The rain pelted against the windshield as Deb''s car sped down the slick city street, her tears blending with the droplets streaming down the glass. The distorted neon lights of the city blurred together in a haze of pain and confusion. She could hardly see through the cascade of her own emotions, but she knew one thing: she had to get as far away from St. Jerome''s as fast as possible.


    "Eighty in a sixty zone? Really, Deb?" she chastised herself between sobs. But it was too late. The flash of red and blue lights filled her rear-view mirror, and she pulled over to the side of the road, her heart pounding in her chest.


    An officer emerged from the police car, her uniform soaked from the relentless downpour. Her expression was stern as she approached Deb''s window, which reluctantly rolled down with a creak. "You were going eighty in a—" she began but stopped short when she saw Deb''s tear-streaked face and trembling hands gripping the steering wheel.


    "Are you alright?" The young officer asked, concern overriding her initial anger. Deb tried to speak, but all that came out were choked sobs and unintelligible mumbles. It was as if her words were trapped beneath the crushing weight of her terror.


    "Please...just give me the ticket," Deb managed to choke out, her voice raw from crying. The officer hesitated, taking a step back to assess the situation.


    "Look, I''m going to let you off with a warning this time," She said, her voice gentle. "But I want you to stay pulled over until you can pull yourself together, alright?"


    "Okay," Deb whispered, nodding shakily. The officer gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before returning to her patrol car and driving away.


    As the officer''s taillights disappeared into the night, Deb''s mind was flooded with the horrific images she had just witnessed. The secret underground facility beneath St. Jerome''s Parish, where Abby revealed a side of herself that Deb could never have imagined.


    The way Abby smiled as she electrified Ethel, the captured vessel, discussing how to determine if someone was a vessel—the fangs, glowing eyes, claws, aversion to salt, and holy water being poison to them.


    "Deb, you''re strong," Abby had said, smiling reassuringly at her. "I can feel it. I think you have the most potential I''ve ever seen to become an exorcist."


    But Deb was horrified. She couldn''t believe that Abby was torturing Ethel, but more terrifying was the fact Ethel wasn''t human. But she hid her shock, not wanting Abby to turn on her too.


    "An exorcist?"


    "Heroes wiping out the dark creatures of this world." Abby explained, "Your parents are some of the best exorcists in the world and they sent you here to learn and train." Abby grasped Deb''s shaking hands, "Killing monsters is in your blood." It was a chilling revelation that left Deb questioning everything she knew about herself and the world around her.


    "Help me hunt the other vessel," Abby had asked.


    Deb hesitated, "I need time to think about this, It is all just so much to take in."


    "of course, it is a choice that shouldn''t be taken lightly," Abby agreed, " it means being willing to put your life on the line for others." Deb had nodded and fled the room, unable to bear the sight any longer.


    Now, sitting alone in her car with the rain pounding against the roof, Deb shivered as the memories played over and over in her mind like a twisted film reel. Would she ever be able to look at Abby—or herself—the same way again?


    -----


    Meanwhile, Zack lay recovering from his wounds in Paulina''s office, his body''s healing slowly sealing up each bullet hole but his spirit remained intact. The front door creaked open and Kyle glided into the establishment, he scanned the bar with a look of disdain.


    "I am here for a pickup, one vessel, please." He announced as he strode towards Paulina, who was wiping it down.


    Paulina continued to scrub, barely looking up at him, "I am afraid we are closed at the moment, please feel free to come back during operating hours," she moved on to restocking the bar.


    A look of amusement stretched across Kyle''s face. "I don''t think you understand who is asking you." He flashed his orange eyes.


    Paulina stopped and gripped the neck of the gin bottle tightly "I know exactly who I am dealing with, a sin who seems to have forgotten the rules," Kyle goes to speak but Paulina raises a finger to silence him. "You created vessels to gain power and just let them run wild, you dragged human authorities into a supernatural investigation, you started a fight with the exorcists and the list goes on. My job is to maintain balance and you have destroyed that, and you know the consequences of your actions, you will get no help from me." there was a rage to Paulina''s tone that Zack had never heard before, it seemed to leave Kyle momentarily speechless.


    Then Kyle lunged at the bar but pulled back quickly, "Wood of the cross, that''s an old one," Kyle muttered as he massaged his smoking hand that had made contact with the bar.


