Chapter 2: The Curse of the Montgomerys
The house was silent, save for the occasional crackle from the fire and the soft rustle of wind outside. Lyra sat on the edge of the couch, staring into the flames, while Sam and Dean took up positions in front of her, their eyes on her with an intensity that made her want to shrink into the shadows.
Dean, ever the skeptic, crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "Okay, let's start from the top. A demon has been hunting your family for centuries. That's... a lot to digest."
Sam, the more methodical of the two, leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees. "We've dealt with a lot worse, but we need to understand everything. How did this start? Who is this demon, and what does it want?"
Lyra's eyes flickered toward the portrait of her great-great-grandmother hanging over the fireplace. Isabella Montgomery. The woman who had started it all.
"It started with my great-great-grandmother," Lyra said, her voice quiet but firm. "Isabella Montgomery. She was... desperate. The town was falling apart. Ravenswood was cursed even back then. People were dying, crops were failing, and there was no way out. The people here—my ancestors—they were trying to hold onto power. They believed the answer was in making a deal with something beyond our world."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "A deal with what?"
"A demon," Lyra answered, her lips trembling as she said the word. "A powerful demon who promised to end the suffering of Ravenswood in exchange for something in return."
Sam's brows furrowed. "And what did she give it?"
Lyra exhaled sharply. "Her soul. Or... rather, the soul of her descendants. Every few generations, a Montgomery heir would be chosen as the vessel. The demon would possess them, use them to create chaos, and in return, the curse would never leave the town. My family's power would grow. Ravenswood would thrive."
Dean shook his head. "So, she sold her descendants to a demon to save a town that's still cursed? Smart."
Lyra winced. "She didn't know what she was doing. Or maybe she thought it was worth the price. She thought the curse could be controlled. But after she died, the demon took full control."
"Who is this demon?" Sam asked. "Do you have a name?"
Lyra swallowed. She had never said the name out loud before, but now that she had, it felt as though the very air in the room shifted. "The Midnight Shadow."
Dean exchanged a look with Sam. "Midnight Shadow? Never heard of it."
"It's not something you can just look up," Lyra said, her voice cracking. "The Midnight Shadow is... old. Ancient. It exists in the space between light and darkness, feeding off fear and the souls of the people it possesses. It can take any form, but it always leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. And now, it's coming for me."
There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Sam spoke. "So this thing, this Shadow... It can possess anyone in your family. You said it chooses one heir every few generations?"
Lyra nodded. "Yes. But I'm the last. The last Montgomery heir. There's no one else left to take its place. I've always known it was coming for me. I thought I could escape it. But... I can feel it inside me now. It's waking up."
Dean's jaw tightened. "What does it want from you?"
"Power," Lyra answered softly. "It wants to use me to break free of the curse that binds it. To spread its darkness and take over everything."
Sam's eyes widened with realization. "So the demon is just using you. You're not... possessed yet?"
"I'm not fully possessed," Lyra said. "But it's already inside me. Its presence is there, always. The whispers. The cold. It's trying to push me, to take control."
Dean pushed a hand through his hair. "And you think there's a way to stop it?"
"I've been researching. My grandmother—she was obsessed with stopping the demon. She left journals behind. Notes, rituals, but nothing works. The only thing that can break the curse is if the vessel willingly offers itself to the demon in the right moment. But if I do that... it will take me completely. I'll be lost forever."
Sam stared at her, his expression softening. "So you think the only way to end this is to... sacrifice yourself?"
Lyra met his gaze, her eyes filled with a sorrow that no one so young should ever carry. "I don't know what else I can do. I've tried everything. I've tried to fight it, but it gets stronger every day. And now... it's coming for Ravenswood."
The brothers exchanged a glance. Dean rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"Okay, so we're dealing with a big, nasty demon that's been terrorizing this town for centuries," Dean said, his tone practical. "And the solution is a ritual where you—what? Sacrifice yourself? Let the demon take you?"
Lyra nodded. "That's the way it's always been."
"But you don't want to die," Sam said gently. "We can help you. There has to be another way."
Lyra shook her head. "I've looked everywhere. There is no other way. The only thing I can do is stop it before it takes me. But the ritual isn't guaranteed to work. If I fail..."
Her voice trailed off, and for a moment, the room was thick with the weight of her words.
Dean leaned forward. "So, we're stuck with the option of either you dying or this thing killing us all. Great. That's just fantastic."
Sam's face darkened as he stood up, pacing. "This isn't just about Lyra. If we don't stop it, the demon will spread its influence beyond this town. Ravenswood is just the beginning. We're talking about the kind of darkness that could destroy entire regions."
Dean clenched his fists. "Then let's stop it. We'll figure out a way."
Lyra shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't want to die. I don't want to be the one to end it. But I'm running out of time. The Shadow is already inside me. It's too strong now. If it isn't stopped soon, there won't be anything left of me to save."
Dean looked at her, his face softening. "We're not gonna let that happen. Trust me, kid."
Lyra didn't believe him—not fully—but there was something in his eyes that made her hold on to a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance.
Sam turned to Dean. "We need to do some more research. Find any way to banish the demon or trap it. If it's inside Lyra, then we need to find a way to use that against it."
Dean nodded. "Yeah, but we need to move fast. Whatever happens, we need to be ready."
Lyra stood up, feeling the weight of the moment settle on her shoulders. She wasn't sure what was worse: the idea of dying at the hands of the Shadow or being consumed by it. But she knew one thing for sure: if the Winchesters were right, they had one shot to save her—and everyone else in Ravenswood.
She couldn't do it alone anymore.
"I'll help you," she said quietly. "But we need to find the ritual. It's the only thing that can stop it. I just—" she hesitated. "I don't know if it'll be enough."
"We'll make it enough," Sam assured her. "We'll find a way."