Lucas crouched low behind the pews, forcing himself to breathe—slow and even—despite the chaos unraveling around him.
Inhale. Exhale.
He repeated it like a chant, grounding himself.
"Kade," he hissed, glancing at the ghost. "Please tell me you know what you're doing."
Kade peeked over the edge of a bench, his spectral brow furrowed. "Honestly? I thought I did. This… this wasn't in the blueprint."
CRASH!
A wooden chair flew through Kade's intangible body, slamming against the wall and splintering.
Lucas flinched.
Across the room, the pope—yes, the actual officiating priest—was huddled beneath a pew, gripping a golden cross so tight his knuckles turned white. His lips moved in frantic whispers, the Latin words tumbling out in terrified prayer.
Lucas sighed. "This situation seriously needs one."
"Apologizing's cute and all," Kade muttered, floating closer, "but that usually doesn't end nice with Death."
All eyes—well, mostly Lucas's—snapped toward the altar.
Death was moving now.
Slow. Methodical. Regal in his grimness.
He stepped up toward the coffin, long bony fingers brushing over the lid with reverence. His staff clinked softly against the stone floor with every stride.
Kade whispered urgently, "He's distracted. He's started the collection process. This is our chance."
"Our chance to what? Die harder?" Lucas asked, panicked.
Kade grinned. "No. Distract him. That staff? It's not just decoration—it's the key. Or at least a clue."
Lucas's face twisted. "You want me to steal Death's magic stick?"
"Distract him. I'll handle the swipe."
"No—Kade, wai—"
But Kade was already floating toward the altar.
He hovered beside Death and cleared his throat.
"Hey, Bone Cloak," he said, voice ringing with defiance. "That book? It's leaving with me."
Death didn't even turn.
He smiled.
That's when Lucas felt it—a shift in the room's temperature, like the air itself was holding its breath.
Suddenly
An invisible force gripped Kade by the throat and yanked him forward, faster than sound, slamming him into midair just inches from Death's hollow gaze.
"I see it in you," Death murmured, his voice like cold steel on skin. "The struggle. The fire. The endless defiance all mortals share. But that struggle? It breaks them."
Kade's ghostly form twisted and writhed in the grip. "No," he choked out. "It makes them stronger!"
With all his strength, Kade lashed out, his foot kicking the bone-white staff. It skidded across the floor with a harsh clatter, spinning toward Lucas.
"NOW!" Kade screamed.
Lucas dove.
The moment his fingers grazed the staff, it hissed—literally hissed—and coiled like a serpent, transforming mid-air into a massive viper, eyes glowing red and fangs bared.
"OH, COME ON!" Lucas screamed, jerking his hand back.
The snake lunged and just as its fangs nearly struck—
SNAP!
It turned back into the staff.
Lucas stood trembling, clutching the thing like it might explode. "What the hell is this church built on?!"
Death turned.
Lucas froze.
He stared into the eyes of the end. "What do I do, Kade?!"
Kade, still dangling in agony, wheezed, "Break the stick…!"
"What?!" Lucas shouted.
Death stepped forward, each footstep echoing doom. "Return what is not your right. Now."
Lucas's heart slammed in his chest. His palms slick with sweat.
He didn't want to die.
Not here. Not like this.
With a roar, Lucas raised the staff high—
And slammed it against the floor.
CRACK!!!
An eruption of energy surged from the shattered wood. The stained glass windows shattered, shards flying like deadly petals through the air. Candles blew out. The ground itself trembled.
Death froze in place, arms outstretched, momentarily stunned.
Kade collapsed, the choking grip gone. "That'll do it…" he gasped, rising shakily.
He floated up to Death's still form, reached into his long coat, and began rummaging like a thief at a coat check.
"Let's see what Reaper packing," Kade muttered.
He pulled out
A pocket watch made from bone gears and ticking with dying heartbeats.
A black feather that emitted cold mist.
A key carved from a molar.
A list—long and ancient—of names crossed out in red.
And finally…
The Book.
Kade's hand burned the second it touched the cover. He yelped and tossed it toward Lucas.
"Catch—AND STEP BACK!"
Lucas dodged just in time as the book landed in front of him.
Its surface was sculpted in bone—actual bone—and a skull face was etched into the center. Its jaw opened slightly, whispering something unintelligible.
Lucas bent to pick it up.
"Wait—DON'T—" Kade shouted.
Too late.
The skull clamped its jaw onto Lucas's hand.
"AHH!"
Blood dripped from the bite, seeping into the hollow mouth.
The Book… opened.
Its pages flipped on their own, revealing lines of inked symbols that shimmered and moved.
Death stirred.
"You don't know what you're messing with," he intoned, stepping forward again.
But Lucas—hand bleeding, eyes wide suddenly stopped shaking.
His eyes…
Went black.
"Enough," Lucas said.
His voice was layered. Deeper. Ethereal.
Then, with a single motion, he traced a symbol in the air.
A fiery star appeared beneath Death's feet. In the middle of a circle . Flames erupted from it, spinning and roaring.
Death's eyes narrowed. "No!"
FWOOOOOSH!!!
He vanished in a storm of flame and shadow, his scream echoing through dimensions.
Silence.
Kade floated, mouth open. "That… that was insane. That was amazing. That was—how did you even—"
He stopped.
Lucas turned slowly.
His face blank. Unreadable.
"Lucas?" Kade asked, voice hesitant. "Hey, buddy?"
Lucas didn't answer.
Kade floated closer, hand out. "Say something, man. Anything."
Lucas looked at him.
And smiled.
