The moment Mira touched the piece of wood, the mansion shuddered.
Mrs. Hodgins froze mid-step.
Her face twitched.
Her limbs jerked.
Her body began to distort—like a puppet caught between strings. Her eyes rolled back, her voice garbled into static.
Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Okay, that's not normal. Even for her."
Mira stared at the wood. It pulsed faintly, like it had a heartbeat.
She placed it back on the shelf.
A click echoed through the room.
A hidden panel slid open.
Behind it—a staircase spiraling downward into darkness.
Mira didn't hesitate.
She followed.
Upstairs, Hodgins snapped back to normal.
She turned to the lamp, her voice sharp and cruel.
"I wish to kill Brittany."
The lamp pulsed.
Zahir emerged.
His eyes were cold.
He moved fast.
Grabbed Brittany by the throat.
She gasped, clawing at his arm. "Okay—this is not what I meant when I said I wish someone would choke me!"
Zahir didn't flinch.
His grip tightened.
Brittany's vision blurred.
Her knees buckled.
She collapsed.
Barely conscious, Brittany whispered, "I wish… I could see my little cousin Lily… one last time…"
The lamp flickered.
And then—
Lily appeared.
Right there.
In the middle of the room.
Brittany blinked. "Lily?"
Hodgins and Brittany said it together: "What the hell?"
Lily looked around, confused. "Did someone call me? Also, why does it smell like burnt soup and bad vibes?"
She rushed to Brittany's side, kneeling beside her.
Hodgins sighed. "You know what? Just kill them both."
Zahir turned.
Brittany and Lily froze.
And the lamp pulsed again.
To be continued…