Chapter 23: Soul Gazing
My breath catches in my throat as I realize the true nature of what we’re facing. This creature is not just a physical threat—it’s a conglomeration of souls, bound together by dark magic and hatred. The core is the key, the source of its power, but it’s buried deep within layers of suffering and corruption.
“Elara,” I gasp, “it’s their souls! The core—it’s made of the priestess and the children’s souls, twisted together!”
Elara glances at me, confusion and concern etched on her face. “What do you mean? How do you know that?”
“I… I can see it,” I reply, my voice shaky. “I can see their souls, feel their pain. The only way to stop this thing is to destroy the core, to free them from this torment.”
Elara hesitates, but then nods, her resolve hardening. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll free them.”
The abomination roars, its voice a cacophony of despair and fury that shakes the very ground beneath us. It lashes out with a tendril of darkness, and we barely manage to dodge the attack, the tendril smashing into the stone floor and leaving a deep fissure in its wake.
“We can’t keep dodging forever,” Elara mutters, frustration seeping into her voice. “We need to get close enough to strike at the core, but it’s so well-protected…”
As we circle the creature, looking for an opening, I continue to use Soul Appraisal, trying to find a weakness, something we can exploit. The souls within the creature are in constant flux, merging and separating, their pain fueling the abomination’s power. But there’s a pattern, a rhythm to the way they move, as if the souls are trying to break free but are being forcibly held together.
“There!” I shout, pointing to a spot on the creature’s shifting body. “That’s where the souls are weakest! If we can strike there, we might be able to disrupt the core!”
Elara doesn’t hesitate. She charges forward, her weapon gleaming in the dim light of the church. The abomination roars in fury, its tendrils lashing out to stop her, but I rush forward to distract it, swinging my blade at the writhing mass. My attacks do little more than draw its attention, but that’s enough. Elara reaches the weak spot and plunges her sword into the creature’s flesh.
The effect is immediate. The abomination screams, a high-pitched wail that reverberates through the entire church, shaking the walls and shattering what remains of the stained glass windows. The souls within it thrash wildly, their torment reaching a crescendo as the creature’s form begins to destabilize.
“Keep going!” I shout, my voice barely audible over the creature’s screams. “We’re breaking it apart!”
Elara pulls her sword free and strikes again, each blow sending ripples of pain through the abomination. The creature’s form begins to disintegrate, the souls within it breaking free and dissolving into the ether. The dark core at its heart flickers, its power waning as the souls escape its grasp.
But just as it seems we might be victorious, the creature rallies, its body pulling back together with a surge of dark energy. The core flares to life, burning with a malevolent light as it absorbs the remaining souls, feeding off their despair to fuel one final, desperate attack.
The abomination rears up, its body coalescing into a massive, towering form that fills the entire church. It lets out a roar of pure fury and lunges at us, the force of its attack shattering the ground beneath our feet.
Elara and I leap to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature’s onslaught, but it’s clear that we’re running out of time. The abomination is losing control, its power growing more unstable by the second. If we don’t stop it now, it could destroy us—and everything else in its path.
“Elara, we need to hit the core directly!” I shout, desperation creeping into my voice. “It’s the only way to end this!”
She nods, determination blazing in her eyes. “On your mark, then!”
I take a deep breath, focusing on the flickering light of the core, the very heart of the abomination. I can feel the weight of the souls trapped within it, their anguish and despair pressing down on my mind like a physical force. But I push it aside, channeling all my will into one final, decisive strike.
“Now!” I shout, and we both charge forward, our weapons raised. The abomination sees us coming, its body twisting and writhing as it tries to stop us, but it’s too late. We reach the core, our blades striking true, and with a burst of blinding light, the core shatters.
The explosion of light engulfs us, the force of it sending us flying backward. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me, but I manage to roll to my feet, my vision swimming with afterimages.
The abomination is gone, its body dissolved into nothingness. The souls are free, their torment finally ended, and the church is silent once more, the oppressive darkness lifted.
