The Awakening
Chapter 2
Eli staggered back, dropping the wand onto the pedestal. The voice still reverberated in his head, deep and commanding. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. The glow around the wand pulsed stronger now, casting long shadows across the room.
“Who’s there?” Eli whispered, though he doubted anyone alive could be speaking to him.
The voice answered, but it was no longer distant—it was sharp and clear, echoing as if it came from every corner of the workshop. “I am bound to you now, as you are to me. My power is yours to command—but beware, for it comes at a cost.”
Eli swallowed hard. “A cost? What cost?”
The wand’s glow dimmed slightly, as though it was deliberating. Then the answer came, cryptic and foreboding: “You will see soon enough.”
Eli’s fingers itched to reach for the wand again, but something deep inside him told him to wait. Instead, he turned to examine the other wands on the shelves. Each seemed unique in its design—some carved with intricate runes, others embedded with gemstones that seemed to hum with latent energy. But none of them resonated with him like the cursed wand on the pedestal.
As he pondered what to do, a loud creak interrupted his thoughts. He spun around, his eyes darting to the doorway. The storm outside had quieted, but the workshop now felt colder, as though something—or someone—had entered.
“Who’s there?” he called again, his voice trembling.
A figure stepped into the room, cloaked in shadows. Their silhouette was tall and imposing, with a staff in one hand and a hood obscuring their face. When they spoke, their voice was low and gravelly, filled with an authority that made Eli’s stomach twist.
“You’ve touched it, haven’t you?” the figure said. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
Eli hesitated. “Who are you?”
The figure stepped closer, and as the faint glow of the wands illuminated their face, Eli could see piercing gray eyes staring back at him. “I am the Keeper,” the figure said. “And you’ve awakened something far more powerful—and dangerous—than you could ever imagine.”
