"Can you remember anything else? Anything else? Stephanie?" Parrish asked as he, Stephanie and James sat in the Sheriffs office to get questioned after Allison's death.
Stephanie, now all patched up on her side, ran her hand over the bandage, her head shaking ever so slightly as her eyes stayed on the floor. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry. It just happened so fast."
James frowned at his daughter, shaking his head before putting a hand on her shoulder and turning to Parrish. "I think she's done here." Parrish nodded, moving from his seat to open the door for the two.
Stephanie Saticoy-Miller was in shock. She had never gone through a loss like this. At least not at an age where she could remember it.
Allison Argent died for Stephanie.
Allison pushed Stephanie out of the way.
Allison saved her.
And all Stephanie could feel was guilt.
When they got to the parking lot of the station, James sighed, wrapping an arm around Stephanie to lead her to his car. "Let's get you home." James muttered, thinking Isaac and Will were already home after Sabrina dropped them off after their questioning on her way to work.
Stephanie shook her head as they got into the car, turning to her dad. "No. I need to talk to Deaton."
...
Sabrina exited her patients room and walked down the hall to give a nurse her patients file when she saw James standing in the hallway, holding a small bag of food for her.
The woman smiled, walking up to him and kissing his cheek. "Aw, look at that. My loving husband brought me food." James let out a small laugh, looking down at his wife. "Are you gonna be sarcastic or are you gonna take the food."
Sabrina smiled, taking the food and walking down the hall as she pulled a small salad out of the bag and started to eat, James walking beside her. "Thank you."
As they turned to walk into an empty hospital room to eat in she turned to him, her brows furrowed. "What are you doing here anyway, don't you have work."
James shook his head as he took a chair beside the hospital bed to sit on, Sabrina taking the opposing chair. "Stilinski let me off early after what happened."
Sabrina's face fell slightly before she slowly took a bite of her food, looking up at James. "The kids are at home?" James sighed, leaning forward into the bed slightly. "Well I thought the boys would be home considering you dropped them off but they both left notes on the fridges so... Will's with Scott, Isaac insisted on taking care of Chris and I dropped Steph off at the clinic." Sabrina nodded, taking another bite of her salad.
...
"I just want to know why my fireball killed the Oni. That's never happened before." Stephanie said as she paced around the clinic, falling onto Deaton's spiny chair. Deaton stood at his table, sighing as he went to clean up. "Do you know the origins of the story for Kanays?"
Stephanie's face scrunched as she shook her head. She sat up slightly, waiting to hear the story.
"It is said to believe that when the Gods first made Earth, a woman by the name of Marigold Kaneea and the fellow maidens in the land made an offer to the Gods. For powers of great strength, they would protect the Earth, Mother Nature and the Gods themselves from any evil creatures. The Gods granted Marigold and her followers powers, the powers that you currently have, giving them the names 'Kanay' because of Marigolds last name." Deaton said, making Stephanie nod to tell him she understood.
"Your birth last name is Miller, correct? It's from your birth parents." Deaton asked and Stephanie nodded, confused on where he was going with the story. "It's my fathers last name." Stephanie said, making Deaton nod.
"Thanatos, the God of death didn't like how the other Gods gave the kanays powers and was set on killing all of the people that were granted the powers. When Thanatos went to Marigolds town to kill her, she fought back."
"She used pyrokinesis to fight the God. Her pyrokinesis with Thanatos' powers caused an explosion in the center of town. Marigold died in the explosion and the other Gods banished Thanatos from the land. But the radiation from the explosion caused Marigolds son, Percy to not only inherit the powers he was born with but also gained more after the explosion, some of that power even coming from Thanatos. After that, the Kaneea bloodline of Kanay's became the most powerful. They always had someone to carry the last name until 87 years ago."
Stephanie's brows furrowed, pushing the chair closer to the table. "What happened 57 years ago?" Deaton smiled at the question.
"57 years ago, Winifred Kaneea met Marlin Miller had your father, Luis Miller." Deaton said. Stephanie's eyes slowly widened, sitting up straighter in her chair in shock. "So my ancestor is Marigold Kaneea?"
