I stepped out of Faith's car, grateful to escape the stifling silence of our drive. The warehouse loomed before us, its weathered exterior masking what lay within. Faith hadn't spoken a word since we left the VCD headquarters, and I hadn't pushed for conversation.

The building's plain facade gave no hint of its true nature - just another anonymous structure on London's outskirts. But as Faith led me inside, the difference became apparent. Armed guards stood at strategic points, their weapons visible beneath tactical gear. Security cameras tracked our movement through the corridors.

Faith flashed her badge at each checkpoint. The guards' eyes lingered on me before returning to their posts, their postures rigid with practiced discipline. We passed through three separate security doors, each requiring Faith's credentials.

The room Faith brought me to was spacious and empty, its concrete floor marked with faded chalk circles and symbols. Fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows in the corners. The air felt thick with residual magic from past workings.

"I forgot to ask earlier," Faith said, breaking our lengthy silence. "Do you need anything for these spells?"

I shook my head. "I have everything with me." My hand brushed against Lilith's ring, feeling the contained ingredients through our magical connection.

"Good." Faith crossed her arms. "I'd hate to go back."

The tension in her voice made it clear she meant more than just the inconvenience of returning to headquarters. Every minute we delayed was another minute Liam - or whatever was using his body - remained free to act.

I knelt on the cold concrete floor, carefully arranging components from my ring in a precise circle. The photo of Liam and Faith sat in the centre, surrounded by crushed crystals that would amplify the magic. My hands moved with practiced precision, but doubt gnawed at my concentration.

Professor Zellaris's warnings about dimensional restrictions echoed in my mind. The ritual approach seemed safest - letting ambient magic do the work rather than risking a lethal backlash from pushing against this world's limits.

"What exactly are you setting up?" Faith asked from where she stood against the wall.

"A variant of astral projection spell." I placed black candles at each cardinal point. "It should allow me to manifest an astral body close to the target."

"And you're sure it won't backfire?" Faith crossed her arms, eyes fixed on my methodical movements.

"No guarantees." I replied as I adjusted the northernmost candle. "But at least the ingredients bear the burden of the spell, not me. That makes it safer."

"Is it at least harder to detect?" Faith's brow furrowed.

"It should be. Though I doubt whoever's in Liam's body won't notice it. I just hope I get a long enough glimpse to track him down."

I checked each component one final time. The circle was perfect, ingredients positioned exactly as the texts described. Yet my confidence wavered. This spell represented my best chance at finding answers, but success meant possibly facing something powerful enough to possess my original form.

Faith shifted impatiently behind me. "Are you ready?"

"Almost." I took a steadying breath. The ritual had to work. I needed to know what happened to my body, even if I dreaded the answer.

I stepped into the carefully drawn pentagram, my bare feet cool against the concrete. The crystalline circle surrounding it hummed with latent energy, waiting to be awakened. All my research pointed to this moment - I just needed to provide the initial spark and speak the words.

Taking a deep breath, I channelled a thin stream of mana into the circle. The crystals began to glow with a soft blue light.

"Through realms of light and darkness vast," I began, feeling slightly ridiculous at the flowery verses. Guide me to where their fate was-"

"What language is that?" Faith interrupted.

I almost stumbled over the next line. Language? I was speaking perfectly clear- The realization hit me like a physical blow. The words flowing from my lips weren't English at all, but something darker, more sinister. Each syllable carried an unsettling resonance that somehow managed to sound seductive and threatening simultaneously.

Yet I understood every word as clearly as if it were my native tongue. Even my thoughts had shifted to this strange language without my notice.

Focus. I pushed the disturbing revelation aside. The spell required my complete attention.

I resumed the chant, letting the alien words roll off my tongue. The circle's glow intensified, and I felt my feet leaving the ground. Energy coursed through my body, making my hair float around me as if suspended in water.

