THE DARK VILLAGE

Previously

…The obsidian stone in Elias’s hand felt heavy, radiating a cold, potent energy. The shadows in the church seemed to deepen, to press in on him, whispering possibilities, temptations, and warnings. He had come seeking answers, and he had found them, but the truth was a far more terrifying and complex beast than he could have ever imagined. The fate of Blackwood, and perhaps even his own lineage, hung precariously in the balance, resting on the decision of a stranger who had dared to disturb the dark peace of this cursed, yet strangely protected, village. The night air outside, once merely still, now felt charged with an ancient, waiting power.