Chapter 6: Midnight Confrontation

👉 Previous decision: You chose to ignore Maya’s warnings and return to the brownstone to confront Mara.

Panic over my lost $3,200.00 boiled into a reckless rage. Maya’s warnings about mobs and money laundering faded behind the immediate, burning need for retribution.

I marched back through the rain, retracing my steps to the brownstone. My phone was still clutched in my hand, the ritual video paused and ready to play.

I pounded on Mara’s door, apartment 3B. The heavy wood vibrated under my fist.

The door opened slowly. Sister Mara stood there, not in her menacing ritual robes, but a simple, faded house dress. Her hair was down, not bound. She looked surprisingly ordinary.

“Leo,” she said, her voice calm, a slight tilt to her head. “What a surprise.”

I thrust my phone forward, the screen bright with the image of her face, veiled, chanting over the bronze bowl. “This,” I said, my voice shaking with suppressed fury. “This is what you do.”

Her gaze drifted to the screen, then back to my face. A small, knowing smile touched her lips.

Before I could say another word, two hulking figures stepped out from behind the doorframe, their presence suddenly filling the narrow hallway. Cult enforcers.

Mara’s smile widened, devoid of warmth. “Julian,” she said, gesturing vaguely behind her, “disabled the building’s hallway emergency exits two hours ago. Just a precaution.”

My eyes widened. The fire escape. My only way out. She had trapped me.

➡️ Read CHAPTER 8 to continue the story.