Rob clutched the stress ball in his hand, squeezing it with more force than he should. The once-blue sphere was now a pale, distorted shadow of its former self. It was early April, and a week had passed since Sarah vanished.


    "Did you know that thousands of people go missing in Canada every year?" Rob asked Ms. McLeod, Paulina had suggested they talk after seeing Rob''s stress level increase. He stared out the window as if searching for those lost souls himself. "Most of them are never found."


    Ms. McLeod leaned forward in her chair, her brow furrowed with concern. "And that is what scares you? Or is that fear Sarah will be one of those people that are never found?"


    He considered this for a moment. "It scares me that they have no leads. For the longest time, I thought I was the charge-into-action type when I was afraid but now I feel like I freezing up. I know it is a natural response and can actually be helpful to prevent being seen by a predator. But I can''t freeze up, not now."


    "Why can''t you let yourself freeze for a moment, like you said it is a natural response to being afraid." The counselor''s voice was gentle but probing. "Giving yourself a moment to collect yourself after experiencing such a traumatic event last week, is not a bad thing."


    Rob shook his head firmly. "Because she could still be out there, Sarah could be out there right now plotting her next move."


    "Right, isn''t there a special task force tracking her down?" Ms. McLeod continued, "I can tell you with full confidence that you will never have to worry about Sarah again, let the police worry about her and everything will work out."


    "How can you be so sure?" Rob hesitated, recalling the disturbing images. "Do you know what they found on Sarah''s computer? She''d photoshopped herself into a bunch of photos with Deb, making it look like they were holding hands or kissing. Based on all this, I think Sarah is insane enough to try to kill us again."


    "Have you talked to your friends about your concerns?" Ms. McLeod asked as she scribbled some notes down in her open book.


    "Actually, I haven''t talked to anyone much is we were attacked at Lindsey''s." He paused, remembering the recent events. "Zack has his own problems to worry about. Kenzie has been avoiding him entirely, he''s tried going to her room every night this week."


    "That must really hurt him?"


    "It does," Rob answered, rubbing his temples. "He just stands at her door asking her to talk to him, begging to explain. I don''t think she is ready to accept what happened in that house. The only other person I could talk to was Deb; she''s not speaking to anyone right now. It''s her choice though. The death of Father Bill hit her hard, and she has changed, she is colder now."


    "She has lost a lot this year in a very short time," Ms. McLeod said softly. "Perhaps what is best for her is giving her the space and time she needs to grieve before trying to reestablish your friendship."


    Rob nodded, his grip on the stress ball tightening once more. He peered out the window wondering if Deb would ever actually speak to them again.


    -----


    Deb sat in her car, the chilly air causing her breath to fog up the windows. As the condensation spread, she noticed faint words etched into the mist on the glass – "12:00 PLEASE." A message from Zack. She quickly wiped away the moisture, erasing the plea along with it. She couldn''t bear to see Zack she felt so angry with him for protecting Ethel, for siding with the woman who killed Father Bill. Taking another breath she stepped out of the vehicle and made her way to the parish.


    Upon entering the church basement, Deb found Jessica hunched over a table, engrossed in studying a series of maps that covered Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo. The maps were marked with a grid pattern, several squares bearing an X. Deb''s eyes zeroed in on one unmarked square at the very center of the map – Lux Towers.


    "Have you found her?" Deb asked, her voice echoing in the dimly lit space.


    "Maybe," Jessica replied, not looking up from the maps. "But listen, Deb, we need to talk one on one. I have something I really need to share with you, it''s about Father Bill."


    "Not now, we need to focus on our mission," Deb muttered, her mind racing with thoughts of finally confronting Ethel face to face.


    Jessica didn''t say anything else, she knew Deb was still processing everything that had happened. But Jessica was worried, Deb had completely disconnected from her friends and spent every free moment with Pablo plotting the takedown of Ethel''s covenant.


    -----


    Back in therapy, Rob continued to squeeze his stress ball, as he discussed his other friends'' current states. " And I can''t talk to Boon, we have never actually been real friends," he confessed to Ms. McLeod. "That just leaves me with Ahmed, and after everything he has been through would it really be fair to drag him into any of this."


    "Maybe you two could actually bond over your shared experiences, talking to Ahmed could help you both process your trauma" Ms. McLeod suggested.


    "I guess," He shook his head. "Though coach has had us too busy to talk to anyone anyway. There is this basketball game for charity that he''s planned."


    Ms. McLeod nodded slowly, her gaze penetrating. She then turned the conversation to the charity basketball game. She hoped discussing a less stressful topic would allow Rob to destress a little.


    "But you must be looking forward to being back on the court?" she explained. "I know both you and Zack love the game." She paused, then steered the topic back to Rob. "You have worked hard to earn your place on that team."


