Chapter 76. The Possessed by Something Ancient

Gamel

I stood rooted to the spot, my heart thundering in my chest. My breath caught in my throat as I watched Astrid, unconscious on the table, surrounded by the dark, swirling forms of the creatures. They were like living shadows, smoke given a terrifying, unnatural life. Their eyes a void, their forms twisted and writhing as they closed in on her.

I wanted to scream, to do something, anything to protect her, but fear had me paralyzed. These creatures weren’t ordinary beasts; they were manifestations of something much darker, something I couldn’t fully comprehend. I had never seen anything like them, not in all my years as a physician. My mind raced, trying to figure out how to stop them, but every option seemed futile.

And then, just as one of the creatures lunged at her, Astrid moved.

It wasn’t the slow, groggy awakening of someone rising from sleep. No, it was as if something had taken control of her, something primal and fierce. Her body