Alex: fidgeting with shirt Y-y-you...you never t-t-told me what h-happened that night.
It's... complicated, Alex. I... I don't even know where to start.
takes a step closer, eyes pleading Start anywhere. Just... tell me. I need to understand.
It was a dark night, Alex. We were all out looking for your sister, but then...the call came through. She was found. But...she wasn't herself anymore.
voice trembling W-what do you mean...she wasn't herself? What happened to her?
tears welling up in his eyes The search team found her in a clearing, Alex. She was surrounded by... strange symbols. It was like something took hold of her spirit. And when we tried to help her, she... she lunged at us. She didn't recognize us anymore.
grabs Gabriel's arm tightly No...no, that can't be true! My sister would never hurt us! There must be some kind of mistake!
puts hand on Alex's back keeping him steady I wish it wasn't true either Alex....I was there when they dragged her away... I tried to save her... but there was nothing I could do...
collapses to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably Why? Why did this happen to her? We should've been there for her! We should've protected her!
stands upright, trying to stay strong for Alex I know, Alex. I know we failed her. But we're not going to let whatever did this to her win. We're going to find a way to bring her back. We owe it to her.
looks up at Gabriel with tear-filled eyes D-do you really think we can...we can bring her back?
Yes Alex......we can he says gently wiping away Alex's tears as he stands up and pulls him up with him to stand on his feet holding onto him for balance as he leans on Gabriel for support while he too cries
wipes away tears, voice determined Then we have to act fast. We can't waste any more time. We need to find someone who can help us understand what happened to her.
You're right Alex.....we need to find someone wiping away his own tears and taking a deep breath I know a place where they may be able to help us.....it's a long shot but it's our only lead
nervously fidgets with hands I...I trust you, Gabriel. Let's go to this place and get the help we need. We won't let anything stop us.
With a determined look Let's go then. I'll make the arrangements. He leads Alex towards the car, speaking with urgency
rushes towards the car, opening the passenger door and getting in We need to hurry, Gabriel. Every second counts.
starts the car and drives off, speaking quickly I know Alex....I know he says while making phone calls to a friend who owes him a favor in order to get information about the place he is taking Alex to
leans forward, gripping the edge of the seat Gabriel, I can't shake this feeling of dread. What if this place...this person...can't help us? What if we're wasting our time?
glances at Alex, his voice firm We're not wasting our time, Alex. I'm certain of it. This place has the answers we need. Trust me, we're going to find a way to bring your sister back. his expression softens And no matter what happens, I'll be right there with you.
takes a deep breath, trying to calm their racing heart I trust you, Gabriel. I trust that we'll find a way to bring my sister back.
driving faster than usual I've spoken with my friend and he says he's ready to see us.....I just hope that seeing him won't cost us too much
clenches fists, voice filled with determination Gabriel, I don't care what it takes. I'll do whatever it takes to bring my sister back.
I'm aware Alex....and I appreciate your determination....but we need to be careful. This may be our only lead so we need to play this one carefully
nods, staring out the window I understand, Gabriel. We need to approach this with caution and make sure we're prepared for anything.
driving as fast as he can while listening to Alex's words Exactly Alex.....we need to come up with a plan
takes a deep breath, speaking quickly Gabriel, I've been thinking about our next move. We need to gather as much information as possible before we meet this friend of yours.
nods, keeping his eyes on the road Agreed, Alex. We should start by researching anything related to those symbols we found at the clearing. Maybe there's a connection between them and this new lead of ours. He makes a turn onto a dirt path, driving deeper into the forest.
opens their laptop, frantically searching for any information about the symbols I found something, Gabriel!
listening intently What did you find, Alex?
excitedly I found a website that discusses ancient rituals and symbols. It mentions a group that believes in bringing back the dead using a combination of rituals and sacrifices.
looking at the screen Is there any mention of the symbols we found at the clearing, Alex?
quickly scrolling through the webpage Yes! They mention these same symbols being used in the ritual to summon dark entities!
gripping the steering wheel tightly Are you sure about this, Alex? This sounds dangerous.
nods, determination in their eyes I know it's risky, Gabriel, but we owe it to your sister to explore every possible lead.