But as I look around, I realize that something is wrong. The light from the core is still there, lingering in the air, and it’s growing brighter by the second. A low, rhythmic chanting fills the air, the voice of the priestess echoing through the empty church.
I turn to see the priestess, or what’s left of her, standing in the center of the room. Her body is barely recognizable, a twisted mass of flesh and bone, but her eyes are still alive, burning with a fervent, fanatical light.
Blood and black ooze pour from her body, pooling around her feet and spreading across the floor. The ooze begins to congeal, pulling in the remains of the children and forming a new, even more grotesque shape. The priestess’s voice rises in a frenzied chant, her words incomprehensible but filled with an otherworldly power.
The ooze rises, taking on a life of its own, and begins to form into a new creature, even more terrifying than the last. The faces of the children are still visible within it, their mouths open in silent screams as their bodies are consumed by the black sludge. The priestess is at the center of it all, her body merging with the ooze as the new abomination takes shape.
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My heart sinks as I realize the truth. The core was not the end—it was only the beginning. The priestess has become something else, something far more dangerous, and this new creature is the culmination of her twisted faith.
“Elara,” I whisper, my voice trembling with fear. “We’re not done yet.”
The new abomination lets out a roar that shakes the very foundations of the church, its body writhing and pulsing with dark energy. It’s larger, more powerful, and filled with the combined rage and despair of the priestess and the children.
We stand there, battered and exhausted, but there’s no time to rest. This fight isn’t over—not by a long shot. The real battle is just beginning.
The remnants of the shattered core still flicker in the air, casting a sickly light over the desecrated church. Elara and I stand amidst the ruins, our breaths ragged and heavy with exhaustion, but there's no relief in this fleeting victory. The air pulses with malevolent energy, as if the very building itself is alive with anger and despair. The priestess's twisted form rises from the pool of black ooze, her chant growing louder and more fervent, filling the space with a sound that chills my blood.
This creature, this abomination, is more than just flesh and darkness—it’s the embodiment of tortured souls, of twisted faith turned to madness. The faces of the children, once serene, now contort in silent screams within the writhing mass that is her new form. It’s a nightmare given flesh, a grotesque amalgamation of innocence corrupted beyond recognition.
“Elara,” I whisper, barely able to find my voice amidst the horror before us. “We’re not done yet.”
She nods, the determination in her eyes masking the fear that we both feel. We’re out of options, out of time. There’s no running from this. The only way out is through, and that means facing the full fury of whatever the priestess has become.
The new abomination roars, a sound so loud and filled with rage that it vibrates through my very bones. The church itself seems to tremble in response, as if the building, too, is aware of the monstrosity that now inhabits it. The creature’s body heaves and writhes, the black ooze rippling as it begins to move toward us, its amorphous form shifting and changing with every step.
My heart pounds in my chest, and I can feel the cold fingers of despair wrapping around my mind, trying to pull me down into the same madness that consumed the priestess. But I shake it off, focusing on the here and now, on the battle that lies before us. I don’t know how we’re going to survive this, but I know we have to try. There’s too much at stake.
“Elara,” I call out, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. “We need to find a way to strike at its soul. This thing is more than just flesh—we have to destroy whatever’s holding it together.”
She looks at me, her eyes wide with understanding. “Soul magic… you mean?”
I nod, feeling the new ability stirring within me, the power I’d somehow gained in the midst of that last desperate battle. It’s a dark power, one that I’m not entirely comfortable with, but in this moment, it’s our only hope.
“I can see them, Elara—the souls inside it. They’re trapped, bound together by the priestess’s will. If we can disrupt that, maybe we can stop it.”
The abomination lunges, its body moving with unnatural speed for something so large. We dive in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding being crushed beneath its massive weight. It slams into the ground, sending a shockwave through the church that topples what remains of the pews and cracks the floor beneath it.
“We need to get closer!” I shout, my voice barely audible over the creature’s roars.
