Prologue:

Xavier Institute October 31, 1703

It was a dark All Hallow's Eve night at the Xavier estate. The only lanterns that flickered with light were the ones in the family room and two bedroom lights. The family living there was wealthy, though the head of the house still in silent mourning. William Jonathan Xavier was a widowed man left alone to take care of his five young children; the youngest being only ten years of age. William's wife had passed away some ten years ago, after giving birth to their youngest daughter. The older children barely remembered her at all. He had always been a fond believer of faith, but after his wife had died, he had lost all that faith. Believing once that spirits watched over you, All Hallow's Eve was his favorite night of the year. After the tragedy though, he preached to his children never to believe in spirits, both good and bad. Unfortunately for William, all of his children, save for his youngest child, believed in spirits.

"Katherine, you don't really believe in those dead spirits now do you?" William asked the young girl sitting in front of him. He had light brown hair and a moustache. The girl was of the age of ten with exuberant brown curls strung to her head and vibrant blue eyes. She was usually a happy girl, with a spirited mind and an ambitious future.

"Of course not, father," Katherine responded. "It's not like their any form of reality. Hath you taught thee of life and of being logical?" Katherine adjusted her long dress and her broach which was given to her by her father. It belonged to her mother. "Besides, father, evil spirits on All Hallow's Eve are things that give you a fright. I am one person that they shall not scare!"

William Xavier smiled at his youngest daughter. He certainly taught her to be very logical with the world, or everyone would eat her up alive. Being wealthy also came as a blessing to them. William would make sure that she had a very radiant future along with his other two daughters, while his two sons would maintain the family name.

As William and his daughter continued to sit in the elegantly styled family room of the enormous manor that was built by his father, the sky became alive with lightning. A minute later two young girls a little older than Katherine came bounding into the room. The oldest having long curly red hair and the other dark brown hair. Both with an irritated smiled on their faces. William looked at them with concern. "Genevieve, Marie, what is troubling you?" he asked.

"Father, would you be kind enough to tell Curtis and Skyler to stop trying to scare us?" Genevieve asked of her father. Marie gave him a pleading look.

"They have been bothering us all night," Marie put in.

"Alright girls, I'll have a talk with your brothers," William told his daughters. Before he could move from the room, two boys emerged from the doorway in silk sheets entangled around their bodies. They came up behind the girls and made an eerie noise that made Marie and Genevieve jump from their positions and scream.

The boys uncloaked themselves and fell into a heap of laughter on the floor. The slightly older boy had short brown hair and bright blue eyes, much like Katherine's. The younger brother had darker hair, almost black. He was also a couple of inches shorter. They finally ceased their laughs as they looked upon the stern glare of their father.

"Skyler, Curtis," William called their names as he narrowed his eyes. "How many times must I tell you that this evil spirit nonsense must stop?"

The two boys did not respond but just stared at their father while their two sisters tried to hide a smile. "We are sorry, father," Skyler replied with a serious tone in his voice.

William rubbed at his temples. "What am I to do with you? Just go upstairs and I shall have a talk with you in a minute."

Skyler and Curtis just nodded their heads. They bid a goodnight to their father and Katherine and walked out of the room. Genevieve and Marie smiled at their father and waved to their sister. "Good night Katherine," they both chorused. Katherine waved back as she watched her father and sisters' retreating backs.

Katherine peered up so her head was looking at the window and outside at the dark night sky. A storm was brewing outside as she got up to close the window. Before she could get to the window, a mighty gust pushed passed Katherine and into the room, blowing the lanterns off of the table and onto the floor. The room became pitch dark.

Katherine hugged herself in fear as another gust of wind wrapped around her body. Katherine turned her head the way the wind was blowing and felt the chill of the wind wrap around her neck as it pressed against her ear and whispered, "The spirits of All Hallow's Eve have come to haunt you. Do you know what happens to non believers, my dear?"

Katherine's face, although the dark room hid it, turned deathly white. She tried to stutter the answer, but to no avail. The wind seemed to be strangling her. Katherine felt a tug on her throat as if another spirit - a kinder one - was coming to her rescue. Katherine felt a rush of air for a moment before her throat tightened again. The evil spirit had won the fight. She let out a piercing scream before the family room hovered in silence and was brightened by some candle lights.

William Xavier, having heard his daughter's muffled scream from upstairs, ran into the family room as quickly as possible. To his horror, he found Katherine slumped onto the floor with her eyes wide open in fear, dead. William, still in utter shock, ran over to her and held her in his arms. Unshed tears formed in his eyes as he looked up at the wall in front of him. There, in red blood written on the wall, there was a message: Non believers die along with their spirits...