The house reeked of burned flesh and something worse—something unnatural.
Theo stood over a blackened patch of ash, his breath uneven. His fingers still tingled, the last embers of his power simmering beneath his skin. He had fought. He had won.
Yet, something felt wrong.
Gregory let out a low whistle, arms crossed. "Damn. You ever seen ash this… committed?"
Lily nudged the remains with her boot. The dust barely stirred. "Persistent. I'll give him that."
Gregory smirked. "Think he's gonna try for a third round? Maybe crawl out of the fireplace this time?"
Lily shot him a dry look. "Don't jinx it."
Theo barely heard them. The air felt heavy, like something was watching him. He forced himself to speak.
"Why was a dead body after me?"
Silence.
Gregory's smirk didn't fade, but it froze just a little. Lily didn't look at him.
Theo swallowed hard. Push forward.
"Where did he come from?" His voice was sharp, barely hiding the unease curling in his chest. "And… was this the thing I've been feeling?"
Gregory tilted his head, considering. Then, with an easy shrug, he said, "If you've been sensing something weird, then yeah. Probably."
Theo's stomach turned. He didn't like that.
He forced himself to breathe evenly, his mind racing. "That doesn't explain why a dead man was after me."
Gregory rubbed his chin. "Well… we did know him."
Theo's eyes snapped to him. "Did you kill him?"
Gregory raised an eyebrow, casual as ever. "Nope. He was already dead."
Theo's breath hitched. "…And you're sure?"
Lily exhaled sharply. "Theo."
Gregory met his gaze. "We didn't kill anyone."
The words were firm. Simple. Final.
But something about them felt wrong.
Theo stared at them both, something hot and uneasy twisting in his gut. He wanted to push further—to demand more—but something in their expressions warned him he wouldn't like the answer.
Instead, he took a shaky breath and exhaled.
Before anyone could speak again, a knock echoed through the house.
Gregory sighed. "Ah, hell. If that's another walking corpse, I'm gonna start charging rent."
Lily smirked. "Or burning the place down."
Despite himself, Theo let out a breathy huff. But his chest was still tight.
Gregory strode toward the door, Lily close behind. Theo followed, tension crackling in the air.
Gregory swung the door open.
Standing outside in the snow was Father Emmanuel.
His gaze swept past Gregory, taking in the house's interior. His expression didn't shift, but his eyes lingered on the ashen remains of the fight.
"You were visited tonight," he said simply.
Gregory leaned against the doorframe. "Yeah. You could say that."
Lily crossed her arms. "Did you know this would happen?"
Father Emmanuel sighed. "I suspected… but I saw nothing you couldn't handle on your own."
His eyes landed on Theo.
Theo swallowed hard. His voice was quieter than before. "Did you… want me to fight him alone?"
"No," Emmanuel said. "But trials will come to you, whether I want them to or not."
Theo's fingers curled. "Did I bring him back?"
Father Emmanuel studied him for a moment. "…Not intentionally."
Theo stiffened.
That wasn't a no.
Gregory chuckled dryly. "We were just talking about that, actually."
Lily shot him a look. "Gregory."
Father Emmanuel ignored them. His gaze remained on Theo. "Have you felt anything… unusual?"
Theo hesitated.
The fight replayed in his mind. That moment when Varek lunged at him—when his Archetype flared to life. There had been a pull, something instinctual.
Something had changed.
It was faint, lingering in the back of his mind like an echo.
He felt it.
Still, he shook his head. "…No."
Father Emmanuel watched him carefully but said nothing.
After a moment, he exhaled. "Be wary. Not everything stays dead."
Theo clenched his fists.
He already knew that.