Chapter 10: Blood for Blood

Wilson pressed his back against the cold wall, his breath uneven as the whispers seemed to creep through the cracks like venom. The dim hallway stretched endlessly before them, lined with doors that seemed to shift and shimmer as though mocking their very presence.

"We can't keep running," Adrian said, his voice sharp but trembling. "This thing-it's not going to stop."

Wilson glanced at the book in his hands. It felt heavier now, its once faint energy burning against his skin. The red-inked symbol on the page he'd found earlier seemed to pulse, almost like it was alive.

"You think the book has answers?" Damsel asked, her voice hoarse from crying.

"It has something," Wilson said, flipping through the pages. "It's connected to the house-maybe even controlling it."

Adrian snorted bitterly. "So what? We read a magic spell and hope it saves us? This isn't a fairytale, Wilson."

"Do you have a better idea?" Wilson snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Adrian didn't answer. The tension between them was palpable, but before anyone could say more, the hallway shifted. The walls seemed to breathe, expanding and contracting like lungs. The floor beneath them groaned, splitting slightly as black ooze began to seep through the cracks.

Damsel clutched Wilson's arm. "It knows we're here."

Wilson swallowed hard. "Then it's time we stop playing its game."

He knelt on the ground, laying the book open before him. The red-inked symbol glowed brighter, casting eerie shadows across the walls.

"What are you doing?" Adrian asked, watching nervously.

Wilson didn't look up. "I'm trying to use its power against it. If this book is connected to the house, maybe I can force it to stop."

"That's insane!" Adrian shouted. "You don't even know what you're messing with!"

"Do you have a better plan?" Wilson shot back.

Adrian opened his mouth to argue but stopped when the whispers grew louder. They weren't just voices anymore-they were screams, overlapping in a deafening crescendo.

The walls began to crack, and from the fractures, skeletal hands emerged, clawing toward them.

"Wilson, hurry!" Damsel cried, backing away from the grasping hands.

Wilson placed his hand over the glowing symbol, ignoring the burning sensation that spread through his palm. The whispers seemed to react, growing angrier, more chaotic.

"I invoke the Keeper of Secrets," Wilson said, his voice trembling but determined. "I command you to show yourself!"

The air around them grew heavy, almost suffocating, and the hallway darkened. The skeletal hands retreated, and for a moment, there was silence.

Then, the floor beneath them erupted.

The Keeper rose from the darkness, its form even more monstrous than before. It was no longer a shadowy figure-it had taken on a grotesque, humanoid shape, with elongated limbs and a face that seemed to shift between countless expressions. Its glowing eyes burned into Wilson's soul.

"You dare to command me?" the Keeper roared, its voice shaking the walls.

Wilson stood his ground, though his legs felt like jelly. "You said this house demands blood. Fine. Take mine, but let them go."

The Keeper tilted its head, its ever-shifting face forming a cruel smile. "Such bravery. Such foolishness. Do you truly think you can bargain with me?"

Before Wilson could respond, the Keeper lunged. Its massive hand struck the ground, sending Wilson and the others flying.

Damsel screamed as she hit the wall, crumpling to the floor. Adrian scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide with terror.

"Run!" Wilson shouted.

But Adrian didn't move. He stared at the Keeper, his face pale as a ghost. "We can't fight this," he whispered. "We can't win."

The Keeper turned its glowing eyes on Adrian and laughed, a sound that made the air tremble. "No, you cannot."

It reached for Adrian, its clawed hand moving impossibly fast. Wilson lunged forward, grabbing Adrian and pulling him out of the way just in time.

"We're not dying here!" Wilson shouted, dragging Adrian to his feet.

The Keeper let out an ear-piercing roar, the force of it sending cracks spidering across the walls.

Wilson turned to Damsel, who was struggling to stand. "Damsel, we have to move!"

But the Keeper wasn't done. It slammed its hand into the floor, and the ground beneath them gave way.

They fell, tumbling into darkness.

---

Wilson hit the ground hard, the book flying from his hands. His head spun, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in another room. This one was small and circular, with a single, glowing pedestal in the center. The book lay open atop it, its pages flipping wildly as though caught in an invisible wind.

"Wilson!" Damsel's voice was faint but panicked.

He turned to see her and Adrian lying nearby, bloodied but alive.

The Keeper loomed above them, its monstrous form barely fitting in the room. It reached for Wilson, its claws gleaming in the dim light.

"You will pay for your defiance," it hissed.

Wilson scrambled to his feet, grabbing the book from the pedestal. He felt its power surge through him, burning his skin.

"Not today," he said through gritted teeth.

He opened the book to the glowing symbol and pressed his hand against it. Pain shot through his body as the symbol burned into his palm, but he didn't let go.

The Keeper screamed, its form flickering like a dying flame.

But the victory was short-lived. The Keeper lashed out, its claws slicing through the air.

Wilson cried out as pain exploded in his left eye. He stumbled back, clutching his face as blood poured between his fingers.

"Wilson!" Damsel screamed, running to his side.

The Keeper laughed, its voice echoing like thunder. "You cannot defeat me. This house will have you all."

Wilson, blinded in one eye, forced himself to stand. He held the book tightly, his vision blurred but his resolve stronger than ever.

"You'll have to kill me first," he said, his voice steady despite the pain.

The Keeper snarled, its eyes narrowing. "So be it."

The room trembled, and the fight was far from over.