    "Right but I haven''t been playing well," Rob began hesitantly, his fingers digging into the stress ball until it looked like it might burst. "I haven''t been sleeping well either. I''m jumpy all the time and I can''t shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen."


    The counselor leaned forward, her eyes filled with concern. "It sounds like you''re experiencing hypervigilance, Rob. It''s a common symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder – a persistent feeling of being under threat."


    "Under threat?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "It''s more than just a feeling. It''s my reality and I am too scared to do anything about it."


    "Ah," Ms. McLeod nodded, connecting the dots. "This takes us back to our earlier discussion about freezing up when under threat. Perhaps, as a metaphor, you should hide and freeze. It might give you more time to escape or get rescued."


    Rob scowled, unconvinced. "And what if they find me before I make my move? What if they get to my friends before I can think of a solution?"


    "All those thoughts are fair but they are just distractions. The longer you spend fighting them, the less time you will have to focus on your real problem," Ms. McLeod replied, quoting Winston Churchill. "If you''re going through hell, keep going."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    -----


    Meanwhile, in Zack''s dorm room, he stepped out of his shower, steam billowing around him. He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out into the bedroom to the sound of a strange hissing noise.


    He held his breath as he scanned the room and found the Familiar''s aura clinging to the wall, its arm wrapped around Kenzie''s throat, suspending her above the floor. Pablo sat on Rob''s bed, smirking at Zack''s obvious distress.


    "I wouldn''t do anything stupid," Pablo chuckled as Zack flicked them out his claws in an instinctive response. "You and I need to have a little chat. You haven''t been answering my calls, so I thought a more direct approach was in order." He gestured to the Familiar. "I have been nothing but patient with you, now you are going to tell me exactly where Ethel is hiding."


    "Honesty I don''t know where she is," Zack replied as he struggled to maintain his composure, his eye never leaving Kenzie. "She always comes to me."


    "Is that so?" Pablo shrugged, his eyes cold and calculating. "Then I suggest you arrange another meeting, I would hate to have to take the life of this promising young woman."


    Zack looked over to Kenzie, who was starting to turn blue. "Ok, I will and I will let you know when and where it is happening. Just let her go!"


    Pablo looked deep into Zack''s eyes as if he were trying to read his mind. With a nod, Pablo and the Familiar left the room and Kenzie collapsed to the floor, trembling and gasping for breath. Her eyes wide with terror, she whispered, "I don''t understand what''s happening, Zack. What was that thing? And what have you gotten yourself into?" the terror was clear in her voice.


    "Kenzie, it''s complicated," Zack tried to explain, but she cut him off.


    "Please, just give Pablo whatever he wants," she begged, tears streaming down her face. "I can''t go through this again."


    Zack went to comfort her but she pulled back. He clenched his fists, feeling powerless. "I don''t know if I can," he whispered, deep down he knew turning over Ethel would be like signing her death warrant.


    -----


    The cold, moonlit forest seemed to come alive as Olivia and Kristian walked side by side, their breath visible in the crisp night air. They had come to enjoy their night hikes, the only time it was really safe for them to be outside on their own. Suddenly their sense were put on high alert, and they could feel it - an overwhelming, powerful aura that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.


    "Can you feel that?" Olivia whispered, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and curiosity. "Could that be the aura of another sin?"


    Kristian nodded, his gaze scanning the shadowy trees around them. "It''s so strong... Do you think it could be a whole other covenant?"


    "Maybe," she replied hesitantly, clutching her coat tighter. "We should head back and tell Ethel."


    At her apartment, Ethel sat at her kitchen table, buried in a pile of old books and scrolls when Olivia and Kristian burst through the door.


    "Ethel, we need to talk," Kristian announced, his voice filled with urgency.


    "OK," Ethel replied, looking up from her research. "What''s going on?"


    Olivia took a deep breath before explaining, "We were just in the woods for a walk, and we felt this incredibly powerful aura. We think it could be another sin or maybe even a whole new covenant."


    "Another covenant?" Ethel asked, raising an eyebrow. "That seems unlikely. But I''ll look into it. You two should stick together and stay close to home for now."


    Olivia and Kristian shot each other concerned looks. "Let us look into this new covenant," Kristian declared. "John is busy tracking the exorcists and you are working on the Familiar problem. Let us take care of this one."


    "Are you sure?" Ethel interjected, her face growing pale. "I mean are you really sure? It might not be what you think it is. Some Supremes can control and intensify their auras to make it seem like there are more vessels in their covenant. They do this to lure in lone vessels."


    "We''ll be careful" Olivia insisted, exchanging a glance with Kristian. Both of them were tired of being sidelined by Ethel.


    "Just don''t get too close," Ethel insisted, her voice wavering slightly. "Trust your vessel instincts and stay together."


    Olivia and Kristian nodded in agreement, excited by the chance to find others like them. They eagerly returned to the woods determined to discover the truth behind what they were sensing.


