Chapter 10: Jonas's Confession
The abandoned church loomed like a tombstone in the dead of night, its silhouette jagged against the sky. Inside, the air was thick with the stench of decay and old blood. The detective's heart pounded in his chest as he moved swiftly through the shadows, his flashlight a lone beacon slicing through the darkness. He knew Jonas was here. The trail of blood and shattered pieces of the past had led him right to the source.
As he crept toward the back of the church, his senses heightened. Every creak of the floorboards felt like an omen, every whisper of wind seemed to carry the weight of the dead. Then, he heard it—soft footsteps, almost hesitant, echoing through the empty hall.
Jonas.
The detective tightened his grip on his gun, the cold metal steadying his nerves. There was no turning back now. He rounded the corner, his flashlight sweeping across the rows of dilapidated pews, and there, at the altar, hunched and trembling, was Dr. Jonas.
The once-respected researcher now looked like a broken man. His clothes hung loosely on his frail frame, his face gaunt and eyes wild, as if the very soul had been drained from him. His hands twitched, stained with the blood of too many lost children.
"Jonas!" The detective's voice cut through the silence like a knife, sharp and commanding. "It's over. I know what you did. It's time to tell me everything."
Jonas flinched at the sound of his name, but didn't turn around. For a long moment, the only sound was the detective's heavy breathing and the distant, almost imperceptible hum of something unnatural stirring in the air. Then, finally, Jonas spoke—his voice cracked, barely more than a whisper.
"You shouldn't have come here, detective." His voice trembled with fear and regret. "It's too late. He's already here. Watching."
The detective stepped closer, his flashlight illuminating the dark symbols carved into the walls behind Jonas. "I've seen the tapes. I've been to the sites. You sacrificed those children. You've been feeding Bughuul, helping him gain power, haven't you?"
Jonas let out a dry, bitter laugh, his shoulders shaking. "You don't understand. None of you ever did." He finally turned, his sunken eyes meeting the detective's gaze. "I tried to stop him. I thought I could control it, contain it. But Bughuul... he's older, more powerful than any of us could have imagined."
"Control it?" the detective spat, fury boiling inside him. "You murdered children! You brought them to this place and let that thing devour them!"
Jonas shook his head, his expression twisted with a mixture of guilt and despair. "You think I wanted this? You think I didn't fight? I tried, but once you've seen him... once you've felt his presence, it's too late. He invades your mind, your soul. I thought I could appease him, that maybe I could stop him if I—"
"You didn't stop anything," the detective interrupted, his voice growing louder. "You let him take those kids! You let him turn you into a monster!"
Jonas's face crumpled, tears welling in his eyes. "I didn't have a choice. He showed me things. Horrors beyond comprehension. The more I fought, the deeper I fell. I was trying to protect them, to keep Bughuul from destroying everything, but he... he wanted more."
"More?" The detective stepped closer, his voice dangerously low. "What does Bughuul want?"
Jonas's hands shook violently as he ran them through his thinning hair. "He wants to cross over. To become flesh and blood. The rituals, the sacrifices—they weren't just to feed him. They were to open a doorway. A portal. He's been using the children's souls to tether himself here. He wants to fully manifest in our world."
The detective's mind raced, the pieces falling into place. The missing children, the dark symbols, the cursed videotapes—it was all leading to something far worse than he had imagined. If Bughuul crossed into the physical world, there would be no stopping him.
"And you've been helping him," the detective said, his voice full of disgust. "You've been paving the way for him."
Jonas's body slumped, his eyes hollow and haunted. "I had no choice. He's in my head. In my dreams. Everywhere I go, I see him. Hear him. The things I've done... I can't undo them. But you still can, detective. You can stop him. There's still time."
"How?" the detective demanded, his heart pounding in his chest. "How do I stop this?"
Jonas hesitated, glancing toward the altar where a large, ancient book lay open, its pages filled with symbols that made the detective's skin crawl. "There's one last ritual," Jonas said quietly, his voice barely audible. "A binding ritual. It can lock him away... but it requires a sacrifice."
The detective felt a chill run down his spine. "What kind of sacrifice?"
Jonas met his eyes, his face pale and desperate. "A soul. A willing one."
The weight of those words hung heavy in the air, and the detective knew what Jonas was asking. It wasn't just about stopping Bughuul anymore—it was about who would be willing to give up everything to keep the demon at bay.
Jonas took a step forward, his eyes pleading. "I can't do it. Not after everything I've done. But you... you still have a chance. You can end this. You can save them."
The detective's mind swirled with thoughts of the missing children, the families destroyed by Bughuul's influence, and the looming threat of the demon crossing into their world. He looked at Jonas, seeing a man who had lost his way, consumed by the very evil he had sought to fight.
Could he make the ultimate sacrifice to stop Bughuul? Was he willing to risk his soul to save countless others?
The detective clenched his fists, his jaw tight with determination. "Tell me how," he said, his voice resolute.
Jonas nodded slowly, his trembling hands reaching for the book on the altar. "It's all in here. But once you begin... there's no going back."
