In the depths of the night, a single candle flickered against the darkened walls of an abandoned chapel. Its soft glow cast eerie shadows across the dusty pews, as if the very spirits of the past were dancing in the flickering light. The silence was palpable, a heavy blanket that threatened to suffocate all sound. Even the distant hoot of an owl seemed muffled, as if it were being swallowed up by the endless night. A figure knelt before the altar, head bowed in prayer. Their hands were clasped tightly together, nails digging into the soft skin of their palms. They rocked gently back and forth, the rhythmic motion soothing a soul that had known nothing but pain and suffering for as long as they could remember. As the candle burned lower, casting long, twisting shadows across their face, they felt a strange sensation begin to build within them. It started as a tingling at the base of their spine, spreading outward in waves, traveling up their arms and down their legs, filling them with