Cross’s car came to a stop. She, Amber, and Leo got out, Amber dressed in a suit like Cross’s, their shoes crunching on the old dried leaves in front of the dark building, decrepit with age. Though it was July, a cool wind made the leaves on the tree rustle, and Leo shivered. His instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong in that place. He fingered the sword bracelet, ready to call upon the blade at any moment. Likewise, Amber wrinkled her nose. There was a foul, unearthly aroma wafting from the place.

“So I hate to ask this now, but can you do anything about that complexion of yours?” Cross said to Amber. “I just realized.”

“Oh, right.” She closed her eyes and exhaled, her hair fluttering and her normal coloring returning. “Better?”

“How do you do that?” Leo asked curiously.

“Oh, just repressing the genes relating to the uylata. Occasionally, a disciple will have to go among mortals or disguise themselves before they can join the uylata. So we can resume our normal forms until we’re done. It’s handy.” she said, trying to sound cheerful, but Leo could hear the somber note in her voice. He couldn’t blame her.

“You’re good, so let’s go.” Cross said curtly, and they all walked up the path to the Hillcrest Mental Institution.

Despite the peeling paint of the exterior, the inside was clean and well-lit, contrasting slightly with the old-fashioned furniture and style of the reception counter. The nurse looked up from her computer.

“Hello, how can I help you today?”

“Good afternoon. I’m Agent Cross, I called a few hours ago.” she said.

“Oh yes. Oh dear. I’ll uh, get Dr. Combs. Just a moment.” she said, clearly nervous. A few minutes after the page, the doctor arrived with two burly orderlies behind him. He was a short man with a slightly receding hairline and large glasses on a sharp face.

“Hello, Agent Cross. I’m Dr. Combs. Pleased to meet you.” he said while shaking her hand, in a clipped tone that told her he was anything but. “I cannot imagine what the FBI would want with one of my patients.”

“I’m afraid the details are classified. You did sign the non-disclosure agreement?”

“Yes yes, nothing here will leave my lips.” Combs waved her off. “Come, then. I’m very busy.”

“And them?” Cross indicated the orderlies. Combs gave her a very thin smile.

“My men won’t breathe a word of it either. But they will be accompanying us, and there’s no arguing the point. I believe you will find their services invaluable. Come, let us be along.” He turned on his heel and walked away, the orderlies behind him. Leo shrugged at Amber and they followed. “I was not aware the FBI recruited so young, Ms. Cross.” Dr. Combs said as they traversed the hallways. “Your agents barely look out of high school.”

“Rest assured, though they are young their help has proven the difference between life and death several times in their tenure with us. That’s why they’re along, to obtain more experience with investigations.” Cross said curtly.

“Hmm. I also wasn’t aware that agents could wear normal civilian attire.” he sniffed.

“That’s because I’m undercover, most of the time. A special allowance has been made for me.” Leo said smoothly, and the doctor nodded.

“Very well. I just hope you do have experience with combat, there is a chance this could go poorly.” Dr. Combs said.

“Uh, why? We’re just interviewing an inmate.” Amber said, eyebrow raised.

“You’ll see.” Dr. Combs said cryptically, but was grabbed and yanked back by his collar by Cross.

“No, you’ll tell us now. If there is any danger, I do not want my people to go in blind.” she said sternly. Dr. Combs wilted in front of her fierce gaze.

“Err, right. Let me assure you, the actual chance of her breaking free or causing any damage is minimal. However, she is…unstable, and prone to fits. We’ve gone through three straightjackets, we haven’t had to use those in over forty years. It would be best to stay on guard, and keep on your toes. That’s all I meant.” he said. She narrowed her eyes, but let him go.

“Fine. But no more of that, got me?” she growled.

“G-Got it.” They resumed the march, a little more cautiously than before. As they went further into the hospital, the lights began to grow dimmer and flicker. The air conditioning was on, but it didn’t seem to cool the place enough. There was a strange, musty scent in the air like decay, and Amber was almost gagging form the horrid stench.

“So what’s up with the lights? And the smell?” Leo asked, dodging a drop of water from a pipe.

“Ah, yes. Ever since she arrived, we’ve developed leaky pipes, and for some reason the electrical system’s prone to malfunction. It’s quite mysterious.” Dr. Combs explained.

“Let’s see if she has any answers.” Amber said determinedly. Leo noticed her trembling.

Eventually, they came to the padded cells, deep in the hospital next to the basement. The darkness was more pervading, thanks to the lack of windows. As they walked, Leo could swear the shadows on the wall moved by themselves

“Here we are. Normally, we’d never even consider conditions such as this, even for a ward of the state. However, due to her hostility and tantrums, especially around other patients, we’ve had no choice but to isolate her. Now I must stress we do take her outside and treat her as humanely as possible, but her hostility hasn’t improved one bit. Please stay on guard, once you’re in I cannot be held responsible for your safety.”

