The Cineplex lobby buzzed with anticipation, the sound of laughter and excited chatter filling the air. Ahmed's eyes sparkled as they scanned the brightly lit screens displaying all the movies playing. The scent of buttery popcorn wafted through the room, making his stomach growl in anticipation. Boon, however, looked less than enthused. He stared at the movie listings with a furrowed brow, his dark green eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Come on, man! We've got to see the new Spiderman Across the Sider-verse before it's out of theaters," Ahmed insisted, his voice filled with excitement.

"Spiderman again? Seriously? Aren't there like 20 of those now?" Boon scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fast X is supposed to be amazing. I heard there's a car chase scene that'll blow your mind."

"Boon, you know I'm a huge Spiderman fan. Besides, we can watch Fast X next week my treat," Ahmed reasoned, he knew Boon would give in eventually, despite his whole tough guy routine.

"Alright, alright," Boon relented when they reached the front of the queue, realizing that his friend's excitement wasn't going to wane anytime soon. He sighed and purchased two tickets for the Spiderman movie, handing one to Ahmed with a forced smile. "But you're buying the snacks."

"Deal!" Ahmed agreed, his face lighting up with gratitude.

Together, they took the escalator up towards the theaters, Ahmed's steps light with excitement, while Boon couldn't help but sulk just a little. At the top of the escalator was the concession stand, its array of sweet and salty treats beckoning them.

"Go find our seats," Ahmed suggested, his eyes already scanning the snack selection. "I'll grab us some popcorn and drinks."

"Fine," Boon muttered, still feeling somewhat miffed about their movie choice, he would rather be watching a bank vault being dragged through the streets by a truck any day. "But I don't see why you insist on us coming a half hour early to every movie."

Ahmed flashed him a knowing grin. "You know I love the preshow trivia, and getting the best seats doesn't hurt either."

Boon shook his head, unable to suppress a small smile at his friend's enthusiasm. He knew deep down that the quality of the movie didn't matter as much as spending time together, but he couldn't let Ahmed know that.

"Ok, I'll go find us some seats," Boon conceded, his voice softening. "Just make sure you get extra butter on my popcorn." Ahmed gave him a nod, and he headed down the hall toward the theater.

Boon stepped into the dimly lit theater, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he scanned the rows for their seats. The space was eerily empty, save for one lone figure sitting in the back corner. He squinted, wondering if it could be someone they knew, but as he drew closer, he became frozen in place. The woman's head lolled to one side, her clouded lifeless eyes staring blankly ahead.

"Wh-what the..." Boon stammered, taking an involuntary step back. As his foot caught a discarded soda cup, he lost his balance and fell backward, landing hard on the aisle floor. Pain shot through his tailbone, but before he could even let out a groan, a monstrous figure emerged from behind the seats.

Gluttony towered above him, its grotesque form pinning him to the ground with ease, its claws digging into his sides. Boon struggled and screamed, feeling the overwhelming weight of the creature bearing down on him. His fear intensified as Gluttony seemed to study him, its grotesque features twisted in curiosity.

"Please...don't," Boon choked out, his voice barely audible. But Gluttony didn't respond to his plea. Instead, it tilted its head, as though sensing something within him it found intriguing. Slowly, the pressure lessened, and Boon dared to hope that the creature would release him.

A scream of alarm shattered the tense silence. Ahmed stood behind Gluttony, two popcorn bags clutched in his shaking hands. One slipped from his grip as he fumbled for his phone, his wide eyes locked on Boon's terrified face and the creature on top of him.

"Get off him, I am calling the police!" Ahmed shouted, his voice trembling with fear.

Gluttony let out an unearthly roar, releasing Boon and charging past Ahmed. In a blur of motion, the creature disappeared through the emergency exit, leaving only the echo of its rage behind.

Boon remained on the ground, gasping for breath as his heart hammered in his chest. His entire body trembled from the shock of what had just happened, and all he could do was stare at the now-empty doorway.

"Are you okay?" Ahmed asked, rushing to his friend's side. He helped Boon sit up, concern etched across his face. "what the hell was that thing?"

"I-I don't know," Boon admitted, his voice wavering. "It killed her, it was going to kill me"

Ahmed scanned the theater and his eyes landed on the dead woman in the back row, sheer terror spread across his face, "Holy shit, we have to call the police," Ahmed replied, and he quickly hit the call button. "Let's get out of here before that thing comes back."

As they stumbled out of the theater together, the weight of their encounter hung heavy between them. Boon couldn't shake the feeling that something about his brush with the creature had changed him – something impossible was going on in the city and that thing was no animal. As the police arrived at the Cineplex, they raced to Boon's side to stop the bleeding.

