Cassie's parents were the problem.
They weren't evil—just convinced. True believers in the old ways, in ancestral wisdom, in the necessity of sacrifice. They'd raised Cassie to accept her fate, to see death as honor, to embrace the Harvest as her purpose.
She was the hardest to reach.
I watched their house for three days before finding an opportunity—a rare moment when both parents were away, leaving Cassie briefly unattended. I slipped through their wards and found her in her room, surrounded by drawings of the ancestors she'd been taught to revere.
"You're the one." She didn't seem surprised. "The traveler. Monique told me about you."
"Monique and I have spoken, yes."
"She said you offered her a choice." Cassie's voice was calm, too calm. "I don't need a choice. I know what I'm meant to do."
"Do you?"
"The ancestors call to me. I hear them at night—their voices, their wisdom. They promise I'll be part of something greater." She smiled, and there was something unsettling in it. "Why would I want to survive when I can become eternal?"
[ANALYSIS: Cassie]
[Ancestral influence: EXTREME]
[Free will: SEVERELY COMPROMISED]
[Recommendation: Direct intervention may be necessary]
I'd hoped to avoid this. But some people couldn't be saved from themselves.
"The ancestors are using you," I said quietly. "They don't care about you—only about the power you can give them. When you die, they'll wear your face like a mask and pretend to be you."
"You're wrong."
"I'm not." I stepped closer, letting her see the weight in my eyes. "I've watched this happen thousands of times. In thousands of realities. True believers always think they're different. They're always wrong."
Cassie's composure cracked—just slightly, a flicker of doubt behind her eyes.
"Even if you're right," she whispered, "what can I do? They're everywhere. In my head. In my parents' heads. In the whole coven."
"Fight." I pressed a charm into her hand. "Not with magic—with will. Hold onto yourself. Remember who you are. And when the knife falls, let this catch your soul before they can claim it."
She stared at the charm like it might explode.
"Why?" she asked. "Why save me when I've been nothing but their tool?"
"Because tools don't choose. People do." I headed for the door. "You're still a person, Cassie. Don't let them make you forget that."
[Contact established: Cassie]
[Ancestral influence: REDUCED (temporarily)]
[Survival chance: Increased to 20%]
It wasn't much. But in a game where the ancestors held all the cards, 20% was better than zero.