Ahmed's hands trembled as he thought about Kyle's text, his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced over at Rob, who was pacing the small dorm room like a caged animal, worry etched into every line of his face.

"SO they can save Boon but I am the only one who can do it," Ahmed questioned, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them. "Why does it have to be me?"

Rob stopped dead in his tracks, giving Ahmed a look that was equal parts fear and disbelief. "It doesn't matter, you aren't going."

"I am," Ahmed insisted, waving his phone to emphasize his point. "Boon needs me."

"Absolutely not," Rob snapped, sitting next to Ahmed on the bed, his hands gripping his shoulders tightly. "It is too dangerous for someone like you, Ahmed. You just learned about the supernatural and now they want you to go toe to toe with a Familiar. Keep in mind Boon has no control and Pablo won't hesitate to have him kill you if you get in the way. I won't let you get yourself killed."

Ahmed pulled himself free from Rob's iron grip, feeling both frustrated and useless in this situation. He could see the realization dawning in Rob's eyes - that he'd taken out his own fears on Ahmed, who only wanted to save his best friend's life.

"Look, I know you want to save Boon," Rob muttered, staring down at his hands. "I just don't want to lose you too."

"I know," Ahmed replied softly, "but I have to try. For Boon." With a determined tilt of his chin, he added, "And for myself. I am not as fragile as you all think I am, I can handle this."

"Ahmed, wait!" Rob called out, but it was too late. Ahmed had already left the dorm room, the door clicking shut behind him. Rob knew Ahmed was right and with a sigh, he pulled his bat out from under his bed and followed him out into the night.

-----

Meanwhile, Jessica leaned against her car in the dimly lit parking garage, arms crossed as she spoke to Zack and John. The shadows cast by the flickering lights danced across her face, making her look even more severe than usual.

"I want to help you," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Pablo has manipulated Deb this whole time, making her believe Bill's dying wish was to get revenge. I'm losing her to a madman and I need your help to save her. To do that I need to make sure Pablo's plan fails."

Zack's eyes narrowed as he processed this information, uncertain if Jessica was telling him the truth or if this was another trap set by the exorcists. "You can come with us but I'm telling you where we are going," he said, his voice wavering ever so slightly. "I am still not sure I trust you."

"Fine," Jessica conceded, nodding toward her car. "But we're taking my car. You can guide me there, Pablo won't be expecting to be betrayed by one of his own."

As they slid Boon in the body bag across the back seats and climbed into the vehicle, Zack worried about just how far Deb would be willing to go to carry out Father Bill's will.

-----

Rob made his way out of the dorms but lost sight of Ahmed. He sank onto the edge of the curb, rubbing his face with both hands as the weight of what Ahmed said settled in. He wondered which way Ahmed had gone.

Just then, a soft tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his reverie. Kenzie looked down at him, her eyes filled with concern. "Hey," she said hesitantly. "I saw Ahmed storm out. Are you okay?"

Rob managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...a lot going on right now."

"Mind if I sit?" she asked gently. At his nod, she took a seat next to him. She studied his face before asking, "Does this have anything to do with what happened at the game tonight? About what happened to you?"

Sighing, Rob shook his head. "No. It's about how scared and useless I've become."

"Ah," Kenzie murmured, understanding dawning in her eyes. She reached over to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Listen, Rob. I know things are rough right now, but Zack and John are getting Boon to safety as we speak. Everything is going to work out. And you are far from useless."

He raised an eyebrow, curious but skeptical. "Oh really? How so?"

"You single-handedly won the game," she reminded him, a hint of pride in her voice. "The game was pretty much over, and then you got the ball. You turned the entire tide of the game, Rob. You were a hero."

"Hero?" he scoffed, looking away. "Hardly."

"Seriously, Rob," Kenzie insisted, her gaze steady and earnest. "You made a difference out there. Don't sell yourself short. You don't need to be the biggest or the strongest player out there to change the game, you just need to never give up ."

As she spoke, a small, grateful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "Thank you, you don't know how much I needed to hear that." Rob said.

-----

The abandoned Charles Street Bus Terminal loomed before Jessica, John, and Zack as they pulled up. The doors to the building were chained and plywood replaced some broken windows.

"Boon's stopped moving," John noted, peering back at the body bag. Zack and John both hurried to get Boon out of the bag, while Jessica cut the chains off the door.