But not like Lucas.
Not at all.
Lucas's blackened eyes flickered. His fingers twitched.
Then
He gasped.
Hard.
Shaking his head rapidly, like he was trying to shake water out of his ears, Lucas stumbled back, blinking wildly as the shadows faded from his irises. "Wh…what just happened?!"
Kade exhaled, still hovering in midair. "You back? Like… regular, scared-of-tests, cereal-before-milk Lucas?"
Lucas looked at him, dazed. "I—I think so? What was that?! My brain just… blacked out and went full Latin mode!"
Kade didn't answer. He just floated down, his face serious for once. "We got the Book. That's what matters. Come on, we need to move before Bone Cloak decides to respawn."
Lucas looked around the broken church—pews cracked, glass shattered, shadows still twitching unnaturally in the corners.
"Yeah. Leaving sounds… smart."
They ran.
Ten Minutes Later...
Lucas crept up the back stairs into the small attic-turned-cellar room he called his lair. Posters of comic book heroes stared down at him. His desk light buzzed. He dropped the Book of Death on the bed like it might bite him again.
Kade floated in right behind him. "Finally," he sighed, sounding almost tired for a ghost. "Now let's crack this thing open and get the secrets. I swear, if it just says 'Thank you for playing,' I'll riot."
He raised his hand, concentrating hard. His ghostly telekinesis reached for the heavy book—
CLUNK.
The book opened.
Kade immediately groaned and dropped like his spectral battery had drained. "Ugh. That took everything outta me."
But what met his eyes next made him frown harder.
"…It's blank?"
Lucas blinked. "Huh?"
Kade floated up, peering closer. "There's nothing here. No scripts. No cursed riddles. No 'how to banish your haunted ex.' Just… empty pages."
Lucas, however, squinted at the book.
His mouth fell open.
"Wait. No—it's not empty. There's writing on it. Symbols and squiggly lines, and they're… whoa, hold on—"
The letters on the page shimmered.
And morphed into English.
Lucas grinned wide. "Dude… this thing auto-translates! Like magic Google Translate!"
Kade floated back like he'd seen a ghost. Which was ironic. "Wait you can see it?"
Lucas nodded, flipping through pages like he just unlocked cheat codes. "Yup. Totally readable."
"I can't see squat," Kade muttered. "It's like someone painted the book in invisibility spray."
Lucas glanced up. "Maybe it only works for people who got bitten?"
"You got bitten by a book, Lucas."
"Still counts."
Kade waved it off. "Whatever. See if there's anything on ghost exorcism. We still gotta yeet Mr. James's body-snatching tenant back to hell."
Lucas nodded, flipping quickly through the pages, his eyes darting with curiosity. "Okay, okay… ghost containment… banishment… ooooh wait!"
Kade leaned in. "What?"
Lucas beamed. "Spell to be human for a day."
Kade paused. "You serious?"
Lucas held the page up proudly. "Dead serious. One day of walking, eating, breathing sneezing like a living person."
Kade blinked. "You know, for the first time in like forty years, I think I might cry. Bookmark that page. We are coming back."
BANG!
They both jumped.
Lucas's mom's voice rang out from downstairs. "Lucas! Did you pack the washed clothes?!"
Lucas's eyes widened. "Crap! I forgot!"
He jumped off the bed and darted toward the stairs, nearly tripping over himself.
Kade zipped after him. "Lucas! The book!"
"I'll be back!" Lucas called over his shoulder, bolting downstairs with socks half on.
Kade floated after, yelling, "Close the cellar! Don't leave it—"
Too late.
The door creaked open.
And footsteps echoed inside.
A young boy, no older than ten, crept up the stairs like he was sneaking snacks at 3 a.m. His eyes were wide. Curious. Hungry.
He scanned the room.
Then his gaze landed on the Book of Death sitting innocently on the bed.
The boy tilted his head.
Smiled.
"Creepy," he whispered, stepping forward. "This'll do."
He snatched the book, holding it tight, and disappeared back down the stairs.
Meanwhile, outside…
Lucas stood in the backyard, hastily folding laundry while Kade hovered beside him, grumbling.
"I can't believe you left themost cursed object in existence on your SpongeBob bedsheet."
Lucas groaned. "It's not like I meant to—"
CAW!
A loud mechanical chirp echoed in the air.
A glowing system screen appeared in front of Lucas.
[MISSION: STEAL THE BOOK FROM DEATH]
✅ MISSION Complete!
Level Up Achieved!
🎁 Reward Unlocked: Hell Foresight & Hell Translation
🔓 New Missions Unlocked
Side Mission: Send the ghost in Mr. James back to Hell
Main Mission: Safeguard the Book & Stop Nightmare
Kade paled—well, as much as a transparent spirit could.
"Nightmare?" he whispered. "Oh, no-no-no. That's… bad bad. Like, multi-layer-of-hell bad."
Lucas tilted his head. "Wait. Nightmare? Who's Nightmare?"
Kade was trembling now. "She's not a who. She's a what. A cursed being sealed in the Book years ago. Death locked her there. As long as no one messes with the pages… she stays sealed."
Lucas frowned. "So… as long as we're careful—"
"DUDE!" Kade suddenly shouted. "You left the book OPEN!"
Both turned.
Ran.
Back into the room—
Empty.
The book?
Gone.
Lucas's jaw dropped. "No… no-no-no-no."
"Tell me this is a prank," Kade begged, spinning in circles. "This is a prank, right? Hidden camera show?"
Lucas spotted the cellar door, still slightly ajar.
Lucas whispered, "Someone took it."