Tess cracked an eye open when her knife came to an abrupt halt right above Tom's chest. She rubbed the tears from her face, trying to see clearer. "As you would have if you were still here by my side," Tess said once more. She brought the knife down, only for it to stop mere centimeters from his chest.

"Priestess, what's going on?" Materas' shrill voice rang out in the silence.

"I-I don't know," Tess admitted as she attempted to bring her knife down once more. She heard Matera accusing the other sirens of not removing protective clothing. She ignored all the shouting as she noticed a shining coming from his pants pocket. Tess reached in and felt a familiar round orb. "My star," Tess whispered as she inspected the tiny glowing orb. "You went back and got it for me," Tess looked towards Tom's unmoving face. It was becoming pale white as the blood rushed from it.

Tess took a shuddering breath as she realized what had happened. "Dad said it would always protect me if I kept it on me," Tess continued to whisper, not realizing the glowing had intensified.

"Priestess, why is your hand glowing?" A siren asked from across the room in horror.

Tess looked at her hand to see that the glowing had grown too bright to look at. She dropped the orb, which rolled away from her, shielding her eyes. Her siren vision was coming in and they didn't like bright things.

"Tess," a male voice called from across the room.

Tess lowered her arm to see a figure standing above the orb. She cocked her head as she tried to figure out where she had seen this person before. He looked so young and homely. Much like a father would. Tess stopped and stood, staring at the figure in disbelief. "Dad?"

The man smiled in her direction. "My little girl. My, how much you've grown." He raised his arms as if to hug her, only to realize he was a projection. "I wish I could be here celebrating your sixteenth birthday with you, young priestess."

"Dad, I miss you," Tess cried, moving closer. She reached a shaky hand out, only to pull it back to herself. Would she be able to touch him? "Why did you leave me?"

The projection sighed and looked towards her sadly. "I needed to get you somewhere safe." Was the only explanation he offered.

Tess knew her father wasn't really there, but she felt his presence as if he was right next to her. She figured he had put a part of his soul in it. That's why he could answer her questions directly.

"Tess, I need you to know something," her father continued. "The path your mother is taking you down is very dangerous."

"But, I was told that mom was dead," Tess looked towards her father in confusion. Maybe it was a recording, and she just reacted the way he thought she would.

"No, my little star. You have been with your mother this whole time. She did the same thing to me she is having you do to Tom."

"Tess, don't listen to that cursed thing," Matera called, forcing Tess to remember there were other people in the room.

"Tess, I only wanted the best for you and I had hoped you would've been safe with Tom's family. I see I was wrong, and I'm sorry for my assumption." Her dad looked over towards Tom's lifeless body. "I was terrified that she would kill you like she had your brother. I took you in the middle of the night to get you to a safe place. That's when you met Tom and his family."

Tess thought back on when she had met Tom. She had clung to her father as he pleaded with Tom's parents to keep her safe. Tom had been watching from the hallway, not wanting anyone to know he had crept out of bed. She had cried and cried when her father gave her to Tom's mom, and walked out of their door. He had left her with her book of spells and the orb that he had put a piece of his soul into.

Matera kept calling for Tess in the background, trying to get her attention back. Finally, Tess had enough. "Silence!" She shouted in several voices to the matron siren. "I will tell you when you can speak!"

Matera looked taken aback, but kept her silence.

"Dad, this is too hard," Tess whispered as she walked closer to his projection, much to the dismay of her eyes. "I don't know what to do," she squinted as she came closer, suddenly feeling like a small child lost in the world.

"I have little time left," her dad's projection leaned down and hugged her. Tess returned the hug, shocked when she smelt wood smoke on her dads projection. This was a piece of his soul.

"Please don't leave me," Tess cried, falling to the floor. "I can't do this on my own."

"Listen," her dad squatted in front of her and lifted her chin to look at him. "Everyone has choices to make. Some of them are right and some are wrong. But we may make the correct choice after a wrong one. It is you who decides where to go from where you are. Understand?"

Tess nodded her head, sniffling.

"Please be careful, my little star." Her father stood upright as his projection faltered. "I have and always will love you." With that, his projection was gone. The orb was now a dull golden nugget.

Tess' body shook as she took in her empty world. All her friends and family were dead, except for apparently her mother. "Who?" Tess whispered harshly, as she turned to face the sirens. "Who killed my father?" She ended in a shout.

The sirens flinched as her rage was projected on them. None of them dared to speak, all looking amongst themselves.

"Which of you forced me to destroy my family?" Tess stood rigid in front of the sirens, who were now fidgeting. A few of them looked towards the door. Tess noticed the looks and moved her hand closest to the door, slamming the doors closed.