Ashley Turner''s breath fogged in the chill as she searched the trash can for anything worth selling. Her thick brown hair spilled over her face, as she dug through it. She was pulled from her search by the scraping sound approaching her, she whipped her head around just in time to them — a predatory glow of navy blue eyes.


    "Can''t control it..... run!" a voice rasped, the figure lurking forward from the shadow. Kristian''s silhouette was tall, his skin still a deep blue colour.


    Ashley bolted, sneakers slipping on the wet cement, but her terror pushed her forward. The trash cans clattered as she brushed past them, throwing the odd one down behind her to slow her attacker. But Kristian was too fast; he ran along the wall, closing the space between them.


    Kristian growled as his claws raked through the air, catching Ahsley''s back. A sharp cry tore from Ashley''s lips before she crumpled to the ground, the pain blinding, all-consuming.


    "Please don''t!" She begged, her voice was a hoarse whisper, fading with her consciousness. But it was no use Kristian continued to slash at her.


    A distant crash echoed through the alleyway, seemingly snapping Kristian back to reality for only a moment. He began to shake, seeing what he had done, and then, he fled the scene.


    ---


    "The sun will be up in an hour and we still haven''t found him," Zack''s voice crackled through the phone, frustration clear as he tried to sense Kristian''s aura. He walked through the streets, careful not to miss a single dark parking lot or empty building. "If someone sees him the way he is now... We need to regroup and figure out a way to bring him to us."


    "I agree," Ethel replied, scanning the alleyway for signs of Kristian. "I think he may be heading toward Waterloo, he is running on instinct and Waterloo was his home."


    "Ok, I will let the others know and we will all head that way. Meet up at the university if we find nothing." Zack said before hanging up.


    Stoic as always, Ethel knelt beside Ashley, whose breaths were shallow and ragged. With a shaky hand, Ethel traced a symbol on the girl''s forehead, searing it into her. The mark seeped into Ashley''s skin, her wounds began to heal as her breathing eased.


    "I''m sorry about what he did to you," Ethel whispered, as she scooped the young woman up off the ground. "I promise you, I will make sure you are never the victim again."


    Ethel knew that Zack would never forgive himself or her if anyone died because of Kristian tonight. Looking down at the young woman in her arms, she prayed that no one else would end up in his way.


    "I will save you, Kristian," Ethel affirmed, making her way back to the street. "And then you can make it up to her."


    ---


    Ahmed hummed the solemn tune, as he weaved through the streets of Waterloo. Even with his eyes glossed over in his trance-like state, he slipped between pedestrians and darted across streets just as traffic lights shifted from green to yellow. The song led him deeper into the city, all the while he followed Nemo''s ghostly form.


    "You''re here," Nemo muttered under his breath, as he faded from existence. With a jolt, the trance shattered, leaving Ahmed standing in an alley reeking of stale beer and vomit. The White Rabbit''s neon sign buzzed overhead, as the fog lifted from his view. It was then he saw it: a human shape wrapped in a blanket lying next to the dumpster.


    "Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead," he whispered, approaching the shape slowly. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the cold plastic of a manikin. A sigh escaped him, one cut short by the sticky warmth coating his palm. Blood. His eyes followed the crimson trail leading to a gruesome discovery—a mummified corpse propped against the dumpster. Ahmed gasped and stumbled backward, reaching for his phone.


    ---


    Meanwhile, Deb sat in her car, flipping one of her daggers through her fingers as she thought about what Zack said. Zack''s voice echoed in her head, recounting how Father Bill tried to kill that night a the rave, how Ethel tried to save Father Bill''s life by turning him into a vessel.


    "Father..." Deb''s whisper was a ghostly plea for clarity. She shook her head, banishing the images of the man she thought was perfect. A decision roared to life within her, as she tucked her blade away. Her hand moved with purpose, retrieving the keys from the glove box, and the vehicle roared to life. She didn''t know what she was, but she would never call herself an exorcist again.


    ---


    Flames danced in Shannon''s eyes as she told a tale of spectres and curses, her voice sent shivers through the spine of her only listener. Across from her, Madison sat on the edge of her seat, occasionally tossing another log onto the fire, as she hid under her blanket. There was a small rustling in the bushes nearby.


    "Did you hear that?" Madison whispered as she tried to peer through the darkness.


