Chapter 7: Echoes of the Past
The chamber shook beneath their feet, the ancient stones groaning as though the earth itself was waking up. Nomvula, Thando, and Ayanda stood frozen, their eyes locked on the dark figure that hovered near the altar, its hollow gaze watching them intently.
The distant rumbling grew louder, vibrating through the walls of the chamber. The figure remained still, but the symbols on the floor began to pulse with a sickly green light, as if the dark magic that had been dormant for centuries was awakening.
“There must be another way,” Nomvula repeated, her voice trembling with desperation. “We won’t make a sacrifice. We can’t.”
The figure’s glowing eyes narrowed. “You defy the ancient laws, child. The curse cannot be undone without blood. The pact was sealed in it. You know this.”
Nomvula looked to Thando and Ayanda, her mind racing. She refused to believe that the only way out of this was death. The dark magic in the chamber was suffocating, but there was something deeper, something they had yet to uncover. She could feel it, as if the room itself held secrets waiting to be revealed.
“What if the curse wasn’t created for power?” Nomvula said, more to herself than to the figure. “What if it was born from revenge? Or… fear?”
The figure let out a low, chilling laugh. “You speak of things you do not understand. The curse was forged in blood, and only through blood can it be undone.”
Thando stepped forward, his voice resolute. “But whose blood? The villagers? Ours? This doesn’t make sense. The people of the village didn’t choose this curse—they’ve been suffering for generations. Why should we pay the price?”
The figure’s form rippled, its shadowy edges blurring as it hovered closer. “There are forces in this world, boy, that do not care for the suffering of mortals. The curse is a pact made with the spirits of the old ones. It is their will.”
Ayanda, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “But what if we can undo the pact? What if we don’t need to break it with a sacrifice, but reverse it?”
The figure stilled. For the first time, it seemed to hesitate.
Nomvula’s heart raced. Ayanda had struck a nerve.
“We have the map,” Ayanda continued, her voice gaining strength. “We found it in the archives. It shows the symbols used in the original ritual, but there are others—symbols that could counter the curse. Maybe this chamber isn’t just a place of darkness. Maybe it’s a place of balance.”
The figure seemed to flicker, its form wavering as if it was struggling to maintain its shape. The torches on the walls flared again, casting long, jagged shadows across the chamber.
“What you speak of…” the figure hissed, “is forbidden knowledge. Knowledge long buried, forgotten by all but the oldest of spirits.”
“But you know it,” Nomvula pressed. “Don’t you? You were part of this. You were here when the curse was made.”
The figure’s eyes flared with a sudden intensity. “I was bound by the same forces that bound this village,” it rasped. “I was once flesh and blood, but I became their vessel. Their voice.”
Nomvula stepped forward, feeling a sudden rush of courage. “Then help us. You don’t have to be a part of this anymore. Show us how to reverse it.”
For a moment, the chamber was silent, the weight of the figure’s gaze heavy upon them. Then, slowly, the figure raised its hand and pointed to the symbols carved into the floor.
“There is a way,” it whispered. “But it requires great strength. The curse can be reversed, but only if you find the source. The heart of the curse lies in the bloodline of those who first called upon the spirits.”
Nomvula’s heart skipped a beat. “The ancestors…”
“Your village’s blood is tied to the spirits of the old ones,” the figure continued. “You must sever the connection. Only then can the curse be undone.”
Ayanda looked puzzled. “Sever the connection? How? We don’t know who made the original pact.”
The figure’s eyes seemed to burn brighter. “Seek the truth in the bloodline. The blood of the firstborn carries the mark of the curse. You will find the answers you seek in the one who holds the blood of the ancients.”
Nomvula felt her blood turn to ice. “The blood of the firstborn… Do you mean someone in the village still carries the curse?”
“Yes,” the figure hissed. “The bloodline continues. The heart of the curse still beats, hidden among you.”
Thando’s face paled. “It could be anyone…”
Nomvula’s mind was racing. If what the figure said was true, then someone in the village was unknowingly carrying the curse in their blood. They would have to find that person and confront the truth, no matter how painful.
Ayanda’s voice was steady. “We’ll find them. We’ll find the one who carries the curse, and we’ll end this.”
The figure lowered its hand, the shadows around it flickering like dying embers. “Be warned,” it whispered, its voice echoing through the chamber. “The spirits will not let you succeed easily. They will fight to keep their hold on the bloodline. You will face trials—both from the living and the dead.”
With that, the figure began to fade, its form dissolving into the swirling darkness that surrounded them. The torches flickered one last time, then extinguished, plunging the chamber into darkness.
Nomvula stood in the pitch-black, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She felt the weight of the curse more than ever now, pressing down on her like a leaden blanket. But she also felt something else—hope. For the first time, there was a way forward, a chance to break the cycle of suffering that had plagued their village for so long.
“We need to leave,” Thando said, his voice cutting through the darkness. “We know what we have to do.”
Nomvula nodded, even though no one could see her. “Let’s go. We need to find Gogo Sibongile. She might know who carries the bloodline.”
As they climbed the staircase back into the open air, the weight of their task bore down on them. The village, with all its secrets, awaited them. And somewhere, hidden among the familiar faces they had known all their lives, was the key to breaking the curse.
But finding that key would be far more dangerous than they could ever imagine.
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my favourite
Posted on November 9, 2024, 8:02 am