Ahmed''s knees shook as he wedged himself into the corner as far as he could, his gaze locked onto Jake''s smug smile, who was still taking in the death of Amanda. Jake looked up from the bodies and made his way over to Ahmed, inspecting him.


    "Just get it over with" Ahmed''s voice was barely above a whisper as he felt the man''s breath on his ear. Ahmed''s whole body trembled but he never looked away from Jake.


    "I''m not going to kill you, I still need you," Jake patted him on the head. "I need you to use that Siren call of yours" The charm in his voice was unsettling.


    With a dramatic flourish, Jake pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing his true face. It wasn''t human; it was monstrous, with unending scar tissue and hollow eyes. Ahmed gasped, his brown eyes glazed over as if entranced, and then, he began to sing.


    The haunting melody floated out through the cracked window, snaking its way down the street where Ethel and Ashley were driving in silence. The notes reached Ethel''s ear, causing her to ease off the gas.


    "We need to go back," Ethel said quietly as if talking to herself. Ashley looked up at her confused, noting the fear in Ethel''s eyes had been replaced by something else.


    "What''s wrong, you know Amanda will be waiting for us if we go back,"


    "We won''t have to worry about Amanda anymore," Ethel stated, listening to the song only she could hear. She twisted the wheel hard, sending them back toward the safe house, the whole time Ethel hoped she wasn''t too late.


    ---


    Deep in the woods, the snowstorm seemed more like a thick fog, threatening to swallow Deb, Zack, and John whole. They trudged forward, flakes whipping around them like tiny blades.


    "Rob should''ve called by now," Zack grumbled, checking his phone for the sixth time.


    "I''m sure he''s fine," John replied, rubbing his hands together to warm up. "Knowing him, he''s found them all already,"


    They plunged deeper into the woods, the trees seemed to appear out of nowhere in the snow.


    "So when is Greed joining us?" John asked.


    "I called him on the way here, he won''t turn down the opportunity to get rid of Lust," Zack peered through the snow, sensing a powerful aura coming their way.


    A figure appeared in front of the white background, Danny came into view, he strode forward as if he could see through the whiteout.


    "Where is your covenant?" Zack asked, noting the absence of Amanda, Kenneth and Brian.


    "I''m afraid they had a matter they needed to attend to," Danny replied coolly, adjusting his jacket.


    "You can''t be serious, we are going to need everyone to do this," Zack protested.


    "Zack, you know Amanda, she had to make good on her word tonight. We don''t need them, you and I will make the perfect team," Danny assured him, as the wind picked up.


    "John," Zack turned, his voice carrying the weight of command, "Go with Deb, Rob might need help at the cave. When the others are safe come find us,"


    "But Zack, it will just be you with two sins," John''s attempt at levity fell flat, his brow furrowed in worry.


    "Trust me," Zack said, their eyes met and John could feel a new energy, he nodded believing in Zack.


    ---


    Back at the safe house, Ethel and Ashley kicked open the door. Amanda, Kenneth, and Brian lay sprawled across the floor, their bodies still and lifeless. Jake stood next to Ahmed, his hand on his shoulder placing him between himself and Ethel.


    "Well, welcome home," Jake purred and Ethel took in the deaths surrounding her with little emotion. "I got you a little welcome home gift, unfortunately, I just didn''t have the time to wrap it."


    "Save it, Jake," Ethel cut him off sharply. "Take your hand off of him,"


    "I''m not going to kill him, do you really think that little of me?" Jake feigned insult. "I just need some leverage to ensure you listen to me. Greed and your friend Zack are waiting to kill me, I need your help."


    "My help?" Ethel scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I''m no Supreme anymore."


    "Doesn''t matter," Jake countered smoothly, stepping closer. "I just need you to get Danny in the right spot at the right time,"


    "Why do you need me for that?" Ethel muttered, turning away from his intense gaze.


    "Because two against one isn''t a fair fight," Jake retorted, "Plus Zack could have his covenant there."


    "Look around, Jake," Ethel drew his attention to Amanda''s body, "you''ve already downed three Supremes without breaking a sweat. Zack''s covenant isn''t a threat to you," She shook her head.