    "the door is that way," Paulina ordered him to leave, "and Zack is off limits to you, try anything and the council will be notified."


    In a fit of rage, Kyle threw a barstool into the wall next to Paulina''s head. She didn''t even flinch. "Come back with money for a drink next time," she said casually.


    As Kyle stormed out, he threatened her, "Watch your back wiccan, even your sight can''t protect you from everything that goes bump in the night!"


    Zack''s eyes fluttered open, the light pouring through Paulina''s office window revealing that it was now the following morning. Panic surged through him as he realized how much time had passed and what little time he had left to protect Ethel. He frantically searched for his phone among the scattered remnants of his belongings.


    "Easy there, Zack," Paulina warned as she entered the room, her voice steady but urgent. "We don''t have much time. The exorcists are preparing to rage war on all supernatural beings in Waterloo. They''ve taken the deaths of three of their own personally."


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    Zack paused and remembered how Ethel had helped him escape the burned-out house when the exorcists had arrived. A shudder ran down his spine at the thought of her being captured.


    "Paulina... do you know if they caught Ethel?" he asked hesitantly.


    "Unfortunately, yes," she replied, her face grim. "My informant confirmed it. She''s being held by the exorcists. They are pressing her for the identity of the other vessel, she is keeping quiet which is keeping her alive. I don''t know how long they will continue to let her live."


    Determination filled Zack''s chest as he dialed Rob''s number, needing to formulate a plan to save Ethel. "the exorcists have Ethel, we need to save her."


    Rob answered the call, his voice hesitant. "I think we should let Ethel go, Zack. It''s too risky and she is with Kyle now."


    "No," Zack said firmly. "I''m going to save her, no matter what it takes. She has always saved me."


    Rob sighed on the other end of the line. "Alright, let''s brainstorm some ideas after practice when you get back to the dorm."


    "Deal," Zack agreed, ending the call. Paulina placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he stood up, her eyes filled with concern. "Be careful, Zack. A fight with the exorcists could be a risky move, you are new to this world which will only make it harder. Sometimes you can''t save everyone."


    "Thanks, Paulina," he muttered, stepping outside the club.


    Zack rushed down the streets realizing he was going to be late for practice, he knew he had to keep up appearances to ensure no one else started asking questions. As he walked towards the locker room, he overheard Kenzie leaving a mostly pathetic voicemail for Kyle, asking when they could reschedule their date before breaking down into tears. The sound of her despair tugged at Zack''s heart, but Paulina''s words echoed in his ears: he couldn''t save everyone.


    -----


    Meanwhile, Deb tossed and turned in her bed, trapped in an intense nightmare. Images of Zack fighting Abby and Ethel on a rooftop filled her mind, all three of them locked in a deadly battle. Zack struggled to keep up as exhaustion overtook him. In the end, his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell off the roof just as Abby and Ethel lunged to finish him off.


    Deb woke up with a start, drenched in a cold sweat. The vivid images of the nightmare lingered, sending shivers down her spine. She clutched her sheets tightly as she tried to shake off the terror that had gripped her in her sleep. But the thought still lingered, what was Zack''s part in all of this?


    -----


    Zack stood in the dimly lit locker room, his mind racing, as Coach Reynolds berated him for his failing grades. "You''re failing four of your five classes!?! did you forget the academic standard required to stay on the team and campus?" The musty scent of sweat and disinfectant hung heavily in the air, but it barely registered with Zack, whose thoughts were consumed by Ethel''s capture. He felt like a failure in every way; he failed his classes, he failed to save Ethel, and he failed to stop Gluttony. The memory of promising Deb everything slipped away as he was consumed by his failures.


    "Look, kid," Coach said gruffly, wiping his brow with a towel. "I''m keeping you on the team because you''re my best player, and I''d rather lose my wife and kids than you. But the winter formal is off-limits. You need to get your head in the game and focus on your studies."


    With that, Coach stormed out of the locker room, leaving Zack alone with his thoughts. As he mulled over his plans to save Ethel, he realized that attacking the campus could end up with Deb finding out what he was. He had to make sure she wouldn''t be on campus in case things got out of hand, and that''s when he spotted Boon getting changed across the room. An idea struck him: if Boon took Deb to the winter formal, she''d be far away from campus for hours and he could enact his plan. Unbeknownst to Zack, Boon had already asked Deb to the dance.


