Chapter 73
If anyone had told me a month ago that my biggest problem would be figuring out how to permanently seal a supernatural door between worlds, I would have laughed in their face.
And now ?
This was my reality.
And we’re sitting cross-legged on Vanessa’s bedroom floor surrounded by books older than most countries.
Dust floats lazily in the sunlight streaming through the window, and the air smells like paper, ink, and determination. Stacks of grimoires, notebooks, and printed pages form messy towers around us, each one filled with symbols and spells we barely understand. Looking for the spell Vanessa said existed earlier on.
Chloe flips another page dramatically.
“Nope,” she announces. “This one says the ritual requires moonlight, dragon blood, and the tears of a betrayed queen.”
She looks up.
“Do we have any of those?”
Vanessa doesn’t even glance up from her book.
“No Chloe.”
I sigh, rubbing my temples.
“Next option?”
Vanessa turns a page slowly, eyes scanning the text with laser focus. Her brows knit together as she reads.
“This one might work,” she murmurs.
Chloe and I lean closer instantly.
“What does it do?” I ask.
Vanessa taps the page with her finger.
“It’s a sealing spell,” she says. “Ancient. Powerful. Designed to close spiritual gateways permanently.”
My heart skips.
“That sounds promising.”
Chloe nods eagerly.
“Very promising. Like, ‘we survive the apocalypse’ promising.”
Vanessa’s expression doesn’t change.
“Are you sure we should do this despite the whole catch thing?”
My stomach tightens, but I push the fear down.
“Yes,” I say. “we do the spell.”
Vanessa hesitates.
That’s never a good sign.
“What?” I press.
She closes the book gently.
“I need to test it first,” she says. “Make sure it works.”
Chloe straightens immediately.
“Yes. Testing. Love that plan. Very scientific.”
Vanessa rises to her feet, moving toward the center of the room.
“Stand back,” she says.
We do.
She grabs a small bowl from her desk, placing it carefully on the wooden floor. Then she pulls a piece of chalk from her pocket and begins drawing symbols in a circular pattern around the bowl.
Her movements are precise.
Confident.
Focused.
The air shifts as she works—growing heavier, charged with quiet power.
Magic.
Real magic.
Chloe grips my arm lightly.
“Okay,” she whispers. “This is cool and terrifying at the same time.”
I nod.
“Same.”
Vanessa finishes the circle and steps inside it.
Her voice becomes steady and low as she begins chanting in a language I don’t recognize. The words roll off her tongue smoothly, each syllable vibrating through the room like a pulse.
The temperature drops.
The lights flicker.
Wind swirls gently around her feet—even though the windows are closed.
Hope sparks inside my chest.
Maybe this will work.
Maybe we can close the door before something horrible comes through.
Vanessa raises her hands.
The symbols on the floor begin to glow faintly.
Energy builds.
The air hums.
And then—
A sharp cracking sound splits the room.
The glow flickers violently.
Vanessa’s eyes widen.
“No—”
The circle explodes outward in a burst of light.
Vanessa stumbles back, gasping as the energy vanishes instantly.
Silence slams into the room.
Complete.
Heavy.
Chloe blinks.
“Was… was that supposed to happen?”
Vanessa shakes her head slowly.
“No.”
My heart sinks.
She looks down at the broken chalk lines on the floor.
“It failed.”
The word hits like a punch.
Failed.
I swallow hard.
“So what now?” I ask.
Vanessa exhales slowly, running a hand through her hair.
“There’s only one other option.”
Chloe groans softly.
“That sentence never leads anywhere good.”
Vanessa meets my eyes.
“We need help.”
My pulse quickens.
“From who?”
She hesitates.
Then says:
“My grandmother.”
⸻
Vanessa’s grandmother lives on the edge of town in a small house surrounded by tall trees and wildflowers. The place feels older than everything around it—like it’s been standing there long before roads and streetlights existed.
The moment we step onto the porch, the door swings open.
A woman stands there waiting.
Tall.
Strong.
Silver hair pulled into a long braid.
Sharp eyes that miss nothing.
Vanessa smiles slightly.
“Grams.”
Her grandmother studies us carefully.
Especially me.
Then she steps aside.
“Come in.”
Her voice is calm but powerful—like someone who has seen too much to be surprised by anything.