    No sooner had the door closed behind Olivia and Kristian, than a sudden gust of wind blew through Ethel''s living room. The pages of her open books fluttered wildly as Kyle appeared before her, his grey eyes cold and calculating.


    "You don''t call first?" Ethel spat, hurling a dull knife at him with frightening speed.


    In the blink of an eye, Kyle caught it just an inch from his throat, smirking triumphantly. "Now, now, Ethel," he chided. "Is that any way to greet the only other person who understands your loss?"


    Ethel glared at him, her fists clenched by her sides. "You have no right to be here, I believe that last time we talked you tried to kill me."


    "Fair point," Kyle conceded, "but I came to offer my help. You''re clearly struggling as a Supreme—I mean only one of your vessels has unlocked their secondary ability, that''s just sad."


    "Did you forget you were the one who turned them into vessels," Ethel snarled, her anger barely contained. She knew Kyle was here to help out of the goodness of his heart.


    "Face it, Ethel," Kyle continued, his voice dripping with condescension. "You need me. As Gluttony, I can teach you more about power than you could ever imagine."


    In a flash of rage, Ethel lunged forward and punched him across the room, sending him crashing into a bookshelf. Books cascaded down around him as he struggled to regain his composure.


    "Fine," he grumbled, pushing himself up from the wreckage. "Have it your way. I will wait for you to come begging for my help, it is only a matter of time."


    With that, he vanished as quickly as he''d appeared, leaving Ethel seething in the silence of her home. She was surprised he didn''t try to kill her to take his power back, and then a thought crossed her mind. Was it possible that being resurrected drained his power even more?


    -----


    At Night School, John had tracked Zack down as he served shots to a birthday party. He could feel the rift developing in his covenant and knew he couldn''t talk about it with Ethel. Zack brought him back behind the bar to talk. "I don''t know what to do, Olivia and Kristian are talking about leaving Ethel and finding a new Supreme" he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "They are tired of hiding and they want me to go with them. I need your advice, Zack, because I trust you."


    "John," Zack said, his eyes filled with compassion. "I don''t know what the right answer is here. I honestly have no idea what I''m doing most of the time."


    "Still," John pressed on, "I feel like I''m being pulled in two different directions and I thought you of all people would know how that feels. I mean the draw to follow Gluttony was so strong but you still chose a different path." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "How did you know it was right for you?"


    Zack took a moment to think about it. "I''ll say this," he replied, deep in thought. "I stuck to my morals and my friends chose to help me. If we are a covenant it is because we choose to fight for the same goals. Before you make your choice you need to figure out what your beliefs are." John thought talking to Zack would help him decide but instead, it just left him with more questions.


    -----


    That Saturday the sound of sneakers squeaking against the polished gym floor echoed down the empty hallway, mingling with the distant whispers of fans and donors awaiting the upcoming basketball game. Zack ran some drills while keeping his eye out for Boon, he wasn''t sure if Boon would even show up to the game since he missed most of the practices. But with Pablo seated in the audience, he was sure that if Boon did show up he way try to attack Kristian.


    As Boon came out of the changing room late, Leona caught him in the hallway, "Boon!" Leona shouted, her voice tinged with concern and frustration. "Where the hell have you been? Have you heard about Sarah, can you believe what they are saying about her?"


    From his blank stare, Boon''s muffled reply came: "Sorry, I just...I''m just not feeling like myself recently."


    "Clearly," Leona said, exasperated. "We should be going through this together, it''s dangerous to isolate yourself when shit like this happens. What''s going on?"


    "Leona, listen," Boon said, his voice strained. "You need to stay away from me tonight. Something''s not right, and I don''t want you getting hurt."


    "Boon, you''re scaring me," Leona replied, her eyes widening in alarm. "What are you talking about?"


    "Promise me, Leona," Boon insisted, his emerald eyes intense and imploring. "If I run towards the audience during the game, you run the other way—fast."


    "Boon, that''s crazy talk!" Leona protested. "Why would you even say something like that?"


    "Please, just promise me," Boon whispered, his fingers gripping the doorframe tightly. "I can''t explain it right now, but...just trust me on this."


    Leona hesitated for a moment, her gaze darting between Boon''s desperate expression and the gym beyond. Finally, she let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Alright, Boon...I promise."


    "Thank you," Boon said, some of the tension leaving his face as Leona''s words registered. He gave her a weak smile before staggering down the hallway and onto the court.


    Zack noticed Boon the moment he entered the gym, running a hand through his short blonde hair as he considered his options. Right now there was no sign of Kristian or any of Ethel''s covenant. Would Pablo still try something if none of his intended targets were at the game? How could he break Pablo''s control over Boon before he forces Boon to kill again?


    "Think, Zack, think," he muttered under his breath, his blue eyes scanning the crowd as if they were going to shout out the answer. He needed to save Boon before someone else used him as a weapon.