Kade stood in the yard, the grass curling at the edges of his ghostly presence . The sky was still, too still. Even the breeze held its breath.
He stared at the rusted mailbox like it might bite.
Or maybe deliver a bill from the afterlife.
With a sigh, Kade ran a transparent hand along the metal, then closed his eyes.
When he opened them—
FWOOM.
A translucent dome shimmered into view around the James residence—spherical, humming with an energy. It stopped right before him, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
Kade raised a brow, then stepped forward and reached out.
His fingers passed through the barrier…
Only to blacken and wither like ash on contact.
"YEEESH!" He yanked his hand back, shaking it as it rapidly reformed. "Okay. Rude."
The air before him shimmered again, rippling like boiling oil—then stilled.
From the center of the dome, a warped circle of transparent liquid began to churn.
A reptilian face emerged—
Xorth.
He stared at Kade through the hovering liquid gate, nostrils flaring slightly.
"First time I've seen you serious," Xorth rumbled, voice like knives scraping granite.
Kade turned, folding his arms with a forced smirk. "Yeah, well. Even clowns get sober eventually."
Xorth's slitted eyes narrowed. "You call me for this?"
Kade nodded. "I want to renegotiate our deal."
A pause.
Then laughter, low and dangerous. "You… dare bargain with a Hell Lord?"
Kade shrugged, still smiling. "Who am I? Oh, just the guy about to save your ugly tail from getting fired."
Xorth's grin faltered, just slightly. "Speak fast, Wraith. No second chances."
"I want three answers," Kade said, the smile fading at last.
Xorth stared, unimpressed.
"First," Kade continued, "why was I able to possess Lucas?"
Xorth tilted his head, nostrils flaring again. "You shouldn't have. That body is unfit for spiritual merging—unless…"
He stopped.
"What?"
Xorth's face twisted slightly in thought. Then he said, "In the beginning, there were Seraphim. Flame-born warriors who rebelled before the First Collapse. A few… fell to Earth. Some mingled. Their blood… lingers in rare human lines."
Kade blinked. "Wait. Are you telling me Lucas is some kind of angel-blood?"
"Not quite," Xorth growled. "But close enough. Bodies with Seraphim lineage can host ghosts without instant collapse. At a cost."
Kade frowned. "What cost?"
"If the bond continues… the mortal's soul burns away. And the ghost's form unravels. Two lives shredded for temporary strength."
Kade's smirk returned faintly. "So a power boost with a suicide clause. Got it."
Xorth glared. "This is no joke."
"Wasn't laughing."
Xorth grunted. "Second question."
"How do I get a ghost out of a human once it's possessed someone?"
Xorth narrowed his eyes. "You ask as if… the target ghost possessed a mortal."
Kade said nothing.
Then "Yeah. It did. I think it's inside Mr. James. And it's unstable."
A slow hiss escaped the hell lord's nostrils.
Xorth looked… concerned.
"A ghost without a Seraphim host," Xorth muttered, "will rot the body it takes. Each possession twists it further. With every jump, its hunger grows. It will crave souls. Human. Pure. Innocent. And if it consumes enough…"
"It ascends," Kade finished grimly.
"No," Xorth said darkly. "It tears a gate open. Straight to Hell."
Kade exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "Okay. Cool. So… world-ending nightmare on the loose. Love that for me."
Xorth leaned closer, scales glistening. "To find your answer—how to stop it—you must seek the **Book of Death."
"Catchy name."
"It is held by Death himself," Xorth growled. "The secrets lie there."
Kade stared. "So you want me to rob the Grim Reaper?"
"Yes."
"…Right."
"And your third request?"
Kade hesitated, then looked over his shoulder—toward the house. Toward the boy inside.
"I want an upgrade. Not for me. For him. So I can protect him. Even when I can't."
Xorth stared long.
Then, slowly, he raised one clawed hand.
"Very well."
A sharp snap.
The wind howled.
And from the thinning air, a black raven burst out, flapping wildly before landing on the fence.
Its eyes glowed crimson.
Kade tilted his head. "Bird?"
"It's a System from Hell," Xorth said. "Old tech. Bound to the boy. It will feed him alerts. Track spirits. Guide his choices and get him upgrades. And if death nears…"
Xorth smiled cruelly.
"It will scream."
The raven blinked and stared toward the house.
"Now," Xorth continued, voice lowering to a hiss, "I want my ghost back. The one who escaped judgment."
Kade swallowed. "How long do I have?"
"Three days."
The air began to collapse inward around the liquid mirror.
"Fail…"
The dome shimmered and started to vanish.
"…and I'll drag both of you back to the pit."
And with that—
Xorth vanished.
Leaving behind only a scorched circle of dead grass.
And a raven staring at the house. Waiting.
Watching.
Kade exhaled shakily and looked at his hands.
Shaking slightly.
He muttered, "No pressure."
Lucas was outside, pinning a wet hoodie on the backyard clothesline, when he heard the wooden back gate creak open.
