from outside. But just as I reached the tunnel mouth, a dark figure stepped forth, blocking the way.

Cold dread gripped me. The silhouette was unmistakable: the horns, the swirling eyes, the swirling cloak of darkness. Zalthos!

Rubble still showered around us as the demon stalked forward. “Did you really believe you could hide from me down in these rat tunnels?” His voice reverberated with rage in my mind. “I brought down the very earth itself to unbury you!”

I shrank back, pulse racing. For all his mysticism, Zalthos had resorted to brute explosive force to expose my hiding place. And if he would go to such lengths, he clearly feared whatever secrets this ancient order held. Secrets I was still determined to uncover!

Squaring my shoulders, I met the demon’s nightmare eyes. “I do not fear your parlor tricks, fiend! The Order's knowledge will reveal your weakness, and then you shall plague me no more!”

Zalthos halted, regaining his composure. “You understand nothing,” he hissed. “But very well. Dig up your moldy records, if they even still persist.” He drew back into the shadows, coalescing into smoky wisps. “It will change nothing. Our merging has already begun...”

As the demon's presence faded, I squeezed past the rubble blocking the tunnel and scrambled into the wrecked abbey courtyard. The ancient bell tower had collapsed, scattering debris everywhere. Zalthos had used no mere explosives - this raw destruction reeked of demonic power.

I shivered despite the warm sun. Zalthos could have buried me alive down there, yet he'd spared my life. Perhaps some strange rule forbid him from directly harming his “host”? Whatever the reason, I had no intention of temping fate by venturing underground again.

Slinging my pack over my shoulder, I turned and left the ruined abbey behind. No records remained intact down in that shattered crypt. This whole journey had been for nothing!

Yet as I hiked dejectedly down the wooded trail back toward town, a realization hit me: Zalthos had chosen to confront me directly when he could have simply collapsed the tunnels with me inside. He must have feared I was close to uncovering dangerous knowledge!

Which meant answers still existed out there somewhere...I just had to find them before the demon found me. The battle for my soul was far from over.