Dr. Reinhard's Arc

Chapter 4 of 4

Dr. Reinhard parked his car at the first red circle on the map. The clearing ahead matched the dealer's notes exactly—three witnesses had reported the green glow here. He stepped out and scanned the ground for traces. Nothing remained but dirt and dead leaves. He walked the perimeter, searching for symbols or burn marks, anything that proved the book had been here. His foot kicked something metal half-buried in the soil. He knelt and brushed away the dirt, revealing a dented gas can. Someone had tried to burn something here. His fingers traced the rust along its edge. The Necronomicon survived fire—Knowby's journal had confirmed that. But whoever possessed it might not have known. They'd tried to destroy it and failed. Dr. Reinhard stood and pocketed the can's metal cap as proof. The book had been here, and someone had panicked when they realized what they'd found. He returned to his car and marked the location with a note. The trail was real, and it led somewhere close. The second location took him deeper into the woods. Trees pressed in from both sides of the narrow path. He stopped when he saw the twisted oak ahead—its branches bent at wrong angles, bark blackened and scarred. The map showed this as another hotspot. He approached the massive trunk and found symbols carved into the wood. His breath caught. These matched the ones from Knowby's journal. Someone who possessed the book had been here. They'd performed a ritual or perhaps just tested its power. The ground beneath the oak was bare, no grass or weeds growing in a perfect circle. He took out his notepad and sketched the symbols quickly. Past the oak, he found something that made his hands shake. An altar sat in a small clearing, built from stacked stones. Dark stains covered its surface—old blood that had soaked into the rock. More symbols were carved along its edges. This wasn't random occult dabbling. Someone had tried to use the Necronomicon properly. They'd attempted a ritual here, spilling blood as the book required. Dr. Reinhard ran his fingers across the stained stone. The ritual had failed or been interrupted. Otherwise, he would have heard reports of transformations like Sam's. He heard movement behind him and spun around, hand reaching for the revolver in his pocket. A shape emerged from the shadows between the trees—pale skin, glowing eyes, clutching a leather-bound book against its chest. The Kandarian Demon floated forward, its spirit form rippling like heat waves. Dr. Reinhard's breath stopped. The creature held the Necronomicon in its translucent hands. He pulled out the gun and aimed, but the demon vanished before he could fire. Only mist remained where it had stood. His hands trembled as he lowered the weapon. The book was here, protected by something beyond human understanding. He would need more than a revolver to claim it.