The aftermath of the intense battle left Olivia and Mia exhausted, and as they prepared to leave the cemetery, members of Miss Price's organization accompanied them. The group, dressed in protective gear with a cross insignia on their shoulders, checked every corner of the grounds for lingering threats. As they reached the car waiting to take them home, Miss Price stepped forward, her gaze falling on the items in Olivia and Mia's hands.
"We'll need to take the cross and the Bible for now," she said, reaching out for the artifacts.
Olivia nodded and handed back the Bible, but Mia hesitated, gripping the cross tightly. The artifact pulsed with a faint warmth in her hands, and she felt a deep connection to it, as if it had become part of her. Sensing her reluctance, Miss Price offered a reassuring smile. "You can hold it again, Mia, but we need to examine why the cross activated now. It may hold answers."
Before they could get into the car, Miss Price added, "I'll need you both back here tomorrow. You've entered the supernatural world now, and we'll have to give you an orientation—just enough to keep you prepared."
Olivia's mind spun at the thought of facing more monsters, while Mia, visibly distressed, voiced her concern. "I… I don't want to fight anything like that again. It was terrifying."
Miss Price was about to respond when Cain, now fully conscious, interrupted. "You two don't have much choice." His tone was grave. "Whoever's behind this disturbance has marked both of you, especially the white-eyed demon you faced. It will seek you out—whether for revenge or another purpose. You need to be ready."
A chill ran through Olivia and Mia as they recalled the white-eyed demon's hateful glare. Reluctantly, they nodded, though Olivia's heart felt heavy with the weight of this new reality.
"Don't worry," Miss Price assured them gently. "You both survived tonight on your own. You're stronger than you realize." She signaled to one of her subordinates, who handed them a small phone. "Take this. Call if anything strange happens."
Grateful, Olivia and Mia climbed into the car, their fatigue overwhelming them. As the car drove off, Cain turned to Miss Price with a penetrating look.
"Why did you hire those girls, Miss Price?" he asked. "Is this part of one of your schemes? They're just ordinary people, and now they're caught in something that will change everything they know."
Miss Price's expression softened, a hint of guilt in her eyes. "It's no scheme, Cain. I had a promise to keep—a promise to an old friend, Olivia's grandfather. He feared that the seal on her powers might break someday, and he wanted her prepared. Hiring her as a grave cleaner was supposed to be a gentle way to introduce her to the supernatural world, so I could tell her the truth about her family's legacy. But she insisted on bringing her friend, Mia, along."
Miss Price's expression softened, as she glanced in the direction of the departing car. "It's more than a simple promise, Cain," she admitted, her voice low. "Olivia's grandfather wasn't just anyone. He was one of the strongest exorcists of his generation, with a power even the supernatural feared."
Cain's brows furrowed as he tried to piece together the implications of her words. One of the strongest? He had crossed paths with numerous exorcists over the years, many of them known for their formidable skills and unshakable resolve. Yet something about Miss Price's tone suggested this exorcist was different—someone who had left a lasting impression on those who encountered him.
"What was his name?" Cain asked, intrigued.
Miss Price offered him a sidelong glance. "Let's just say Olivia's connection to the supernatural world is deeper than she knows. Her grandfather was… memorable, to put it mildly."
Cain pondered her words, sifting through memories of past battles. Memorable. Before he had taken up his role as guardian of this cemetery, he had clashed with countless exorcists. Some were skilled, others stubborn, but few had the raw power to match their reputation. Who could she mean? he wondered, recalling Olivia's distinct features—especially her piercing green eyes.
And then, a memory struck him. A green-eyed exorcist with a biting, foul-mouthed temper who wielded a rare, unsettling ability. "Wait… you don't mean that irritating old man with the green eyes and that had a strange, unnerving ability?" Cain's eyes narrowed. "The one who seemed to know exactly how to get under my skin every time we fought?"
Miss Price's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Yes, that exorcist. Olivia's grandfather was… annoying, but undeniably powerful. And if the seal he placed on her powers is weakening, then we may have less time than we thought."
Cain stared off into the distance, absorbing this new revelation. He had always known that Olivia held untapped potential, but this—learning she was the granddaughter of that exorcist—changed things. "So that's why you wanted her here," he murmured, half to himself.
Miss Price nodded. "She needed to understand her family's legacy… and her place in this world. I just hoped it would be under safer circumstances."
As they stood in the dim cemetery, the weight of Olivia's heritage pressed heavily on both of them, leaving Cain to wonder just what awaited her—and if she would live up to the legacy her grandfather had left behind.
She sighed. "All I wanted was to protect Olivia and gradually reveal her heritage. But then the disturbances started—first at another cemetery, which I had to attend to, thinking the wards here would hold. I had no idea they would face such horrors alone."
Cain's brow furrowed as he processed her words. "It sounds like the disturbances at the other cemetery were a trap—a way to draw you away. While you were there, I encountered a masked man here, someone who seemed to know my name and past. He was likely behind this chaos."
Miss Price's face paled. "Who was he?"
"I don't know," Cain admitted, his gaze dark. "But I heard him chanting some kind of incantation near a particular tombstone—the one that held that... creature."
Panic flickered across Miss Price's face. "Was he trying to break the seal?"
Cain nodded, looking up at the sky as if searching for answers. "He almost did, but I managed to interrupt him. I overheard him say he was missing something—some kind of key. That's why he left it unfinished. But he set the other imprisoned spirits loose to cause havoc while he searches."
Miss Price's shoulders sagged with the weight of the revelation. "If he finds that key, the release of that creature would be catastrophic. It was only sealed because those powerful enough to do it gave their lives for this town's safety."
Cain's eyes narrowed, determination hardening his gaze. "Then we'll have to find the key first."
As they looked over the cemetery, knowing the quiet wouldn't last, a newfound resolve united them. They would do whatever it took to protect the town—and prepare Olivia and Mia for the battles ahead.