The Lazy Chronicles: Apartment of the Apocalypse-Chapter 99: The Shadows That Lurk

Mallory tightened her grip on the crystal, feeling its energy pulsate through her fingers. The eerie silence of the destroyed village made the hairs on her neck stand on end. The air felt heavy, like a storm was brewing but never quite arriving.

Greg adjusted his jacket and muttered, "Okay, so we have a village ransacked by monsters that don’t leave normal tracks. What’s the next step? Please tell me it’s not ’walk into the dark scary woods and hope for the best.’"

Alex smirked. "Would it make you feel better if I said we had a solid plan?"

Greg gave him a flat look. "Yes."

"Too bad," Quinn cut in, drawing her blade. "We’re walking into the dark scary woods."

Greg let out a long-suffering sigh. "Figures."

Mallory turned to the villagers, who still huddled together in fear. "Stay here. Keep hidden. We’ll find out what happened to your people and bring them back."

The elderly man who had spoken before—who they now knew as Elder Rian—nodded solemnly. "Be careful. The shadows... they whisper."

That sent a fresh wave of unease through Mallory. Shadows that whispered? That sounded less like creatures and more like something far worse.

Regardless, they had no choice but to press forward.

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A Forest That Wasn’t Right

The group moved cautiously, the dense forest swallowing them in its eerie embrace. The trees stretched unnaturally high, their trunks twisting in ways that didn’t seem possible. There was no wind, yet the leaves rustled. There were no animals, yet footsteps echoed.

Greg muttered, "I swear, if some ghostly voice starts calling my name, I’m leaving."

"You and me both," Quinn murmured, her eyes scanning their surroundings.

Mallory held the crystal tighter. The energy it emitted was faint but insistent, like it was guiding her toward something. She followed the pull, stepping carefully over tangled roots and uneven ground.

Then, out of nowhere, the whispers began.

Soft, unintelligible murmurs drifted through the air, like voices speaking from a place just beyond the veil of reality.

Elara gasped, her face pale. "That’s them. That’s the sound from the night they came."

Alex gripped his weapon. "Everyone stay close."

The further they walked, the louder the whispers became. But there was no visible source. No movement. No creatures lurking in the shadows.

Until suddenly, there were.

Dark figures materialized from the trees, their bodies made of swirling, living shadow. Their eyes glowed an eerie silver, and their forms flickered between solid and mist-like. They moved without sound, circling the group like hunters closing in on prey.

Greg whispered, "Well, that’s horrifying."

One of the creatures lunged.

Mallory barely had time to react before she raised the crystal on instinct. A bright pulse of energy burst forth, sending the creature recoiling with an unnatural shriek. The others hesitated, seeming to regard her warily.

Alex took the opening. "They don’t like the crystal. Use it!"

Mallory focused, channeling energy into the artifact. The crystal pulsed again, forcing the creatures back further. But instead of fleeing, they let out low, guttural sounds—almost like laughter.

And then the ground beneath them cracked.

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An Unwanted Descent

The earth split open, and before anyone could react, the ground collapsed beneath them.

Mallory barely had time to scream before she was falling, darkness swallowing her whole.

The impact came suddenly, her body hitting rough stone. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder, but she forced herself to sit up.

A groan echoed nearby. "Ow. Ow. Ow."

Greg.

She turned, spotting him sprawled on his back, wincing. "This is exactly why I didn’t want to walk into the scary forest."

Mallory ignored the remark, scanning the area. They had landed in some sort of underground cavern, faintly illuminated by glowing crystals embedded in the walls. A few feet away, Alex and Quinn were helping Elara to her feet.

"Is everyone okay?" Alex asked, brushing dust from his coat.

"I think so," Quinn said. "Where are we?"

"Good question," Greg said, looking around. "And more importantly—how do we get out?"

Before anyone could answer, a deep, rumbling growl filled the cavern.

Elara stiffened. "That’s not a good sound."

The group turned toward the source, and what they saw made their blood run cold.

A massive creature slithered out of the darkness, its body long and serpent-like but covered in shifting shadow. Its glowing silver eyes locked onto them, and the whispers from before returned—stronger, clearer.

It spoke.

"You do not belong here."

Mallory tightened her grip on the crystal. The creature’s presence sent chills down her spine, but she refused to back down. "Who are you? What did you do to the villagers?" frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

The entity didn’t answer immediately. Instead, it circled them, its form undulating like smoke in the wind.

"They were taken. They will serve."

Alex stepped forward, his blade at the ready. "Taken where?"

The creature’s head tilted, its hollow eyes piercing. "Would you like to see?"

Without warning, the shadows around them coiled, rising like living tendrils. The cavern darkened, and for a brief moment, Mallory felt the sensation of falling—only this time, it wasn’t physical.

It was something deeper.

Visions flashed before her eyes—villagers standing motionless, their eyes empty, their bodies wreathed in darkness. They were alive, but their souls... trapped.

Then the vision shifted.

She saw the crystal she held, but it was shattered. Its pieces scattered across an unknown place, its power drained. And in its absence... the darkness consumed everything.

Mallory gasped, snapping back to reality.

The creature loomed over her, its voice nothing more than a whisper. "Leave... or become one with the void."

Quinn raised her weapon. "Not an option."

Greg groaned. "Why do we always have to antagonize the ancient evil shadow monsters?"

Mallory steadied herself. The crystal’s purpose was becoming clearer. It was a key, but not just for unlocking secrets. It was a weapon against this darkness.

Taking a deep breath, she focused. Energy surged through the artifact, and with a single, determined command, she unleashed it.

The cavern was flooded with blinding light.

The shadow creature recoiled, hissing in pain as its form wavered. The glowing crystals on the walls brightened, their light pushing the darkness back.

The villagers—they had to be nearby. And Mallory was going to save them.

One way or another.

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