CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

"And why would I do that?" Stephen asked, his voice sharp as he eyed Cynthia.

Cynthia hesitated before repeating Kelvin's question. "What if the ritual doesn't work?"

Stephen scoffed. "And why wouldn't it? Whether he's human, demon, or angel—it will reveal."

"But how do we know that? You only mentioned human, demon, and angel… What if he's something else?" Cynthia pressed.

Jessica cut in, her tone firm. "The ritual is designed to reveal the truth. If he's something else, we'll know. And there's no way it will fail."

Stephen turned to Cynthia, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Where is all this doubt coming from? I leave you with him for a few hours, and suddenly he's twisted your mind?"

Cynthia's expression darkened. "You know… that's exactly what he said about us. 'You people and your twisted ideas'—not his exact words, but close enough. Look, he knows things he shouldn't. Have we stopped to ask why? You and I both know that after the ritual, everything he knows, we will know. But are we ready for that? And wouldn't performing the ritual against his will break the code?"

The room fell silent.

Then, a voice echoed from the doorway.

"There's no need for the ritual."

Everyone turned sharply.

Kelvin stood at the entrance, his posture relaxed, but his eyes sharp.

"If you want answers," he continued, "I'll tell you where to find them. But only if you promise not to do the ritual. My knowledge is mine alone. I share what I choose—with whomever I choose. It's not yours for the taking."

Stephen's jaw clenched. "How did you—?" He turned to Cynthia. "Did you—?"

"No, she didn't," Kelvin interrupted. "The librarian came to take a book. She let me out. I told her you locked me in, so… you guys are in serious trouble."

"Then why come back?" Victor, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "Why not escape?"

Kelvin shot him a withering look. "Are you damn or something? There's nowhere to run. And I don't want anyone in my head."

"What exactly are you hiding?" Nora asked, narrowing her eyes.

"None of your business. And that's the point," Kelvin replied. "I didn't just pick Haloville out of all schools to transfer to in the middle of the year. I'm here for a reason."

Stephen folded his arms. "And what's stopping us from taking that information by force?"

Kelvin smirked. "Because I only know half the truth. If you force it out of me, you'll never find the rest. And before you say you can pull that from my head too—I don't know where it is. I only know how to get it. And only I can do that." He turned to Jessica. "You're not a strong enough witch, Jessica. If you try the ritual, it will fail. And you'll fry your brains in the process."

"Why should we believe you?"

"Ask Nora. She's your lie detector, isn't she? She'll tell you if what you're about to do is a good idea or a terrible one."

The group exchanged uncertain glances.

"How do you know all this?" they finally asked in unison.

Kelvin smiled. "I can tell you more. What do you say? Partners?" He let the question linger before shrugging. "I'll give you time to think about it."

With that, he walked out, leaving them speechless.

Something had changed in him. He wasn't the scared boy they had locked away earlier. No, this was someone else. Someone in control.

Without a word, the group dispersed.

"Look, I can explain—"

"Explain what exactly?"

Kelvin barely had time to react before Ryan shoved his bag at him, his face twisted in frustration. "How you made me carry this heavy load all day while you were missing?"

"I was—"

"You were what?"

Kelvin hesitated. How was he supposed to explain that a group of lunatics had locked him up, trying to dig into his mind?

"Do you know what punishment I got because of you?" Ryan continued, not waiting for an answer. "Scrubbing. Not just anywhere—the girls' bathhouse. Can you imagine the shame?"

Kelvin bit his lip to stop a laugh, but a small smile slipped out.

"You think this is funny?" Ryan scoffed. "Fine. Let's see how funny it is when I tell everyone how you skipped six periods." He grabbed his towel and bucket, heading off for an afternoon bath.

Kelvin quickly grabbed his things and followed him. "Ryan, wait—sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just… Did they really make you scrub the girls' bathhouse?"

Ryan shot him a glare. "No, dumbass. I was joking."

Kelvin chuckled. "Okay, okay. Look, I am sorry. I mean it."

Ryan sighed. "Fine. But where were you really?"

Kelvin exhaled. "I was locked in the library."

Ryan stopped mid-step. "What?"

Kelvin glanced around, then lowered his voice. "Look, let's walk and talk. Have you heard the rumors? That this school is haunted?"

"Yeah, who hasn't?" Ryan said. "But wait—you're telling me the librarian locked you in?"

"No, I was—"

"Do you even know who the librarian is?" Ryan interrupted. "Not the lady who sits there. I mean the librarian. The spirit."

Kelvin froze. "Spirit?"

Ryan nodded, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They say she was once the library prefect. Then one day, she just… disappeared. No trace, nothing. Some say she has no face. And that she hid all the secrets of this school in the library. To the human eye, we just see books. But if you find her and subdue her, you'll know everything."

Kelvin's heart pounded. "Really?"

Ryan burst out laughing. "No, dumbass. You don't actually believe that, do you?" Then he stopped, studying Kelvin's face. His smile faded. "Wait… you do believe it. Hold on—you weren't actually locked in the library by her, were you?"

Kelvin hesitated. "No… but I think I've seen her before."

Ryan's face paled. "Are you serious? You sure you weren't just hallucinating?"

Kelvin shook his head. "No. I had a vision."

Ryan stiffened. "A vision?"

Kelvin held his gaze. "I tend to know things I'm not supposed to."

Ryan swallowed. "Like what?"

Kelvin's voice dropped to a near whisper. "Like how you watched your sister get torn to pieces in your dream… and the next morning, she was dead."

Ryan's breath hitched. His eyes welled up with tears. "How do you know that?"

Kelvin's expression darkened. "Because I need someone I can trust. This path I'm on… It's too dangerous to walk alone."

Ryan's fists clenched. His voice was barely above a whisper. "She was more than my sister. She was my twin. My other half. She was me. And when I lost her…" His voice broke. "I lost myself too."

Kelvin placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Then help me. Because I think… I know who took her."

Ryan's breath caught in his throat.

"Who?" he asked, voice trembling.

Kelvin looked into his eyes.

"The same thing that's coming for me."