My head snapped back, the concrete room fell away. My consciousness floated through darkness before emerging in a dank underground tunnel. Water dripped somewhere nearby, echoing off stone walls slick with moisture. Pipes ran along the ceiling, confirming my suspicion that I was in London's sewers.

Then I heard it - my old voice, Liam's voice, echoing from somewhere ahead. Without legs to walk on, I willed myself forward, floating through the dank passages toward the sound.

I floated through the dank tunnel, drawn by that familiar voice - my voice. The sound grew clearer with each passing moment until I rounded a corner and froze.

There he was. My body. Liam. Walking with two others through the dimly lit passage, their footsteps echoing off the wet stone walls. Something felt wrong about his movements though - too fluid, too predatory. This wasn't how I walked.

His head snapped up suddenly, red eyes locking directly onto my ethereal form. A chill ran through me as his lips curved into an unnatural smile.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"So, it was you snooping around before." His voice - my voice - carried an ancient weight I'd never heard before. "Quite an old spell you've prepared this time."

I tried to speak but had no physical form to produce sound. The two figures beside him tensed, hands moving to weapons at their sides.

He waved them down casually. "It matters little if you've discovered me now. My plans are already in motion." His head tilted, studying me with those blood-red eyes that should have been blue. "Though I must admit, I expected you to find me sooner. You've certainly taken your time."

Before I could react, darkness began swirling around his arm like living smoke. He raised his hand toward me, fingers splayed.

"Unfortunately, I can't have you interfering just yet."

The shadows shot from his palm, wrapping around my spectral form. I felt an overwhelming force shoving me backward, pulling me away from the scene. The tunnels blurred past as I was yanked through space, helpless to resist.

My consciousness slammed back into my physical body with enough force to knock me off my feet. The ritual circle shattered, crystals scattering across the concrete floor as I gasped for air.

I pulled myself up from the concrete floor, my legs still shaky from the violent return to my body. The scattered crystals crunched under my heels.

"What happened?" Faith rushed forward, steadying me with a firm grip on my arm.

"I found him." My voice came out hoarse. "He's in the sewers beneath London."

"Damn it." Faith's jaw clenched. "We already swept the entire system once. Found nothing but rats and refuse."

"He's there now." I brushed crystal shards from my dress. "But whoever's controlling Liam's body... they're powerful. Far more powerful than I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"He noticed me instantly. And the way he moved..." I shuddered at the memory. "It wasn't natural. He had two others with him, armed escorts from what I could tell."

A wave of relief swept through me as I spoke the words. It made no sense - discovering a powerful being controlled my former body should have terrified me. Instead, an inexplicable calm settled in my chest.

My insides twisted as I grappled with this strange reaction. Perhaps it was finally having answers after endless months of uncertainty.

"Did he say anything?" Faith's question snapped me from my spiralling thoughts.

"He mentioned having 'plans' already in motion. The way he said it..." I wrapped my arms around myself. "It sounded ominous. Like whatever he's planning, we're already too late to stop it."

"I have two more tracking methods we could try-"

"No." Faith cut me off sharply. "He knows we're looking now. He'll be prepared for more attempts." She crossed her arms, face grim. "At least we know where to focus our search. The sewers are a start - more than we had before."

"But-"

"We should head back to headquarters." Faith's tone left no room for argument. "Report what we found and plan our next move carefully."

I slid into Faith's car, my mind racing with possibilities. The leather seat creaked under my weight as I shifted, watching Faith start the engine.

"We'll find him," Faith said, but her words barely registered.

My thoughts drifted to Aria and Isabella. They'd proven themselves loyal friends, standing by me even after learning about my royal heritage, their attitude hasn't changed. The memory of our cave expedition flashed through my mind - how naturally we worked together.

I touched my ring, feeling the weight of the items stored within. The lich's communication stone pulsed with a faint energy, as if sensing my attention. The offer tempted me, but the deal clearly had hidden costs. Perhaps he might help for a deferred payment - my blood only if his assistance proved valuable.

"You're quiet," Faith said, navigating through London's evening traffic.