    "Probably just a squirrel with a taste for dramatic timing," Shannon laughed, but her gaze couldn''t help but drift to the source of the sound.


    "Shh, look!" Madison hissed, pointing to a figure lurking at the edge of the clearing. A young man, with perfectly blue eyes, stumbled out of the bushes with his phone held out in front of him.


    "Hey! Can we help you?" Shannon called out, drawing his attention to them.


    "Oh, shit, sorry. I hope I didn''t scare you or anything," the stranger replied, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. "I''m a bit lost, and this stupid GPS isn''t working out here."


    "Not much works out here," Shannon muttered, she walked toward the man, "I can show you the way back to the parking lot, I know these woods pretty well."


    "Wait, Shan—" Madison began, but Shannon was already striding forward.


    "Call for help if I''m not back in five," she threw over her shoulder.


    As they walked, the young man pulled a micky from his jacket pocket, he took a sip before offering the bottle to Shannon. Shannon hesitated for a moment before, before taking the bottle. Her whole body fighting her mind to take a sip. "Are you ok?" the man asked, eyeing her suspiciously


    "Uh, yeah... I just haven''t drank in a while, that''s all," Shannon raised the bottle to her lips before taking a gulp, under the man''s watchful eye.


    "You didn''t have to do that," he said, his eyes suddenly aglow with a malevolent ruby red. "You didn''t have to give in so easily, Shannon. It would have been more fun if you hadn''t."


    Before Shannon knew what was going on, the roots of the trees ensnared her legs and she was dragged into the shadows.


    Back at the fire, Madison dialled frantically, her hands shaking. "Come on, come on," she urged the silent phone.


    A rustling sounded from the trees, heavy breathing accompanying the approach of a hulking figure. She peered through the dark, trying to make out who it was.


    "Shannon?" Madison turned her phone flashlight on and aimed it in the figure''s direction. Kristian stood before her, claws extended and fangs bared. Madison let out a scream as she stumbled back over her camp chair.


    John burst from the foliage, muscles tensed and eyes fierce. "Get away from her!" he bellowed, launching himself at Kristian.


    Kristian caught him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, before lifting him up and sending him sailing back into the trees. Then Zack appeared, his eyes glowing pink, a log he lifted with his telekinesis slammed into Kristian''s chest, sending him sprawling.


    "Don''t just stand there, run!" Zack commanded Madison, his blonde hair sticking to his brow, as he looked down at the girl.


    Before she could respond, Ethel emerged, racing toward Kristian. Kristian, recognizing the challenge, fled into the night.


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    "Go, now!" Zack pressed, and Madison needed no further prompting. She sprinted, stumbling through the underbrush, leaving behind the still-burning fire at the campsite.


    "Stay safe," Zack murmured to the forest, before turning to join the hunt once more, he hoped that they would catch Kristian before he could do any real harm.


    ---


    The neon sign of the White Rabbit bar buzzed in the humid night, as Rob pulled up behind the bar. Rob’s boots crunched on broken glass as he approached Ahmed, who stood motionless, shock etched into his features.


    "Show me," Rob said placing a hand on Ahmed''s shoulder, he tried to remain calm but knew what he was about to see.


    Wordlessly, Ahmed pointed towards the dumpster where the body lay slumped, almost like a prop at a haunted house. The man''s skin was like leather, and his wide eyes were hollow and empty.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this. We need to call Ethel and Zack right away," Rob muttered, running a hand through his hair.


    "I also called the cops, this is just too crazy," Ahmed shivered, unable to look away from the body.


    "Well, that doesn''t give us much time then," pulling out his phone to dial Zack, Rob tried to find the right words for this one. "Zack, we''ve got a situation down at the Rabbit. There''s a mummified body here."


    "Could it have been Kristian?" Zack’s voice crackled through the speaker, laced with worry. "He can control water, can he pull it from a body?"


    Bending down, Rob examined the body, noting the victim''s clothes were untouched, with not a claw mark in the site. A stamp from the bar was on the back of his hand, the ink smudged but readable. He relayed the details to Zack, who fell silent for a beat too long.


    "I don''t think that''s him then," Zack finally said, his tone betraying his doubts.


    "Ok, but if it isn''t him then we have another problem here," Rob gestured at the body, even though Zack couldn’t see.


    "Right now our main concern should be Kristian. He''s the one out of control," Ethel''s voice cut in from the other end of the line, her skepticism clear.