Rob walked out of the mall, a Lush bag swinging gently in his hand. He had always loved shopping there, the colorful assortment of bath bombs and scented soaps never failed to brighten his day. As he strolled through the bustling crowds, his nose picked up the faint scent of burnt wood carried on the breeze. He glanced around, puzzled by the unexpected aroma.

His confusion turned to curiosity as he spotted the flashing police lights near the Cineplex. A throng of people had gathered outside the entrance, their faces a mix of fear and morbid fascination. Rob couldn't help but be drawn to the commotion, wondering what could have possibly transpired in the theater he frequented so often.

"Excuse me," Rob said, elbowing his way through the crowd. He strained to see past the line of yellow caution tape that had been hastily strung across the entrance. Two officers emerged from within, escorting an EMT rolling out a body bag. In another ambulance, a paramedic was stitching Boon up while Ahmed looked on.

"Hey, I want to go home!" Boon demanded, his voice trembling with anger and fear. "You need to drive me there, right now!"

"Of course, we'll get you home safe," one officer replied, trying to calm him down.

"Rob!" Ahmed called out, spotting him at the edge of the crowd. Their eyes met for a brief moment, concern etched into Ahmed's expression before the officers ushered him away with Boon.

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Rob clenched his jaw, worry gnawing at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was getting out of hand and they still were no closer to discovering who Gluttony was. How did they choose their victims? And why were Ahmed and Boon involved? Then he noticed Ethel and Zack were also amongst the crowd of on-lookers and he shuffed his way over to them.

"Rachel, Greg, Joanna... What connects them?" Ethel muttered, her voice barely audible above the murmur of the crowd. She stood beside Zack, her gaze locked onto the retreating figures of Ahmed and Boon.

"Maybe Gluttony chooses its targets based on the fact they are exorcists," Zack replied, his voice laced with concern. "But how would Gluttony know that?"

"Doubtful, I know who most of the exorcists are in this area, Greg and Rachel were just civilians," Ethel whispered, her dark eyes narrowing in thought. "Sins must carry out the last will of their host body to gain full control. If we can figure out the connection between the victims, we'll find out who Gluttony really is."

"Shouldn't we be discussing this somewhere more private?" Zack asked, glancing around nervously.

"Good point," Ethel agreed, a hint of urgency in her tone. "We should go to my place. Less chance of anyone overhearing our conversation."

"Lead the way," Zack said, and they began to make their way through the crowd.

Rob hesitated for a moment before following them, his curiosity piqued by the new information about Gluttony. They walked in silence, each one trying to decide how to proceed with hunting down Gluttony.

None of them noticed the mandala scorched into the side of a nearby dumpster, an ominous symbol etched in black.

The dim lighting of Ethel's kitchen cast eerie shadows on the walls, creating an atmosphere befitting their conversation about sinister supernatural forces. Zack and Rob sat down at the worn wooden table, the old wooden chairs creaked under their weight as they settled in.

"Listen up," Ethel began, her dark eyes meeting Zack's blue ones with steely resolve. "Your connection to Gluttony means you should be able to track it down – you'll be drawn to its presence."

Zack's eyes lit up "Like that feeling I got when I was drawn to the alley fight. It was like I couldn't help myself." He had thought it was weird that he felt so compelled to go that night.

"exactly but it is risky, what draws you to Gluttony could also have you turn on us, we need to be ready before you take any more late-night walks." She stood up and walked around the table to stand behind Zack, her footsteps nearly soundless on the linoleum floor.

"Now," she said, her voice low and intense, "you need to learn to stay focused and in control of your powers, even when you're scared or in pain." She placed her hands on his shoulders, her touch caused Zack's whole body to tense. "I can help you learn to do that," she added, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Uh, thanks," Zack replied hesitantly, his mind racing with thoughts of what this training might entail. "But maybe we should hold off on that for now, It's late and I have a bio paper due."

"Agreed," Rob chimed in, looking uneasy. "We have enough on our plate already."

With a nod, the boys rose from their seats and made a hasty exit, leaving Ethel standing alone in the dimly lit kitchen.

The next morning, the sky was a plush shade of pink that tinted the bustling Tim Hortons where Abby and Deb had just run into each other. The smell of fresh coffee filled the air as the two chatted in line.

As Deb ordered her morning coffee, Abby couldn't resist making a lighthearted joke about her recent romantic escapades. "So, have you put those condoms to use over the past few weeks?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Abby!" Deb exclaimed, her face flushing red with embarrassment. "Can we not talk about that here?"

"Sorry," Abby laughed, immediately realizing she'd crossed a line. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

As they moved down the counter to wait for their orders, Abby reached into her pocket and pulled out a small ring box. "I know it's your birthday, and I thought you might find this interesting," she said, handing it to Deb.

