AvaChris’s revelation hit us all like a ton of bricks. The room went eerily silent, all of our eyes widening in unison.“But… But I saw you,” I muttered, shaking my head with disbelief. “Chris, I saw you walk past—”“Ava, I never left the main area of the house. We promised we wouldn’t leave the co
“These tarts are delicious, Ava,” Betty said, taking another bite. “Did you make them yourself?”I nodded, smiling. “I did. I love to cook and bake. It’s always been a passion of mine.”“Me too,” Betty said, her eyes lighting up for the first time since our game of manhunt. “I actually worked at the
AvaI blinked in surprise at Chris’s suggestion, my eyebrows shooting up. “A seance? Since when are you into that kind of stuff?”Chris rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit sheepish. “I just think it could be helpful in figuring out whatever’s going on here.”There was a brief silence, during
As we sat down in the circle, Chris spoke softly, the candles casting moving shadows on one side of his face.“Okay, everyone join hands and close your eyes,” he said. “Try to clear your minds and focus on the energy around us. It’s important to stay calm and open, not scared. If you show fear, you
AvaThe knock on the door made us all jump, our hands breaking apart as we scrambled to our feet. Betty let out a terrified squeak, clinging to Fabian’s arm like a lifeline.“I-It’s them,” she whispered, her eyes wide with fear and her finger shaking as she pointed at the door. “The demons are here!
“I don’t understand,” I said, crossing my arms. “How can we be sure you’re telling the truth? This all sounds... well, crazy.”The witch fixed me with a piercing stare, her dark eyes seeming to look right through me. “You saw the white figure, didn’t you? Felt the chill in the air? Surely you’ve see
Ava“Your mother lied to you, Ava; spirits are real. And it’s okay to be afraid.”My eyes widened at the mention of my mother. “How do you know about that?” I hissed, wrenching my arm away.Zara released her grip on my wrist, her expression inscrutable. “I saw it in my scrying glass,” she said simpl
“I... I don’t know,” I admitted finally. “I guess I never thought about it that way.”Chris squeezed my hand gently. “I’m not trying to shake your beliefs or anything,” he reassured me. “But you taught me yourself how important it is to keep an open mind.”I nodded, still lost in thought. We continu