Simon braced himself against the searing heat radiating from Andre's flames. He still couldn't believe that Andre had powers. He'd never met the guy and only knew of him because he was the starting quarterback for the university. And now, suddenly, they were fighting side by side.

Things had gotten so complicated, so fast. Every day of the past week he'd wrestled with an uneasiness. Now he had a ghost teacher, he'd told his best friend about his powers, and he'd found another empowered freak going to the same school. This was strange. Until now, the most paranormal activity he'd had in a week was maybe helping a spirit or two.

Andre stretched his hands out, inching closer to the little girl trapped within the blazing sphere. Inside the flames, the possessed child writhed uncontrollably. The ghost within her drooled ink-black saliva that dripped onto the flames and evaporated in the intense heat.

"Hey, you." Andre gestured at Simon with his chin. "Get ready for the actual fight. I'm taking this thing out of her. It'll be pissed and disoriented, that's when you distract her for me."

Simon nodded and spread his feet shoulder-width apart, raising his arms to his sides. Andre seemed much more experienced and in control of his powers than him.

"And you," he said, pointing at Ros. "Be ready to grab the kid and run. When this thing is free, we don't want her anywhere near it."

Simon took a deep breath, his eyes flicking back to the girl, the flames, and the convulsing spirit. The air around him shimmered with heat, and the adrenaline surging through his veins made his heart pound in his chest. He'd just have to roll with it. Get ready for the fight, he told himself, his golden eyes flickering with determination. Whatever was coming, he would face it head-on.

Yellow tendrils of flame snaked out of the sphere and latched onto the girl's wrists. The spirit within howled, thrashing wildly, but the flames held it in place. Another tendril emerged, plunging straight through the child's chest. Simon flinched, momentarily forgetting this was an exorcism. The child didn't scream; instead, the flames shifted color, softening from a fiery red to a warm yellow.

"Peace!" Andre commanded, and the flames wrapped around the girl. The five black marbles rose from the ground, one finding its place in each of the child's hands and feet, while the last embedded itself in the center of her forehead.

Immediately, the girl dropped to the ground as Andre expelled the ghost inside. The spirit of the woman hit the ground at Simon's feet and bounced up, kicking him in the chest. He stumbled backward, gasping for breath, his chest burning from the blow. She moved too fast to see and reappeared above the child.

"Marta is mine," the ghost hissed. "I am her mother. None of you will keep me away. He promised me she and I would be together forever, and he doesn't lie!"

Simon shook off the pain and scrambled to his feet, just in time to see Andre and Ros launch themselves at the spirit and the girl. A grotesquely long and sharp spider's leg grew from the woman's back, knocking Ros into a slide. His body bounced against the metal and struck the gravel with a sickening smack.

Andre was quicker, dodging the leg as it retracted, spinning on his heel as he hurled a black marble at the woman's head. Andre rushed to gather the other marbles, but before he could reach them, five more spider-like legs sprouted from the ghost's back.They shot forward like spears but the marbles intercepted the tips of the woman's legs. She whipped around striking his chest and throwing him next to Ros.

The ghost still wore the same clothes she had died in—a pair of faded jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. But everything about her appearance now lacked color. Her once-vibrant clothes, her skin, even her hair had all taken on a ghastly, washed-out hue.

Simon pushed the warmth to every inch of his body, reminding himself that it was his power. Just like Chang had said. It was his power, just like Chang had told him. The key was to focus, to wear it like an extra layer of strength. As simple as putting on clothes. His eyes locked onto the ghostly woman, her rage palpable in the air. He needed to draw her attention, needed to force her into a mistake.

"I'm going to take her away from you" Simon called out. "And you will never see her again."His plan worked. The woman spun around, her hand clenched around the unconscious child's throat.

"You would do that to a mother?" She asked. Black tears streamed down her cheeks. "He said I shouldn't let anyone stop me. He said some would try."

He? Simon's mind raced. Who was she talking about? Whoever this mysterious "he" was, Simon didn't have time to figure it out. He needed to keep pushing her, keeping her off balance.

