Jackson Square blazed with candlelight.
I watched from the shadows of a nearby building, dimensional senses extended, tracking every magical thread. The witches had gathered in force—Agnes leading, Sophie forced to participate, the full coven arrayed in ceremonial white.
At the center, four girls.
Monique stood rigid, her hand clutching the hidden charm. Abigail looked dazed but aware, her eyes searching the crowd for something—someone. Cassie swayed slightly, ancestral influence battling her remaining free will.
And Davina.
She stood tallest of them all, facing death with a courage that made my chest ache. Her eyes found mine across the square—just for a moment—and I nodded.
I'm here. I'll always be here.
The chanting began.
[ANCESTRAL RITUAL INITIATED]
[Harvest power: ACCUMULATING]
[Souls targeted: Monique, Abigail, Cassie, Davina]
[Your intervention: STANDING BY]
[Optimal timing: After first death, before fourth]
I waited.
The first knife fell on Monique.
She gasped—a single, sharp intake of breath—and then collapsed, her life flowing into the consecrated ground. But as she fell, I felt the charm activate. Her soul fragment diverted from ancestral grasp, hidden away in the pocket dimension I'd prepared.
[Monique: BODY DEAD]
[Monique: SOUL PRESERVED]
[Ancestral claim: PARTIAL]
One down. Three to go.
Abigail was second. Her death was quieter—she seemed almost peaceful as the knife entered her chest. But beneath that peace, I felt her soul fighting, clinging to the charm I'd given her.
[Abigail: BODY DEAD]
[Abigail: SOUL PRESERVED]
[Ancestral claim: PARTIAL]
Two down.
Cassie was third. Her death was the hardest to watch—ancestral influence made her fight, her body convulsing as centuries of spirits tried to claim her fully. But even through that chaos, her hand remained clenched around the charm.
[CONFLICT DETECTED: Cassie's soul vs. ancestors]
[Ancestral strength: OVERWHELMING]
[Cassie's will: WEAKENING]
[Intervention: REQUIRED]
I moved.
Not physically—that would reveal too much. But dimensionally, reaching across the barrier between worlds to reinforce Cassie's fading consciousness.
Hold on, I projected. You're stronger than them.
Cassie's eyes—dying, fading—found something across the veil. Me.
She held.
[Intervention: SUCCESSFUL]
[Cassie: BODY DEAD]
[Cassie: SOUL PRESERVED]
[Ancestral claim: MINIMAL]
Three down.
Now only Davina remained.