Chapter 17 – The Abyss Beneath the House
The steps creaked beneath their feet as they descended into the basement, a dense, cold darkness that seemed to swallow all the light from the oil lamp. The air was heavy, thick with the smell of damp earth and ancient soil, as if time had stopped beneath that house.
Rei walked unsteadily, his hands trembling, and with every step he felt Ershem's weight growing inside him, like a dark burden pressing on his chest. Yuki never let go of his arm, fingers squeezing tightly, trying to give him strength.
"This place..." Yuki whispered. "This is where it all began. Where they trapped the children... and Ershem."
Noah shone the lamp over every corner, every crack in the mold-covered walls. Suddenly, a blurry figure appeared at the end: an old door, ancient and marked with strange symbols none of them could understand.
The child's ghost appeared again, this time closer, his eyes reflecting a mix of fear and hope.
"Can we open that door?" Noah asked.
Rei felt a presence dominating him, Ershem's whispering voice trying to convince him to stop, to give in. But this time, something changed: an inner light ignited in him, a memory of a happy moment in that very house, when he was still a child, running free and unafraid.
"No," Rei said firmly. "Not this time."
With titanic effort, Rei stepped forward and touched the door. A tremor shook the basement, and the shadow enveloping him receded a little.
The three prepared for whatever lay beyond, knowing that crossing that threshold meant facing not only Ershem, but all the dark secrets the house had kept for decades.