Heart Of Shadows

-1- The Game

Hello readers, this is the first time I'm writing a story. So please don't mind the errors or mistakes. Do kindly point them out so I can edit them.
Enjoy!!!!

———

I sat cross-legged on the floor, the flicker of Amy's lavender-scented candles casting an eerie glow around the living room. It was supposed to be a normal girls' night, but Samantha had a way of turning ordinary into strange, even a little unsettling. Tonight was no exception.

"Have you guys ever heard of Lucavius?" Samantha's voice cut through the low hum of conversation, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"No. Should we have?" Olive asked, sounding more suspicious than curious. She was always the most cautious of us—timid, even—but I could see that familiar look on Samantha's face. She was already pulling us into something, whether we liked it or not.

"It's in this book I found," Samantha said, holding up a thick, ancient-looking tome. The cover was worn, the edges of the pages yellowed with age. I didn't know where she got it, and honestly, I didn't want to ask. "Lucavius is a prince of the underworld. For centuries, people have done these dark ceremonies to get whatever they want from him."

"Dark rituals?" Olive repeated, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. Her eyes flickered with unease. "I don't like where this is going."

Samantha waved her off, a grin spreading across her face. "It's not what you think. One of those rituals is actually for finding true love. A love ritual. You do it, and then in a few days, your soulmate shows up."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Olive. I could see her frowning, her fingers gripping the edge of her shirt like she wanted to pull out a Bible right then and there. But something about Samantha's words tugged at my curiosity, even though my gut twisted with unease.

"What do we have to do?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light, though the knot in my stomach tightened.

Samantha's grin widened. "It's simple. For the ritual, a group of girls chooses the prettiest one among them, and she's offered as a sacrifice to become Lucavius's bride. Then we chant some sacred words, and boom—our true loves show up in the next few days."

"A sacrifice?" Olive's voice was almost a whisper, but the shock in it was clear. "That's crazy."

Amy, who had been quiet until now, smirked. "Oh, come on, Olive. It's just a game. It's not like we're actually sacrificing anyone." She paused, then joked, "Besides, if Lucavius is some hot demon prince, I wouldn't mind being his bride."

I was stuck between Amy's flippant joke and the serious way Olive's face had paled. My stomach churned with the tension in the room. Samantha, ever eager, nearly bounced in her spot.

"Please," she begged, her voice almost childlike in its excitement. "Can I be the bride? I want to do it."

Amy laughed. "Girl, you and me both! What if he's tall, dark, and handsome?"

I shot Amy a sideways glance, feeling the tension between Samantha's giddy enthusiasm and Olive's discomfort. I wanted to laugh it off, but something about this felt wrong. Even if it was just a game, why did it feel like something dangerous was lurking beneath the surface?

Olive shook her head, crossing her arms even tighter. "This is not okay. A sacrifice, real or not, is crossing a line. I don't like this."

"It's just a game, Olive," Samantha said, trying to sound reassuring but clearly more interested in moving forward. "There's no real sacrifice. It's all pretend. We just say some words, light some candles, and that's it."

I could see Olive was about to protest again, but Amy, eager to get on with it, shrugged. "Fine, let's do it. It's not like we have anything better to do tonight."

I hesitated. My gut was screaming at me to say no, to stop this before it went any further, but Amy was already on board, and Olive was looking at me, silently pleading for some support. I wanted to be on her side, but at the same time... it was just a game. Wasn't it?

I sighed. "It's just a game, Olive. Nothing's going to happen."

For a moment, Olive looked torn. Then she let out a heavy sigh and reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But I'm only agreeing because I know Jesus is on my side. This is just a game, but I'm sending a prayer, just in case."

She closed her eyes and muttered a quiet prayer under her breath. I felt a small wave of guilt wash over me, but before I could dwell on it, Samantha jumped to her feet, practically beaming with excitement.

---

We arranged ourselves in a circle, standing around the four candles Samantha had set out earlier. The room felt colder than it had a few minutes ago, the air thick with anticipation. Samantha placed a flower crown on her head, looking every bit the part of a bride preparing for her wedding.

"I offer myself as Lucavius's bride," Samantha said, her voice low and reverent. "In return, I ask that he grant us all the love we desire, as our hearts long for."

I shivered, though I wasn't sure if it was from the cool air or something deeper. There was an edge to Samantha's words that made my skin crawl.

"One by one," Samantha continued, "we'll introduce ourselves and say what kind of person we're looking for. Then we'll end with a chant."

Amy was the first to step forward. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she spoke. "I'm Amy, and I'm looking for someone mysterious, hot, and totally into me."

I could see Olive bristle slightly at Amy's casual tone, but she stayed quiet, her lips pressed into a thin line. Samantha nodded approvingly, turning to Olive next.

"I only accept gifts from the Heavenly Father," Olive said firmly, her eyes meeting Samantha's with a hard stare. "I'm not looking for anything from Lucavius."

Samantha gave her a small, strained smile but didn't push it. Then, all eyes turned to me.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their stares. My heart pounded in my chest, but I tried to keep my voice steady. "I'm Genevieve, and... I welcome love in any form."

It felt strange saying it aloud, almost like I was making a promise I wasn't sure I could keep. But the words were out, and there was no taking them back.

Samantha smiled, satisfied. "Now, we finish the ritual."

She raised her hands, motioning for us to join in. The candles flickered wildly, casting long shadows on the walls as we chanted together, repeating the words Samantha had instructed us to say. The air in the room felt thick, heavy, like something unseen was pressing down on us.

As the final words left our lips, the flames of the candles suddenly snuffed out. The room plunged into darkness.

I gasped, my heart pounding in my chest. For a moment, the world felt utterly still, as if time itself had stopped. Then, just as suddenly, the candles flickered back to life, their soft glow once again filling the room.

I let out a shaky breath, glancing around at the others. Amy looked amused, Olive tense, and Samantha... Samantha looked triumphant.

"That's it," she said with a smile. "Now, we wait."

---

That night, as we lay in our sleeping bags, I couldn't stop thinking about the ritual. It was just a game, wasn't it? But I couldn't shake the feeling that we had stepped into something we shouldn't have. Something dangerous.

I closed my eyes, trying to push the thoughts away, but sleep wouldn't come easily. The name Lucavius echoed in my mind, a dark whisper that sent shivers down my spine.

And as I finally drifted off, I couldn't help but feel that we had awakened something. Something that wasn't just a game.