Karl took a deep breath, grabbed the rusted chair with both hands, and lifted it over his shoulder.
"One... two... three—"
The chair slammed into the old glass window, shattering it instantly. Sharp shards rained down to the dusty floor, the sound loud and violent in the silence of the old building.
At the same time, Jo and the other ghost grabbed the wobbly table, lifted it, and slammed it sideways into the wall.
It cracked straight through the middle, collapsing in a broken heap.
The room now looked like a battlefield.
"HURRY, MAKE NOISE!" Karl whispered through clenched teeth, sweat dripping from his brow. His heart thundered like a drum inside his chest.
Jo began shouting, "You liar! You want to run without me?!"
The other ghost added, "You tricked us!"
Their voices bounced off the walls—pure chaos.
Outside, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed up the hallway.
"They’re trying to escape!"
Karl’s eyes widened. He turned to the others and gestured frantically—hands up, ready to pounce.
The door’s lock clattered. Someone was unlocking it.
Jo and the other ghost nodded quickly, fists clenched.
Karl wiped the sweat from his forehead, backing up to the side of the door.
He didn’t have Ruby’s strength.
He didn’t have Adrian’s brains.
He didn’t have Julian’s calm or Milo’s charm.
And he was going to get them all out.
Jiri stormed in first, followed by the tall witch in blue—Rilara—her eyes blazing with fury.
But they hadn’t expected what came next.
Karl and the other two ghosts leapt at them.
Jo threw a broken chair leg like a spear—missing completely but distracting them long enough. The weaker ghost, trembling, tried to push past, while Karl slammed into Rilara’s side with all his strength.
"RUN!" Karl screamed.
Down the creaking stairs.
Bare feet thudding against old wood. Jo led the way, panting hard, eyes wild. The other ghost stumbled, already limping, but followed.
"Faster!" Karl gasped, gripping the wall as he nearly slipped.
Behind them, both witches were shouting. Footsteps pounded the ground—the witches were chasing them.
They hit the main hallway. A door. Karl kicked it open—
And ran straight into two guards.
"THERE!" one of them shouted.
Jo didn’t stop. He darted sideways, squeezing through a gap in the broken wall and disappearing outside.
Karl froze for half a second—eyes wide, breath caught.
The other ghost panicked and turned to run the other way—but a strong arm grabbed him from behind and slammed him against the wall.
"NO!" Karl shouted, turning to help but before he could move—
Jiri’s hand cracked across his face.
He stumbled backward, falling to his knees.
The other witch, Rilara, slapped the third ghost hard enough to make him cry out.
"You filthy little rats think you can fool us?!" Jiri spat, grabbing Karl’s robe and yanking him to his feet.
"You broke my window!" Rilara hissed. "Do you think that’s free?!"
Karl’s cheek burned. His wrists throbbed. The cut on his hand had opened again.
He could barely breathe but his voice, though shaking, still rose.
Jiri’s eyes darkened.
"Then you’ll suffer for him."
Karl looked down, teeth clenched, tears stinging the corners of his eyes.
The sun was already high in the sky, casting sharp light across the world and glowing faintly against the glass of Ruby’s car. It was day now, bright and clear but none of them noticed the weather.
Because the night before...
And still they hadn’t found Karl.
Ruby gripped the wheel tightly, her eyes scanning every street below as she flew low across familiar dirt roads. Her heart felt heavier than it had ever been. Every second ticking by without a clue, without a voice, without even a shadow was like a weight tied to her chest.
Beside her in the front seat, Julian sat stiffly, pale and completely quiet. His eyes were red, the rims swollen from crying. He hadn’t slept. He didn’t even blink much.
He just stared straight ahead, lips pressed tightly together, his fingers twisting the hem of his sleeve over and over again.
Ruby glanced at him and felt her stomach twist.
He looked devastated.
In the backseat, Milo had cried until his body gave up. He was fast asleep now, curled against Adrian’s shoulder, his tear-streaked face pressed into Adrian’s side. Soft hiccups still escaped him in his sleep
Adrian sat silently, upright and tense, one arm gently resting around Milo’s shoulders.
His eyes were sharp, staring out the window, but his jaw was locked, his breathing deep and slow.
He hadn’t cried. But Ruby knew. He was sad.
Ruby pulled the car into the back of the house, the engine quieting to a gentle hum as she parked.
As she stepped out, the bright sun hit her face, but it did nothing to warm the worry in her chest.
She turned and looked at her husbands—Julian, eyes tired and heavy with emotion but still sitting upright; Milo, who had just woken up from his nap and blinked blearily at her, cheeks still damp; and Adrian, silent as ever but watching her every move like a soldier waiting for command.
Ruby gave them a small, soft smile. She was exhausted too. But there was no time to show it.
"Let’s go inside," she said gently. "We’ll take a bath and freshen up. You all look like you’ve been dragged through a dust storm."
They nodded quietly, following her inside.
The house felt strange today. Too quiet. Too empty without Karl’s loud footsteps, his humming, his random dramatic antics.
They took turns washing up. The warmth of the water helped loosen the tension in their muscles, but not in their hearts.
Ruby came out last, drying her hair with a towel, now dressed in a clean robe. She looked at them all sitting in the living room—quiet, clean, but still deeply troubled.
"I’m going to the Civil Protection Office again," she said, tying her hair back. "But I want you three to stay home and rest."
—To be continued...🪄