Chapter 55 A Desperate Gamble

The blinding light faded, revealing the chamber bathed in an eerie blue glow emanating from the artifact. The air crackled with raw energy, a tangible presence that sent shivers down their spines. But the silence that followed the light show was even more unsettling. "It's… too quiet," Elizabeth whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of Friesland's heart. The entity, they knew, wouldn't stay dormant for long. The question was, how much time did they have? Friesland, ever the pragmatist, holstered his revolver and approached the pedestal. The artifact pulsed with a mesmerizing light, beckoning him closer. He reached out, his hand hovering over the smooth surface. As his fingers brushed the sphere, a jolt of energy surged through him, a flood of visions assaulting his mind. He saw the fall of Aethel, the desperate sacrifice made to contain the entity, and the warnings left behind by the Watchers. He saw the artifact, not as a simple sphere, but a complex mechanism, a