THE HAUNTING OF WILDERS RIDGE

had vanished into the shadows, but its words still lingered like an ominous whisper in the back of her mind. She could still hear its voice

ls around them were holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. The faint glow of the symbols on the altar cast st

she knew that the task before her would not be easy. The power that pulsed through the air, through the very ground beneath her feet, was ancient, far older and far stronger than sh

on, his tone cautious, yet there was an underlying respect in it

ions storming behind his eyes. He was more than just a guide to her; he was the person who had led her here, the person who had brought he

at had settled over her. "I don't know how to destroy it. I don't even know if

etween her and the altar. "It's not just about you. The Stone-if it's destroyed-could cause a ripple effect, a shockwave that could t

age than she could ever imagine. But what choice did she have? The Stone had already taken so much from her. Her father was lost to it, the town was on t

wait any longer. It's already too late

l help you. Whatever it takes. But we have to b

red in her mind-afraid to admit that there might not be a way back, that

consumed by it, and now, it was her turn to face it. She could feel its presence in her bones, in the very air she breathed.

after everything she had s

t as if speaking louder would make the cave

gaze. "We need to destroy the Stone from the core. But to do that, we'll need a ritual. A powerful one. So

repeated. "What

ncestors kept it hidden for centuries, locked away in a forgotten part of the town's records. It's

ch twisted.

res the life force of the one it's inten

r heart racing. "Wait. Yo

The ritual is the only way we can stop it. But if the Stone has become too powerful, if it's too deepl

f his words. The cavern was alive with the power of the Stone, and Mara coul

e dark, ancient force that had claimed her bloodline. The choice was simple: destroy the Stone and risk he

e, do I?" Mara whispe

t know this, Mara: I'll be by your side,

. The Stone would only grow stronger, and she could already feel its grip t

ce steady but filled with an und