    "Ah, but Danny is no ordinary sin," Jake replied, keeping his grip tight on Ahmed. "He is more like me than you know. He has travelled the globe for decades and you think he only found four Supremes? No, once they are at their peak he drains until they are nothing," His eyes locked onto hers, as if willing her to understand the gravity of his words.


    "So now you are evenly matched, seems like a fair fight to me," Ethel shot back.


    Jake''s lips curled into a sly smirk. "Since when do sins fight fair? I didn''t just kill all those people for fun, they gave me something, a temporary power," He let the last word hang in the air, heavy with implication.


    "Again why do you need me? If this power is as special as you say it is," Ethel pointed out, her tone dripping with disdain.


    "It has a limited range, so need to distract so I can get close. Do this for me..." Jake smiled, his gaze unflinching. "And I will return my hostages,"


    "You expect me to fall for that?" Ethel scoffed, turning away to hide the flicker of temptation in her eyes.


    ---


    In the heart of the storm, Deb and John forged ahead, attempting to peer through the snow to find the sacred stones. "Can''t see anything through this damn snow," John grumbled, frustration etching lines across his forehead.


    "I know I could find it. I just need to be able to see a little more clearly," Deb scanned the area, worried they would be too late.


    Just then, John felt an aura—it was weak and felt strange. "Wait. That''s... it''s an aura emitter," He turned his head to follow the trail, tugging at Deb''s sleeve. Together, they navigated toward the weak beacon until a cave began to take shape in the distance.


    "We found it," Deb breathed, as they peered into the mouth of the cave, it trembled ever so slightly.


    "We better hurry," John urged, leading the way into the cave system which continued to shake, stones dropped from the ceiling as it crumpled.


    As they squeezed around a narrow corner, Jessica came into view of Deb''s phone light. "Deb! Thank God," she exclaimed, turning to see them.


    "Where are Zack and Rob?" Lindsey''s question came out in a rush, noticing they weren''t with them.


    "Rob isn''t here yet?" Deb looked around the space, she shared a worried look with John before trying to untie Jessica''s restraints.


    "You two are the first to get here," Kenzie said softly, as John used his claws to cut her free.


    "So you don''t know where Rob and Zack are?" Lindsey asked, clearly concerned.


    "Zack is fighting Jake, and Rob should be here any moment," Deb promised, though she couldn''t hide the worry written all over her face.


    ---


    Back at the apartment, Ashley helped Ahmed to the door, both wondering what would happen now that Ethel was with Jake. Brian''s body twitched, a subtle jerk of motion, while Kenneth''s chest heaved with a sudden gasp.


    "Wait—Ashley, they''re alive!" Ahmed cried out, shock colouring his voice.


    "Holy shit! what do we do?" Ashley asked, racing back to the pair.


    "We need Paulina, she''s the only one not fighting that can save their lives," Ahmed said, reaching for his phone.


    ---


    Meanwhile, Zack stood outside the old shack, where he had once locked up Boon, his phone held steady as he recorded a message for Jake. "It''s time to end this, Greed and I are the place where this all began,"


    "Clever but unnecessary, he''s already on his way," Danny dusted off an old chair and took a seat.


    "How would he know where you are?"


    "Simple really," Danny admitted with a wry smile. "I let him,"


    "Your aura?" Zack said, the wooden boards of the wall creaked as he leaned against them.


    "That''s right," Danny replied. "A true master can choose who can sense him and who can''t."


    The door flung open and a cloaked Jaked entered, disrupting their conversation. "Now, Ethel," he commanded. Stepping away from the door, she entered with her eyes glowing.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Ethel, what are you doing?" Zack''s confusion was palpable as he watched her stand next to Jake.


    "Trying to help," she replied, looking over to Jake.


    ---


    Inside the safe house, Ahmed and Ashley could only watch as Paulina worked furiously. Her arms flexed under Kenneth''s weight as she placed him on the table. She assessed the young man with a clinical detachment as she inspected the man''s broken neck.


    "They need to start healing on their own, or there''s nothing I can do," Paulina stated flatly, but her hands moved with practiced precision, securing oxygen masks over Kenneth and Brian''s pale faces. "All I can do is encourage it a little," She tapped a few bubbles out of the syringe filled with a milky substance before e=injecting the Supremes.


