Killer | Derek Hale

PHANTOM MANIFESTATION

"The possibilities are endless."

"Can you make it have an end?" Stiles asked.

The pack turned to look at him with an annoyed expression.

Deaton sighed and tiredly leaned against the table, "From what I've heard, the ritual left a mark in Maia's mind. It essentially created a pathway between herself and the dark spirit. A foothold, in a way."

"So a part of it is in her brain?" Malia asked worriedly.

He nodded, "It will lurk and poison her mind."

Liam held his hand up to get attention, "How poisonous are we talking? Like wolfsbane poison or-"

"Poison that makes you psychotic and murdery," Stiles interjected.

The boys' eyes widened, "So there's a murderous spirit inside of an already murderous person?"

"Pretty much."

He blew out a long breath in exasperation. Scott patted him on the back to comfort him as he took in the information.

"But it hasn't taken over completely," Kira argued.

"Not yet," Deaton agreed, "But the darkness will continue to grow and feed off her fears. It'll use that fear to convince her that the trade for her soul is worth giving in."

Lydia shook her head in denial. Her eyes were getting watery and she trembled. Her voice shook as she spoke.

"Maia's strong," she stated, "She'll be able to fight it, right?"

He shook his head, "It will draw on her strength and weaken her mind. Even if she could hold on...it wouldn't be for long."

"She won't cave!"

"Yes, she will," Argent said solemnly, "If the nogitsune is offering to help kill her brother then she's going to take the deal."

They lapsed into contemplative silence. None of them were eager to hurt her or even imprison her. Stiles knew first hand that she would need support and he didn't want to see her fall into the same trap.

"What should we do?" Malia asked, focusing her attention of Scott.

He was mid-shrug when the bell to the animal clinic rang. Their heads popped up and saw Melissa run in.

She took a deep breath and threw down a file. She opened it and spread the various images on the table. There were Maia's brain scans from the MRI.

"See that?"

She pointed to a particular spot on the photograph, "There's nothing there."

"That's a good thing, right?" Liam asked.

Lydia shook her head and took one of the images in her hand.

"No, she means that there is literally nothing there," she repeated, "Not a single brain wave or piece of tissue. Nothing. It's like a phantom spot."

Melissa nodded in agreement while Deaton looked at the photos.

"That phantom spot must be where the nogitsune is manifesting. It's creating a literal darkness in her brain."

"What's that mean?"

Stiles glanced over Lydia's shoulder. The scans looked nothing like his did, but that's because he thought he had the same illness his mother had.

But he had been obsessed with understanding the events that happened while he was possessed. He researched everything and knew the ins and outs of the connection between hosts and spirits.