You stand at the center of the circle, your hands shaking, clutching the worn spellbook you and Erica had found buried in the depths of the library. The air is thick with the scent of burning candles and old parchment. Outside, the wind howls like it knows something dangerous is about to happen.

Erica Reyes steps closer, her dark eyes glinting in the candlelight. “Are you sure about this?” she asks, her voice a mixture of doubt and urgency. “Once we start, there’s no going back. The ritual… it’s forbidden for a reason.”

You swallow hard. “I know. But if we don’t do this… we lose him.”

She exhales sharply, then reaches for your hand, her touch grounding you. “Okay,” she whispers. “We do it together. Whatever happens.”

The two of you begin chanting in unison, words that feel older than time itself. The circle of runes around you begins to glow faintly, the candles flickering as if responding to your voices. At first, everything seems to follow the instructions from the spellbook perfectly—but then the temperature drops, and shadows creep along the walls, moving as though alive.

Erica’s eyes widen. “It’s… reacting to us. Faster than I expected.”

A sudden gust of wind extinguishes half the candles. The shadows converge into a swirling mass in the center of the circle, writhing and whispering words you don’t understand. You feel a sharp pull in your chest, like the ritual is testing you, probing your deepest fears.

Erica grips your shoulders. “We have to finish it. Trust me.”

Your heart pounds as you repeat the final incantation, voice trembling. The shadows scream and explode outward in a burst of blinding light. When it clears, you find yourself on the cold stone floor, Erica kneeling beside you, both of you panting.

And then you hear it—a faint groan, a whisper, a life stirring. Your friend… they’re alive.

Erica looks at you, a mix of relief and fear in her gaze. “We did it,” she says softly, “but… the ritual… it changed something. We can feel it, right?”