    "Will they make it?" Ashley asked, unsure if saving them was a good idea.


    "Time will tell," Paulina answered without looking up, her focus never wavering from her patients.


    ---


    The cave''s groans were deafening as cracks emerged from its walls. Deb clutched her phone, light revealing just how close the cave was to collapsing. "We need to get out of here now!" she said through gritted teeth, watching a section of wall give way.


    "John, look out" Lindsey shouted as a section of the cave ceiling collapsed. John caught it but his muscles strained under the weight.


    "Every get going, I''ll be ok," John grunted, the veins in his arms popping as he tried to sound calm.


    "It is too late for that," Jessica added, as the path they came through caved in on itself.


    ---


    Back inside the frozen shack, "Zack," Ethel addressed him, her eyes meeting his with an intensity, "This is between Lust and Greed, you should step back and let them settle things,"


    "I can''t do that," Zack shot back, his eyes starting to glow, he moved closer to Greed.


    "Don''t you get it, Lust wants you to fight," Ethel replied, her claws extending.


    "I see, so that''s your plan, is it? Ruin Zack''s potential," Danny growled, his eyes glowed an intense blue and his shirt tore with his expanding muscles.


    "It is simple yet effective. I could never let you have a true Supreme amongst your ranks," Jake retorted, dropping the coak to reveal his monstrous form.


    "Let''s end this." Zack lifted his hands, and the smaller objects in the room began to lift from their dusted resting places.


    "This is going to be fun," Jake smiled, his ruby-red eyes watching the display with amusement.


    Danny lunged forward, using the floating books and silver as a shield from Jake''s energy waves. Realizing he couldn''t get a clean shot, Jake turned his attention to Zack. Using his speed, caught the young vessel off guard.


    "You underestimated me," Jake grabbed Zack''s wrist, twisting it behind his back. "You chose to back the wrong side here,"


    "I would be more concerned about where Greed is right now if I were you," Zack interjected, as he looked over Jake''s shoulder. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped.


    "What is this," Frost began to creep its way up his hands, his fingertips turning black with frostbite. He turned to see Ethel, ice pinning her to the wall. The ice slick extended from Greed to Jake''s feet.


    Jake released Zack from his grip and launched a wave of energy directly at Greed. Danny dodged the attack but lost his concentration, giving Jake enough time to break free from the ice. Jake took aim and fired another blast of energy at Greed. "Enough," Greed hissed, dismissing Jake''s attempts with a bored flick of his wrist, sending the magic force blasts scattering like confetti.


    "This is just pathetic," Danny wasted to time closing the distance between himself and Jake, pinning the weakened Jake beneath his prosthetic foot, "Time to finish this, Zack would you like to do the honours?"


    Zack rubbed his throat, still feeling Jake''s hand there, he looked down at the pinned Jake. "I''m not going to Kill him,"


    "So stop him, Zack, he''s going to kill me either way," Jake looked over at him, his eyes pleading for Zack''s aid.


    "Your friends..." Danny reminded him, looking up at Zack, he put more weight on the struggling Jake, "He''s killing them as we speak, that''s why we''re winning. His attention is elsewhere,"


    "I believe in my friends, they''ll make it out," Zack replied with absolute certainty.


    "A true leader," Danny scoffed, releasing Jake and advancing on Zack, "What a shame, and here I thought you could learn. That you could be more than this,"


    "By becoming a murderer?" Zack shot back, "I''ll never follow you, even if you take everything from me,"


    "Fine." Danny lunged, claws extended, aiming for Zack''s throat. But Zack sidestepped his assault and with precision he delivered a sharp kick to Danny''s good leg. The leg buckled under the unexpected assault, toppling Greed to the floor.


    "A shame you gave up everything just to have your protege turn on you," Jake crooned, rising and brushing dust from his clothes.


    Ethel watched helplessly, still frozen, as Jake crushed a lily in his hand and pressed his palm to the floor. The flower twisted in on itself becoming a thick white smoke. Ethel could feel the power she had left slip away, leaving her nothing more than human. Zack and Danny became human again, their eyes flickering back to normal.


    ---


    Back in the cave, the group was trapped. "There has to be another way out" Deb called out, desperately inspecting the area.


    "How much longer can John hold that stone up before..." Kenzie started, watching John begin to tremble under the weight.


