In the darkest times, no one can refuse light.
Light provides vision, energy, clarity, and truth, and naturally, it can also give Janet courage.
She stared at the flower blossoming in the palm, gently rotating, and couldn't help but look up at the priest, only to see a warm smile.
Janet blinked, something more appearing in her eyes.
"Do you want to see?"
Seeing that Janet's expression finally showed the emotional fluctuations a human should have, York asked again with a smile.
Janet blinked again, then nodded seriously.
"Okay."
York smiled lightly, then focused on the flower in his palm. The magic within him surged, and he whispered softly,
"Repello (Expel)."
He had long been displeased with the dark miasma filling the room.
[20 points of magic used]
As the mechanical sound faded, a torrent of twenty points of magic flowed from the flower. Following York's will and manipulation, a circle of light exploded outwards from the flower as the center, spreading rapidly.
Janet didn't blink, just stared at this scene, which was incredible and magical to her.
The bright but not blinding light felt warm to her, and with an unstoppable force, it quickly dispersed the dark miasma she could see, spreading outwards.
Meanwhile,
Downstairs, where Ed, Drew, and Morris were busy, and even Peggy, who was waiting outside, feeling somewhat anxious, everyone stopped their actions.
"Mr. Ed, did you feel something?" Drew, who was installing an infrared camera, looked questioningly at Ed, who had also paused.
Ed tilted his head in confusion, then shook it and continued to pull out the necessary detection equipment from his backpack.
"Drew, we don't have much time. Let's get these devices set up before it gets dark."
Seeing this, Drew had no choice but to continue his work, but he couldn't resist asking Morris quietly,
"Mr. Morris, did you feel something just now?"
Morris, who resembled Charlie Chaplin, furrowed his brow in thought.
"Yeah, it seems not as cold as before? And a bit warmer?"
"Right!" Drew couldn't help but exclaim, feeling validated.
"I knew there was something off just now!"
However, his excitement was dampened by Ed, who came over with equipment.
"And what do you plan to do about it? Stop everything to study why this change occurred?"
"Alright, Mr. Ed," Drew said, somewhat resignedly, as he took the equipment Ed handed him.
"I'll get serious."
Ed smiled a capitalist smile.
"Thank you, Drew. Help me with this, will you?"
Unknown to them, an invisible ripple continued to expand and envelop the entire house until it burst like a circle at its limit, scattering magic like twinkling stars around the house.
"Uh"
The eight-seater SUV parked in front of the yard also stirred.
Lorraine, who had been sleeping for a while, suddenly opened her eyes and looked toward the house as if sensing something.
At that moment,
Inside the room,
"Child, isn't it incredible?"
After forcibly dispersing the dark miasma throughout the house and hearing two screams, York silently noted their locations. He looked down at Janet, who was still lost in the scene, and smiled,
"So, do you want to talk about what's been happening lately?"
Hearing his voice, Janet came back to her senses, sensing a rare moment of relaxation.
"I'm a bit scared."
After speaking, Janet looked down at her shoes on the floor.
"Scared?"
"Mm."
Listening to her still hesitant voice, York's eyes lit up as if he'd found a treasure. He understood the meaning behind her words. It's rare for someone so young to have such a talent and quality.
"Child, I'm here."
York's firm tone made Janet look up again.
"It can't defeat me."
York smiled confidently.
"I have an unbeatable cheat."
Janet didn't understand the latter part, but she understood the beginning. Remembering the scene she had just witnessed, she took a deep breath.
"Really?"
Thinking of the divine bomb, York nodded seriously.
"Really."
Janet took another deep breath, this time gathering the courage to speak.
...
Downstairs was bustling.
In the dim but gradually warming room, an adult and a child were talking.
"You're saying that Grandpa Bill was actually protecting you?"
York was surprised; he hadn't considered that.
While spirits fundamentally differ from malevolent entities that harm people, protecting a stranger didn't fit the usual behavior of spirits,
Unless that stranger was a relative or someone else significant to the spirit, but Janet clearly wasn't in that category.
"Mm, he told me he came back just to see his family."
"But his family is gone, and mom bought his house."
"I see."
York thought for a moment. It was probably true, but there were still some puzzling aspects.
"Child, tell me everything you know."
Janet nodded silently.
Then the room filled with Janet's clear voice as York listened without expression.
...
"Grandpa Bill said he wanted to leave, but something didn't want him to go and forced him to scare us every night to wear down my will. He said he had restrained himself as much as possible..."
"He also said it targeted me! As long as I'm not afraid and my will is strong, it can't devour me..."
York squinted but looked tenderly at Janet, who was earnestly speaking.
To endure until now, ensuring her family wasn't harmed, shows how difficult it has been. Yet, she managed it.
Unaware of the priest's thoughts, Janet continued to share what she knew, as if finally finding someone to confide in.
"There are other monsters besides Grandpa Bill."
York tapped his knee, thinking of the two screams when he dispelled the miasma.
One must be Janet's mentioned spirit, Grandpa Bill, and the other likely the monster.
"But as long as Grandpa Bill is here, it can only linger outside."
Janet eventually talked about "It."
"Grandpa Bill isn't always there because It comes,
But It only stands in the darkness, I can't see It, I can only feel It there..."
___________________
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