Chapter 24: CHAPTER 24- The Cranum (Tasha)

The air in the hideout was charged with animosity. Jacob and Mascot stood on opposite sides of the room, each doing their best not to interact. I could feel their gazes burning into me, but my focus wasn’t on them anymore.

I had made my decision—for now, personal conflicts had to be set aside. Eden was gaining strength, and the longer we delayed, the harder it would be to stop him.

Whatever unresolved issues lay between the three of us could wait. I stood up, brushing dirt from my hands. "We don’t have time for this," I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “Eden isn’t going to wait for us to figure this out. We need to focus on the mission.”

Mascot nodded, his expression softening just slightly, though the tension in his features was there for all to see. Jacob’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue. The annoyance I’d seen in him earlier was now replaced by something more complex—acceptance, maybe. Or resignation. Whatever it was, he seemed to understand that we couldn’t afford to let emotions cloud our judgment anymore.

“We’ll deal with our issues later,” Jacob said, his voice low but steady. “For now, I’m in. We take down Eden.”

Mascot grunted in agreement. "We can settle this after he is out of the picture." An uneasy alliance formed between the three of us, though I could feel the strain beneath the surface. It wasn’t trust, not yet, but it was enough. For now. Ethan, Clara, and Seth had been watching from the sidelines, their faces a mixture of confusion and concern. I could see Clara eyeing Jacob warily—his return had shaken them as much as it had shaken Mascot. Ethan, ever the observer, said nothing, though his gaze flickered between the three of us with quiet calculation.

It was Clara who finally broke the silence. “If Eden is getting stronger, we’re going to need more than just us to stop him,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear I could see in her eyes.

“Do you have a plan?” Ethan asked, his arms crossed, muscles tense.

Clara stepped forward, her eyes locking onto mine. “There’s a coven of witches—powerful ones. They owe me a favor, but they’re not the type to just hand out help. We’ll need to prove ourselves first.”

My stomach twisted at the thought of involving witches. I'd dealt with magic enough to know that it always came with a price. “What do they want in return?” I asked, already dreading the answer. Clara hesitated, glancing toward Mascot and Jacob before speaking.

“There’s an artifact—an old one, powerful. The Cranum. It’s been hidden for centuries, deep inside a cave, not too far from here, protected by ancient magic. We’ll need to retrieve it to earn their trust.” I frowned. A cave protected by magic? That sounded like a trap waiting to happen. But what choice did we have? We needed allies, and if the witches were as powerful as Clara said, we couldn’t afford to pass up their help.

Mascot was the first to speak up. “How dangerous is this cave?” Clara’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Very. No one has survived trying to retrieve the Cranum. But we don’t have a choice. If we want their support, we have to get it.”

Jacob folded his arms, his brow furrowed in thought. “So, we go on a suicide mission to get this artifact, all for a maybe? What if the witches turn on us once we hand it over?” I could see the doubt flickering across Clara’s face, but she quickly masked it. “They won’t. I have history with them. They’ll help us. But we need to prove ourselves first.” It wasn’t a comforting thought, but Clara was right—we needed more firepower if we were going to stand a chance against Eden. The dark energy around him was growing stronger every day, and we were running out of time.

“Fine,” I said, my voice cutting through the tension. “We get the Cranum.” Jacob shook his head, his expression grim. “You’re playing with fire, Tasha. This could end badly.”

“I know,” I replied. “But it’s a risk we have to take.”

We spent the next hour preparing for the journey ahead. The uneasiness between Jacob and Mascot remained, but at least now they were focusing on the mission. Clara sketched out a rough map of the cave’s location, while Ethan and Seth gathered what weapons and supplies we had left. As we packed, Clara moved beside me, her voice low.

“Tasha, you need to be careful with Jacob and Mascot. This… thing between you three—it’s going to explode sooner or later. And when it does, it could tear the group apart.” I swallowed hard, knowing she was right. But I couldn’t think about that now. Not when Eden was out there, plotting God knows what.

“We’ll deal with it later,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as her. Clara didn’t push the issue, but I could see the worry in her eyes. As dusk fell, we gathered near the edge of the forest, the trees looming like sentinels watching our every move. The air felt charged, as if the forest itself knew what we were about to face. Before we could leave, Clara froze, her eyes wide with panic.

“The wards,” she whispered. “They’re breaking.” I barely had time to react before the sound of a deafening roar echoed through the trees. My blood ran cold. Eden had found us.

"Move!" I shouted, my instincts kicking in. We bolted toward the cave’s location, the ground trembling beneath us as something massive moved in the distance. I didn’t dare look back, though the growing sense of dread told me that whatever was chasing us was closing in fast. We ran for what felt like hours, our breaths ragged as we weaved through the forest. I could hear the others panting beside me, but none of us slowed down. Not with Eden’s presence being closer than ever.

The cave came into view suddenly, a gaping hole in the side of a mountain. It looked ancient, the entrance lined with runes that pulsed faintly with a dark energy. We stumbled inside, the cool air wrapping around us like a shroud. Jacob was the first to speak, his voice strained.

“What now?” Clara, still catching her breath, pointed toward the deeper part of the cave. “The Cranum is in there. But the wards—” She cut herself off, fear flickering across her face. “We’re not alone in here.” The moment she said it, I felt it too. The cave was alive with something dark, something hungry. The Cranum wasn’t just hidden—it was guarded.

“We have to keep moving,” I said, forcing my feet forward despite the cold dread creeping up my spine. The others followed, their faces set with grim determination. The deeper we went, the stronger the pull of magic became. It was as if the cave itself was watching us, waiting for us to make a mistake. I could feel the power of the Cranum calling out to me, a low hum in the back of my mind. But there was something else out here too.

Suddenly, a deep rumble shook the cave, dust and rocks falling from the ceiling. I could hear the distant roar again—Eden wasn’t far behind.

“We need to hurry,” Mascot growled, his eyes darting around the cave, searching for any signs of danger. As we pressed on, the walls of the cave seemed to close in on us, the air growing colder with each step. And then, just ahead, I saw it—a faint glow, pulsing with an unnatural light. The Cranum. But as we approached, I realized we weren’t the only ones after it. Standing in the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malice, were Eden’s dark werewolves.

As they prepared to attack, the cave walls trembled violently. The ground beneath us cracked open, and from the darkness, a mountainous, monstrous form began to rise.