“We understand, doctor.” Cross said. He checked the window into the cell, and nodded. He inserted a large key into the old lock, and the door swung open. “For safety reasons, we must close the door, but rest assured we will be outside if anything goes wrong.” he said, ushering them in. Dr. Combs slammed the door behind them with a resounding clang.

Though the cell was padded, it felt like a dungeon. The lights barely illuminated the shadows, and despite the summer heat there was an unnatural chill in the air that made them shiver. It was very spacious, and they went over to the thin figure huddled in the corner, curled up in a ball.

“Excuse me? Can you hear me?” Leo asked gently. The figure seemed to be sobbing or muttering to herself. He got a little closer, and Dr. Combs winced outside.

“YEARGGHHH!” Without warning, the figure jumped up and snarled, biting at the air, only stopped by the restraints hooked to her straightjacket. Her grimy hair, once lush and raven-black, had fallen or been torn out in rough patches. Her scarred, marked, torn skin was yellowed and stretched thin over her frame, which had obviously lost an unhealthy amount of weight. Her eyes were sunken into her head, ringed by dark circles but practically glowing with madness. Amber put a horrified hand to her mouth.

“Oh my god. S-Stephanie?”

There was absolutely no mistaking it. Despite the horrible condition she was in, there was no way Amber could forget the face of her best friend. Her murderer. Everything flashed through her mind; the years of happiness, the suffering as a ghost, the hell of Stephanie’s face, smiling wickedly as she admitted to proudly killing her and carving out her heart.

“W-What happened to you? What’s-I don’t even…” She turned to Cross. “I mean…I thought she was killed by the daemon. Actually seeing her…I can’t begin to describe it…” There was something wrong with her. Amber didn’t know what, but she could tell the foul smell emanated from her.

“Actually, she wasn’t. It’s unclear how it happened, but eight days later she was picked up by a state trooper a couple miles down the road, ranting and raving and thrashing, attacking anyone who got close.” Cross said, watching the girl snap at Leo like a wild animal. “I don’t know how she survived, and I don’t know what happened, but I know she knows about that damn book that’s giving us trouble, and if she knows anything about what’s up we have to find out. Crenshaw’s superior did some digging, and found out she was recently ID’d."

“She certainly seems…less pleasant than I remember.” Leo said, falling back.

“S-Stephanie? Do you…do you understand me? It’s me. Amber.” Amber said, bravely taking a step forward. Her knees were shaking. This was her former best friend, a witch who turned her other friends into a coven to perform evil rituals for dark power. She’d made her peace with that a long time ago, and she had a mission to fulfill. How she felt wasn’t as important as that, not right now. Stephanie paused, letting her head loll back to peer over her shoulder at Amber.

“You…I know you…heh hee hee…” she cackled in a cracked, broken voice. “I killed you. I tried to kill you again. Why didn’t you die, dearie? Why couldn’t I EAT YOU!?” she suddenly shrieked, jumping at Amber and clawing at her with broken, yellowed bare feet. The chains holding her back were taut as she snarled, one eye turning a solid black, except for the pinpoint of hellish blue light.

“Oh my god.” There was no mistaking that voice, subtly mixed in with Stephanie’s at first but now at the fore. A chase through the cemetery replayed in her mind. “Edith. Edith Warden.”

“That’s me, dearie! Ah haha hee!” Stephanie cackled, her skin bulging and twisting horrendously, like something beneath was trying to break free.

“No way.” That insane ghost, the one who hunted down and cannibalized the other spirits in Craven Falls, back. “How did you get free? Scott sealed you in your own headstone!” Amber said, eyes flashing blue at the memory. “What did you do to Stephanie!?”

“A case of possession.” Leo said sternly. He had snuck up behind her and clamped his meaty palm on the back of her head. After a moment with a faraway look in his eyes, he shook his head and let go. “Mielios warned me about this. It’s been what, eight months? I don’t know how Stephanie’s still alive.”

“It doesn’t look like she will be for much longer.” Cross said, observing her this, decrepit state.

“Mielios told me about possession, when a disembodied spirit tries to take an alive body by force.” Leo continued. “Problem is, it puts enormous strain on the host. Physical forms aren’t meant to hold more than one soul. If the spirit is stronger, the host is taken over, unless the host is strong enough to eject the spirit themselves. If you get to it quick enough, even a full possession is fairly simple. But as of now…their souls have begun to fuse permanently. I don’t know how to help her. They’re stuck like this. No wonder she’s in a mental institution.” he said sadly.

