Chapter 20
A New Vigil
Though the demon is banished, the friends understand that true evil can lie dormant. They carry the weight of their knowledge, forever watchful, forever changed by the shadows of the infernal.
The silence that descended after the final, guttural roar of the Infernal Entity felt heavier than any sound. It wasn't the peace of a hushed forest, but the profound absence that follows a cataclysm. Ethan, Maya, and Liam stood amidst the scattered remnants of their confrontation, the air still thrumming with a residual, unsettling energy. The artifact, now a fractured, dull shard of obsidian, lay inert on the damp earth, its malevolent glow extinguished.
Ethan exhaled a shaky breath, his lungs burning as if he’d swallowed smoke. His hands trembled, not from cold, but from the aftermath of channeling an ancient power, a power he’d barely understood, let alone controlled. He glanced at Maya, her face pale, etched with a weariness that went beyond mere exhaustion. Her eyes, usually so bright and full of life, held a new, somber depth, as if she had peered into an abyss and seen reflections of herself. Liam, his familiar athletic build now slouched, looked utterly drained. The bravado he’d sometimes affected had evaporated, leaving behind a raw vulnerability Ethan had rarely seen.
"Is it… over?" Liam’s voice was a rough whisper, barely audible above the rustling leaves.
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