Elara nods and moves forward, weaving through the debris with a grace that belies her exhaustion. I follow, my eyes locked on the abomination, searching for any sign of weakness, any opening that might give us the advantage we so desperately need.
As we close the distance, the creature lashes out, its tendrils of black ooze whipping toward us with deadly precision. I raise my blade, parrying one of the tendrils, but the force of the impact nearly knocks me off my feet. This thing is strong—far stronger than anything we’ve faced before.
“Elara, cover me!” I yell, focusing my mind on the new ability, on the dark power that now thrums within me. I reach out with my senses, feeling for the souls trapped within the abomination, searching for the weak points, the places where the bonds are fraying.
She nods and throws herself at the creature, her weapon a blur of motion as she strikes at its flanks, drawing its attention away from me. The abomination roars in fury, its body convulsing as it tries to crush her beneath its bulk, but she’s too quick, too agile.
I close my eyes, blocking out the chaos around me, and reach deep into the creature’s twisted form with my mind. The souls are there, writhing and thrashing in agony, their pain fueling the abomination’s rage. I can feel them, feel the darkness that binds them together, that holds this creature in its unholy form.
“Soul Appraisal,” I whisper, the words coming unbidden to my lips. The world shifts around me, and suddenly I can see them—the souls, the bonds, the dark threads of magic that weave them into the abomination’s flesh.
There, in the heart of the creature, I see it—a knot of darkness, the core of its power, where the priestess’s will holds sway. If I can sever that connection, if I can break those bonds…
“Elara, now!” I shout, channeling all my will into that one point, focusing every ounce of my strength on disrupting the dark magic that binds the souls together.
She doesn’t hesitate. She leaps forward, her weapon raised high, and brings it down with all the force she can muster. The blade cuts through the air, through the creature’s flesh, and strikes the dark core.
There’s a blinding flash of light, a scream of pure anguish that tears through the air, and then—
Silence.
The abomination shudders, its body convulsing as the dark magic that holds it together begins to unravel. The souls are breaking free, their bonds shattering as the priestess’s control falters. The creature lets out one final, despairing roar, and then it begins to dissolve, the black ooze melting away into nothingness.
Elara and I stand there, panting, our bodies bruised and battered but alive. The abomination is gone, its form disintegrated, the souls finally free from their torment. The church is silent, the oppressive darkness lifted at last.
But as I look around, as I feel the weight of what we’ve just done, I can’t help but wonder if this victory came at too high a price. The echoes of those tortured souls, of the darkness that bound them, linger in my mind, a reminder that some things can never truly be undone.
We lie there, too exhausted to move, the weight of our victory pressing down on us like a heavy shroud.
Eventually, I force myself to sit up, my body aching from the battle. Elara is already on her feet, her face pale but determined. She offers me a hand, and I take it, pulling myself up.
“We need to get out of here,” she says, her voice hoarse. “This place isn’t going to hold much longer.”
I nod, glancing around at the ruined church. The walls are cracked and crumbling, the ceiling sagging dangerously. The air is thick with dust and the lingering stench of the creature’s decay.
We stumble toward the door, our movements sluggish and uncoordinated. The church groans and creaks around us, the structure buckling under the strain of the battle.
Just as we reach the door, the ground beneath us shifts, and a deep rumble echoes through the building. We barely make it outside before the church collapses in on itself, the once-majestic structure reduced to a pile of rubble.
We stand there, panting and covered in dust, watching as the last remnants of the nightmare are buried beneath the stone. The night is still and silent, the stars above twinkling in a sky that seems almost too serene after what we’ve just endured.
Elara turns to me, her expression a mix of relief and exhaustion. “It’s over,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nod, though the weight of what we’ve just faced still hangs heavy on my shoulders. “For now,” I reply, knowing that the darkness we’ve fought is only a small part of a much larger, much more terrifying whole.
But for tonight, at least, we’ve survived. And as we walk away from the ruins of the church, I can’t help but feel a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, we’ll find a way to survive whatever comes next.