    "Oh great, I''m on speaker aren''t I?" Rob asked, rolling his eyes. "You know Ethel, a dead body is still a pretty big deal."


    "Rob''s right, we can''t just ignore it," Zack''s voice cracked.


    "I''m not saying we ignore it, I am saying we put a pin in it for now," Ethel’s voice was clearly annoyed with the whole conversation.


    "Alright," Rob interjected, "Ahmed and I will handle this. You two find Kristian and turn him back to normal."


    "Are you sure?" Zack pressed, his concern was clear. "I can be there in a few."


    "Zack, we need your strength to capture Kristian," Ethel reminded him, her voice firm. "You need to be here."


    "Ethel''s right," Rob pointed out, eyes never leaving the lifeless body. “You take care of the supernatural problem.”


    "Our only issue is just how fast Kristian has become," Ethel said, as she thought about how they could capture the man.


    "Maybe we need to change our approach," Zack suggested. "Stop chasing him."


    "So like what? we set a trap for a rabid animal?" John’s voice joined the fray, his skepticism clear.


    "Kind of," Zack said slowly, an idea beginning to form. "We find someone who knows how to set a trap for an out-of-control vessel."


    "Sounds like you have someone in mind," Rob said, as he thought about their options. "You really think there is someone we know who can do that, someone we trust?"


    "Trust isn''t the word I would use," Zack replied, more to himself than to the others. "But I know they can do it." With that, he ended the call.


    ---


    The damp earth of the forest floor sloshed beneath Detective Mike''s boots as he circled Madison, his keen eyes scanning her jittery demeanour. Officer Lindsey stood a few paces away, her notebook in hand, scribbling furiously as Madison recounted the night''s events.


    "Alright, Madison," Lindsey started, her voice calm and authoritative, "you mentioned taking ecstasy with Shannon. It''s not uncommon for MDMA to cause hallucinations."


    Madison nodded, her lower lip quivering. "I know... but I swear, this guy came out of the bushes and took Shannon. And then these glowing-eyed monsters showed up and attacked me."


    "I''m sure what you saw felt real," Lindsey suggested, her gaze never wavering. She made a mental note to send the girl to the hospital. Confirming what substances were involved could shed light on these alleged glowing eyes.


    "Mike," she said quietly after ensuring Madison was safely on her way to an ambulance. "They did find a wallet belonging to a Shannon Wright in the tent. I can''t shake the feeling something terrible happened here."


    "Let''s get the girl sobered up first," Mike replied, his voice a low rumble. "Then we''ll reassess the ''glowing eyes'' situation."


    ---


    Meanwhile, in the parking lot of a twenty-four-hour convenience store, Jessica''s fingers brushed against the smooth metal of her car as she loaded groceries into the back of her yellow Beetle. The sudden crash of a bag hitting the pavement startled her, and she cursed under her breath as a dozen eggs met their untimely end. As she reached down to salvage what remained, a presence caused her to whip around, gun drawn in a swift motion that spoke of experience.


    "Whoa, Jessica!" Zack exclaimed, holding his hands up defensively, his eyes wide with fear.


    From a nearby car, Ethel peered through the windshield, her dark eyes betraying her skepticism. "This isn''t going to work," she muttered, almost to herself.


    John shifted in his seat, eyeing Jessica from a distance before asking nonchalantly, "So this whole ignoring the people who tried to kill us going to be a common thing now?"


    The stern look Ethel shot him was enough to make John clear his throat, abruptly changing the subject. "I guess if Zack trusts her she can''t be all bad."


    "Keep focused," Ethel bit back, her gaze still locked on Jessica and Zack.


    "Right," John mumbled, still unable to sit still in his chair.


    "Listen, Zack," Jessica began, lowering the firearm slowly, as she realized who it was. "Whatever you want, I''m not—"


    "I just want you to listen," Zack cut in, his voice barely above a whisper. He tilted his head, as if tuning into a frequency only he could hear. "Greed is here, and he did something to Kristian. He is out of control."


    "Another sin is here?" Jessica seemed to be considering the information, her earlier irritation giving way to curiosity. "And you have no idea what they did to Kristian?"


    "Well we have a theory," Zack replied dryly. "We think Greed might have force-fed him some of his blood. We can''t seem to catch him on our own."


    "Dammit, Zack," Jessica sighed, holstering her gun. "I''m not an exorcist anymore. After everything with Abby and Pablo, I needed out."


