Jojo tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest of his chair, his mind racing through the possibilities.
He had already pieced together what was happening, but he saw no reason to intervene just yet.
Even though he could solve it quickly, the severity of the case is not serious even through the evil corrupted spirit of Bathsheba Sherman, which is very dangerous to normal people, especially the family before him.
Who resembles the Bathsheba Sherman's family or at least according to the evil spirit's eyes.
If this haunting followed the events of The Conjuring, then Ed and Lorraine Warren would arrive soon.
They were professionals, and if things went according to the plot, they would solve the case.
And also Jojo was interested in them and was planning on inviting them to join his DMC.
However, if something deviates from the expected course—
or if the threat escalated beyond their control—
then Jojo would step in.
For now, though, there was no need to expose himself or his group.
"Alright,"
he said again, standing up.
"I'll have Gerald arrange some rooms for you. Just try to get some rest."
Nod~
"____"
"____"
Roger nodded appreciatively, while Carolyn still looked uneasy.
The girls, though exhausted, clung close to their father.
Freya and Leah exchanged glances, silently understanding Jojo's approach.
Gerald, ever the composed one, gave a slight nod and gestured for the Perron family to follow him.
As they walked away, Jojo exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing slightly.
'Let's see if the plot plays out like I remember,'
he thought to himself.
If it did, then this would resolve itself.
If not…
He is always ready to step in.
Next Day...
Lorraine's Seminar...
The scene shifts to a grand auditorium at a well-known college, where a seminar on the supernatural is being held.
The room is dimly lit, the primary source of light coming from the large projector screen behind the stage.
The screen flickered between various clips of recorded exorcisms, eerie and unsettling, casting an ominous atmosphere over the audience.
At the centre of the stage stood Lorraine Warren, poised and graceful despite the heavy topic she was addressing.
Unlike in the original timeline,
She was here alone—
Ed Warren was no more.
The weight of that truth lingered around her like an unseen shadow.
Carolyn Perron sat in the audience, her fingers gripping the sides of her seat.
Her eyes were locked on Lorraine, absorbing every word with unwavering focus.
She needed answers—
she needed hope.
Lorraine spoke with a calm yet authoritative tone, guiding the audience through the realms of spirits, possessions, hauntings, and exorcisms.
"Spirits are energy,"
she explained.
"They can be residual echoes of the past, or they can be entities with purpose. Some are lost. Some are vengeful. And some... are something far worse."
The audience listened in rapt attention.
"____"
"____"
When the time for questions arrived, a few curious onlookers asked about different hauntings, the nature of demonic possession, and even about the risks involved in exorcisms.
Lorraine answered each with a touch of dry humour, lightening the otherwise grim conversation.
"Have you ever been personally attacked during an exorcism?"
one student asked.
Lorraine chuckled softly.
"Oh, plenty of times. Let's just say demons don't appreciate house calls."
A ripple of laughter passed through the audience, but the air soon grew heavier when a reporter stood up.
"Mrs. Warren,"
he began cautiously,
"Last year, there are reports that during an exorcism you performed, something… tragic happened. Your husband, Ed Warren, died while attempting to exorcise Maurice Theriault—otherwise known as Frenchie. What really happened there?"
At that moment, the video behind Lorraine changed.
It began playing footage from the exorcism of Maurice Theriault.
The grainy black-and-white clip displayed a young French-Canadian farmer, Frenchie, tied down, his body jerking violently as priests chanted Latin prayers over him.
His eyes rolled back as he thrashed against the bindings, his skin slick with sweat.
And then—
Lorraine, standing at the side of the priests in the video, suddenly screamed.
The camera captured Frenchie's possessed face snapping toward her—
his demonic grin stretching impossibly wide.
A guttural voice tore from his throat, echoing over the speakers:
"Lorraine… I see your husband. I see how he will die."
The recorded Lorraine screamed in pure terror, clutching her chest.
Ahhhh~
The screen went black.
The auditorium fell into dead silence.
Lorraine stood still, eyes wide, her breath uneven.
She hadn't expected this footage to be played.
She swallowed hard, closing her eyes briefly before regaining her composure.
"Yes,"
she finally answered, her voice quiet but firm.
"Ed Warren died that night… and I was left with a piece of that horror inside me."
The weight of her words hung in the air.
Carolyn shivered in her seat.
"____"
If Lorraine Warren, one of the most renowned paranormal investigators, had faced such devastation…
Then what hope did she have?
When the seminar ended,
The afternoon sun had begun its descent, casting golden hues over the college parking lot.
Lorraine Warren walked briskly toward her car, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
The weight of the seminar still lingered in her chest, the mention of Ed reopening wounds she had worked hard to suppress.
Just as she reached for the door handle, a voice called out behind her.
"Mrs. Warren!"
She turned to see a young college student jogging toward her.
He looked slightly out of breath but managed to straighten himself as he spoke.
"Sorry to stop you, ma'am, but there's a woman who would like to speak with you. She said it's urgent."
Lorraine hesitated.
Encounters like this weren't uncommon—
people often sought her out for advice on hauntings, disturbances, or simply to share their eerie experiences.
But she had made a decision after Ed's death.
Still, she nodded.
"Where is she?"
The student stepped aside, revealing a nervous-looking woman standing a few feet away.