    "I''ve got this, don''t worry about me. The rest of you need to get out of here," John panted as offered a confident and shaky smile.


    "It''s not like we have anywhere else to go," Jessica declared, "The only way out is up through that hole but er have no way to reach it," She pointed up at the hole where the ceiling had collapsed.


    "Did some ask for an escape route?" A voice echoed from above as a fire ladder unrolled into the cave.


    "Rob!" Lindsey raced to him as he climbed down into the cave, bat in hand. With a grunt of effort, Rob slid an aluminum bat next to John, buying him enough time to escape the crushing weight of the stone.


    "Sorry about the wait, I had some car trouble on the way here," Rob pointed to the large goose egg on his forehead, "Let''s get out of here quick," he guided them to the ladder and they started their ascent.


    ---


    "And now I win," Jake laughed, watching Danny struggle to stand. Jake grabbed Zack once again, hurling him across the room with superhuman strength. He then turned his attention to Danny, kicking him in the gut.


    "Wait, don''t just kill him, he has no idea the suffering he put you through," Ethel explained from the corner, knowing Jake''s thrust for revenge. "Turned your Supreme on you, he caused the destruction of three of the four covenants that once called this city home, he deserves to suffer as much as they did,"


    "I like the way you think," Jake looked back, before reaching for Danny''s prosthetic leg and retrieving the blade. "How about I give you one cut for every life you''ve ruined? That way we can be twins," He hissed. He slashed Danny across the face, not noticing Ethel breaking free from the ice, and ripping a jagged plank from the floor.


    "What are you doing?" Jake gasped, reaching out to Ethel, who raised the plank, threatening to attack.


    "I''m doing what''s right," Ethel murmured, taking a defensive stance. "I am a vessel but I am not a monster."


    "Oh please," Jake spat, "You are a killer just like all of us,"


    Ethel''s lips curved into a wry smile. "Care to test that theory?" she said, racing toward him with the plank.


    Jake knocked the plank aside with little effort, his rage at her betrayal taking over. He laid into her, and each blow rippled through her body, but the pain was nothing to her. As his knuckles connected with her flesh, her mind reeled back to the night the officers told her that her family was dead, back to the times when she had leave Olivia''s and Kristian''s bodies to be found by the police. The memories were far more painful than this, she stood strong, not willing to break because of this.


    "Fight back, Ethel," Jake demanded, angered by her refusal to do anything.


    "I don''t need to fight you, you''re not worth it," she spat the blood from her mouth and looked up at Jake with pity.


    As if on cue, Ethel''s bruises began to heal. Strength surged back into her limbs, and she rolled away from another of Jake''s strikes, scrambling to her feet. Jake, taken aback by her sudden healing, realized she had been running out the clock the entire time. Knowing he needed more time he took a bag from his pocket, and with an artful flick of his wrist, the powder from the bag fell around him in a perfect circle.


    "So you used what I told you against me, you truly are a Supreme," Jake declared with icy calmness. "But in just a few minutes your friends will be sacrificed to the sacred stones on my behalf, granting me powers you can''t even fathom,"


    Zack, his face masked with determination, approached the barrier—his blue eyes reflecting its faint glow. He pressed a hand against the invisible force, his fingertips grazing the energy that repulsed them.


    "Really, Zack?" Jake mocked from within his protective cocoon. "You think you can break through a barrier that could repel Santan himself?"


    Unfazed, Zack kept his palms pressed against the barrier, his gaze intensifying as his pupils began to glow a soft pink, escalating to a radiant rose quartz hue. Jake watched in awe as his barrier began to glow, the white light becoming blinding.


    And then, the energy began to flow backward, Zack absorbing the light into himself. Disbelief etched onto every face present, none more so than Jake''s, as he watched his only defence vanish.


    "This is the power of a true Supreme," Zack stated, his eye remaining their new vibrant colour. "Call off the storm. You can''t win this anymore,"


    "Allow me," Danny interjected, stepping forward. "It will be much faster this way,"


    With a swift motion, Danny''s claws found their mark, slicing across Jake''s throat. A crimson arc painted the air, leaving Jake gasping for breath. He went for the finishing blow but was picked up and held against the wall by an invisible force.


