Episode 2

Chapter 4: The Haunting

Mr. Thorne led Anya towards a grand suite, the air heavy with a strange, suffocating stillness. "This is Alexander's room," he whispered, his voice trembling.

Anya hesitated, her senses tingling. The moment she stepped inside, a wave of icy dread washed over her. The room, despite its opulence, felt suffocating, the air thick with a potent, unsettling energy.

She saw him.

 Alexander lay motionless on the four-poster bed, his face pale and drawn, his eyes closed. But it wasn't just Alexander she saw.

Anya gasped, her eyes widening in alarm. The room was teeming with unseen entities.

 Four distinct energies pulsed around Alexander, each malevolent in its own way.

1.One, a shadowy figure, clung to his feet, draining his vitality.

Another, a spectral woman, hovered over his head, whispering insidious thoughts

A third, a grotesque beast, coiled around his chest, constricting his breath.

4.And finally, a chillingly cold presence, a void-like entity, seemed to be consuming his very soul.

Anya quickly lead Mr. Thorne out of the room. "He must come out on his own," she declared, her voice urgent.

Mr. Thorne was bewildered. "Come out on his own? Why?"

"There are… four… entities," Anya explained, her voice trembling in alert.

"Each feeding on his fear, his despair. If we try to forcibly remove him, it will only enrage them, and they will fight back."

Mr. Thorne looked at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "But… but he's unconscious!"

"His will, his inner strength, is the only weapon we have," Anya insisted. "He must summon the courage to fight back, to break free from their hold."

Mr. Thorne, though hesitant, understood the gravity of the situation. He nodded slowly. "What… what do I do?"

Anya took a deep breath. "Go to him. Tell him you love him. Tell him to fight. To remember who he is. To find the strength within himself to break free."

Mr. Thorne, his face etched with worry, turned and re-entered the room. Anya stood outside, her senses on high alert. The battle had begun.

Chapter 5: The Awakening

Mr. Thorne entered the room, his voice trembling as he called out to his grandson. "Alexander! My boy! Can you hear me?"

There was no response. Alexander lay motionless, his face pale and gaunt. Mr. Thorne, his heart aching, moved closer to the bed.

He gently took his grandson's hand, his voice filled with desperation. "Alexander, you have to fight! You are strong! You are a Thorne! Furthermore, you will not be defeated!"

As Mr. Thorne spoke, a flicker of recognition, a spark of defiance, appeared in Alexander's eyes.

He groaned, his body twitching. The unseen entities, sensing the stirring of his will, reacted with fury.

 The shadowy figure intensified its grip, the spectral woman shrieked, and the beast tightened its coils.

Anya, outside the room, felt the surge of energy, the clash of wills. The room vibrated with the unseen struggle.

After sometime Alexander gasped, his eyes snapping open. He looked around the room, confusion and terror clouding his gaze. Then, he saw his grandfather.

"Grandfather?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"I'm here, my boy," Mr. Thorne said, his voice thick with emotion.

 "You have to fight, Alexander. You are stronger than they are."

Alexander looked at his grandfather, then at the swirling energies around him.

Fear warred with a newfound determination in his eyes. He willed himself to move, to break free from the invisible bonds that held him captive.

With a Herculean effort, he pushed against the unseen forces.

He screamed, his voice raw with pain and defiance. The shadowy figure recoiled, the spectral woman shrieked and dissolved, and the beast, weakened, loosened its grip.

The void-like entity, however, remained, its presence growing more intense, threatening to consume him. Alexander, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, reached out with his mind, focusing all his will on the entity. He imagined a blinding light, a beacon of pure energy, emanating from within him.

The void-like entity recoiled, howling in pain. It writhed and twisted, then, with a final, desperate shriek, it vanished, leaving behind a trail of chilling cold.

Alexander, exhausted but triumphant, slumped back against the pillows. He was weak, but he was alive.

 He had faced his fears, conquered his demons, and emerged victorious.

Mr. Thorne, tears streaming down his face, embraced his grandson. "You did it, Alexander," he whispered. "You fought bravely."

Anya, witnessing the unfolding drama, felt a surge of relief.

 She had helped, but it was Alexander's own strength, his will to survive, that had ultimately saved him.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***