I'm Ethan, seventeen, and I've got a secret eating me alive—seven souls trapped inside me, not mine, begging to get out. They mark me up—raven, snake, spiral—tattoos that creep onto my skin every few years, symbols I can't read, buzzing with voices I didn't ask for. My parents, Victor and Mara, call it a gift—say I'm a Psychephage like them, born to snatch souls and feed on 'em to stay strong. But I see what they leave behind—empty shells, people broken—and I'm not doing it. No way. My stomach's growling, my hands shake, but I'd rather fall apart than turn into them.

New Orleans is my messed-up playground—lights flicker like eyes in the dark, jazz hums through the streets, the Mississippi whispers secrets, and our rickety St. Charles house feels like a trap ready to snap shut. I found a way out—a silver knife, sharp and humming, that can cut these souls loose. I bleed myself to do it—spill my blood, set 'em free, one by one—and it's brutal, but it's mine. First was a guy whose laugh stuck with me, a kid who loved kites 'til my family stole him—I got him back, nearly wiped out doing it. Then my friends crashed into this mess—Theo, grinning like it's a game, skateboard always rolling; Jade, fierce and fast, her shadow acting weird; and Lila, sketching stuff that cuts too deep—until Victor ripped her soul out to hit me where it hurts, leaving her a snarling wreck.

We fought back—tracked him to the river, my knife slashing, souls pouring out—and I took him down, Lila's soul snapping back, Victor left dead in the mud. But it's not over—Mara's freaking, says those souls were witches, old and crazy strong, and when I cut him with silver, their magic jumped to me. My tattoos glow blue, a new mark stings my neck—I'm a warlock now, power humming wild, bigger than anything they had. Jade's got it too—witch vibes sparking, her fists lighting up—and it's nuts, scary, awesome all at once. Six souls are still buzzing in me—six more to free—and I'm running on fumes, but Lila's smiling again, Theo's drumming a beat, Jade's ready to fight. New Orleans is alive around us—dark, loud, daring me on—and I'm not their puppet anymore. I'm breaking this curse, my way, with a crew that's got my back 'til the end.