    Zack didn''t even have to raise his hands to do it. He released Danny, who fell to the floor. "You are going to leave Waterloo, and you are never going to come back." He warned, I know where you were changed and I know how to seal you away. This is your one and only warning."


    Danny looked up at Zack with a mixture of fear and respect. "You are one of a kind, so I''ll go, only so I can witness what you will become." Danny limped away as Ethel approached Zack.


    "Are you sure we should just let him go?"


    "He never went after Pablo to get his full power, I think there is still hope for him,"


    ---


    The storm outside seemed to vanish as quickly as it had started. Rob, Deb and John exchanged hopeful glances as they led Jessica, Lindsey and Kenzie away from the cave. The sacred stones were now fully visible from the surface.


    "He did it," Rob smiled, turning to hug Lindsey.


    "You did it," Lindsey replied, returning the embrace.


    ---


    The next day, Jessica meticulously packed away her arsenal, each weapon back in its place. Deb stood by her side, her demeanour sombre.


    "You''re going to need those," Deb advised. "Those stones, Paulina says they will draw those seeking power here. We need to be ready,"


    "We''ll be ready," Jessica acknowledged, her fingers lingering on the hilt of a blade. "No matter what comes this way,"


    "Maybe, we were too hasty," Deb wondered, "Maybe we become our own kind of exorcists,"


    ---


    Among the shattered glass at the safe house, the clasp of a suitcase snapped shut. Ethel and Ashley turned in unison, prepared to leave the space behind, ready for something new.


    "I can''t wait to see Japan," Ashley murmured, looking up at the sun rising. "A fresh start."


    "You''re going to love it there," Ethel smiled.


    ---


    As they descended the stairs of the police station, Lindsey''s phone vibrated insistently. A name flashed on the screen—Spencer—but she dismissed the call with an indifferent tap. Rob watched her, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.


    "He''s not going away anytime soon is he?" Rob asked.


    "Doesn''t matter," Lindsey replied, pocketing her phone. "He''ll linger, but he won''t touch my life again. Now don''t you have a final to get to?"


    Rob nodded, gave her a small hug and then raced off. The lecture hall buzzed with the tension of final exams. Rob slid into his seat beside Zack, whose gaze drifted to the front where Ahmed sat next to Brian.


    "Are you going to be ok," Zack commented, nodding towards them.


    "I''ll be fine, Ahmed can date who he wants," Rob said absently, his eyes scanning the room.


    Kenneth and Leona entered the lecture hall hand in hand. Their conversation focused on the latest romcom in theatres, prompting Zack to reflect aloud.


    "Paulina implied something worse is coming," Zack''s voice had a solemn edge, "I can feel it now like something dark is hovering over us. Do you think we''ll ever get the chance to be normal again?"


    "Normal is a relative term," Rob''s arm found a home around Zack''s shoulders. "All I know is whatever is coming we''ll face it together, we''re a covenant of oddballs after all," Zack couldn''t help but smile as he looked around the room at his friends.


    "I guess there is only one thing I''m worried about,"


    "What''s that?"


    "Jake," Zack replied, staring ahead at the whiteboard. "His body disappeared from the shack."


    "You saw it yourself, Greed killed him... I wouldn''t worry about him," Rob offered an assuring smile and Zack shook off the funk, focusing on the exam instead.


    ---


    Jake stumbled through the underbrush toward the stone altar, holding his throat. He reached for the alter but something else caught him instead.


    "I thought it would be you," Jake managed a twisted chuckle, as he turned to meet Kyle.


    "You almost ruined everything," Kyle eyed the bleeding man. "This is why sins keep their distance from each other,"


    "I underestimated your vessel," Jake conceded, "but you and I, we know what Zack really is. Such a rare and powerful combination."


    "Being underestimated is what makes us powerful" Kyle kept a tight grip on Jake, ensuring he couldn''t reach the stone.


    "It''s funny how it all begins here," Jake gasped, feeling himself fading. "This nothing city will be where it starts. And here you are making sure it happens,"


    "This world bores me," Kyle lifted Jake from the ground. "And so does this conversation."


    Kyle''s eyes flashed, drawing in Jake''s power, leaving only a husk in the moonlight next to the dim glow of the sacred stones.