Deb opened the box to reveal a golden ring with a large red gemstone embedded in its center. The inside of the band was inscribed with Japanese kanji that translated to "the key that seals the darkness away."

"Wow, Abby, this is incredible," Deb murmured, her eyes wide with wonder. "I really can't accept this, it's too nice and we barely know each other."

"Well this ring is kind of your birthright," Abby replied, a mysterious smile playing on her lips, "it belonged to your ancestors. You should look into its history – there's more to it than meets the eye."

"Oh," Deb examined the ring again, "I mean that is kind of amazing, I had no idea, thank you," Deb said sincerely, touched by her friend's thoughtful gift.

"Not a problem, I actually have a little hobby hunting down old hidden treasures." She looked down at her watch. "Crap I am late for a meeting." As they parted ways and Deb left the coffee shop, she couldn't help but feel a nagging curiosity about how Abby knew so much about her family's history.

Lost in thought about the mysterious ring, Deb made her way to Psychology 101. She carefully tucked it into her bag and took a seat next to Ahmed in class. The room buzzed with excitement as students chattered about their weekend and recent campus gossip.

"Happy birthday, Deb!" Ahmed beamed, handing her a beautifully wrapped gift.

"Thanks, Ahmed," Deb smiled, unwrapping the present to reveal a stylish new phone case.

At that moment, Zack entered the lecture hall and spotted the gift exchange. A pang of guilt washed over him as he realized he hadn't known it was Deb's birthday. He quickly took a seat behind her.

"Hey, Deb," he murmured, leaning forward so only she could hear. "I'm really sorry I didn't know it was your birthday."

Deb turned around, offering him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Zack. It's not like I went around advertising it."

"Let me make it up to you." Zack's eyes sparkled with determination. "Skip the rest of the classes for today, and I'll take you on the ultimate birthday date."

She hesitated for a moment, contemplating the consequences of missing class. But the thrill of adventure eventually won her over, and she nodded in agreement. As the professor began his lecture, they stealthily slipped out of the room together, eager to embark on their unexpected date.

Later, in Chemistry 101, Rob scanned the room for Zack but couldn't spot him anywhere. Noticing Leona, Boon's current Girlfriend, seated near the window, he decided to sit next to her. As the class droned on, Rob seized the opportunity to ask her about Boon and the events at the movie theater.

"Leona, has Boon mentioned anything to you about what happened the other night?" he inquired, his voice barely audible.

Leona shook her head, her expression pained. "No, he won't discuss it with me. Boon's always been a very private person."

"Think he'll ever tell us what happened?" Rob persisted, the curiosity gnawing at him.

"Truthfully, I doubt it," Leona sighed, her eyes downcast. "It's just the way Boon is."

Throughout the remainder of the class, Rob contemplated how he could get Boon to talk but he didn't see a way where he didn't end up getting beaten to a pulp. This meant plan B, which he also wasn't eager to try. He would have to talk to Ahmed, his cheek flushed at the thought.

Boon stood alone in the men's locker room, toweling off the sweat from his intense midday workout. The hum of the overhead lights and the faint scent of disinfectant hung heavy in the air, mixing with the musk of exertion. Boon relished these moments of solitude, a brief escape from the day-to-day stress. Yet as he closed his eyes, he couldn't shake the image of the woman in the theater, her lifeless body haunting him.

"Boon," came a sharp voice, jolting him back to reality. He turned to see Ethel standing in the doorway, her cold stare boring into him. "What did you see at the theater that night?"

"Get out of here, Ethel," Boon growled, clenching his fists. "Or I will call the cops. I know you aren't a student here."

In response, Ethel's eyes shifted to a chilling green, a predatory glint that caused Boon to freeze just like he had in the theater. He swallowed hard, feeling an inexplicable urge to comply.

"How did you do that? I tell you everything just don't hurt me," he relented, his voice barely above a whisper. "There was a... creature with glowing orange eyes. It attacked me, but for some reason, it let me go. I didn't get a good look at it, though."

Ethel's gaze remained unwavering, scrutinizing Boon's every word. After a tense moment, she nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer.

"Take it easy, Boon," she cautioned, her tone almost sympathetic. "Being frozen in time, even for a moment, can have side effects."

"Leave," Boon snapped "And take your psychotic bullshit with you," he yelled, trying to regain his composure. As Ethel retreated through the doorway, Boon shook his head, attempting to dispel the unsettling encounter. She's just trying to get into my head, he thought, his heart still pounding in his chest. But as he turned back to his locker, the image of Ethel's otherworldly green eyes remained etched into his mind, could she be connected to the creature from the theater?