Chapter 60: Race Through Time

Chapter 60: Race Through Time

The ancient chamber beneath Saint Raphael's Cathedral hummed with an otherworldly energy as Amelia Blackwood and Gideon stood before a shimmering portal. Swirls of iridescent light danced across its surface, beckoning them towards an unknown past. The air crackled with anticipation and a hint of fear.

"Are you certain about this?" Gideon asked, his stone features etched with concern. "Time travel is not to be taken lightly."

Amelia nodded, her jaw set with determination. "We need answers, Gideon. The curse that binds your kind has gone on for too long. If we can uncover its origins, we might find a way to break it once and for all."

The discovery of the time portal had been an accident - a result of their continued experiments with the stones of destiny. What began as an attempt to extend the duration of Gideon's human transformations had instead torn open a rift in the fabric of time itself.

Elder Thaddeus hobbled forward, leaning heavily on his gnarled staff. His ancient eyes held a mixture of worry and resignation. "Remember," he cautioned, "you must not alter the past. The consequences could be catastrophic. Observe, learn, but do not interfere."

Gideon placed a reassuring hand on the Elder's shoulder. "We understand the risks, Thaddeus. We'll be careful."

Zephyr stepped forward, her wings rustling nervously. "How long will you be gone?"

Amelia checked the strange device strapped to her wrist - a modified watch that would serve as their anchor to the present. "If our calculations are correct, we should return mere moments after we leave, regardless of how long we spend in the past."

Lucas, standing off to the side with arms crossed, spoke up. "And if your calculations are wrong?"

A tense silence fell over the group. Amelia forced a smile. "Then I suppose we'll have a lot of catching up to do when we return."

With final nods to their friends and allies, Amelia and Gideon stepped towards the portal. The shimmering surface rippled at their approach, tendrils of light reaching out as if to pull them in.

"Ready?" Amelia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gideon's stone hand found hers, squeezing gently. "Together."

They stepped forward, and the world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of light and sensation. Amelia felt as though she were being stretched and compressed simultaneously, her very atoms scattered across the vastness of time before coalescing once more.

When the dizzying journey ended, Amelia found herself standing on a grassy hilltop overlooking a medieval village. The air was crisp and clean, free from the pollutants of modern times. In the distance, she could see the foundations of what would one day become Saint Raphael's Cathedral.

"We made it," she breathed, taking in the scene with wide eyes.

Gideon, still in his gargoyle form, scanned their surroundings warily. "What year is it?"

Amelia checked her modified watch. "If the readings are correct, we've landed in the year 1237 - just a few decades after the cathedral's construction began."

They made their way down the hill, careful to stay hidden in the lengthening shadows of dusk. As they approached the village, the sound of raised voices caught their attention. A crowd had gathered in the town square, their faces a mix of fear and anger.

Creeping closer, Amelia and Gideon concealed themselves behind a wooden cart, straining to hear the commotion.

"The stone demons are real, I tell you!" a man's voice rang out. "I saw them with my own eyes, moving atop the cathedral walls!"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. An older woman stepped forward, her lined face stern. "Nonsense, Thomas. You've had too much ale again. Those are nothing more than statues, placed there by the masons to ward off evil spirits."

Thomas shook his head vehemently. "No, no! They live! When night falls, they come to life. It's dark magic, I say!"

Amelia and Gideon exchanged glances. "It seems your ancestors weren't as adept at hiding as they thought," Amelia whispered.

Before Gideon could respond, a new figure pushed through the crowd. The man wore the robes of a high-ranking cleric, his bearing one of authority and barely concealed disdain.

"Silence!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the babble of the villagers. "These wild accusations will cease immediately. The cathedral is a holy place, free from any taint of dark magic or stone demons."

The crowd fell quiet, cowed by the cleric's presence. Thomas, however, refused to back down. "But Father Matthias, I know what I saw! They're not statues, they're-"

Father Matthias cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Enough! These delusions are the work of the devil, tempting you to doubt the sanctity of God's house. You will come with me for penance and prayer."

As Thomas was led away, protesting all the while, the crowd began to disperse. Amelia turned to Gideon, her expression troubled. "That cleric... there's something off about him. Did you see the way his eyes flashed when Thomas mentioned the gargoyles?"

Gideon nodded grimly. "He knows something. We need to follow him."

They trailed Father Matthias and the still-protesting Thomas to a small chapel on the outskirts of the village. As the doors closed behind them, Amelia and Gideon crept around to a narrow window, peering inside.

The scene that unfolded before them was shocking. Father Matthias, his demeanor completely changed, loomed over the cowering Thomas. Gone was the air of pious authority, replaced by barely contained fury.

"You fool!" the cleric hissed. "Do you have any idea what you've done? If word of the gargoyles spreads, all our plans will be ruined!"

Thomas stammered, confusion evident on his face. "B-but Father, I don't understand. You said there were no stone demons..."

Father Matthias grabbed Thomas by the front of his tunic, pulling him close. "Of course there are, you simpleton! But the world isn't ready to know of their existence. Not yet. Not until we've harnessed their power for our own purposes."

Amelia gasped, quickly covering her mouth to muffle the sound. Gideon's eyes narrowed, his stone fists clenching in anger.

Inside the chapel, Father Matthias released Thomas, who stumbled backward. The cleric's eyes glowed with an unnatural light as he raised his hands. "You've seen too much, I'm afraid. But don't worry - you'll forget all about this little incident."

