CHAPTER 29: JOSIE'S DESCENT
POV: Josie
Two weeks of deceptive peace settled over Salvatore School like calm before supernatural storms, monster attacks slowing to sporadic incidents that allowed routine educational activities to resume their familiar patterns. Students returned to complaining about homework assignments instead of survival strategies, faculty relaxed emergency protocols enough to permit unsupervised study sessions, everyone pretending normalcy was sustainable despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Josie sat in her dormitory room surrounded by academic materials that served as camouflage for darker pursuits, textbooks concealing forbidden grimoires while assignment notes hid ritual components gathered through systematic theft from restricted collections. The black crystal pulsed with anticipation in her pocket, dark artifact that had become as essential as breathing over weeks of incremental addiction.
"Every night. Every single night since I found it. The power is intoxicating, effortless magic that makes everything possible."
She siphoned from the crystal with practiced efficiency, dark energy flooding her enhanced systems like electricity seeking ground. The sensation transcended normal magical experience—strength beyond natural limitations, abilities that responded to will rather than careful technique, power that made complex spells feel trivial.
Her latest creation blazed with impossible light—levitation charm amplified beyond normal parameters, object floating with precision that defied gravitational law. The spell should have required months of study, careful preparation, multiple attempts before achieving stable results. Instead, it emerged fully formed from enhanced abilities that seemed to understand magic's fundamental nature.
"I'm stronger than I've ever been. Faster, more capable, more essential to defending this school. Why can't anyone see that? Why do they still treat me like supporting character in everyone else's story?"
But underneath euphoria lay changes that felt less positive. Irritability at minor inconveniences, arrogance toward classmates whose abilities seemed pedestrian, paranoia about people discussing her behind closed doors. The crystal's influence whispered that these weren't personality flaws—they were appropriate responses to being consistently underestimated.
Lizzie entered their shared space with expression that mixed concern and growing wariness, twin connection detecting shifts that others might miss. "Jo, you're different. Meaner. Sharper around the edges."
"I'm stronger," Josie replied, not looking up from spell-crafting that would have impressed advanced practitioners. "Like Alen. Why can't you celebrate that?"
"Because strength without balance is dangerous. Because you're not just becoming powerful—you're becoming cruel." Lizzie's voice carried hurt that penetrated even enhanced arrogance. "You snapped at Emma yesterday for asking about missed counseling sessions. You mocked Rafael's accent during training. That's not strength, Jo. That's just being mean."
"She doesn't understand. None of them understand. I'm finally becoming what I was meant to be—equal to my brother's mysterious abilities, capable of contributions that matter. Their concern is jealousy disguised as worry."
"I'm tired of being overlooked," Josie said, crystal's influence making honesty feel safe. "Tired of watching everyone else be special while I'm relegated to 'good twin' status. This power makes me visible."
Lizzie backed away from confrontation that felt increasingly futile, recognition that her sister was slipping toward something she couldn't understand or combat. The twin bond remained but carried darkness now, corruption that made familiar connections feel alien.
"Let her retreat. Let them all retreat. I don't need their approval when I have this power, these capabilities that make me essential rather than auxiliary."
That night, Josie returned to restricted section with stolen keys and enhanced confidence, seeking amplification beyond what single crystal could provide. The forbidden collection yielded greater treasures—ring that amplified negative emotions, pendant that enhanced siphoning range, grimoire containing spells that contemporary magical theory had banned for excellent reasons.
She slipped the ring onto her finger with trembling anticipation. Power flooded her consciousness immediately—rage at being overlooked throughout her existence, jealousy of Alen's mysterious abilities and Hope's supernatural significance, contempt for weakness displayed by people too limited to embrace necessary darkness.
"I deserve recognition," she whispered to empty library, words carrying weight that made protective wards shiver with unease.
POV: Alen
Alen finally noticed changes that had been building for weeks—sister moving through school with enhanced confidence that felt wrong, magic use that exceeded normal limitations, dark circles beneath eyes that suggested sleepless nights spent pursuing forbidden knowledge. His cosmic awareness had been focused on external threats while internal corruption festered in plain sight.
"How did I miss this? How did I become so obsessed with hunting cultists and preventing dimensional disasters that I ignored my sister's obvious distress?"
He found her in common area, studying advanced magical theory with concentration that seemed excessive for routine homework. Her magical signature blazed brighter than normal siphoner limitations should allow, energy patterns that suggested amplification through methods he couldn't immediately identify.
"Jo, what's going on?"
Josie looked up with expression that mixed defensiveness and challenge, familiar features arranged in configuration that felt alien. "Nothing. Why do you assume something's wrong?"
"You're my sister. I know you." The words felt inadequate against evidence that suggested he'd failed completely at family observation. "Your magic feels different. Stronger but also... darker."
"Maybe I've been practicing." Her voice carried edge that hadn't existed before enhanced abilities became addictive necessity. "Maybe I've been working to match the mysterious powers everyone pretends not to notice about their favorite son."
"Jealous. She's jealous of abilities I can't explain without revealing transmigration secrets. Frustrated by cosmic restrictions that make me seem special while keeping her in supporting role."
"You're jealous," he said, recognition hitting like physical blow.
Josie exploded with accumulated resentment finally given voice. "I'm tired! Tired of being the good twin, the overlooked one, the supporting character in everyone else's story! You craft impossible spells, speak Words of Command, forge mysterious coins that everyone pretends are normal. Hope gets tribrid significance, ancient power, cosmic importance. Even Lizzie gets dramatic breakdowns that require attention!"
She stood abruptly, dark energy pulsing around her like visible aura. "But Josie? Good old reliable Josie just supports everyone else's adventures while remaining safely invisible. Well, I'm done being invisible!"
She stormed from common area before Alen could respond, leaving him alone with growing recognition that his cosmic responsibilities had blinded him to family crisis that demanded immediate attention.
POV: Alen
Emma intercepted him later that afternoon, expression mixing professional concern with personal worry that transcended normal counselor-student boundaries. "Josie missed three counseling sessions. Her magical signature is... wrong. Dark. Corrupted by something I can't identify."
"Three sessions. How long has she been declining while I focused on external threats? How many warning signs did I miss because my attention was divided between soul hunting and dimensional disasters?"
"Please talk to her," Emma continued, studying Alen's face for signs that he understood the gravity of developing situation. "She trusts you. Whatever's happening, family intervention might reach her when professional help can't."
Alen promised to address the situation immediately, intentions sincere but complicated by tactical intelligence that arrived through supernatural channels—location of Helena Voss, documented cultist whose atrocities qualified her for soul harvesting. Second resurrection coin within reach if he acted quickly, cosmic currency that could save future lives.
"I'll handle Josie tomorrow. After this harvest. After I secure the resources necessary to prevent future tragedies. One more day won't make critical difference."
Fatal mistake. That night, while Alen prepared for solo hunt that would dominate his attention for crucial hours, Josie discovered the Mora Miserium hidden in school vault—ancient artifact containing centuries of accumulated dark magic, evil crystallized into form that promised unlimited power to anyone desperate enough to claim it.
She touched obsidian surface with fingers that trembled from anticipation and terror combined. Power flooded her consciousness like dam burst, overwhelming enhanced systems with magical energy that transcended normal limitations entirely.
Her eyes flashed solid black. Personality dissolved beneath influence that promised everything she'd ever wanted—recognition, power, importance that could never be overlooked again.
She smiled with expression that was dangerous and completely wrong, darkness given form through teenage desperation transformed into cosmic threat.
By morning, it would be too late for family intervention or professional help. The descent was complete, and Alen was hunting monsters miles away while his sister became one.
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