"He was right," Simon said, his voice firm. "I will take her from you, and we will stop you."Somewhere behind him, Simon heard Chang's voice. "Nice work, kid. You've got a genuine talent for pissing people off."

He was perched lazily on a child's toy shaped like a hippo. As if none of this concerned him.Maybe he'd gone too far. The ghost woman let out a guttural snarl, her translucent form trembling with rage. Her newly formed legs extended, stabbing into the ground and lifting her high into the air.

Simon's heart pounded in his chest, his instincts screaming at him to run. He forced his feet to stay planted, punching his thighs to keep himself from bolting. She was creepier than the demon dog by a long shot and her manner of speaking–desperate and erratic–showed how far gone she was.

"You think you can take her from me?" she whispered, her words dripping with venom. "He promised... he promised we would be together forever. You can't break that promise."Simon swallowed hard, his mind racing. Whoever "he" was, his influence had warped this woman beyond recognition. There was no reasoning with her, no hope of convincing her to let go. The only way out was through.

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The tips of her spider legs clicked as they struck the ground, inching their way closer to him. Simon focused all of his energy into his eyes and glared into the wide, black eyes of the ghost. For a split second, she faltered, dropping the child. Ros slid between the creature's legs, picking the girl up and running away. Simon gritted his teeth, holding the woman, but he could feel her pushing back. Not like the man from before. He was easy.

He held on for as long as he could, hoping Andre would recover quickly. But the ghost pushed back hard. If only he were stronger. His power faltered, and the ghost vanished. A moment later, a thick spider leg the size of his body crashed into his side. This time, he didn't hesitate to move the energy to the impact zone. She pushed him only a few feet as he clung to her leg, pulling her down to his level with all his strength. Simon gasped for air but kept his grip tight.

In a frenzy, she lashed out, all of her legs aiming for Simon at once. They jabbed and struck in erratic patterns, making it impossible for him to predict her next move. Simon realized he couldn't keep redirecting his energy fast enough to protect specific parts of his body. Instead, he let his power spread evenly across himself, just like before. It wouldn't offer him the same protection against a concentrated blow, but at least he'd have the speed to keep up with her attacks.

Right, back, left, left. All it took was a quick push and redirection, and he was keeping up with her. The woman bellowed, spewing thick balls of blackened webbing. Like bullets, they pelted the ground where Simon stood. The moment they touched anything, they would explode into a thick web. He flipped over her next volley of web projectiles, landing in a crouch as more webs exploded behind him.

Andre raised his hands and commanded his marbles at the woman. Each one slammed into her with increasing speed, spiraling faster and faster, igniting with flames as they struck. Every impact resonated through the air, each blast like a condensed grenade that only fueled the next. The force of it made Simon wince involuntarily. Andre's control was amazing—something Simon knew he had to master for himself.

Simon reached out, snatching a marble from the air. Power surged from it, molten and fiery, the heat intensifying the longer he held on. He pulled his arm back and hurled the marble with all his strength. The tiny orb collided with the woman's upper right leg, cutting it in half, then shot upward and disappeared into the sky. She screamed in agony.

"Do it again!" Chang yelled from the sidelines, this time while sitting on the swing set. "But put more power into it. Remember, you can shape it how you want it. It's just clothes."

Simon grasped another marble and, mimicking Andre's movements, spun in midair to dodge a jab aimed at his legs. He imagined his power manifesting as fire, just as Andre had done.

This time, the flames darkened, obscuring the marble until it was nothing more than a ball of searing blue fire. He flung it with all his might, watching as it tore through two of the woman's legs and struck her shoulder. The impact sent her flying, the marble propelling her through trees, bushes, and fences until she finally crashed near a dumpster by a basketball gym, a block away.

"Aye, man. Keep your hands off of my shit!" Andre yelled. He whistled loudly and the two marbles returned. Even the one that had disappeared into the sky. "I'm sorry about him." Andre whispered to the marbles.

Simon stopped and turned to stare. Andre had to know that wasn't normal.

"Are we going to talk about tha—"

"No," Andre cut him off, already running toward the woman's last location.