Deaton nodded, a small smile still graving his face. "You are a very special Kanay, Stephanie. The power from being a descendant to Marigold Kaneea but also being the daughter of two kanays makes you stronger than others. That's what makes you so powerful. That's why you were able to kill an Oni. No other type of kanay could do that."
Stephanie felt a proud feeling grow in the pit of her stomach as she smiled, a small laugh passing through her lips.
"We have a problem." A voice from the door spoke.
Stephanie and Deaton turned their heads and Will, Scott and Lydia walked into the clinic. "It's about the Nogitsune." Will said again, making Deaton straighten up.
Scott walked towards the clinic table, standing across from Deaton and beside Stephanie as Lydia got on her other side and Will went beside Lydia. "Stiles and Kira said it was the Nemeton that kept it trapped."
Deaton sighed at Scott's words, moving some things around in his desk. "The problem is this isn't even a person you're fighting. It just looks like one. It's a spirit that's taken the shape of a human."
"The shape of my best friend." Scott said and Will turned to Deaton, shrugging. "Someone caught it once. Someone can do it again, right?"
Deaton shrugged. "I don't know. This thing was trapped a long time ago, before the Nemeton was cut down. It doesn't have the same power anymore."
Stephanie slowly shook her head in denial, looking to Deaton. "Is there anything that does?" Deaton sighed, shaking his head again as he shrugged. "Possibly. When the tree was whole, its wood was sometimes used to contain powerful objects. But those objects are very rare."
"Wait a second. Powerful objects? Like an Alpha's claws?" Lydia asked, looking up at Deaton who whipped his head to Lydia. "Which Alpha?" Deaton asked, looking at Lydia with furrowed brows.
"Talia Hale." Lydia said. Deaton's eyes went eyes went as the girl continued. "Peter had them in this wooden box with a triskele carved on the lid. What if it was made from the Nemeton?"
"It was." Deaton breathed out, looking down in shock, making the teens turn to him. "How do you know?" Stephanie asked, her brows furrowed as Deaton sighed, slowly looking up at the group. "Because I made it."
...
Sabrina sighed, a small laugh escaping her lips as she walked down the hall, James following after her likes lost puppy. "You know you can go home, get some rest. I just have a few more patients."
James chuckled at her words, speeding up to her beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders."Why would I do that when I could spend time with you?"
Sabrina snickered slightly, looking down at her patients file. "Oh, we're being cheesy." James' brows furrowed playfully, looking down at Sabrina as they turned down a hallway. "You loved that in high school."
A loud, bloodcurdling scream made Sabrina and James turn to look ahead of them. In front of them were three Oni, bodies on the floor around them. "Look out!" James yelled, going to push Sabrina behind him but it was too late. An Oni ran towards them, slicing Sabrina in the stomach.
Sabrina slowly fell back into James as the Oni disappeared. James felt his heart drop as he caught Sabrina.
"I got you. I got you." James whispered as he slowly pulled Sabrina into an empty hospital room. As soon as she got onto the bed, James slowly lifted the edge of Sabrinas shirt to find her injury smoking.
A small gasp passed James' lips as he slowly shook his head. "I don't know what to do."
...
Scott let out a relieved sigh at his newest text, lookin up to look at the group. "Derek's got the triskele box. He's gonna meet us."
Stephanie nodded, turning to look at Lydia beside her before noticing the strawberry blonde about to faint. Stephanie's eyes went wide, quickly catching her. "What's wrong?"
Lydia took a deep breath, steadying her footing before turning to Stephanie. "Something's happening. I had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time."
"Yeah. Yeah, I kind of got that feeling, too." A voice from the door said. The group turned their heads and locked eyes with Stiles, his arm around Kira's shoulders to keep him up.
...
"Scott, hold on." Stiles said just before the group walked into the school, everyone stopped, turning to Stiles. "I know what you're all thinking. If this works, it might kill me, too. But even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"
Will shook his head, putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder. "The plan is to save you. That's the plan I'm going with." Stiles smiled at Will, putting his hand over Will's before turning to Scott, nodding.
Scott nodded back at Stiles, walking into the school. Stephanie gasped as she entered the school. "Oh, this is a new look." She whispered, her eyes trailing around the snow infested school. "This is definitely not part of the plan." Will whispered from beside her.
