Crystal Ritual
THE LEGEND
Within her fog-enshrouded manor, surrounded by desolate marshland, a widow dwells in solitude, mourning her late husband. She wanders the frigid corridors, each step disturbing layers of dust that cling to memories embedded in the ageing carpets, a living spectre.
One fateful morning, in a musty antique store, she happens upon a peculiar purple crystal nestled in an ornate silver box. Warm to the touch and flawless, it seems to pulse with an inviting energy. The shopkeeper, alarmed, reveals he had once discarded it due to its rumoured affinity for the dead and ability to resurrect. As he reaches to reclaim it intending to rid the world of its presence again, the widow, driven by a suffocating desperation, seizes it and flees, leaving the shopkeeper in the shadow of his dread.
Obsession consumes her. Night after night she pores over obscure books, until she uncovers a ritual that promises to revive her beloved. Surrounded by a circle of flickering candles, she utters mystical incantations whilst spreading her husband’s ashes over lines of runes drawn in anticipation. The crystal, radiating in her hands, fills the air with the intriguing scent of jasmine and amber. But without warning, it turns ice-cold, burning her palms. As she drops it, a freezing gust sweeps through the manor, extinguishing the candles and plunging her into darkness.
A groan rattles behind her. Turning slowly, she sees him - her husband, illuminated solely by the crystal’s unnatural glow. But, his pale cadaverous skin and vacant eyes fill the widow’s heart with horror. She tries to run, but unseen forces root her in place. Her husband’s soulless body glides towards her, his toes dragging along the floor. The widow’s chest tightens with realisation; this is the end. Yet, the only emotions she can conjure are relief, and hope of being reunited with her love. With a trembling final breath, she closes her eyes and embraces her fate.