"Just thinking." My fingers traced the ring's smooth surface. Aria would probably laugh at my hesitation, drag me into some wild plan without a second thought. Isabella would be more cautious, but her strategic mind could prove invaluable.

The car stopped at a red light. Through the window, I watched couples strolling past, oblivious to the supernatural world around them. My friends knew that world intimately. They understood its dangers, its rules. And more importantly, they understood me - or at least, the me I'd become.

But telling them about Liam... about who I used to be...

Aria would probably find it hilarious. I could almost hear her teasing: "So that's why you were so awkward about feeding at first!" Isabella might be more complex - she'd want to analyse every detail, understand the implications.

The light turned green. Faith accelerated, and my stomach lurched with more than just the car's movement. I needed to decide soon. Working with Faith and the VCD or getting help from Aria and Isabella. But involving my friends meant risking everything - my identity, my past, possibly even more.

The car's gentle hum faded into background noise as my mind raced. His words echoed in my thoughts - those cryptic plans he'd mentioned. A chill ran down my spine as a possibility crystallized.

What if he'd originally targeted Lily's body? What if somehow, his attempt at possession had gone wrong, landing him in my old body instead and somehow shoving me into Lily's form?

My hands clenched in my lap. If that was true, he might try again. Another attempt to claim this body, to force me out just as he'd inadvertently done before.

Something twisted in my chest at that thought. My breath caught as realization struck me like lightning.

I didn't want to go back.

The truth I'd been avoiding crashed through my carefully constructed walls. All this time, I'd told myself I needed to return to my old life, my old body. But that wasn't what I really wanted.

I liked being Lily. Not just accepted it, not just adapted to it - I genuinely preferred this existence. The power, the freedom, even the hunger that had once disturbed me... they'd become part of who I was. The relief I'd felt seeing that stranger in my old body wasn't about finding answers - it was knowing I had an excuse to stay as I was.

Faith took a sharp turn, jolting me from my thoughts. My reflection caught in the window - long eyelashes, full lips, features that had once felt alien but now seemed natural. Right.

But that same reflection reminded me of the threat. Whether he wanted this body or not, someone was walking around in my old body. Someone dangerous enough to casually dismiss my spells, someone that set my teeth on edge.

I couldn't ignore that. Not just because it might threaten my new existence, but because it felt... wrong. Like finding someone had broken into your old home. Even if you'd moved on, you couldn't just let it slide.

I turned to Faith as we approached the AOR building, I realized there was another solution I overlooked so far. I could work with my friends and VCD at the same time.

"I need to make a proposal," I said.

"What kind of proposal?" Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

"I have two friends who could help. They're skilled, trustworthy, and more importantly - they're powerful."

Faith's eyes narrowed. "More demons?"

"Succubi," I corrected. "But yes. Look, I know you don't trust my kind, but they have abilities that could prove invaluable. And they're loyal to me."

"Galahad doesn't like to work with demons unless absolutely necessary."

"Then make it necessary." I shifted in my seat to face her fully. "We can draw up a contract. Binding terms, specific limitations, whatever makes your superiors comfortable."

"And why would your friends agree to that?"

"Because I'll ask them to." I kept my voice steady. "Plus, you'll need to summon us properly anyway - dimensional barriers limit our power otherwise. Might as well formalize everything in writing."

Faith pulled into the parking garage. "I'll discuss it with Galahad. No promises."

I nodded, already planning my next moves. Once back in Hell, I'd contact Aria and Isabella, perhaps even the lich.

Aria would leap at any chance for adventure excitement at the prospect. Isabella would require a more delicate touch. The lich would be trickier - his help would come with strings attached, but right now we needed options.

Just had to keep my parents out of it. Lilith's protective instincts were... extreme. And her rage at discovering someone had possessed my Lily's body? No, better to handle this without them.

"One condition," Faith said. "Any contracts include clauses about protecting civilians and following VCD protocols."

"Done." I smiled, feeling the pieces falling into place. "Shall we go convince your boss?"