When Astra woke up, she found herself lying on a wooden table, her limbs tightly bound by something.
Her head throbbed from the two hits she'd taken earlier, making it hard to focus, but she forced herself to scan her surroundings.
It looked like a bedroom, but instead of a bed, there was only a Western-style coffin in the room.
"She's awake!"
A familiar voice—Short-Haired Girl's voice—cut through the haze.
Astra turned her head and saw the seven people she'd come to the haunted house with standing nearby.
All seven wore creepy, unnatural smiles, like they were straight out of a horror movie about possessed dolls.
The guy with glasses was holding a strange book.
"What… what are you guys doing? If this is a prank, it's gone way too far!"
Astra tried to stay calm, but her eyes betrayed the panic rising inside her.
"Don't be scared, Astra! We're just going to sacrifice you to a demon, that's all!" Glasses Guy said casually.
Sacrifice? To a demon? Her heart raced. Who wouldn't be terrified?
"You jerks! Why are you doing this to me?!"
Short-Haired Girl chimed in.
"Come on, Astra, you're always so loyal. Just think of this as doing us a favor, okay?"
"A favor? Are you insane? How am I supposed to help with this?!"
Astra let loose a string of curses.
"Astra, you're our big sis, our leader. You've gotta set an example!" Blonde Girl added with a smirk.
"I don't want to be your big sis anymore! Let me go!"
The fear of death drove Astra to struggle against her restraints.
But it was no use—she was tied down tight, no chance of breaking free.
Black-Haired Girl delivered the final blow.
"Sorry, Astra, but you've got no one. Nobody's going to cry when you're gone. I bet even your mom won't care—she already ditched you to start over in L.A."
Those words hit Astra like a punch, exposing her deepest fear.
Sure, she acted like she didn't care about her mom, but deep down, Astra was terrified that Lydia would build a new family in Los Angeles and abandon her.
It was a fear shared by many kids from single-parent homes.
Black-Haired Girl had just ripped open a wound Astra didn't want to face.
Astra lost it, screaming and thrashing like a maniac.
"I don't need anyone! I can do just fine on my own! Ugh—mmph!"
Jock Guy yanked off a sock he hadn't washed in days and stuffed it into Astra's mouth. The stench nearly knocked her out.
"Enough talk. Let's summon Lady Angela!"
Glasses Guy nodded.
The seven lined up, with Glasses Guy holding the book at the center. They began chanting a name in unison: Angela.
As they chanted, Astra felt the air grow heavy, oppressive, like something terrifying was about to emerge.
She wasn't sure if it was real or if the foul sock was making her hallucinate.
Moments later, the coffin creaked open, and a woman in black crawled out.
"My children, I hear your call."
Glasses Guy dropped to his knees, leading the others in reverence.
"Lady Angela, we've brought you a sacrifice. She'll definitely please you!"
"Oh? What's so special about her?"
The woman in black slowly approached Astra. From her angle, Astra couldn't see her face.
"Her mother's a famous medium. We think she's inherited some of those abilities!"
Astra's anxiety spiked. A pale hand suddenly grabbed her face.
"Not bad! She's a natural medium, though her powers haven't awakened yet. Excellent work!"
Angela walked over to Glasses Guy, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up.
"So, what rewards do you want?"
Glasses Guy's eyes lit up with fanaticism.
"Knowledge! Tons and tons of knowledge!"
Jock Guy went next.
"I want a powerful body. I want to be a sports star!"
Little Red Riding Hood's wish was simpler.
"I want abilities stronger than any San Fernando Valley movie star!"
"I want the best motorcycle in the world!"
Leather Jacket Guy was clearly a biker, dressed like he belonged to a gang.
As for the three girls: Short-Haired Girl wanted to be a Hollywood star, Blonde Girl wanted eternal youth, and Black-Haired Girl wanted piles of money.
Angela smirked.
"I'll grant all your wishes."
With that, she grabbed Glasses Guy's face and kissed him on the mouth.
His eyes widened in shock, but she pulled away quickly.
"Your wish is granted."
Confused, Glasses Guy looked at her, then noticed his hands fusing with the book he was holding. Letters started appearing on his skin.
"Now, you are knowledge itself."
The others gasped in horror.
Making deals with demons never ends well. They love twisting contracts, granting wishes in the most perverse ways.
Jock Guy, the quickest to react, bolted for the exit.
But his speed was no match for Angela's magic.
With a flick of her finger, his legs churned in place, unable to move forward despite running so fast they blurred.
Angela strolled over with a blank sheet of paper, draping it over him.
In an instant, Jock Guy vanished, replaced by a poster in Angela's hand. It showed him posing like a sports superstar—but now he was a 2D image.
"Wish granted."
The remaining five froze, then scattered, desperate to escape.
But the underground chamber had only one exit—right behind Angela. They'd have to get past her to make it out.
Fat chance.
Angela kept casting. Little Red Riding Hood, who wanted San Fernando Valley-level skills, turned into a rubber dick.
Leather Jacket Guy, who wanted the best motorcycle, became a motorcycle himself.
Short-Haired Girl, dreaming of Hollywood, turned into an Oscar statuette—but not solid gold.
