Kat woke before sunrise.
Sage's message still lingered in her mind—The old chapel behind the cathedral. Come alone. It wasn't the kind of text you ignored, especially not from Sage. He didn't speak in riddles unless something was serious.
She dressed quickly, pulling on her hoodie and boots, and slipped out before her parents stirred. The streets of Virelia were quiet, fog curling around lampposts like smoke from a forgotten fire. The cathedral loomed in the distance, its spires barely visible through the mist.
Behind it, tucked between overgrown hedges and a crumbling stone wall, stood the chapel.
Kat had never been inside.
She found Sage waiting by the rusted gate, his hands buried in his coat pockets, eyes scanning the horizon.
"You came," he said.
"You said alone. That's not a request I ignore."
He nodded and pushed open the gate. The hinges groaned like something waking up.
Inside, the chapel was cold and dim. Dust coated the pews. Stained glass windows were cracked, their colors faded. At the far end, a broken altar stood beneath a rotting tapestry.
Sage led her to a side room, where a single candle flickered on a stone pedestal.
"I found this yesterday," he said. "It wasn't lit when I arrived."
Kat stepped closer. The flame danced, casting shadows that didn't match their movements.
"What is it?"
"A marker," Sage said. "Old magic. It reacts to spiritual imbalance. Vandal's presence is triggering it."
Kat's throat tightened. "So it's here?"
"Not exactly. But close. The flame means it's active. And growing."
She stared at the candle. "Why did you ask me to come alone?"
Sage hesitated. "Because you're changing."
Kat blinked. "What?"
"You're more sensitive to the shifts. You felt the seal break before anyone else. You saw the shadow at the cathedral. You're not just a witness, Kat. You're a vessel."
Kat stepped back. "That's not possible."
"It is. And it's rare. You're bonded to something. Maybe two somethings."
Her heart pounded. "What does that mean?"
"It means Vandal will come for you."
—
Later that morning, Kat returned to school with Sage's words echoing in her head. She didn't tell the others—not yet. Not until she understood what it meant.
Junior was waiting by the lockers.
"You disappeared," he said.
"I had something to check."
He nodded, eyes tired. "I've been researching. Vandal's last known host was a priest. He vanished after the seal was created. No one knows what happened to him."
Kat leaned against the locker. "What if he didn't vanish? What if he stayed close?"
Junior frowned. "You think he's still here?"
"I think Vandal doesn't travel far. He feeds on familiarity."
James joined them, holding a half-crushed juice box. "Morning. Anyone else feel like the school's getting creepier by the hour?"
Aria arrived next, her expression tense. "There's a rumor going around. Someone saw Mr. Whittingham in the cathedral last night."
Kat's blood ran cold. "That's not possible. It's locked after hours."
"Not to him," Aria said. "He has keys."
James looked at Kat. "You think he's the host?"
Kat didn't answer.
—
During homeroom, Mr. Whittingham was unusually cheerful. He handed out festival flyers, joked with students, and even complimented James on his handwriting.
James leaned toward Kat. "Okay, now I'm convinced. He's possessed."
Kat didn't laugh.
She watched Whittingham closely. His movements were smooth, too smooth. His eyes scanned the room like he was counting something. Or someone.
Sage passed her a note: Watch his left hand.
She did.
It twitched every few minutes. A subtle, rhythmic motion. Like he was tracing a symbol with his thumb.
Kat's stomach turned.
—
After school, the group met in the music room—one of the few places no one ever visited. Junior brought his notebook, Sage his candle, and Aria a bag of snacks no one touched.
Kat stood at the whiteboard, drawing a rough map of the cathedral and chapel.
"We need to go back," she said. "Tonight. All of us."
James groaned. "Why do all our plans involve breaking and entering?"
"Because the truth doesn't live in daylight."
Junior nodded. "I'll bring a detection charm. If Vandal's near, it'll react."
Sage added, "And I'll bring the candle. If it burns blue, we run."
Aria looked nervous. "What if we're wrong?"
Kat met her eyes. "Then we'll know. And knowing is better than guessing."
—
That night, they met behind the chapel.
The fog was thicker than ever, swallowing sound and light. Kat led the way, her flashlight flickering as they stepped through the broken gate.
Inside, the candle burned red.
Sage frowned. "That's new."
Junior activated the charm. It pulsed once, then dimmed.
"Something's here," he whispered.
They moved through the chapel, past the altar, into the side room.
The candle turned blue.
"Run," Sage said.
But the door slammed shut.
And from the shadows, a voice whispered—
"You shouldn't have come back."