A sickly green mist began to emanate from the cleric's fingertips, swirling towards Thomas. The man's eyes grew wide with terror, then suddenly blank as the mist enveloped him.

"You saw nothing unusual at the cathedral," Father Matthias intoned. "The gargoyles are merely statues, nothing more. You will remember only that you came here for prayer and guidance."

As the mist dissipated, Thomas blinked slowly, a placid smile spreading across his face. "Thank you for your counsel, Father," he said, his voice devoid of its earlier passion. "I feel much better now."

Father Matthias nodded, the picture of benevolent concern once more. "Go in peace, my son. And remember - trust in the Church, not in wild fantasies."

As Thomas left the chapel, Amelia and Gideon ducked out of sight. They waited until the coast was clear before speaking in hushed tones.

"Did you see that?" Amelia whispered, her voice tight with shock. "He used magic to alter Thomas's memories!"

Gideon's expression was grim. "It's worse than that. He spoke of harnessing our power for some nefarious purpose. I fear we may have stumbled upon the very origin of the curse."

Amelia's mind raced. "We need to find out more. There must be some record of what Father Matthias is planning."

They waited until nightfall, watching as the village settled into slumber. When all was quiet, they made their way to the chapel. Gideon easily forced the lock, and they slipped inside.

The interior was sparse, with only a few wooden pews and a simple altar. But as Amelia ran her hands along the walls, she felt a slight give in one of the stones.

"Gideon, help me with this," she whispered.

Together, they pushed against the stone, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a leather-bound tome, its pages yellowed with age.

Amelia carefully opened the book, scanning its contents by the light of a small lantern. Her eyes widened as she read. "This is it," she breathed. "It's a grimoire - a book of spells and rituals. And look at this..."

She pointed to a particular passage, and Gideon leaned in to read. The page detailed a complex ritual designed to bind magical creatures to the will of the caster.

"The Ritual of Stone and Shadow," Gideon read aloud, his voice a low growl. "A means to harness the power of the gargoyle clan, turning them into eternal guardians bound to the cathedral."

Amelia's hands shook as she turned the pages. "It gets worse. The ritual doesn't just bind your kind to the cathedral - it's meant to slowly drain your life force, feeding it into some kind of magical reservoir."

Gideon's eyes flashed with anger. "So that's the true purpose of the curse. Not just to control us, but to use us as a source of power."

Before they could discuss further, the sound of approaching footsteps caused them to freeze. Father Matthias's voice drifted through the door, accompanied by another they didn't recognize.

"Quickly," Gideon hissed, grabbing the grimoire and ushering Amelia towards a small alcove hidden behind a tapestry.

They had barely concealed themselves when the chapel door swung open. Father Matthias entered, deep in conversation with a hooded figure.

"The preparations are nearly complete," the cleric was saying. "Once the ritual is performed at the summer solstice, the gargoyles will be under our control. Their power will fuel our magic for centuries to come."

The hooded figure nodded. "Excellent. The Order will be pleased. With the gargoyles' strength at our disposal, no force on Earth will be able to stand against us."

Amelia and Gideon exchanged alarmed glances. This conspiracy ran deeper than they had imagined.

As the two conspirators continued their discussion, Amelia felt a familiar tingling sensation. She glanced down at her wrist device to see it glowing faintly.

"Our time is running out," she whispered to Gideon. "We need to get back to the portal."

They waited, hearts pounding, for Father Matthias and his mysterious companion to leave. As soon as the coast was clear, they slipped out of the chapel and made their way back towards the hill where they had arrived.

The journey back through the time portal was just as disorienting as their initial trip. When they stumbled back into the chamber beneath Saint Raphael's Cathedral, they were met with a chorus of relieved exclamations from their friends.

"You're back!" Zephyr cried, rushing forward to embrace them both. "We were so worried!"

Elder Thaddeus hobbled closer, his rheumy eyes sharp with curiosity. "What did you discover?"

Amelia held up the grimoire, her expression grim. "The origin of the curse... and a conspiracy that spans centuries."

As they recounted their adventure to their stunned audience, Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that they had only scratched the surface of a much larger mystery. The knowledge they had gained was invaluable, but it also opened up a host of new questions.

Who were the members of this shadowy Order that sought to control the gargoyles? How had their plans evolved over the centuries? And most importantly, how could they use this newfound information to finally break the curse?

Gideon's voice broke through her thoughts. "We have the knowledge now," he said, his tone filled with determination. "It's time to act. We must find a way to counter this ritual and free my kind once and for all."

Amelia nodded, her resolve strengthening. "Agreed. But we need to be careful. If this Order has survived all this time, they won't give up their power easily."

Lucas stepped forward, his expression serious. "You'll have my help. I may not be a hunter anymore, but I still have contacts. We'll need all the allies we can get."

As the group began to plan their next moves, Amelia felt a mix of hope and trepidation. They had unlocked a crucial piece of the puzzle, but the road ahead was fraught with danger. The race against time had only just begun, and the stakes were higher than ever.

She looked around at the faces of her friends - human and gargoyle alike - and felt a surge of determination. Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. The curse that had bound the gargoyles for centuries would be broken, and a new chapter in the history of Saint Raphael would begin.

As the first light of dawn began to filter through the cathedral windows far above, Amelia knew that their journey was far from over. But for the first time in a long while, she dared to believe that a brighter future was within reach.