Grim lowered his gaze for a brief moment, then lifted it again with a strange calm.

"I will need space. Contacting our god is not easy."

He said.

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah… I can give you a room."

After all, I had a lot of empty rooms that were not currently in use. Repurposing one was not a problem for me.

I gestured for him to follow and led him through the narrow hallway behind the counter.

The others trailed behind us with their gazes sharp as blades, but none of them challenged the idea. Honestly, that surprised me more than Grim's request.

When we reached the end of the hallway, I pushed open the door to one of the storage rooms.

"You can use this. Just… be careful. Some of the things here are delicate."

I told him, stepping aside.

Grim blinked before he gave me a nod.

"I will be careful."

His tone was sincere, and somehow that only made things more unnerving.

I lingered for another second.

"Okay. I'll leave you to it. If anything goes wrong… shout….Or scream. Or whatever it is you need to do to grab my attention."

He inclined his head once.

"I will."

And just like that, I closed the door behind him. The hallway felt colder the second it clicked shut. The others had followed me with a concerned look on their face and I felt like I had to reassure them.

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Everything will be fine."

"Will it?"

Leo asked.

"I'm choosing to believe so."

Luna's shoulders slumped a little, but she didn't argue.

Before anyone else could say anything, the air chilled. Foreign presence could be felt behind the door, but it did not feel hostile to me or to the kids around me.

"Is he-"

Luna began.

"Yes. He's doing whatever ritual, so there is no need to panic.'

I said quickly.

Leo glanced up toward the ceiling as if expecting it to crack.

"It's a little hard not to panic now. But if this is what you want, then I guess I can hold back…."

Nyx hissed once, ears flattening, then settled again as if forcing himself to relax.

"It's fine. Go back to what you were doing. Don't hover. He needs concentration."

I repeated, trying to sound reassuring.

My words seemed to break whatever tension had frozen everyone in place.

Luna nodded first.

"Okay. I'll… prepare more snacks. In case he needs something later."

Leo muttered.

"I'll stay near the counter. Just in case."

But he didn't sound as combative as before.

Nyx yawned and trotted away toward the stairs and Erebus slithered after him silently, leaving me in the hallway alone.

I inhaled deeply.

There wasn't much else I could do now except trust that he meant what he said.

I stepped back into the main shop area, where the bell over the entrance chimed gently.

A couple of customers had wandered in during the chaos, patiently browsing the shelves as if ancient gods weren't fighting over our town's soul.

I straightened my apron, plastered on a calm shopkeeper smile, and approached them.

"Welcome. Let me know if you need help with anything."

I said, keeping my voice steady. The customers looked up at my entrance but did not really pay attention to me. They were too busy looking at the stuff they came here for.

A middle-aged woman held up a teacup.

"Excuse me, shopkeeper? Do you have this in a blue pattern cover?"

"Yes. Right over here."

I said, guiding her toward another shelf.

Another customer asked about books on herbal blends, and I walked them through the different options. This was a normal day for me and the more I concentrated on the customers, the more I was able to forget the dangers.

The soft presence of Grim's magic was still present in the air and my system made sure I will not forget that someone was trying to summon a god in my house.

But beyond that, everything was fine…and even under control.

__________

Grim closed the door behind him and he made sure no one would be able to take a peak inside the room, no matter how much they tried.

The room the shopkeeper had offered him was small, lined with dusty shelves and boxes of old merchandise, but it was quiet… and more importantly, untouched by foreign influence.

This was the perfect place to connect his power to his god and ask for help.

Grim walked toward the center of the room and kneeled. The air shifted the moment his fingers touched the floor, threads of cold spreading outward like roots.

He was not sure if his god would respond to his prayers. His god was fickle and did not like much foreign interference.

He closed his eyes and began the incantation in a language that predated time itself. Each word echoed without sound, vibrating through the floorboards and the shelves. Dust lifted from the boxes, suspended in the air like frozen snowflakes.

'I can feel the power of my god nearby. I need to concentrate more.'

He reminded himself.

He pressed his palm flat against the ground as his powers left his body. He was close and his god was responding. Soon, he would able to connect to his god's consiousness….

But then, there was another presence in the room which made Grim's eyes snap open.

The air thickened, growing viscous, like tar seeping into lungs. The shadows in the corners stretched outward, twisting into shapes that weren't shapes at all. The faint circle beneath him flickered.

Something was pushing back.

Grim gritted his teeth and sank deeper into the prayer.

He called out mentally to his god, but the connection pulsed weakly, unstable and his attacker drew closer with each second that passed.

Grim didn't have the luxury of turning to look. He kept chanting, forcing the incantation through clenched teeth even as the circle dimmed under him.

Behind the veil of his awareness, something whispered-not in the room, but far beyond it.

A voice that was cold, thin, and stretched with cruelty.

"-He's calling his god… stop him. Before he makes contact. Stop him-"

Grim knew he should move, but he couldn't move.

His entire body locked in place, frozen by an unseen pressure.this was the result of the ritual.

Grim's heartbeat thudded once-slow and heavy-like the echo of a funeral bell.

The shadow lunged, only to slam itself on something. A thin, bright barrier flashed into existence in front of him, like a sheet of glass made from moonlight.

"What-? Who dares interfere?"

The attacker asked, only to blink as soft lights began to blink into existence around him.

First one.

Then three.

Then seven.

It was too bright to be able to tell what was happening at first. But then the lights dimmed just enough to reveal them fully.

Fairies.

And these fairies did not look happy to see the intruders. Their small bodies were floating using magic and the anger in the small bodies made the room buzz softly.

"You will not touch him."

"He is a guest of our master."

"Harming him is forbidden."

Their voices overlapped like a chorus, sweet yet terrifying in their unity. Their pressure forced the attacker to take a step back.

The shadow recoiled further, disbelief radiating from its twisted form.

"The master? Hah, as if I am afraid of your measly master. All I need to do is stop this ritual…-"

The nearest fairy cut him off, her wings flaring sharply.

"Not you. Not your god."

Her tiny eyes narrowed.

"Leave. Or be removed."

The shadow snarled, clearly realizing it was outnumbered, but still coiling as if preparing to rip through them on sheer instinct.

Grim tried again to move, to warn them, but his body remained locked.

The fairies exchanged a glance and then their expressions hardened.

"Very well."

They raised their hands and a burst of glittering dust-soft, luminous, shimmering like crushed stars-exploded outward. It hit the shadow dead center.

They had attacked with fairy dust, causing the attacker to immediately collapse. Before anyone knew it, the form of the attacker slumped on the ground, almost like a stringless puppet.

The fairies hovered over the fallen form, inspecting it with practiced, almost clinical calm. One of them dusted her hands together.

"Imposter. Weak. Not worth keeping."

"Dispose of him?"

Another asked.

"Master might be annoyed. Leave him unconscious."

With a united nod, they sprinkled one final puff of dust over the motionless attacker. His body was still completely-clearly unconscious, yet intact.

Then the lights dimmed again, the glow softening as the fairies drifted toward Grim.

The lead fairy tilted her head.

"Continue your calling, priest. We will guard you."

Grim was not sure what to make of these tiny creatures. His instincts told him to be careful against these tiny creatures as well since they could be dangerous.

But at the same time, they did feel like they were on his side.

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