As if on cue, Ethel appeared in her vessel form, bounding down the street towards them. From the shadows where Kyle hid, a snide comment echoed: "Someone certainly enjoys making an entrance."

She followed, Zack and John as they moved Boon's motionless body inside one of the empty buildings. Zack glanced around, concern etched on his face. "Where are Kyle and Ahmed?"

Ethel looked around the dusty space, searching for a place they could lay Boon down. She found an old bench and gestured to the boys to bring him over, still not answering Zack's question.

"Seriously Ethel, where are they? We can't save Boon without Ahmed, you said so yourself." Zack protested, the worry clear in his voice.

Ethel's voice was firm as she countered, "We're doing the best we can Zack, but we may need a plan B."

They finished laying Boon across the red rusted bench, Ethel noticed the split in the film coating his body, his eyes closed and body still. Ethel explained "Baby's breath is usually just a small white flower added to a bouquet for filler, but it is extremely toxic to us. It triggered Boon's final transformation and once it is complete the part of the Familiar that was Boon will be gone."

Jessica shook her head, understanding what was about to happen. She looked over to see Zack and John still seemed confused about what this had to do with a plan B, "If Boon's a dog, he's turning rabid. Once the symptoms appear it is too late to save them."

As if summoned by her words, Pablo appeared in the doorway, concurring: "Anything that dangerous, that out of control, is better off dead."

With that Zack knew exactly what plan B was but before he could react, Ethel drew back her arm to thrust her claws into Boon's chest. For a moment everything fell silent before Boon's arm shot up his own claws plunged into Ethel's chest. Boon got up from the bench lifting Ethel off her feet with one hand before hurling her through the wall and into the empty diner next door.

Zack watched the entire scene in total shock as Pablo stepped deeper into the building, a twisted smile on his face. "I have to say, Zack, you did surprise me tonight," he said, clapping mockingly. "You almost slipped through my fingers with Boon but you really should make sure your phone is off when conducting your master plan." Pablo lifted Deb's phone into view with her Find My Friends app open.

Deb, who had slipped in through a window at the back, hurled a knife from the shadows. Time seemed to slow as Zack instinctively ducked, and the blade found its mark in John's chest. As John crumpled to the ground with a muted gasp, Zack rushed to his side, cursing under his breath.

"John, hold on!" he whispered, but his focus was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Jessica had opened fire on Boon, who writhed beneath the hail of bullets. They didn't seem to hurt him, but they did trigger his full transformation, causing the invisible entity to finally shed Boon's skin.

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With a flick of his tail, Boon disarmed Jessica before she could squeeze off another shot. She sprinted away, reaching for her goggles and a backup weapon in her jacket. She slipped the goggles on and prepared the knife in on fluid motion. As she turned, ready to face the invisible threat, Boon batted her aside like an insect.

"Jessica!" Zack called out, panic rising in his chest. He looked at Ethel, who had adopted her demon form, her eyes blazing with fury as she stepped out of the diner. She froze time and viciously assaulted Boon until she was out of power. When time snapped back to its regular rhythm Boon healed instantly, showing the true power he now possessed.

"Damn it," Zack muttered, gritting his teeth as he transformed into his vessel form alongside John. John picked up a small rock and charged it with his energy before sending it flying through Boon, but the hole vanished within seconds. Boon lunged at the pair but Zack quickly put up a telekinetic barrier to protect them. Zack's barrier shattered under Boon's onslaught, sending him crashing into a wall, while John was knocked to the floor.

Deb saw her moment to strike, watching as John rose unsteadily to his feet, and started to charge a small piece of debris with energy. As he tried to line up a shot at Boon, Deb intercepted the attack, armed with a knife in each hand. She slashed John's gut, then spun to stab both knives into his back. As he crumpled to the floor, she turned her attention to Ethel.

"Deb," Zack warned through clenched teeth as pulled himself free from the wall, "Don't! He won't let you!" But it was too late, Boon disarmed Deb and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground as she clawed at his arm. Zack turned to Pablo, "Stop this!"

"Stop it?" Pablo laughed, as he strode towards Boon. "Why would we stop now? This is what I came here to do."

Deb still hung in the air, confusion spread across her face, Zack turned to her. "He's Wrath. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but he could never let you be the one to kill Ethel. He has to do it if he wants to be at full power."

Pablo smirked. "You are far more clever than I thought. But it doesn't matter now, I'll have my revenge on the Supreme and everyone else who caused Abby's death."

