Katherine - HH

The car ride back from the school was anything but peaceful. Esther’s voice carried from the back seat, sharp and unrelenting. "Honestly, Ben, stand-up comedy? In front of everyone? It was painful. Painful. I had to cover my face." Ben groaned, slumping further into his seat. “You wouldn’t last two seconds on stage, Esther! At least I tried—at least I did something!” Katherine kept her eyes on the road, her patience already fraying at the edges. She reached a hand over to touch Ben’s arm, her tone softer than she felt. “Sweetheart, you did your best, and that’s—”

Her words caught in her throat. A figure stood in the headlights, right in the middle of the drive. Her foot slammed the brake, but the car rolled through harmlessly, the figure dissolving into a shimmer of pale light. Katherine exhaled shakily, her knuckles white against the steering wheel. Nathan. By now, the family was used to his sudden appearances. He’d been dead a year, but death hadn’t taken his cheer. "Hey!" Nathan’s familiar voice rang bright as he materialized by the passenger side window, giving a broad grin. "Rough night, huh? Don’t worry, Ben—you’re still funnier than half the guys I used to book for this place." Esther let out a weak laugh, Ben rolled her eyes, and Katherine just sighed as she pulled into the lot. "Not now, Nathan." When they stepped out, Esther was the first to point, her tone flat. "Mom, chair’s broken at the entrance door." Katherine followed her gaze to the splintered wood by the front steps. A cold weight settled in her stomach. Inside, the hotel told the rest of the story. The once-pristine lobby looked as though some enormous animal had torn its claws through every surface—curtains shredded, cushions ripped open, wood splintered in jagged heaps. It wasn’t random; it was too much like the familiar chaos she’d come to know. Ben froze mid-step, his eyes wide. "The elevator. It’s moving." The family watched in tense silence as the doors creaked open. There he was. Abaddon.