Lilly had been sitting in front of the computer for over an hour, her face illuminated by the bluish glow of the screen. She was deep in research, scouring the internet for anything related to Katherine, but no matter how many variations she typed, there was nothing. Not a single mention of her.
Instead, five names kept appearing: Thales Hampshire, Garrison David, Adebayo Christian, Esther Markson, and Star-Bright Liam. She frowned, scanning the names again. Four of them were dead, leaving only one—Adebayo Christian—still alive.
Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard as she clicked on Adebayo's name. A wave of unease settled in her stomach when she saw that all five individuals had one thing in common—a black seal, spherical in shape, with a white horse at the center.
Her breath hitched. She had seen that seal before.
It had been in Uncle Sam's cupboard.
She remembered stumbling across it while looking for an old book, its design so strange that it had lingered in her memory. But now, when she hurried to search the cupboard again, the seal was gone.
Someone had taken it.
She narrowed her eyes. No one else had access to that cupboard except Uncle Sam.
Should she confront him?
No. Not yet.
She needed more information first.
Lilly grabbed her phone and took a picture of the seal on the screen. Maybe Mr. Tristan, her history teacher, would know something about it. But before she brought it to him, she decided to dig deeper.
As she searched, she found an address—Adebayo Christian lived in Elnor, somewhere around Court Street.
A cold shiver ran through her spine.
Why was she so obsessed with Katherine?
She couldn't explain it. There was a force pulling her in, a curiosity that refused to let go. But the deeper she dug, the more unsettling the information became.
And then, something truly disturbing appeared on the screen.
An old photo of Adebayo Christian standing beside a young man. They were smiling, a friendly bond clear between them. But it wasn't the image that sent a chill down her spine—it was the words written below it.
"Perches Guide 2003."
Her heart pounded.
That was seventeen years ago.
She immediately searched for "Perches Guide."
What she found was horrifying.
Images of men and women burning alive in raging fires.
Her stomach twisted in horror.
Who were these people? And why were they being burned?
She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. She was exhausted, but she couldn't stop. There was something deeper here, something no one wanted to talk about.
Most disturbing of all?
She still hadn't found a single picture of Katherine.
Just as she rested her head on the desk, Uncle Sam walked into the room.
"Lilly," he called.
She quickly minimized the window. "Yes, Uncle. Welcome."
"How was your day?"
"Fine, Uncle. And yours?"
"Hectic," he sighed. "What exciting thing did you do today?"
"Nothing much. Just surfing the internet," she replied casually.
Uncle Sam narrowed his eyes slightly. "You hardly use the computer. Must be something interesting."
"Yeah, it is."
"So? What's it about?"
"A woman named Katherine," Lilly said, watching him closely.
Uncle Sam froze.
For a brief second, something flickered across his face—shock? Fear? Lilly wasn't sure. But it was there.
"Katherine?" His voice was quieter now.
"Yes," she answered. "Our history teacher mentioned her in class."
Uncle Sam's jaw tensed.
"Why are you suddenly quiet?" she asked. "Do you know her?"
"Of course not," he said too quickly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"
Uncle Sam exhaled and forced a smile. "I was just wondering why you're so interested in this topic."
"Because I love fiction," she said smoothly. "And honestly, it's hard to believe a group of people existed who burned others alive."
Uncle Sam gave a small chuckle, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah… hard to believe."
"Well, I'll definitely see this to the end," Lilly said firmly.
Uncle Sam's expression darkened for just a moment before he sighed. "Alright then. Tell me when you get there."
Something about the way he said it made her skin prickle.
As if he already knew she never would.
---
At school the next day, Lilly was at her locker when a loud voice called out.
"Hey, new girl!"
She ignored it.
"I said, hey, new bee!" The voice belonged to Darrmill, one of the school's self-proclaimed troublemakers. His friends snickered from behind him.
Lilly kept her focus on the books in her locker. She wasn't about to waste her time on idiots.
"Don't mind them," another voice said beside her.
She turned slightly. A boy stood there, tall and confident, with warm brown skin and intelligent eyes.
"I'm Harrell," he said, offering a smile.
Lilly hesitated.
"So… are you from around here?" Harrell asked.
She debated ignoring him too, but something about him seemed different.
"No," she finally answered. "I moved here from Elnor."
Harrell's eyebrows lifted. "Elnor? The place of witchery and mysteries?"
Lilly frowned. "What do you mean?"
"My dad always tells me about Elnor. He says it's full of strange happenings. Kind of like Africa."
"You sound like you know a lot about Africa," Lilly noted.
Harrell grinned. "My dad is from there."
"That's cool."
Darrmill, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly stomped over.
"What are you two talking about?" he asked.
Harrell scowled. "None of your business."
Darrmill smirked and shoved him.
Harrell immediately shoved him back.
Lilly sighed. "Can you both stop acting like children?"
"Oh, look at that," Darrmill sneered. "She's defending her little boyfriend."
Harrell clenched his fists, but before he could retaliate, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"Get out of here."
Guirri.
Lilly turned to see a girl standing at the edge of the hall. She was thin, short, and had deep ebony skin. Her eyes burned with an unsettling intensity.
Darrmill immediately took a step back.
His friends whispered something to him, and within seconds, they were gone.
Lilly stared after them. "Why were they so afraid of you?"
Guirri smirked. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes," Lilly answered.
Guirri chuckled. "Then you'll find out soon enough."
---
After school, Harrell convinced Lilly to walk home with him instead of taking the bus.
"So, you didn't tell me why people fear Guirri," Lilly pressed as they walked.
Harrell sighed. "You don't give up, do you?"
"Nope."
"Alright," he said. "They say she's a witch."
Lilly scoffed. "That's ridiculous."
"Maybe. But her mother was one. And rumor has it, she killed her own father."
Lilly stopped in her tracks.
Harrell pointed to an old, abandoned building across the street.
"They say something happened there ten years ago," he said.
Lilly squinted at the warning sign nailed to the door. "What happened?"
Harrell hesitated.
"Fifteen people died inside," he finally said. "But no one knows how."
A chill ran down Lilly's spine.
And yet, she couldn't help but step closer.