"If you let Deb go, I will help you," Zack pleaded, grabbing the still-weakened Ethel and forcing her to her knees.

Pablo smiled. "Well isn't this just so sweet, saving the one you love by betraying the one who taught you everything you know." Pablo drew a small dagger from his belt loop. "It is coated in a special poison, I want her death to be excruciating."

John watched helplessly, trying to crawl his way over and defend his Supreme. Deb was still restrained by the Familiar as she realized that Pablo had been playing her the entire time. Pablo looked back to make sure Jessica was still out before preparing for the killing blow – only to freeze mid-motion, inches from Ethel's exposed neck.

"Wh-what's happening?" Deb choked out as Pablo remained frozen for what left like an eternity.

Pablo gasped, stumbling back with a syringe lodged in his stomach, with Zack's hand still outstretched. He collapsed, black goo oozing from his eyes and nose. "What have you done to me?" he choked, his hands trying to stem the flow of the ooze.

"I figured out how to stop you. That night you stabbed me, you let your aura slip just for a second but it was enough for me to know you were Wrath. You should learn to control your anger, it gives you away. When I told Paulina she realized those pills you were taking were mood stabilizers to prevent you from having any slip-ups." Zack said coldly. "It took time but Paulina created a compound she thought would weaken you. I just dosed you with a mix of palm ash and Azalea oil."

Ethel looked up at Zack, a mixture of gratitude and hurt in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We haven't exactly been working together," Zack replied softly, "you're not my Supreme."

Pablo's face contorted with rage, black goo still oozing from his orifices. "Kill them all!" he shrieked at the Familiar, but as he collapsed to the floor, the creature's grip on Deb slackened. The connection between the servant and the master had been severed. Seizing the opportunity, Deb elbowed it in the face. With a snarl, the Familiar flung her aside, sending her sprawling.

Just then, Rob and Ahmed came barreling through the front doors of the bus station in Rob's car, headlights blazing and tires screeching. Rob's eyes were almost squeezed shut as he swerved the vehicle toward the Familiar, guided only by the shadowy figure illuminated in the beams. The car slammed into the creature with a sickening crunch, but it was back on its feet in seconds.

Boon leaped onto the hood of the car, claws outstretched and fangs bared but still unable to attack with its master unconscious. Ahmed threw open the door and jumped out, Rob hot on his heels. Face to face with the Familiar, Ahmed called out, "Nathan!"

In the shadow of the headlights, they could see the creature hesitate, drawing back its clawed hand as though preparing to strike. Rob started to rush toward Ahmed, but Zack held him back. "Let him do this," he insisted.

Ahmed, undeterred by the creature, reached into Rob's backseat and emerged with the tattered basketball. Boon stared at it, and for a moment his green eyes became visible. Memories surfaced – training for basketball tryouts, hanging out at his pool over the summers, the laughter they shared every time they watched a movie together, and every secret they ever shared. "I've never had a best friend before," Boon's voice confessed from the creature.

"You've always had one," Ahmed whispered, reaching out to take Boon's hand.

The Familiar's shadow began to twitch and shake as it took Ahmed's hand. The snake-like qualities began to shed from it as it took on a more human appearance. Boon began to fade back in view.

"Time to ensure the familiar in Boon can never be awakened again." Kyle's voice rang out from the shadows, as he sprang into action. He plunged his claws into Boon's abdomen, hoisting him off the ground, and once Boon was over his head, he threw the boy to the floor.

Boon coughed, blood staining his lips as he lay on his back. Ahmed rushed to his side, cradling him in his arms. "Do you still..." Boon gasped, struggling for breath.

"I do, I love you," Ahmed repeated, voice choked with emotion. As Boon's life slipped away, his limp hand slipped from Ahmed's. Rob and Zack watched the scene play out with tears in their eyes.

Ahmed laid Boon's lifeless form on the concrete as Ethel approached them. The room was silent, each person processing the events that had just unfolded – a mix of grief, shock, and disbelief etched on their faces.

Deb looked away from Boon's body just in time to notice Pablo was gone. Ahmed stood up and turned away from Boon's lifeless body as Ethel crouched down next to it.

"Ahmed," Rob started tentatively, taking a step forward, but then stopped, his gaze fixated on the floor where Ethel placed her mark on Boon's chest, hoping she wasn't too late to save him. Boon's clawed hand twitched, leaving jagged lines behind.