Blonde Girl, wishing for eternal youth, became a statue.
Black-Haired Girl, craving wealth, turned into a safe. Angela stuffed it with paper and pens, but it sure wasn't real money.
In one fell swoop, all seven got their wishes—just not how they imagined.
"Heh, seven new collectibles! Now it's your turn, little girl."
Angela turned to Astra.
Astra was beyond despair, tinged with a hint of sorrow.
Sure, those seven had just betrayed her, but seeing them reduced to these twisted forms still hit her with a pang of pity.
Angela seemed to read her thoughts and smiled.
"Don't worry, you won't end up like them."
Astra let out a tiny breath of relief, only for Angela's next words to plunge her into terror.
"Because I'm going to eat you."
Astra thrashed again, but her struggles only made Angela grin wider. She loved seeing her prey squirm in fear.
"Ready? Time to dig in!"
Angela's mouth gaped open, revealing her true, horrifying form.
(Angela's beauty filter: officially offline.)
Astra squeezed her eyes shut, praying to God for a miracle.
And then, a miracle happened.
An axe came flying out of nowhere, hurtling toward Angela. She didn't have time to react before it blasted her upper body to pieces.
The entire house shook from the impact.
Only after Angela's upper half was obliterated did Astra hear the deafening boom.
Opening her eyes, she saw Angela's mangled body collapse, a massive hole now blown through the opposite wall.
"Astra!"
A familiar voice called from the chamber's entrance.
Turning her head, Astra saw her mother, Lydia, and a handsome young man.
That's right—Roy and Lydia to the rescue.
After Lydia sensed Astra was in danger, Roy had driven Bumblebee to the House of Hall, searched the place, and finally found the underground chamber.
Tears streamed down Astra's face. The strength she'd been clinging to crumbled.
She wanted to yell "Mom!" but the sock was still in her mouth.
"Ms. Foster, hold on! That woman's not dead yet!" Roy warned.
Sure enough, Angela's upper body regrew, her new red flesh making her look even more grotesque.
"Who—who dared attack me?!"
Furious, Angela's golden eyes glared at the entrance.
But the moment she saw Roy, her anger melted into surprise, then delight.
"Wow, what a cute boy! Hey, handsome, wanna be my servant?"
Roy's charm was apparently that potent, especially with supernatural beings. Angela completely forgot about her obliterated upper body the second she saw his face.
But Roy wasn't having it. He shut her down with one word.
"Nope."
Enraged, Angela was about to curse him out when Roy extended his hand, gripping the air.
The Leviathan Axe yanked itself free from the wall, smacking Angela's head on its way back and knocking her to the floor.
The scene was almost comical, enough to make Lydia—who'd been worried sick about her daughter—let out a laugh.
Angela scrambled to her feet, still fuming but now wary of Roy.
"Who are you, and why are you getting in my way?!"
"Enough chatter."
Roy had already sized her up—she was a high-ranking demon, no doubt.
Six months ago, taking on a high demon would've been a life-or-death struggle for him. Now? He could crush one without breaking a sweat.
No more talking. Roy shifted into Ghost Wolf mode, using its explosive speed to appear in front of Angela in a flash.
As a caster-type demon, Angela's reflexes couldn't keep up. Roy decapitated her with ease, like a pro dunking a basketball after two and a half years of practice.
But Angela's vitality was stubborn. A blown-up torso hadn't killed her, so a beheading sure wouldn't.
Roy's goal wasn't to kill her outright—it was to disrupt her body's control, setting her up for the next move.
Unexpectedly, Angela's body began to swell, like it was about to explode.
Roy tossed her body aside—not out of fear, but because he didn't want to get splattered.
Instead of exploding, though, her body hit the wall and split open, revealing a massive snake-human hybrid: human upper body, serpentine lower half.
Roy frowned.
Demons tied to snakes, reptiles, or sea monsters were usually linked to Leviathan.
He suspected Angela was one of Leviathan's kin.
"You damn jerk! Not only did you reject my offer, but you attacked me? Die!"
Angela's mouth opened wide, like she was about to spew something.
Roy, ever the environmentalist, wasn't about to let her pollute the place. He burst forward with another surge of speed.
But Angela's attack was a feint, meant to lure Roy in.
Her real move came from her chest, which split open to reveal a second mouth, big enough to swallow Roy's upper body whole.
Against anyone else, it might've worked. But her opponent was Roy.
Fear Incarnate!
Angela's body froze, trapped in a fear-induced hallucination. Roy seized the moment, transforming into his angel form and unleashing holy light to burn her to ashes.
"No—!"
In her final moment, Angela snapped out of it, but it was too late. No demon could withstand holy light.
[Ding! Obtained Angela's Fate Chest! Open it now?]
With Angela's death, the spells on the seven students unraveled.
Unfortunately, her magic had permanently shattered their minds. Their bodies returned to normal, but their sanity was gone.
No one cared about them right now, though. The moment Angela turned to ash, Lydia rushed to Astra, yanking the foul sock from her mouth.
"Astra, my baby, are you okay?!"
Lydia untied Astra's restraints, pulling her into a tearful hug, overwhelmed with worry.
Astra, still shaken, clung to her.
"Mom!"