The detective stared at the open pages, the symbols burning into his mind. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, but one thing was certain: if he didn't stop Bughuul, no one else would.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward, ready to face whatever came next.
The final battle was just beginning.
Jonas's eyes darkened, and the trembling in his hands stopped as if a switch had flipped. His once broken demeanor hardened, and a chilling smile spread across his gaunt face.
"You really think I was trying to stop Bughuul?" he asked, his voice low and mocking. "No, detective. I never intended to stop him."
The detective froze, his heart pounding in his chest. "What are you saying?" he demanded, his grip tightening on his gun. Jonas's sudden change unsettled him deeply.
Jonas stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of satisfaction. "Bughuul isn't just some demon haunting the shadows. He's a god of chaos, and I've been working to bring him into this world for years."
The detective's blood ran cold. He had suspected Jonas was involved, but hearing him admit it so boldly struck him like a physical blow.
"You... you sacrificed those children," the detective whispered, his voice heavy with disbelief. "All those families, those innocent lives—"
Jonas laughed, the sound hollow and cruel. "Innocent? They were chosen. Bughuul needs souls, detective, but not just any souls—children's souls. They're pure, uncorrupted by the filth of this world. Each child I brought to him gave him more power, made him stronger. And soon, he will walk among us, unstoppable."
The detective's jaw clenched in disgust, rage boiling up inside him. "You sick bastard!" he growled, raising his gun. "You did this. You destroyed those lives for some twisted belief in a demon. You're a murderer!"
Jonas didn't flinch, the grin never leaving his face. "I'm much more than that, detective. I'm his herald. His servant. You see, Bughuul has promised me a place at his side when he fully manifests in your world. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop him now."
The detective felt a sinking dread settle in the pit of his stomach. He had been playing into Jonas's hands all along. Every clue, every piece of the puzzle—it had all been part of Jonas's sick game, leading him deeper into the demon's grasp.
"Why tell me now?" the detective asked, his voice low, barely controlling his anger. "If Bughuul's already won, why bother confessing?"
Jonas's smile faded, and for the first time, something darker flickered in his eyes—something akin to regret, but buried beneath layers of fanaticism. "Because it's almost over. The final ritual is about to begin. And when it does, there will be no more secrets. No more hiding. Bughuul will take everything—your world, your life, your soul."
The detective swallowed hard, his mind racing. "And what's your role in all of this? Just another pawn?"
Jonas's expression darkened further, his voice taking on a deadly serious tone. "No, detective. I'm no pawn. I've sacrificed too much to be anything less than the architect. I orchestrated everything—the disappearances, the rituals, the deaths. All to prepare for this moment."
The detective's hand trembled as he pointed the gun at Jonas, his thoughts in turmoil. He wanted to pull the trigger, to end this nightmare right then and there. But he knew it wouldn't stop Bughuul. Jonas was just the means to an end. The real threat lay beyond him, in the shadows, waiting.
"You'll burn for this," the detective said through clenched teeth, his voice filled with both fury and anguish. "Every child you murdered, every life you destroyed—it ends here."
Jonas only smiled again, the eerie calm settling back into his features. "No, detective. This is just the beginning."
Without warning, a deafening crack echoed through the church as the ground beneath them trembled. The detective staggered, his flashlight flickering as something dark and ancient stirred in the walls, a low, rumbling growl emanating from the symbols carved into the stone.
Bughuul's presence was palpable, thickening the air with dread.
Jonas glanced up toward the ceiling, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical glow. "He's coming," he whispered with awe. "The final ritual has begun."
The detective's heart raced as he realized the truth—he was too late. Bughuul was already breaching the barrier between worlds. Jonas's confessions weren't just words—they were a declaration of the demon's imminent arrival.
"You can't stop it now," Jonas continued, his voice rising with triumph. "Bughuul is more powerful than you could ever imagine. You're in his world now."
The detective, overwhelmed by the gravity of what Jonas had revealed, gripped his gun tighter. His mind screamed at him to pull the trigger, but deep down, he knew the battle was far from over. Killing Jonas wouldn't end Bughuul's reign of terror.
Jonas laughed once more, his laughter echoing through the church as the demonic energy in the air thickened, suffocating. "Welcome to the end, detective. Welcome to Bughuul's world."
The detective backed away, the weight of his decision crushing him. He had to find a way to stop the final ritual, to break the cycle of sacrifice before Bughuul fully entered their realm. But time was running out, and the demon was already watching, waiting for its moment of triumph.
In the back of his mind, the detective realized something chilling: the true ritual wasn't just about the children—it had always been about him too. He was the final piece, the last soul Bughuul needed to cement his hold on the world.
And now, the hunt was on.
With one last glance at Jonas's twisted smile, the detective turned and ran, the oppressive darkness of the church swallowing him whole. He could hear Jonas's laughter echoing behind him as he fled into the night, Bughuul's presence haunting his every step.
The detective's breath came in ragged gasps as he backed away from Jonas, the full weight of the revelation pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. The church seemed to pulse with an eerie energy, the air vibrating with the unseen presence of Bughuul. His thoughts raced, trying to make sense of it all, but every second in this cursed place made it harder to focus. The oppressive darkness clung to him, threatening to drown him in despair.
Jonas stood at the altar, his eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction, his smile growing wider as he watched the detective's realization sink in. The detective had been chasing shadows, and all along, Jonas had been pulling the strings, guiding him down this nightmarish path.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Jonas said, his voice almost pitying. "You thought you were the one chasing the truth, unraveling the mystery. But in reality, you were always part of the plan. Bughuul saw you coming long before you ever did."
The detective swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. "What are you talking about?" he demanded, though deep down, the puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place. He had always felt like he was being led—every clue, every revelation, pulling him deeper into Bughuul's web.
Jonas chuckled, the sound echoing through the darkened church. "Oh, detective, you were never here to stop this. You were brought here to complete it." He took a step forward, his eyes glinting with malice. "Every step you've taken, every lead you've followed, every cursed tape you watched—it was all designed to bring you here. Bughuul needed you."
The detective's mind reeled. From the very beginning, he had thought he was uncovering the truth, getting closer to stopping the dark force that had claimed so many lives. But now, he realized it had all been orchestrated. The murders, the missing children, even his discovery of Jonas's involvement—it had all been a part of the ritual. A carefully crafted path to ensure his arrival at this moment.
"That's not possible..." the detective muttered, shaking his head, though the truth burned in his chest. "I'm just doing my job. I was trying to stop you, to save those kids!"
Jonas's smile faded into something colder, more calculating. "You're doing exactly what Bughuul wanted. All of this—all of it—was to draw you in. You've been marked from the beginning, detective. The moment you stepped into this case, Bughuul set his eyes on you. Your obsession, your need to find the truth—it wasn't your own. It was planted."
The detective felt the weight of those words slam into him like a freight train. His mind raced back to the beginning—how quickly he had been drawn into the case, the sleepless nights, the endless pursuit of answers. Had it all been manipulated from the start? Had Bughuul been pulling the strings the entire time, guiding him toward this inevitable end?
"You were never investigating, detective," Jonas said, stepping closer. "You were being led, like a lamb to the slaughter."
The detective's hands shook, his grip on his gun faltering. His stomach churned as he realized the horrifying truth—every move he made had been calculated. He wasn't the hunter. He was the prey.
"I've been working on this for years, ensuring that everything fell into place perfectly," Jonas continued, his voice dripping with malice. "The missing children, the cursed footage, the rituals—it all led to this moment. To you."
The detective's mouth went dry as he took a step back, his pulse racing. "Why me? What do you want from me?"
Jonas's eyes gleamed with triumph. "You were always meant to be the final piece of the puzzle. Bughuul needs one last sacrifice to fully cross over. A willing soul. But not just anyone. Someone whose mind has been shaped by fear, whose every action has been part of the ritual. You, detective, are that sacrifice."
The detective's heart pounded louder in his ears. "I never agreed to any of this!"
"But you did," Jonas hissed, his voice low and menacing. "Every time you watched one of those tapes, every time you uncovered another piece of the puzzle, you were feeding Bughuul. You were offering yourself to him. Slowly, piece by piece, you've been giving your soul away. And now, the ritual is almost complete."
The detective stumbled backward, his mind spinning. Jonas's words cut deep, and he could feel the weight of his own decisions bearing down on him. He had been manipulated, used from the very beginning. The case that had consumed him, the missing children he had sworn to find—it had all been a trap, a way to ensure that he would be standing in this church at this very moment.
His hands trembled as he raised his gun, aiming it squarely at Jonas. "I won't let you finish this," he growled, his voice shaky but filled with rage. "I'll stop you. I'll stop Bughuul."
Jonas's smile returned, colder than ever. "It's already too late, detective. The ritual has already begun. You're already a part of it. Whether you realize it or not, you've been performing it all along."
The detective's heart sank. He could feel it now, the creeping realization that something had shifted inside him. He had been feeding Bughuul—every nightmare, every hallucination, every moment of fear had brought the demon closer. His obsession with the case had been the final piece.
And now, Bughuul was watching. Waiting.
"You can't fight him," Jonas said softly, stepping even closer, his eyes gleaming with the madness of a man who had long given in to the darkness. "Bughuul doesn't want your death, detective. He wants your soul. Your fear. Your surrender. He's already claimed you."
The detective's hand trembled, his finger hovering over the trigger. He wanted to end this. To stop Jonas, to stop the ritual. But deep inside, he knew it wasn't enough. Killing Jonas wouldn't stop Bughuul. The demon's hold on him was too strong, and the ritual was already in motion.
Jonas's eyes bore into him, and the detective realized that Jonas wasn't afraid. He never had been. Jonas had won. Bughuul had won.
The detective's gun wavered, the weight of his fate crushing him as Jonas's cold voice echoed in his mind.
"You were always going to be the sacrifice."