The sound of snow crunching behind them made all of their heads turn. Right in front of them was the Nogitsune in his mummy form.
...
"Brina. Sabrina, honey, what do I do?" James asked as he held Sabrina's face. Sabrina's eyes slowly opened, her turned her head to James weakly as blood started to come up her mouth. "You can't..."
Sabrina looked down, lifting up her shirt to show her cut, more black smoke appearing than before. Her face grew pale just from the sight of it before she rested her head back onto the hospital beds pillows, her eyes slowly falling closed.
James shook his head, his eyes going wide as his heart rate started to pick up. "No. No. No."
"Sabrina!"
...
"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Stephanie whispered, looking around the snowy garden.
"Between life and death." The Nogitsune replied as his Oni appeared behind him. Lydia's eyes went wide, looking around the group. "Bardo." The Nogitsune lifted his finger, stopping the group. "But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia. You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying, too."
Stiles' eyes went wide, shaking his head in confusion. "What? What do you mean?" The Nogitsune took a small step closer to the group, his head tilting. "I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles. The hospital. The sheriff's station. And now the animal clinic."
"Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?" The Nogitsune asked. Stiles sighed, shaking his head. "No, and I don't want to."
The Nogitsune took another step forwards. "When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honor, but that's not the cut that kills him. The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana." The Nogitsune slowly pointed to Scott. "Scott... Scott is your kaishakunin. I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him. Because just like you, they're all going to die. Everyone touched by an Oni's blade. Unless Scott kills you first."
"Why? Why are you doing this?" Stephanie asked, taking a small step towards the Nogitsune and Oni, her eyes glowing bright purple.
"To win the game."
Suddenly, the Oni ran toward the group. Scott and Lira stood in front of the group; Scott's claws out and Kira's sword ready as Stephanie stood in front of Will, Stiles and Lydia. Every fireball Stephanie tried to throw at the Oni, they would either dodge or she would almost hit Kira or Scott on accident.
"How is this happening? How are we in this place?" Scott yelled, looking at Kira who shook her head with wide eyes. "You're asking me? A month ago, I'd never even touched a sword."
"This can't be real." Will muttered, shaking his head in shock, making Stephanie scoff, looking back at him as she pushed an Oni away from Scott, making the Oni' sword fall. "Yeah, tell that to them."
Stiles' eyes fell on the sword, when Will and Lydia weren't looking, he slowly reached for it. Will could see someone moving out of the corner of his eyes. He turned his head and his eyes immediately widened at Stiles pressed the sword against his stomach, ready to impale himself. Will felt his stomach drop, running up to Stiles and taking the sword out of his hands. "Stiles, no!"
"What if it saves you? What if it saves all of you?" Stiles yelled, looking around the group before Will grabbed his shoulders to have him look at him. "What if it's just another trick?" Will asked, shaking his head in worry.
"No more tricks, Will." The Nogitsune said before turning to Scott. "End it, Scott. Let your friend fall on his own sword. Do for him what he cannot do for himself. Do it, Scott. Be his kaishakunin. Give up the game. You have no moves left."
"I do." Stiles said, making Stephanie look back at him for a split second. "A divine move." Stiles whispered before turning to the three teens fighting the Oni.
"Stop fighting them. It's an illusion. That's why Steph's powers didn't work. You have to stop fighting them. It looks real and it feels real, but Scott, you gotta trust me, it's an illusion." Stiles said. Stephanie's eyes went at the risky play. She slowly turned to look up at Scott, asking what they should do.
Scott looked at Stephanie before turning to the rest of the group. Scott sighed, walking to the Nogitsune and it's Oni in front of the doors to the exit. Stephanie's eyes went wide, watching as Kira followed Scott. "Wait. We're seriously doing this?" Stephanie whispered as Will pushed Stephanie to follow Kira.
Stephanie shut her eyes when she got closer to the Oni, hearing Scott and Kira's cries from ahead of her. Just as Stephanie walked through the doors, she felt a burning pain on her side. Stephanie screamed in pain before she walked through the doors of the school and a big gust of wind hit her back. She slowly opened her eyes and saw they were all back in the school hallway.
