Chapter 267 Fire at midnight 14

Jeremy couldn't believe his ears, and Ava's mouth hung open in shock. How did Asher know all this?

"Who filled you in on this information?" Ava asked, perplexed and torn within.

Asher had expected the question—it was what troubled him most. No one had told him anything, and yet, somehow, the knowledge came to him as if it had always been there.

"I'm just as clueless as you, Ava. I don't know how the knowledge surfaced. Lately, I've been getting these strange flashes—truths I shouldn't know. It's like something ancient is speaking through me, and I don't understand what's happening," Asher admitted, clearly disturbed by his own experience.

Ava sighed. Insanity felt inevitable at this point. Just when they thought Lamia was their biggest problem, more forces—unknown and terrifying—kept surfacing. And it was all thanks to Lamia, who had stirred up dark powers that belonged in the deepest pits of hell.

"From what I can gather," Ava said, stepping closer to him, "you're being filled with the ancient knowledge of those who came before you—the other Children of Light. As their successor, it makes sense that you're inheriting their memories and insight. It's the only way you'll be able to survive what's ahead."

She pulled him into a hug. "It's going to be okay, Asher. We'll get to the bottom of everything. Because the dead witches—those creatures—they have a serious history with Valemont City, and with other supernatural beings, especially witches."

"Witches?" Jimmy repeated, wide-eyed. "Goddamn it—there are different kinds of witches now?"

"Yeah," Ava nodded. "There are those who purify the earth—nature witches. They use only natural elements in their craft and believe in the sacred balance of nature. These are led by the silver-haired witches, the most powerful of their kind. They can perform rites no other witches can… and even communicate with the dead."

She paused dramatically, her eyes narrowing.

"Then, we have the dark witches—those who believed magic shouldn't be limited by nature. They created blood magic. From there, a deadly conflict broke out. The witches split. Those who mastered the dark arts were hunted, captured, and brutally executed... right there in Clarksville Cemetery. And those witches? The ones killed? They're what we now know as the dead witches."

Her words hung in the air, chilling them all.

"But wait…" Jimmy said, narrowing his eyes. "Weren't you the one asking Asher how he knew about the dead witches? And yet here you are… telling the full story like an expert. Doesn't that seem… I don't know… suspicious?"

Before anyone could respond, the classroom door creaked open.

"Oh thank the gods—you're here! I've been looking all over for you guys. Why didn't anyone tell me we were meeting here?" came a familiar voice.

The three turned, jaws dropping with every passing second.

Asher's heart skipped. The person who had just entered… was Ava.

Then who the hell had they been talking to all this time?

"Oh… well, guess the game's up," the imposter said, grinning—revealing a grotesque, twisted smile.

Emily, who had been standing the closest, staggered back with a gasp.

"Don't do that, Emily—you traitorous whore," the creature hissed, its voice now old and cold. "What right do you have to act righteous?"

And before their very eyes, the imposter tore off Ava's appearance—revealing its true form: a monstrous being with four hands, six legs, and ten gleaming eyes. Its presence reeked of death and trickery. It let out a sickening cackle that made their skin crawl.

"See you all at the end… cemetery," it rasped, its voice now that of a wrinkled old woman.

With a wave of its tree-trunk-like hands, the air around them warped—and in a blink, the four friends found themselves no longer in the classroom… but standing in the middle of Clarksville Cemetery.

Ava, now truly present and just as stunned, whirled on the group.

"What the fuck just happened?!" she demanded, furious. "You didn't realize that wasn't me?!"

Asher stood frozen, still processing the deception. So much for being a savior. Now, they were in the very pit of darkness… and not just any graveyard.

This was sacred ground for a cursed breed of witches.

What could possibly go wrong?

Suddenly, the cemetery gates creaked loudly behind them, then slammed shut with an ominous thud. The eerie silence that followed only intensified the dread.

"Oh hell no," Emily breathed, her horror written across her face. "This can't be happening."

"Asher! Asher—do something! What the hell do we do?" she rambled, clinging to him desperately.

Jeremy gripped Asher's hand tightly, his knuckles pale. Ava stood nearby, stiff with tension, surveying the nightmarish scene before them.

But Asher… still didn't panic.

Emily was shaken by his calm, unreadable expression. Just moments ago, he had seemed overwhelmed. Now, he was cold, composed… calculating.

Then he spoke, his voice clear and firm.

"Alright, listen up. We came here for a reason—and we're not leaving without Slyvia and Rose. No matter what this place throws at us, we finish what we started."

There was a finality in his voice—a chilling determination that left no room for argument.

Asher was done running.