The Red Ghoul {The Red Good Series: Book Zero}

ARC III: PART VII

The rest of the night was pretty tense, and somehow, Constantine managed to get to the kitchen before Jason. He was busy popping trays of bacon into the oven when Jason came up the stairs and did a double take.

"John?" Jason asked, still half-asleep.

"Morning, kiddo. Just getting the bacon going," Constantine said casually. "I already cracked the eggs, and they're ready to scramble once the bacon's halfway done. I was debating between pancakes or French toast, but since I put the hash browns in already, maybe just regular toast?"

"Uh, I think toast's good," Jason said, his eyes glued to John, who was now pouring tea and fixing it just the way Jason liked. He set it on the counter and pulled out a couple loaves of bread for toasting, along with some shredded cheese.

Jason took the tea, still looking a bit confused, and sat down on a stool. Constantine got busy with a large skillet, adding a splash of olive oil and a couple pats of butter. He checked on the hash browns and bacon, flipping the hash browns and pulling out the bacon tray to sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on it before sliding it back into the oven. Then he grabbed a whisk, gave it a rinse, and started whisking the eggs.

Jason watched in awe. Constantine gave the eggs a final check, then dripped a drop into the pan. When it hissed, he poured in the eggs and started stirring with a heat-proof spatula, moving them around until they were just right. He scooped some scrambled eggs into one bowl, added cheese, and stirred it in before transferring everything to a second bowl. He covered both bowls with lids and left them on the counter, then started making toast.

"Anyone else up?" Constantine asked casually.

"Dami and Billy are already at Nanda Parbat Academy for Magic," Jason said with a grimace. "Roy's taking Lian to school. They'll be staying at the academy dorms for a while until we sort things out. It's safer for them to apparate to class."

"Good call," Constantine said, whistling a tune as he finished up breakfast.

Just then, the door opened, and Roy walked in, taking in the scene with wide eyes. He slid into the seat next to Jason. Constantine handed him a cup of coffee and grabbed a bottle of juice for Jason, who had finished his tea.

"He can cook?" Roy whispered to Jason, completely surprised.

"I know, right?" Jason whispered back, still in shock.

"Of course, I can cook!" Constantine grumbled from the stove. "Been doing it since before either of you were born. Now eat up—we've got a lot to figure out!"

They ate in silence for a while, until Roy broke it with a puzzled look. "Why sacrifice kids?" he asked, confusion clear in his voice. "Wouldn't it be smarter to go after older witches or warlocks who have more power?"

Jason looked uncomfortable, but it was Constantine who jumped in to explain. "Because kids are innocent," John said, taking a bite of his toast. "That innocence is powerful in magic. It's not just about being untouched—it's about having a pure kind of magic that hasn't been messed up by darker stuff."

Roy frowned, still trying to wrap his head around it. Jason, ever the teacher, tried to make it clearer. "Think of it like this," he said, his voice soothing. "Purity in magic is like starting with a clean slate. The cleaner the slate, the stronger the magic. When someone's intentions are pure, their spells and rituals work better. Sacrificing kids taps into that purity and makes the dark magic even more potent."

Roy's face grew serious as he started to understand the twisted logic behind the dark rituals. The room fell silent again, just the clinking of cutlery filling the space.

"Children represent new beginnings and potential," Constantine added, breaking the silence. "Their innocence can make magical rituals much more powerful. It's like their pure presence boosts whatever the ritual is trying to achieve."