We enter slowly.
The house smells like herbs and wood smoke. Shelves line the walls, filled with jars, candles, and strange objects I can’t identify.
Magic lives here.
You can feel it.
Vanessa wastes no time explaining everything—the vision, the door, the failed spell.
Her grandmother listens silently.
When Vanessa finishes, the room falls quiet.
Finally, the older woman speaks.
“You are dealing with something ancient,” she says.
Her gaze locks onto me.
“Something that does not belong in this world.”
A chill runs down my spine.
I nod slowly.
“I know.”
She studies me for a long moment.
Then sighs.
“There is someone who can help you,” she says.
Hope flickers again.
“Who?” Chloe asks quickly.
Her grandmother’s expression darkens slightly.
“A witch.”
Vanessa blinks.
“But you’re a witch.”
The older woman shakes her head.
“Not like her.”
Silence settles.
Uneasy.
“She lives outside town,” her grandmother continues. “Deep in the old forest. Few people go there anymore.”
Chloe shifts nervously.
“That sounds like the beginning of a horror movie.”
Vanessa ignores her.
“Will she help us?”
Her grandmother’s eyes narrow slightly.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
She looks at me again.
“On what you are willing to sacrifice.”
The words hang in the air.
Heavy.
Ominous.
But there’s no turning back now.
I straighten my shoulders.
“We’ll go.”
⸻
The road out of town grows narrower the farther we drive.
Streetlights disappear.
Houses vanish.
Trees close in around us, tall and dark, their branches forming a canopy overhead that blocks out most of the sky.
Fog begins to roll in slowly, thick and pale, swallowing the road behind us.
Chloe grips the steering wheel tighter.
“Okay,” she mutters. “This is officially creepy.”
Vanessa stares out the window, focused.
“She’s close.”
My heart beats faster.
Something about this place feels wrong.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Like the forest itself is holding its breath.
Chloe slows the car as the fog thickens.
Visibility drops.
Shapes blur.
Shadows stretch.
Then—
The engine sputters.
Once.
Twice.
And dies.
The car rolls to a stop.
Silence crashes down around us.
Chloe stares at the dashboard.
“Nope,” she says immediately. “I don’t like that.”
My pulse races.
“What just happened?”
Vanessa’s expression tightens.
“She found us.”
A sudden gust of wind slams against the car.
The trees outside begin to shake violently.
Branches whip through the air.
The fog swirls faster.
Then—
A low growl echoes from the darkness.
My blood turns cold.
“What was that?” Chloe whispers.
Another growl answers.
Closer.
Deeper.
Danger.
Vanessa throws open her door.
“Stay behind me,” she orders.
We step out of the car slowly, hearts pounding.
The forest feels alive now—restless, hostile, watching.
Then the creatures appear.
Dark shapes emerging from the fog.
Tall.
Twisted.
Moving on four legs.
Their eyes glow faintly in the mist.
My breath catches.
“Vanessa—”
“I see them,” she says.
Her voice is steady.
Controlled.
Brave.
The first creature lunges.
Fast.
Violent.
Vanessa raises her hands instantly.
Power surges through the air.
“Back!” she shouts.
A burst of bright light explodes outward from her palms.
The creature slams into the invisible force and is thrown backward into the trees.
The others circle us.
Growling.
Closing in.
Fear grips my chest.
But Vanessa stands firm.
Strong.
Unbreakable.
She begins chanting again—faster this time, louder, more urgent.
Wind roars around us.
Leaves spin wildly.
Energy crackles in the air.
Then—
A blinding flash erupts from her hands.
The creatures shriek.
And vanish into the fog.
Silence returns.
Sudden.
Complete.
My ears ring.
My heart pounds.
Chloe exhales shakily.
“Okay,” she whispers. “That was terrifying.”
Vanessa lowers her hands slowly, breathing hard.
But before anyone can speak again—
A voice cuts through the fog.
Cold.
Calm.
Powerful.
“What do you want?”
We freeze.
A figure steps forward from the mist.
A woman.
Tall.
Draped in dark robes.
Her eyes glow faintly in the pale light.
Ancient.
Knowing.
Dangerous.
She stops a few feet away, studying us carefully.
Her gaze settles on me.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
Then she speaks again.
“What do you want… from me?”