Chapter 5: The Sacrifice

The following days blurred into a air of fear and anticipation. C refused to leave your side, his presence becoming an anchor in a reality that felt increasingly like a dream. The clock sat on your kitchen table, ticking steadily its once shine now a reminder of the weight you carried.

“This is going to get worse” C said one evening, his voice breaking the heavy silence between. He was sitting on your couch, his gaze fixed on the glowing face of the clock. “The Shadows don’t give up. They will keep coming and they wil get smarter. We don’t have much time left.”

“What do we do now?” you asked, wrapping your arms around yourself.His eyes met yours, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. “We draw them out.”, “What?” The words came out of your mouth before you could stop them. “You want to… bait them?” you said, looking at him with a shocked look. “It’s the only way” C said, his voice firm. “They are after the clock. If we can tempt them to one place, we might have a chance to destroy them.” , “And if we don’t...?” you asked, your throat tightening. C’s silence gives you all the answer.

The plan was simple, take the clock to a location far enough from anyone else to not to have damage. Set a trap. Face the Shadows head on. But as you stood in the middle of an abandoned park's performing house a bit away from the city, clutching the clock like a lifeline, you realized just how insane it all was.

C was pacing, his jaw clenched as he double-checked the surrounding. “Stay close to me” he said, softly glancing at you. “No matter what happens, don’t let go of the clock.” You nodded, your palms slick with sweat. The performing house was quiet, the only sounds, the distant drip of water and the steady ticking of the clock.

And then the temperature dropped. A bone-chilling wind blew through the air and the shadows around you began to shift and  twisting  “They are here” C said, his voice low. You took a step closer to him, the clock in your arms feeling heavier with every second. The shadows comes, forming figures that seemed to flicker in and out of existence, their eyes glowing a sickly green.

One of them stepped forward, his voice was raspy. “Give us the clock, and we will let her go.” C stepped in front of you, his body a shield. “You will get nothing.” The shadow tilted its head, its form moving and glitching. “Brave words for someone who can’t win.” , “We will see about that” C shot back, his hand slipping into his pocket. He pulled out a small device something that looked like a remote with a glowing blue button.

“What’s that?” you said in low voice almost a whisper. “Something that will...” he didn't complete his sentence as his words were stuck in his throat and his eyes never leaving the Shadows. “When I say go, run.” He said in firm tone. “What? No, I’m not leaving you!” you said, panicking. “Y/N” he said sharply, his voice filled with a demand that left no room for argument. “You have to. If they get the clock, it’s over for everyone.”

The Shadows began to advance their movements and it were unnatural. C pressed the button. A pulse of light come from the device, momentarily stunning the Shadows. “Go!” he shouted, shoving you toward the door.

You hesitated for a split second, your heart screaming at you to stay. But the look in C’s eyes filled a mix of determination and something you couldn’t refuse. You ran.

You didn’t get far before the house shook violently, a blast of energy knocking you off your feet. You turned, your heart dropping as you saw the Shadows closing in on C. “C!” you screamed, scrambling to your feet. “Stay back!” he yelled, his voice echoing through the chaos. The Shadows surrounded him. “No!” you shouted

The clock in your hands began to glow, the ticking speeding up until it was a violently vibrating. You clutched it tightly, tears streaming down your face. And then, in one final flash of light, everything went silent. The Shadows were gone. So was C.

You stood in the middle of the warehouse, the clock still warm in your hands. The silence was loud, the emptiness around you suffocating you. “No” you said your voice cracking, the tears slowly started streaming down your cheeks. “No, no, no…” Your knees gave out and you collapsed onto the cold concrete floor. The clock’s ticking had returned to its normal rhythm, as if nothing had happened.

But everything had.