“Eee hee hee! Wanna know how I am? I-uh, I…I was, I was launched f-from my h-house…” Stephanie said, Edith’s voice receding, along with the black eye. “I-I found a grave, a gravestone. I-I b-brushed against it…and then…and then…I came out!” she cackled, the blackness coming back. “Aheh heh heh, but I managed! I managed to cast a spell to stop me, and I-I interfered, so I couldn’t…heh, I c-couldn’t complete it right, and I, and…I, I, I somehow, I’m me now, and she…her, h-her, I…I’m m-me. I’m, I’m still me! No matter what, I’m still me, dearie!” She descended into mad laughter, frothing at the mouth while Amber looked on, horrified.

“Jesus.” Cross muttered, watching Stephanie falling to the floor. Amber shook her head, then kneeled down. She helped Stephanie sit up, then grabbed her face, forcing her to look back at her.

“Listen, Steph. This is very important. That book where you learned…the ritual that killed me. We stopped you, but now we need your help. You’ve read the book, the Libris Malefactorum Arcana. Now other people are trying to use that same book to cause more trouble. They’re putting the spells into drugs, and giving them out to teenagers, and we have to stop them. Metatech Pharmaceuticals has to go down, and the president partnered with the Calamitous Ruination to do whatever they’re doing. We need to know their endgame, and if there’s anything you know you will tell us. You killed me, you owe me that much.”

The skeletal creature stared into her eyes, one brown, the other solid black. Amber willed her, her longtime friend, to regain sanity enough to tell them something, anything that would help. Stephanie was still. Then, her head started twitching, neck cracking at unnatural angles.

“Hmm…owe. Owe for killing, dearie. Yes, it makes sense.” she said, squinting and giving Amber a crafty smile. Her nerves jangled at the mention of the Tempter, but the bitch in front of her was literally asking for it. Amber, the one who got that damn necromancer involved…yes, leading her to the Poisonous Thoughts would serve for a fine revenge. If there was one thing that could unite both Stephanie and Edith, it was their hatred. As long as it didn’t boil over, they could tell her…yes, that would be fine. So she swallowed her pride and smiled, gritting her broken teeth. “Th-The Serpent, be afraid of the Serpent. Worms his way, worms his way into your thoughts, your head. Never get him out, only way is to cut him out. H-he is the source of the m-magic, the author of the Arcana. T-The Last Alarm has b-been around since t-time immemorial, watching, waiting. But he won’t get me, my head’s filled up already.” Stephanie said, wheezing.

“Watching and waiting? Waiting for what?” Amber asked, frowning. Stephanie gave her a crooked smile, revealing missing teeth.

“H-His chance, dearie. He can do nothing, nothing while in shadow. B-But should he b-break full into this w-world, h-he will s-seek three t-things. The Silver Ring of Z-Zeus, the I-Idol of Abazuul, a-and the Amulet of Puluhtu. E-Each is p-portion of the material he n-needs for his goal, wh-which is not for mortals to know. Not know, not know! The Arcana h-hinted at it, along w-with terrible sp-spells and long-forgotten gods. A-A great devastation will f-follow, a fulfillment at l-last. Th-That’s what is in the Libris Malefactorum Arcana, dearie.” Stephanie explained, twitching and writhing, but forcing herself to speak.

“Thank you.” Amber said gently, getting up. Cross put her notebook away, grimacing.

“This isn’t good. I can’t be sure if it’s what she’s talking about, but the bass-relief above his office’s door has Zeus posed under a circle, the kid said it was sucking up all the energy around.”

“I believe we must assume the worst for this case.” Leo said, shaking his head.

“That’s what it’s looking like.” she said glumly, pulling up pictures on her phone. And guess which company recently financed an expedition to find a sunken Spanish ship, said to be carrying the lost treasure of Abazuul. It’s in the Staten Island Museum right now.”

“Then the only thing left is the amulet.” Amber said, furrowing her eyebrows. “We have to find it before he does.” She turned to Stephanie. “Do you have any idea where it is?”

“Eh heh heh…little Amber wants to know…” It was becoming too much. Both of their hatreds, tempered by their fear of the Last Alarm, were intermingling. “Yessss, I can tell you. But you, you n-need to do something for m-me, dearie, oh bestie friend of mine.” she chuckled darkly.

“W-What do you need?” Amber asked.

“I need you to DIE!” Stephanie shrieked, jumping up with such force the chains on her restraints snapped, bouncing to come down with her sharp, clawed feet first and gnashing her crooked yellow teeth, prepared to rend Amber’s flesh. Cross went for her gun while Leo surged forward, and Dr. Combs with the orderlies rushed to get into the room with sedatives; but her attack was too swift and surprising. No one would make it in time. “TEAR YOU APART! DIE AGAIN, DIE FOREV-”

Her frantic cry was cut off by a hand around her throat, stopping her dead. Everyone stared at Amber, lifting Stephanie with one arm, the ragged girl’s feet dangling and flailing weakly as Amber’s fingers clamped around her like a steel vice. Amber glared at her sternly, her eyes glowing a solid golden yellow, her skin beginning to pale.

