章 56: Big E's Ascension

Regina and Darron stood before Erasmus's workshop, the once-charming facade now rotting and overgrown. Vines crawled up the walls, and the windows, once bright and inviting, were caked with dust and grime. The door creaked open as Regina pushed it, and the smell of decay filled the air.

Inside, the dolls still sat, frozen in time. Their eyes seemed to follow Regina as she moved through the shop. Darron, pale and weak, followed closely behind. His body had grown more rigid in the past few days, his movements jerky and unnatural. The transformation had begun again, and this time, Regina feared there would be no saving him.

"We have to find the source," Regina muttered, her voice trembling as she led Darron deeper into the shop.

In the back room, they found it—the ritual chamber where Erasmus had performed his dark magic. The air was thick with a sense of malevolence. The shelves were lined with jars of strange, preserved things, and at the center of the room sat Big E. The doll's eyes glinted in the low light, as though it had been waiting for them.

Darron's breath hitched, and he stumbled forward, collapsing to his knees. "It's too late," he whispered, his voice strained. "I can feel it. He's…he's coming."

Regina's heart raced. She knew what she had to do. She had found Erasmus's notes, detailing the only way to stop Big E: by severing the soul bond that tied the doll to the living. But it required a sacrifice—a life for a life.

Regina clutched the silver knife tightly in her hand, the blade cold against her skin. She turned to Darron, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry."