The bus dropped them in a small town called Harrow's End, fifty miles from Drennin. It was a nowhere place, all sagging porches and shuttered storefronts, but it had a motel with a vacancy sign and a diner that served coffee strong enough to keep Gigi's nerves sharp. They checked in under false names, paying with cash Gigi had scavenged from the house before the fire. The room was cramped, with peeling wallpaper and a musty smell, but it was a sanctuary—for now.Sheree hadn't spoken since the bus. She sat on the bed, staring at the wall, her rosary dangling from her fingers. Gigi paced, her mind racing. They needed answers—about the house, the pit, the symbols Vin had drawn. She'd kept one of his papers, crumpled in her pocket, its spiraling design burned into her memory."We need to know what we're dealing with," Gigi said, unfolding the paper. "This thing… it's older than the house. Vin said it needed blood. We need to find out why."Sheree's eyes flicked to her, hollow. "You think we can fight it? After all that?""I think we have to," Gigi said. "Or it'll find us again."She used the burner phone to search online, digging through forums and obscure archives for anything about Drennin or the symbols. Most of it was noise—conspiracy theories, ghost stories—but one post, buried in a paranormal subreddit, caught her eye. It mentioned a "heart beneath the earth" in Harrow's End, tied to a cult that vanished in the 1800s. The poster claimed the cult worshipped something called the Eater of Names, a force that fed on identity, memory, and blood.Gigi's blood ran cold. The symbols in the post matched Vin's drawings.She showed Sheree, who recoiled. "We need to leave," Sheree said. "This town, it's connected. It's not safe."But before they could pack, a knock came at the door. Gigi froze, her hand on the knife. She peered through the peephole and saw a woman, middle-aged, with sharp eyes and a worn coat. "I know you're from Drennin," the woman said through the door. "I can help."Gigi opened the door a crack, knife ready. "Who are you?""Name's Lila," the woman said. "I've been watching that house for years. You're not the first to burn it down."