    "I know and I''m sorry I have you ask you this," Zack whispered with a sidelong glance. "Help us stop Kristian and protect the city, and I won''t ask for your help again."


    "Fine, I will help you this one time," Jessica retorted, standing up to meet Zack''s gaze. "Give me the rundown. I need to know everything that happened so far."


    "Deal," Zack said, a hint of relief in his tone. "And Jessica? Thanks."


    "Save it until after we''ve caught him," she replied, her tone all business once again. "With any luck, it was a simple blood poisoning that will wear off eventually."


    With a nod from Zack, Ethel pulled away from the curb, she turned to John, her expression unreadable. "Keep an eye on her. We can''t afford any more mistakes."


    "You think Jessica will try something?" John asked as they drove. "Zack doesn''t seem to think so."


    "Zack is too optimistic," Ethel murmured, her gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun rose. "He doesn''t see the danger coming until it is too late."


    "He stopped Gluttony and Wrath," John muttered, his eyes never leaving Ethel''s. "Seems to me like he knows what he''s doing."


    "He got lucky," Ethel admitted, she looked back in her rearview mirror to make sure Jessica and Zack were following them. She could feel a shiver snake down her spine when she made brief eye contact with Jessica. "Eventually luck runs out," she said pointedly.


    As they followed Ethel''s car, Zack couldn''t help but ask his burning question. "Why did you leave the exorcists?" Zack looked over at Jessica, his voice confused. "I mean I know Abby and Pablo were monsters. But doesn''t quitting mean that they won?"


    Jessica''s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, her arm lowering as if the weight of her memories was dragging it down. "I watched Pablo play god with Deb''s mind," she said, her voice cracking with emotion she couldn''t suppress. "I thought we were saving people—that we protected them—but we killed innocent people...our code was a lie."


    "A lie?" Zack''s brows knitted together, as he thought about it. "You followed that code and you were nothing like them? Jessica, you could have killed me, like a hundred times over but you didn''t."


    "It doesn''t matter," Her words were bitter. "They corrupted the exorcists and poisoned it, being an exorcist now means turning a blind eye to that darkness,"


    "I''m sorry," Zack whispered. "I know what it''s like to feel like you are the monster in the story. After this, I hope you can find your peace again."


    "Thank you, Zack," she said, never taking her eyes from the road. "Of all my regrets, keeping you alive isn''t one of them."


    "Thanks, I think,"


    Jessica paused, her gaze wandering past Zack, where a couple holding onto each other for dear life wept over a body bag being loaded into an ambulance.


    "Text Ethel and tell her to take a right," she finally whispered. "We are going to bring Kristian to us, and we are going to do it my way."


    "Deal." Zack''s relief was palpable. "Where should I tell her we are going?"


    "We are going to Green Acre Park," Jessica responded as she turned down a side street. When they reached their destination she turned to the Zack, Ethel and John, their faces etched with concern and determination.


    "Listen up," Jessica began, her voice taking on an authoritative tone. "You''re all wasting a ton of energy suppressing your demon sides. It''s a distraction. A wall. You can''t detect the small traces of aura around you if you are focusing on staying human."


    Ethel glanced at John, both of them suddenly attentive. Zack looked on, eager to learn.


    "What you need to do to find Kristian is to let go. Become the demons you are, so you can feel his emotions, sense every change in his temperament...it is what he is doing to avoid all of you."


    "Are you saying we should just become animals like him?" John asked skeptically.


    "Not exactly," Jessica reasoned. "I am suggesting you let your guard down, just a little, so you can track your target."


    "Even blood carries some aura," Jessica continued, as paced in front of them. "Pain, fear...it''s like a beacon. If you want to draw him out, so he stops running from you. You need to fake your pain."


    "Ok but once we have him, what do we do?" Zack asked, a hint of concern lacing his words.


    "Well we contain him," Jessica replied with a wry smile. "then all we have to do is wait it out."


    As if on cue, a rustling sounded from the underbrush. They all turned, and Jessica reached for her sidearm, preparing for whatever was coming their way.


    "Whatever comes out of there," Jessica said, her eyes sharp. "Stand your ground."


    All the while, unbeknownst to them, Deb stood at a distance, her own blade pressed against her pale skin. With a determined breath, she drew the dagger across her arm, her blood dripping onto the forest floor, an offering to the unseen.