A sound he'd learned to dread.
He didn't turn around. Just muttered, "No."
But of course, the ghost didn't listen.
"Hey, buddy," Kade's voice floated in, chipper as ever.
Lucas continued spreading the hoodie, deliberately ignoring him.
"Okay, rude," Kade said, gliding beside him. "You trying to ghost *me* now?"
Lucas exhaled, half a sigh, half a plea. "Please tell me you didn't bring me another problem."
Kade twiddled his transparent thumbs. "Technically… I brought a solution."
Lucas paused.
Lowered the last clothespin.
Folded his arms.
"I'm listening," he said flatly.
Kade clapped his hands once. "Okay! So, great news. I just had a deal with our mutual friend—Xorth."
Lucas turned slowly. "Who the heck is Xorth?"
Kade grinned. "Oh, you know… just the Hell War Lord who governs the punishment pits of the Third Infernal Plane. Big guy. Breathes lava. Has no chill."
Lucas stared at him like he was insane. "You… talked to a hell lord and trusted him."
"Yep."
"You talked to a literal demon."
"Mhm."
Lucas barked a short, bitter laugh. "You know who else doesn't lie? Angels. And guess who created lying? That guy's cousin."
"Hey, relax," Kade said, raising both hands. "It was just business. He's surprisingly professional."
"Professional?!" Lucas snapped. "A demon offering us help with no strings attached? Do I look like I was born yesterday?"
"Honestly? You look like you were born during a Wi-Fi outage. But can we skip the sass?"
Lucas clenched his jaw.
Kade floated closer, his voice softer now.
"Look… I know I messed up, alright? I didn't mean to possess you. I didn't mean to bleach your mom's funeral dress. And I definitely didn't mean to pull you into ghost-hunting hell. But we're here now."
Lucas looked away.
Kade drifted around until they were face-to-face.
"So can you just act grown-up for five seconds and listen?"
Lucas inhaled, held it, then gave a grudging nod.
"Good," Kade said, then straightened. "The ghost you saw last night? The one that zoomed into Mr. James' house? That sucker escaped from Hell. Xorth wants it back. And he's given us three days to return it."
Lucas blinked. "Three days?!"
Kade nodded. "But don't panic. He gave us tools. Upgrades."
Lucas scoffed. "Upgrades? What is this, a mobile game? I thought you were here to tutor me. You know—better grades, better life and not this torments."
Kade looked away, ashamed. "I didn't plan this, man. But I need you. We need you."
Lucas's voice cracked slightly. "So this isn't about mentoring anymore. It's about using me."
"No!" Kade said quickly. "Okay yes, but also no. Listen. Mr. James is possessed by that ghost. And last night, while I was in your body, I saw him stab someone. Repeatedly."
Lucas went pale. "You never told me I saw a murder!"
"I didn't want to freak you out."
"TOO LATE!"
Kade waved his hands. "Which is why we need to move. Because if that ghost finds out you were the only witness... it's coming."
Lucas backed up. "Oh my god. You've officially gotten me cursed."
"Which is why we're going to fight back," Kade said, floating to the center of the yard. "Step one You bond with the System."
Lucas blinked. "The what now?"
Suddenly
CAW!
A shadow swept overhead.
Lucas turned just in time to see a massive black raven dive from the roof and slam onto the grass.
It didn't flap.
It didn't hop.
It stalked.
Its glowing crimson eyes locked with his.
"A bird?" Lucas asked, stepping back.
"It's not a bird," Kade said reverently. "It's a CHIRP. That stands for Chrono-Hell Interface for Real-time Protection."
"…You made that up."
"Sure did."
The raven squawked once—then lunged.
"AAAH!" Lucas stumbled, falling on his butt.
The raven opened its wings wide, stretching like dark smoke, wrapping around Lucas's head.
"What the hell is happening—?!"
SQUAWK.
A shadowy beak jabbed into Lucas's chest. He screamed—then gasped, frozen.
The beak didn't pierce flesh.
It sank through.
Lucas convulsed, eyes wide.
"KADE WHAT IS HAPPENING I'M BEING HACKED BY A DEMON BIRD—!"
"Yup!" Kade called. "This is the bonding process! Looks painful, by the way. You good?"
Lucas thrashed as the raven vanished into shadow, sinking into his body.
Then—
DING.
A red holographic panel blinked into the air beside Lucas's head.
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
HOST: LUCAS VAIL
HELL COMPLIANCE RANK: 0
SPIRITUAL VITALITY: 3/10
LUCK: -14
MENTAL STABILITY: ERROR
WARNING: DEATH LIKELY
Lucas panted, eyes wide, face pale.
Then whispered—
"…Did it just say death likely?"
Kade nodded solemnly. "Yeah, but hey. Your luck's only minus fourteen. That's, like, a D+."
Lucas grabbed a clothespin and threw it at him.
Kade phased through it, smirking. "Look on the bright side: You're officially Ravenbound. Fancy title, huh?"