"Now there are many parts in this book that fascinate me," Wednesday said, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the page.
"My favorite part," she continued thoughtfully, "is that it contains rituals and incantations designed to summon a demon and compel it to perform specific tasks."
Enid blinked. "That is literally how every horror movie starts. Someone reads from the creepy book, summons something ugly, and by the end only one person survives. Usually the most emotionally damaged."
Selene, Wednesday, and Ethan all turned to look at her.
The silence stretched just long enough to make Enid uncomfortable.
Among them, she was technically the most normal.
Ethan was an undying monster in more ways than one. Selene had survived centuries of bloodshed between vampires and Lycans. And Wednesday… Wednesday would probably critique the demon's technique.
Enid shifted on the sofa. "What? I'm just saying statistically I'm in danger."
"You'll be fine," Ethan replied calmly. "If anything tries to eat you, I'll eat it first."
"That was not reassuring," Enid said weakly.
"Don't worry, Enid," Wednesday said in her usual flat tone, eyes still on the book. "There is already a rather large monster in this room who seems intent on keeping you for himself. That drastically lowers the competition."
Her gaze shifted lazily toward Ethan.
Enid blinked. "Wait—what?"
"When can we get to the part about why Lucy disappeared?" Ethan cut in quickly, clearly trying to steer the conversation away before it circled back to him. Lucy—the nine-year-old girl who had vanished—was the actual problem here.
"I've found something more relevant. This book is cursed."
"More precisely," Wednesday corrected calmly, "it used to be cursed."
Ethan's expression sharpened.
"There's a spell written here," Wednesday continued, tracing a line of symbols with her finger. "It allows the caster to bind a curse to an object. If anyone opens it or attempts to use it… they are thrown somewhere else."
"Lucy opened the book and disappeared," Ethan said quietly.
It aligned too well. Someone in the past must have placed that spell on this book, and when Lucy opened it, the curse activated.
Enid swallowed. "Why would anyone use something like that?"
"Because they understood how dangerous this book is," Wednesday replied calmly. "And they didn't want just anyone reading it."
Ethan stepped closer to the table. "Can we know where the spell sent her?" There was urgency in his voice now. A nine-year-old child wouldn't survive long in whatever realm a cursed demonic book considered 'somewhere else.'
Wednesday's eyes moved across the final lines of the passage.
"No," she said finally. "The incantation confirms displacement, but it doesn't specify the destination. It's written deliberately vague. Which means the caster either didn't care where the victim ended up… or the destination changes."
Enid swallowed. "Changes to what?"
"That," she said evenly, "is what we need to figure out next."
Ethan exhaled slowly. This was troublesome. Even with everything he was capable of, the magic woven into the Book of the Dead operated on an entirely different level—older, ritualistic, unpredictable.
"Hmmm…"
He looked back at Wednesday.
"Wait. If we use that same spell again on this book and open it… would we end up in the same place Lucy was thrown into?"
Wednesday paused then said after a moment.
"Maybe," she said at last. "There's a possibility. But the spell doesn't specify fixed coordinates. It describes displacement—'cast beyond the veil.' That suggests instability."
"So not guaranteed," Ethan muttered.
"The chance of landing in the exact same place is low," Wednesday added calmly.
"There is a chance, correct?" Ethan pressed.
Wednesday looked up at him, expression unreadable.
"Yes. There is a chance."
Selene crossed her arms. "And what are the chances we step into something worse?"
"High," Wednesday replied without hesitation.
Enid groaned softly from the sofa. "Why do we always skip the safe options?"
Ethan straightened, decision already forming behind his eyes.
"A low chance is still a chance," he said. "And right now, it's the only lead we have."
"And don't worry," Ethan added, tone steady, "I'll be going alone. Even if things go south, I can return from anywhere. Even if it's another planet."
He wasn't exaggerating. If the system locked onto him, he could force a return. Worst case, he would rip open a portal manually. Either way, he wasn't getting stranded.
Enid hugged a cushion tighter. "Umm… Ethan, are you sure? This seems dangerous."
"Don't worry," he replied. "I'll be fine. Uncle Mike is like family. I'm not standing back while his daughter is missing."
"So, Wednesday," Ethan said, turning back to the table, "do the spell on the book."
"No."
Ethan blinked. "Huh?"
Out of everyone in the room, she was the one most likely to enjoy forbidden rituals. Her refusal caught him off guard.
"I'm coming," Wednesday said evenly.
Ethan stared at her. "I'm not going on vacation."
"If you were going on vacation, I wouldn't come even if you begged," she replied without missing a beat. "This is different."
There was no drama in her voice. Just decision.
"You said the destination isn't fixed. If the spell has variables, someone needs to analyze them in real time," she continued. "You're powerful. I'm precise. That combination increases survival probability."
Enid's eyes widened. "You're both talking like this is a field trip to literal hell."
"Potentially," Wednesday said.
*****
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