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Inside the house, Casandra and Andrew experienced a moment of intimacy that marked the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship.

Meanwhile, outside the house, hundreds of ravens filled the sky before inexplicably dropping dead in a perfect circle around the premises. It may have seemed like an extreme display, but Austen knew that dramatic measures were necessary to drive home the gravity of the curse he needed Casandra and Andrew to believe in. What better symbol of a dark, bloodline curse than a macabre ring of lifeless birds?

Standing in the shadows, Austen felt the urgency of the situation. He had to convince them, and fast. Time was running out, and the pieces of his plan needed to fall into place.

Despite lingering wariness from the children, Austen knew they had no one else to trust but him. Casandra had destroyed the medallion, but he saw it as a necessary sacrifice to keep it out of the wrong hands.

Soon, he would acquire the crystals and, with them, the crystal skull—the key to unlocking their hidden potential. The era of hiding would soon be over, and the James bloodline would reclaim its rightful prominence, flourishing in a world of their making.

With a self-assured smirk, Austen strolled away, hands casually tucked in his pockets. He envisioned the future he would build alongside his children, a world shaped by their powers and influence.

Lost in his thoughts, Austen remained unaware of the figure lurking in the shadows of a nearby house. A hood concealed the man’s features, but his dark eyes remained fixed on Austen, watching and waiting.

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The Brew was abuzz with tension as Dawson paced furiously, his concern for Maya palpable. Meanwhile, Angelo’s steady hands worked on tending to Maya’s wounds, applying a concoction of herbs with precision and care.

“I can’t believe it climbed into your room and attacked you!” Dawson’s frustration erupted, his pacing adding to the charged atmosphere.

Angelo, focused on his task, murmured, “It must know you’re onto it, whatever it is.”

Sam, lounging nearby, chimed in with a touch of dark humor, “You lucked out with your dad not being around. If he had been, not only would the wolf have gone after him, but your secret would’ve been exposed.”

Harper, with a gentler demeanor, offered painkillers and water, asking about Maya’s father’s whereabouts. Maya explained that he was likely still at work, sometimes pulling all-nighters.

Jason, who had broken his grounding to be there, leaned against the wall with a troubled expression. “It’s odd that he’d leave you alone knowing what happened.”

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Maya defended her father, “He doesn’t know everything, and I wasn’t attacked at home.”

Dawson, ever protective, interjected, “The point is that it tried to kill you.”

Angelo, with a calm that belied the chaos, clarified, “If it wanted to kill her, it easily could have. This seems more like a warning.”

Harper voiced what many were thinking, “It’s telling you to back off.”

Dawson insisted she stop investigating, but Maya, defiant, refused to yield. The group debated, with Sam playing devil’s advocate and Angelo analyzing the attack’s intent.

“We should tell Aunt Clarissa,” Harper suggested finally, sensing the urgency. “Things have escalated, and she might help figure out what it is.”

Angelo, finishing up the bandages, added a curious note, “We can rule out Spirit Animal or Astral Projection. The attack wasn’t fatal, just a warning.” Maya’s surprise was evident as she turned to him for explanation.

“When you went to the kitchen and answered your dad’s call, I hid a blessed pouch at the center of your house,” Angelo confessed, a hint of unease in his voice. “I thought if it was astral projection, this might happen. The pouch was designed to keep anything like that from coming inside.” He listed the protective stones and elements he used, a mix of kyanite, fire agate, moqui marbles, and Halit, tailored for different forms of protection. “The combination should have worked if we were dealing with astral projection...so it’s definitely not that.”

Silence hung heavy in the room until Angelo looked up, puzzled by their reactions. “What?”

“Nothing,” Dawson muttered, avoiding eye contact but failing to hide his amusement.

“I just think everyone’s shocked to realize just how much of a nerd you are, Stiles,” Sam chuckled, earning a playful gesture from Angelo.

Maya leaned over and kissed Angelo’s cheek gratefully. “Thank you.”

Angelo froze for a moment, caught off guard by the gesture. He cleared his throat, attempting to regain composure. “How many times do I have to tell you not to let these things go to your head?”

Maya smiled at him, her gratitude shining in her eyes.

Harper smiled at the exchange, leaning against Jason’s thigh. “You should come back to the Brew soon, Jason. We miss you.”

Jason, blushing slightly, replied, “I, uh, should be going back before they find out I’m gone...again.”

Harper sighed, looking up at him. “Hopefully your parents will let you come back soon. We miss you here.”

Jason nodded, a bit flustered. “They’ll come around.”

“Unless they ship him off to Wichita first,” Sam joked.

“Wichita?” Dawson’s surprise was evident. “They can’t take you! You’re part of our coven!”

“We haven’t bound it yet,” Jason shrugged, clearly feeling conflicted. “You could always replace me with someone else after I’m gone.”

“You’re not replaceable, Jason,” Harper reassured him, placing a comforting hand on his knee.

Maya, suddenly standing up, announced, “I have to go.”

“What’s wrong?” Harper asked, concern knitting her brows.

“Steve,” Maya replied, already heading towards the door. “If that thing knew I was investigating, it might target him next. He doesn’t have any magic to protect him!”

“You can’t think—” Dawson started.

Sam stood up, ready to act. “I’ll take her. It’s on my way home anyway.” He glanced at Dawson. “Can you drop Jason off for me?”

Dawson nodded, understanding the urgency.

“Why not just call him?” Jason called after Maya.

“He turns off his cell at night!” Maya called back, hurrying out the door.

Sam gave a nod to the rest of the group before following Maya, their urgent mission clear in their minds.