At the far end of the chapel, the altar stood covered in shadows. Cobwebs stretched across the space, their delicate threads shimmering faintly. The once-clean altar cloth was now ragged and stained, barely recognizable.
The only sound was the distant hoot of an owl and the occasional crackling of leaves, making the silence even more unsettling. Every step taken within the chapel echoing off the stone walls and adding to the sense of desolation.
The chapel, with its haunting beauty and air of mystery, felt like a place caught between worlds, where the past remained and the present dared not intrude.
We stood at the entrance when Vincent clutched my wrist and turned me around, his eyes filled with tears. The vulnerability in his gaze made my heart ache.
“I need to tell you something,” he whispered, his voice trembling.
“I think… after today, we won’t have another chance.” He paused, struggling to find the words.
“I haven’t always been good, and I might still not be. But the day you walked into that classroom...” His voice broke as he looked down, then back into my eyes.
“I couldn’t get your face out of my mind. There was something about you that made me want to be better—for you, for the world you live in.”
I could see the sincerity in his eyes, the raw emotion that he could no longer contain. “So believe me when I say, I have no choice. What’s about to happen today… it’s not in my hands!” His voice cracked, and tears streamed down his face.
“Are you messing with me?” I tried to smirk playfully, but his tears made me realize he was deeply hurting.
“What is it?” I asked, gently lifting his chin so he had to look at me.
Vincent took my hand and led me to the center of the chapel, where a large circle made of white powder was on the stone floor.
I hadn’t noticed it before, but now, standing in its center, an overwhelming dizziness took hold. My heart raced, and my head spun. The air seemed to thicken, pressing in on me from all sides.
“I want to get out of here!” I whispered, panic rising in my chest.
I turned around and when I was about to hold him to prevent my fall, he stepped back, letting me fall.
He closed his eyes, unable to stop his tears. “I’m so sorry,” he choked out. “I wish I could stop this.”
The sincerity and pain in his voice made me think "Why are you letting this happen to me?". I could feel his desperation, his regret, and a sadness. Despite the fear that threatened to consume me, I could sense that Vincent was as much a victim of whatever was about to happen as I was.
I felt numb and intoxicated, it was a strange feeling, I’m not sure if I wasn’t able to fight this feeling or I didn’t want to fight it.
He carried me in his arms and gently lay me down in the center of the circle. My eyes fixated on the ceiling as shadows began to crawl across it, resembling an army of tiny lizards swarming.
The shadows shifted, morphing into the sinister silhouette of a man. Fear gripped me, but I was paralyzed, powerless to move or escape.
A whisper echoed through the chapel, "Say you are mine!" The voice, haunting and familiar, echoed through the walls.
It wasn't Vincent's voice. I knew this voice—it belonged to the man from my nightmares.
Helpless against the emotions and thoughts, I whispered back, "I am yours."
"Say you want me!" The voice echoed again, the voice fading in and out.
Torn between a desire to surrender and a desperate urge to escape, I found myself trapped.
I had no choice but to be a puppet to his will. "I want you," I choked out, closing my eyes as tears streamed down my temples, dampening my hair.
The shadow descended upon me, his lips pressing against mine. It felt as if he were siphoning my strength and spirit through his mouth.
Each exhalation of his burning breath filled me with an overwhelming bitterness, replacing everything good inside me with something dark and consuming.
I wanted him to stop, yet a twisted part of me wanted him to continue. My fists clenched, but I lacked the strength to push him away.
He gripped the neckline of my dress and tore it apart, leaving me even more exposed and vulnerable.
A helpless moan escaped my lips, and I felt a sense of loss as if everything good within me was being stripped away.
Just as despair threatened to overwhelm me, something miraculous happened.
Right when I felt I had lost everything, a comforting presence cradled me. It was as if someone had lifted me into their arms, pulling me away from the nightmare.
The oppressive weight of the shadows lifted, and I found myself cradled in warmth and safety.
The haunting whispers faded, replaced by the steady rhythm of a heartbeat, grounding me in reality. “I can’t let this happen to you!” Vincent growled, and kicked the circle, and I realized it was made of salt, it scattered all around as soon as he kicked it.
He held me tightly in his arms and began to run toward the exit, “Vincent… I can’t!” I fainted, he splashed water on my face and I woke up with heavy head.
“What is happening to me?” I asked, with my heavy voice.
“Nothing, nothing bad is ever going to happen to you, ever again!” He smiled at me.
But then we saw two shadow figures standing in the middle of the forest, they were too dark to be seen.
"No matter what happens, don't move!" He commanded, then trailed after the shadows as they went deep into the forest.
I surveyed my surroundings and seized a wooden log. Stealthily, I followed them, lacking enough strength to walk, I stumbled and walked like a drunkard, ready to strike when Vincent needed me.
However, what I overheard shattered the ground beneath me.