"We're okay." Scott breathed out as Stephanie felt her sides, seeing if there were any new injuries, accidentally hitting the one from the night Allison died and winced before smiling at the group and nodding. "We're o-"
Stephanie was cut off by the sound doors of the school opening. Void ran towards the group, grabbing Scott by the throat and throwing him into the lockers. He hit Kira across the face and she fell to the ground right beside Scott.
When Void wasn't looking, Stephanie went to the two unconscious teens in hopes to wake them up while Void continued to walk towards Will, Stiles, and Lydia. "This was my game. You think you can beat me at my game?"
"Scott. Scott. Wake up." Stephanie whispered, slapping Scott's face lightly to wake him up as Void continued to scream. When Scott's eyes opened, Stephanie let out of breathy laugh, helping him up as Lydia screamed. "But we can change you."
Stephanie and Scott slowly but quickly ran up behind Void as his brows furrowed. "What?" Will let out a small chuckle as he was Stephanie and Scott walk towards him before turning back to Void. "You forgot about the scroll. The Shugendo scroll."
"Change the host." Stiles said, making Voids eyes go wide as Will smirked. "You can't be a fox and a wolf." Will said before Scott grabbed on Voids arm, biting him.
Void screamed and as soon as Scott removed his teeth from Voids arm, Stephanie let her hand catch fire, touching Voids back. Void screamed again, slowly turning to dust as a single firefly flew from the center of it.
The firefly slowly started to fly away from the group and just before it could leave the school, Isaac caught it, locking it in the box made from the Nemeton.
Stephanie felt a breath of relief escape for lungs. Will smiled, turning to Stiles before his face dropped at Stiles falling to the ground.
...
James kept his head down as he held his wife's hand. He tried to control his breathing, his hand squeezing Sabrina's tighter.
A small gasp and the sight of Sabrina's chest rising and falling made James slowly turn to her. Sabrina slowly opened her eyes, her hands absentmindedly going to her stomach. She winced, James shot out of his seat as Sabrina slowly lifted her head to look at her wound.
Her stomach was no longer smoking and looked as if it was a normal cut wound. A small sigh escaped her lips as she turned to James with a small smile. James smiled at Sabrina, quickly pulling her into a kiss before hugging her, glad she was okay.
...
Will was knelt beside Stiles, the rest of the group standing above him as he shook Stiles awake. Stiles' eyes shot open as he instantly sat up before groaning, rubbing his temples. "Oh, God, I fainted, didn't I?"
Will let out a small chuckle, making Stiles turn to him as he nodded. Stiles let out a breath of relief, looking around the group. "We're alive. We all alive?"
As if on cue, Stephanie felt a pain in her eyes. She turned to Lydia to find the strawberry blonde already looking at her. Lydia's eyes grew wide at Stephanie's purple ones and by the look on his face Stephanie could tell her eyes were glowing too.
The girls shot off the ground and ran out of the school. She felt as if someone was pulling her in the direction she needed to go. When they got to the underpass of the school, Stephanie and Lydia skidded to a stop, watching as Ethan held onto his brother as Aiden laid on the ground, dead.
Stephanie felt her heart drop as Lydia quickly turned around, Stephanie being the closest, turned to Stephanie into a hug.
Stephanie held onto Lydia as the strawberry blonde hid her face in Stephanie's neck, holding back her. Stephanie stared at the scene below them in shock, her eyes wide. She slowly looked up at Isaac beside her to find him already looking at her.
Stephanie slowly nodded and Isaac slowly did the same, the two of them thinking the same thing.
Their lives were gonna change from now on.
...
"There. Now you're all patched up." Sabrina said happily after she finished rebandaging Stephanie's side before double checking her own.
"Mom?" Stephanie asked, her voice shaky slightly as Sabrina looked up from Stephanie's injury in worry. Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes going to her hands to pick at her nails. "I don't know if I want to be here anymore."
Sabrina's brows furrowed, her face filled with confusion. "What?" Stephanie's took in a deep breath, slowly lifting her head. She turned to Isaac beside her before turning back to her mom. "Isaac and I want to leave Beacon Hills."
—YALL THERES ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER😭🤚
we got to see some more of stephs backstory even tho we are like almost done with this book🧍♀️