"Boon!" Ahmed cried out as he spun around, watching in disbelief as the wounds on Boon's abdomen began to heal themselves. Boon's eyes flashed open, a brilliant purple that seemed to pierce the darkness of the abandoned building. Slowly, he rose from the floor, his naked form silhouetted in the harsh glare of the car's headlights.

"Ahmed..." Boon whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible. As he straightened, his head snapped back abruptly, and his claws vanished. His eyes returned to their normal hue, and Ahmed embraced him tightly, relief washing over them both.

Rob watched the scene wiping tears from his eyes, Zack approached him placing an understanding arm around Rob's shoulder. "He scratched my car," Rob whispered trying to hide the real reason for his tears.

Zack smiled, a hint of sadness lingering in his blue eyes. "Yeah," he replied softly, "he did."

Deb approached Zack, looking hesitant and apologetic. "Zack, I'm so sorry about all of this."

"Hey, it's okay," he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to say next.

"Zack, I think we should break up," she said, her voice tight. "I just... After everything I did, everything I was willing to do. I need time to sort myself out." She pulled away from his hand.

"Of course," Zack nodded, understanding. "Take all the time you need, Deb. I'll wait because I know we're meant to be together."

"Zack, there's no such thing as fate," Deb replied, her brow furrowing.

"Maybe not," Zack countered with a small smile. "But then again, there's no such thing as demons either." He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. They shared a bittersweet kiss before he stepped away, leaving Deb to help Jessica back to her feet. Ahmed retrieved a blanket from the trunk of Rob's car and wrapped it around Boon. With Pablo now powerless and the Familiar gone, Ethel and Kyle disappeared into the night with John.

-----

Kristian and Olivia sprinted through the woods and away from their exorcist captors. They took a moment to catch their breath, hidden amongst the trees. Before they knew what was happening, they were surrounded by shadowy figures with claws, their eyes glowing brilliantly as they closed in on the two vessels.

-----

The next day outside the bus station, Paulina examined a trail of black goo that seemed to be left from Pablo's escape. Dressed in a black leather jacket and gloves, she gathered a sample of the ooze for testing.

"Getting involved again, are we?" Ms. McLeod asked, stepping into view. She too was clad in black leather, her knee-high boots as she strode toward her fellow Wiccan.

Paulina smirked. "I am not sure I understand the question."

"Of course, you don't," Ms. McLeod replied. "I never did like the idea of you being retired anyway."

"Retired?" Paulina raised an eyebrow. "When did I ever say I was retired?"

-----

The sun cast long shadows across the city as Ethel, John, and Kyle arrived at Kyle's penthouse. A large, intricate mandala adorned the front door, the marking still smoldering.

"Looks like we avoided some late-night company," Kyle said, gesturing at the mandala. He could see the confusion on John's face, "That's the mark of a fellow sin. It's the mark of Greed."

John frowned, studying the symbol. "What does it mean?"

"It's a challenge," Kyle explained. "You see Greed is a collector of sorts, only the best will do for him. This means he wants to test someone in my territory, the new Supreme. If he finds them to his liking, he will force them to join his covenant"

Ethel's eyes narrowed, she had no intention of joining Greed but she wasn't sure she could defeat him either.

-----

Elsewhere, Rob and Zack headed to the park's basketball court, both eager to finally have some downtime to themselves. As they walked, Zack spoke confidently.

"Deb will come back to me, I know it."

Rob sighed, then grinned ruefully. "Of course, you two are meant to be. As for my ten-year plan to make Ahmed fall for me, I might have to stretch to fifteen now, but it's definitely still in motion."

"Or you could just ask him out," Zack suggested, smirking.

"Ha, very funny. We both know he and Boon are trying to figure out what they are to each other now," Rob retorted. "Now, get in position and help me practice, alright? I've got to make sure I actually play next year."

"Sure thing," Zack agreed, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"But remember, no vessel powers during training!" Rob warned, trying to seem authoritative.

"Of course!" Zack insisted, feigning innocence. "I wouldn't dream of it."

As Rob successfully got around Zack's defense and lobbed the first ball toward the basket, Zack's eyes glowed a subtle pink. The ball shifted ever so slightly, missing its target.

"Hey!" Rob yelled, catching on immediately. "I said no powers!"

Zack laughed, the sound echoing through the court, mingling with Rob's indignant protests. For a moment, they were simply two friends caught up in the joy of life, temporarily free from the shadows of the supernatural world.