The door slammed shut with a force that rattled the old chapel's stone walls.
Kat spun around, flashlight beam slicing through the dark. The candle Sage had brought burned a vivid, unnatural blue—its flame tall and steady, casting warped shadows across the room.
"Who said that?" James whispered, his voice tight.
No one answered.
Junior stepped forward, charm in hand. It pulsed once, then dimmed again. "Something's here," he said. "But it's not showing itself."
Sage crouched beside the candle, eyes narrowed. "It's watching. That voice—it wasn't physical. It was inside our heads."
Aria backed toward the wall, clutching her bag. "I don't like this. I really don't like this."
Kat moved to the door, tugging at the handle. It didn't budge. "We're locked in."
James tried the window. "Boarded shut. Of course it is."
Junior turned slowly, scanning the room. "This place was used for spiritual containment. The walls are lined with warding runes. If Vandal's energy is here, it's trapped with us."
Kat's heart pounded. "Then we need to find the source."
—
They split up, flashlights sweeping across the chapel's forgotten corners. Dust hung in the air like fog. The pews were cracked, the altar covered in mold. Kat moved toward the tapestry behind the pulpit—an old, faded image of a robed figure holding a scroll.
She reached out and touched the fabric.
It crumbled.
Behind it, etched into the stone, was a symbol. A spiral surrounded by jagged lines. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
"Guys," she called. "I found something."
They gathered around.
Sage examined the symbol. "It's a containment mark. But it's fractured."
Junior's eyes widened. "That's the same symbol from the scroll."
James frowned. "So this chapel was part of the seal?"
"Maybe a backup," Sage said. "Or a warning."
Aria pointed to the floor. "There's something under the altar."
They pried it open—an old hatch, rusted and heavy. Beneath it, a narrow staircase descended into darkness.
Kat looked at the others. "We go together."
—
The stairs creaked with every step. The air grew colder, heavier. At the bottom, they found a small chamber—bare stone walls, a single pedestal, and a mirror.
Not a normal mirror.
It shimmered like water, its surface rippling without touch.
Junior stepped forward. "It's a memory mirror. It shows what the spirit wants you to see."
Sage lit a second candle. It burned blue instantly.
Kat stared into the mirror.
The surface shifted.
She saw herself—standing in the cathedral, alone. Her eyes glowed faintly. Her hands held the scroll. And behind her, a shadow moved.
Vandal.
She gasped and stepped back.
James looked into the mirror next. His reflection showed him arguing with Sage, pushing him away, eyes filled with rage.
Aria saw herself crying in the courtyard, surrounded by whispers.
Sage saw nothing.
Junior saw fire.
The mirror went dark.
Kat turned to Sage. "Why didn't it show you anything?"
He looked pale. "Because I've already seen it."
—
They climbed back up, the candle still burning blue.
The door was unlocked.
No one spoke as they stepped into the night air. The fog had thinned, but the silence remained.
Kat turned to Junior. "That mirror—it showed us what Vandal wants."
Junior nodded. "It's trying to break us. One by one."
James exhaled. "Well, that's comforting."
Aria looked at Kat. "What did you see?"
Kat hesitated. "Me. Holding the scroll. Like I was the one who released it."
Sage's voice was quiet. "Maybe you were meant to."
Kat stared at him.
And somewhere, deep in the city, a bell rang again.
This time, they all heard it.