    "Hey, Boon," Zack called out, trying to sound casual. "You should take Deb to the formal. She could use a night out, this semester has been so stressful for her. I know this is a weird request but I think she would really appreciate it."


    "Ha!" Boon scoffed, not bothering to hide his amusement. He glanced at Rob, who had been eavesdropping nearby. "Why don''t you two screw each other instead?" With a smug grin, Boon sauntered away.


    Zack bristled at Boon''s dismissive attitude, but he couldn''t let Deb get caught up in any of this. He moved closer to Boon and lowered his voice to a threatening growl. "You know you were right, vessels exist, and imagine what my super strength could do to you."


    The color drained from Boon''s face, and he hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.


    -----


    Meanwhile, at the Conestoga Mall, Deb confided in Ahmed about her nightmare as they browsed through racks of clothing. She left out the part about Ethel being a demon, unwilling to burden him with that revelation. Her thoughts swirled with what she should do, does she tell the police, how many exorcists were there, can she keep ignoring her parents'' calls?


    "Hey, I got you this dress," Ahmed said, holding up a gorgeous gown with an apologetic smile. Deb snapped back to the present to take in the dress. "You know, as a ''sorry I knew Leona made out with your boyfriend when he wasn''t really your boyfriend'' present."


    Deb eyed the dress with a smile, still feeling a little betrayed by her best friend. But she couldn''t deny it was a lovely gesture. "Fine, but I also want you to take Leona to the dance, and make sure she doesn''t try it again," she said firmly.


    Ahmed rolled his eyes but agreed to the terms with a nod just as Leona sneezed violently from the nearby Hudson''s Bay counter, no doubt due to the overwhelming scent of perfumes. As Ahmed accepted his fate as a babysitter for the night, both he and Deb went on to enjoy their afternoon at the mall, away from their worries if only for a little while.


    -----


    Beneath the dim flickering lights of St. Jerome''s Parish, Abby paced around the exorcist training grounds, her brow furrowed in deep thought. She couldn''t shake the nagging feeling that Ethel might have told Joanna and who Joanna told about the fire before Gluttony murdered her. The weight of their shared history pressed heavily on her chest.


    "So you caught me again. Feels like history is repeating itself," Ethel muttered, her voice barely audible as she stood chained to a cold metal table. Her eyes were filled with sadness and an unspoken rage. Abby, however, seemed too lost in her own thoughts to notice.


    "Ethel, you have to help me track down Gluttony''s covenant," Abby insisted, her eyes fixed on a dusty tome in the corner of the room. "You know what he will do to me if he finds me, we were friends once. It doesn''t have to end this way, we can still fix things,"


    Ethel stiffened, her face etched with pain. "You are right we were friends, I told you everything about me and you used it against us. I didn''t know you were planning to kill everyone, I would have never told you if I had known what you were going to do," she whispered, barely able to meet Abby''s gaze.


    Abby stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as the implications of Ethel''s words finally registered. Is history repeating itself? No, it couldn''t be...


    "Wait," she said, her voice trembling with a sudden realization. "Zack is the other vessel, of course. Another unholy bond between vessel and exorcist."


    The air in the room seemed to thicken, charged with the weight of this revelation. Abby''s mind raced frantically, connecting dots that had previously eluded her. If Deb loved Zack, then everything she had been working towards could crumble like a house of cards.


    "Abby..." Ethel''s voice was gentle, filled with a sorrow that mirrored the turmoil raging within Abby''s soul. "Please, don''t make the same mistake again. Look at the mess you''ve already made, you are the reason Glottony was able to step foot on this plane of existence. More killing will only lead to more destruction, Zack is innocent and you know that!"


    Abby swallowed hard, her eyes darting between Ethel and the ancient book that held the exorcist code. She had turned Ethel''s family over to the exorcists but she had also instigated the fight, that caused Ethel to be grounded and left at home safely. She had lit that match, she had started all of this and now she had to clean up the loose ends.


    "Ethel," she said quietly, her voice laced with a newfound determination. "I''m afraid Zack needs to go and so do you, they all do if I am going to get out of this without anyone knowing I broke the rules."


    A flicker of fear ignited in Ethel''s eyes as she nodded, her chains rattling softly against the cold metal of the table. She realized her former friend was too far gone to save and it would now be Abby''s life or hers.