“No. You, either of you, won’t be playing with my life anymore. I’ve overcome you both before, even combined you can’t do anything to me, not this time. I’ve learned too much, changed too much to allow this disgraceful behavior to continue. Stephanie, I may have loved you once and I hope someday you return to your senses, but you continue to go down a horrible, unforgivable path. Stay here and rot, and reflect on the sins you’ve committed. And quite honestly, you and Edith deserve each other.” She flung the possessed girl into the corner, lightly for her but for Stephanie with enough force to bounce and drive the air from her lungs, hacking up spittle. The orderlies held her down and Dr. Combs injected the sedative, a questioning eyebrow thrown at Cross.

“I told you, my agents are young, but very capable.” she said coolly, keeping an eye on the spider girl. It was with a heavy, but unconflicted heart as Amber turned away and exited the cell, Leo following cautiously behind her. “Thank you for your time, you’ve been very helpful.”

“A word of warning, before you go.” Dr. Combs called out, adjusting his glasses. “I’ve seen many patients in my time, and they all have an unusual look in their eyes, almost like aglow. Your young charge seems to have that same light, to my eyes. So I advise caution around her.

“Buddy, you don’t know the half of it.” Cross muttered as she left.

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“You wanted to see me, Leader Nigel?” Vanessa asked, stepping into his office. With an afternoon of work, the members of this chapter of the Third Eye had managed to clean up the basement, first floor, and offices of the abandoned store, easily hooking it up to the electrical grid with their powers. Leader Nigel had his own office, where he managed meeting schedules, Taboo shipments, and gave out orders for jobs. No one knew exactly where the jobs came from, but they were always rewarded handsomely in cash and Taboo. Vanessa had only been on a handful of them, helping to sneak in and out of offices and museums for some exhibits, papers, or samples of materials. Her illusion spells had been a great help; no security system or guard had ever caught so much as a glimpse of them. Once upon a time Vanessa might have cared she was breaking the law. The rush from the Taboo and the needs of the group outweighed such petty concerns now.

“Ah, Vanessa. I’ve been given a mission, a very very important mission.” he said, steepling his fingers behind the desk. “In fact, it’s because of our success rate that we were given this mission, and our success rate is largely due to all your efforts and skills. Your illusions have come a long way.”

“Aw, stop.” she said happily, blushing.

“No, I’m serious. Mr. Delacroix was very interested in you when I told him about your powers.”

“Who’s Mr. Delacroix?” she asked.

“Desmond Delacroix. You may know him as the president of Metatech Pharmaceuticals.” Nigel explained. Her eyes widened.

“Metatech? Is-is that who we get the jobs from?”

“Indeed.” he said, nodding. “Though he supposedly is one of the plutocrats we oppose, in truth he is the founder of the Society of the Third Eye. He lets us run our operations with few guidelines and little oversight, and has personally developed the Taboo that enlightens us. I hear he’s a regular user too. I hope to one day be half as great as him.” Nigel sighed, then continued. “We have been given the task of retrieving a particular item for him from the private collection of a reclusive millionaire, Thurgood Lampwick. He resides on the top floor of his exclusive penthouse in New York City. We’ve been tapped to retrieve it, as Mr. Delacroix is under too much scrutiny from the recent terrorist attack to obtain it himself.”

“Yeah, I heard about that. Wow. Why would terrorists go after Mr. Delacroix like that?” Vanessa wondered.

“It is very likely a government official has employed those bastards because they want to stop his work. We can’t let that happen.” Nigel said, his eyes blowing yellow.

“Hell yeah we can’t! If he’s the founder of the Third Eye, he’s gotta be a good guy! If you need me, I’m in! When do we leave?” she asked, pumping her fist. Nigel smiled.

“It does my heart good to see your passion. We leave tomorrow evening, we should be down in New York after sunset then. I’ve rented a van for the occasion, I have four other candidates in mind for this. This is our chance to prove ourselves to our Great Leader, we can’t mess this up. If we succeed, we’ll be instrumental in paving the new world, and our names will go down in the new history.”

“Wow. I, I never thought of it like that.” Vanessa said nervously, reeling at the implications. “I never really thought I’d, y’know, change history. I wonder if this’s how the founding fathers felt.”

“Believe it. We are the Chosen, the children of enlightenment. It is not only our right to improve the world, it is our duty. Even if the rest of society can’t see that and fights us, we must persevere. They will thank us all in the end. I’ve received word that we’ll be getting support via the leaders of two other cells of the Society from Britain and China. They’re most formidable, so I expect no serious opposition. So go home and get plenty of rest, and pack everything you’ll think you’ll need. This is it. The dawn is at hand.” he said and she saluted happily.

“Yes, sir!”