By the time they reached the dumpster, she had vanished. Simon scouted around the building while Andre attempted to track her aura, and Chang, as usual, did whatever he pleased. After an hour of searching, they finally called it quits. Now, they had to find Ros and the kid.

"After we find the girl, we need to get her to my grandmother as soon as possible," Andre said.

"Why your grandmother?" Simon asked. "And how did you even find this kid?"

Chang floated beside him, eyes glinting with equal curiosity. "Yes, something I too would very much like to know!"

Andre let out a long breath before cracking a smile. "Well, I guess it won't hurt to tell you. You two seem like good people."

"Oh, the best of people!" Chang said, rubbing his hands together creepily with excitement.Simon needed to talk to him about that. He wasn't sure if the ghost knew it but he just gave off the wrong vibe.

"My grandma is a psychic. She's the one who told me I had powers too, and she gave me these." He shook the small bag of marbles in front of them. "Items blessed by the spirits of my ancestors. I've been helping her catch bad ghosts ever since."

As they made their way back through the playground, they picked up the remnants the spider-woman had left behind. Normal people wouldn't see or feel them, but Andre insisted they had a subtle, negative effect on anyone who stayed near them too long.

"How long have you been training?" Simon asked, his eyes flicking from the strange debris to Andre.

He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he felt a twinge of envy. Not that he wanted the abilities—life was simpler without them. But still, having someone to guide him would've been...nice.

"Since I was six. My mom found me talking to my not so imaginary friend–the ghost of a world war two veteran. He was a cool guy, though. Showed me how to take a gun apart and rebuild it. I helped him move on a few weeks after that."

Andre pointed up at Chang. "What's up with you? You need help moving on?"

Chang furrowed his brow and folded his arms. "No, thank you. I have a mission I must complete before I move on. I have to train this boy into the greatest psychic of all time."

Simon groaned internally. Chang still seemed convinced that Simon wanted to be powerful, successful—even legendary. Maybe that was the real reason he wanted to help.If Simon reached that point, it might be the fulfillment Chang needed to move on. It explained why he was always so pushy about the whole thing.

"Greatest psychic? Nah, I got that covered," Andre said.

Simon stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you're looking at the world's premiere psychic," Andre said, a confident smile stretching across his face. "They're gonna know my name in the afterlife. When I move on, I'll have a champion's welcome."

Simon couldn't help but bristle a little. "Not that I care, of course," he said, "but it kinda sounds like you're saying you're better than me."

"Oh, that's exactly what I'm saying," Andre replied with a smirk. "You're good, don't get me wrong. Seriously might be top tier someday. But I was just born different."

Simon said nothing as he picked up his jacket and continued the walk in silence. Even though he didn't respond, Andre's words lingered in his mind the entire way home.

"Ssss. Ssss." Ros hissed from behind the house. "I'm back here. Your mom's home, and I didn't want her seeing me with an unconscious child. Probably not the best look, eh?"

Night had fallen, and the evening breeze carried a biting chill. Ros had wrapped the girl in his own coat, holding her tightly to his chest. Her face was pale, almost drained of color, and her lips were dry and cracked.

"What do we do with her now?" Ros asked.

Simon turned to Andre. "I'll let the world's greatest psychic answer that."

"My grandmother needs to fully cleanse her mind and spirit of any impurities. Seven years is a long time to be possessed. There are bound to be traces of the spirit inside her. If we don't act fast, those traces could make her sick or even kill her."

"Will she be alright after?" Simon asked, gently brushing the girl's sweat-soaked forehead with his hand.

Andre shrugged. "I don't know."

Simon glanced at Chang, silently pleading for a better answer.

"All we can do is pray," Chang said. "Even if she's cleansed, she may not remember anything from the past seven years. That could mean forgetting how to walk, talk, eat—everything."

Simon bent down and carefully lifted the girl into his arms. She felt impossibly light, fragile even. The thought that her own mother had done this to her made his blood boil. They would have to find her before it could destroy anyone else's life.

"Andre, let's go see your grandmother."