Carolyn Perron.
Dressed in a simple cardigan and jeans, Carolyn's expression carried desperation and exhaustion.
Dark circles framed her eyes, and her hands trembled slightly as she extended one toward Lorraine.
"I'm Carolyn Perron,"
she introduced herself.
Lorraine shook her hand, noting how cold it felt.
"____"
Nod~
The student, sensing his part was over, gave a polite nod and excused himself, leaving the two women alone.
Carolyn wasted no time.
"Mrs. Warren, I need your help."
Lorraine's lips pressed together.
She had already guessed where this was going.
"There's something in my home,"
Carolyn continued, her voice nearly breaking.
"It's not just a feeling—it's real. It's doing things. And I… I don't know how to protect my family."
Lorraine took a deep breath, looking away for a moment.
She had heard it all before.
People desperate for answers, for hope.
And before Ed died, she would have helped without hesitation.
But things were different now.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Perron,"
Lorraine finally said, shaking her head.
"I've stepped away from this work. Since my husband passed a year ago, I've… I've had to take a break. I have a daughter—she's only eight—and I need to be there for her."
She expected Carolyn to nod, to accept the rejection and walk away.
But Carolyn didn't.
Instead, she grabbed Lorraine's hands, her grip desperate.
"Please. I have five daughters, Mrs. Warren. Five little girls. And I'm afraid that if I don't do something soon—"
her voice wavered,
"—I might lose one of them."
Lorraine's chest tightened.
"____"
A mother's fear.
She had felt that same fear the day Ed died when she saw her daughter's face and realized she had to live for her now.
For a moment, she said nothing.
The wind rustled the trees lining the parking lot, carrying a faint chill through the air.
Then, Lorraine exhaled and met Carolyn's pleading gaze.
"Tell me everything,"
she said softly.
Lorraine listened patiently as Carolyn recounted every chilling detail—
the unseen hands pulling at them in the night, the rotten stench that seemed to appear and disappear, the eerie sounds of a woman sobbing, and the terrifying incident with Andrea in her bedroom.
Carolyn's voice trembled with every word, her hands gripping each other tightly as if holding herself together.
"____"
When the story ended, Lorraine remained silent for a few moments.
She had heard many cases of supposed hauntings, but something about this one felt different.
It wasn't just Carolyn's fear—
it was the weight of something she couldn't ignore.
Sigh~
With a sigh,
Lorraine looked at Carolyn, whose eyes were filled with desperate hope.
"I'll come,"
she said at last.
"I'll examine the house myself and see if there's truly something there."
Carolyn let out a breath of relief, her eyes glistening.
"Thank you… Thank you so much."
Lorraine gave a small nod but remained serious.
"But understand this, Mrs. Perron. If there is something… and if it's as dangerous as you say, you and your family may have to prepare for the worst."
Carolyn swallowed but nodded.
"We just want it to stop."
Lorraine placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Then let's find out what we're dealing with."
And with that, Lorraine Warren was heading to the Perron house.
After half an hour...
As Carolyn pulled into the driveway, Lorraine followed closely behind in her own car.
The old farmhouse loomed ahead, its wooden exterior worn with time, its windows dark and hollow.
The wind whistled through the trees surrounding the property, sending a soft creaking noise through the air.
Stepping out of her car, Lorraine took a deep breath and focused.
The moment she set foot on the property, an unnatural heaviness settled over her chest.
Without a word, Carolyn led the way toward the house, her footsteps hesitant.
But instead of going inside, she guided Lorraine toward the farmhouse across the road—
where Jojo and his group were staying and where her family had spent the night for safety.
As they approached, Lorraine's gaze flickered toward the farmhouse.
For some reason, it felt… different.
As Carolyn and Lorraine approached, Roger stood near the porch, engaged in conversation with Jojo.
The relief on Roger's face was evident the moment he saw his wife.
With hurried steps, he met them halfway, offering a reassuring squeeze to Carolyn's hand before shifting his attention to Lorraine.
"You actually managed to get her help,"
Roger exhaled, his voice filled with gratitude.
"That's a relief."
Carolyn gave a small, tired nod.
"She agreed to take a look."
Roger turned to Lorraine, nodding respectfully.
"Thank you for coming, Ms. Warren."
Then, as if recalling something important, he glanced back at Jojo before addressing his wife.
"By the way, I just found out that Jojo here is also an expert in dealing with supernatural cases. He and his friends are actually here on a break from their work."
Carolyn blinked in surprise, shifting her gaze to Jojo, who stood with his usual calm demeanour.
Roger continued, holding up a visiting card Jojo had handed him earlier.
"He even assured me that if things get worse, he'll step in."
As the conversation unfolded, Lorraine had yet to respond.
Because the moment she laid her eyes on Jojo, she froze.
"____"
Her vision—
her natural sight—
was clear.
Jojo stood before her, appearing perfectly normal, calm, and composed.
But her gifted sight revealed something else entirely.
Jojo's figure is overlapped by a flaming monster.
Flames danced along the edges of the skeletal visage, hollow eye sockets staring back at her as if peering into the depths of existence itself.
It wasn't a spirit.
It wasn't a curse.
It was him.
Jojo was human.
But at the same time… he was something more.
Lorraine's breath hitched ever so slightly.
This was unlike anything she had ever seen.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!