Section 4
A gust of icy air extinguished her candle. Darkness pressed in thick and alive.
"The shadow last night… it is only the beginning," Eli said. "It is testing you."
Adaeze staggered. "It… it was alive. Watching me… following me…"
"Yes," he said. "And it waits. Patient. Hungry. Measuring your fear."
Psalm 23 escaped her trembling lips: "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me…"
Eli stepped closer; shadows stretched unnaturally. "You pray. You call. And yet… the darkness is here. Watching. Learning."
"I'm… I'm just Adaeze," she muttered. "I'm not… ready for this."
"You are never truly alone," he whispered. "But some guides arrive only when the cost is high."
Adaeze groaned, rolling her eyes. "Great… more cost. Just what I needed today. Can I at least get a receipt?"
Mini cliffhanger: The faceless shadow flits behind the golden glow—closer, testing, waiting.