Two days later.
Lionel stood outside Mrs. Carlson's house and hesitated. He was scared yet tempted. He was scared to think about his first possible encounter with a ghost. But he was tempted to find out his current strength.
Lionel was more interested in testing the Cleaning Talismans he had drawn in the last two days. He had managed to draw four Cleansing Talismans in two days, each more powerful than the previous. Now, all that remained was for him to test them.
Mustering his courage, Lionel knocked at the door and waited. For a moment, the thought of aborting his plan entered his mind. But he pushed it away.
Since he'd face ghosts one day, he could take this chance to learn and improve.
The door opened and Mrs. Carlson's exhausted face came into his sight.
"Mrs. Carlson," Lionel greeted his professor with a smile.
"Lionel, it's you. Come inside." The woman opened the door wide and welcomed him.
Lionel's smile vanished the moment he entered the house. He hadn't felt it outside the house, but now that he was inside, he sensed it. There was a dark energy in the house. Though weak, it was there for sure and his expression turned serious at once.
"How are you, Mrs. Carlson?"
"Sophia, who is it?" Mrs. Carlson's husband, Phil entered.
"This is Lionel. He is my student, Phil."
Lionel greeted the man who seemed equally exhausted as his wife.
"What brings you here, Lionel? Is everything alright?" the woman asked worriedly and Lionel gave her a sympathetic smile.
Lionel studied his professor and her husband calmly. While he wasn't that proficient at physiognomy, he could still find out if a person was good or bad.
The couple before him were kind and virtuous. They had never harmed anyone. Their eyes held no malice. So, his impression of them improved, and his resolve to help them strengthened as well.
"Mrs. Carlson, I heard about your daughter. How is she?"
Lionel watched his professor's smile fade. Even her husband became serious as a depressed silence fell over them for a few seconds.
"Nia is doing well, Lionel. Don't listen to the rumors circulating in the town."
Lionel didn't believe in the rumors. Rather, he believed in his instincts.
"Mrs. Carlson, what do the doctors say?"
"They aren't able to detect what's made her fall sick." Sophia sighed heavily while her shoulders drooped.
Lionel glanced at his professor's husband who looked equally crestfallen.
"May I take a look at her, Mrs. Carlson?"
His words stunned the couple and they looked at him warily.
"I just want to take a look."
Sophia looked at her husband who shook his head instantly.
"Lionel, I..."
"Mrs. Carlson, I may have a cure for Nia's condition." Lionel looked between the couple and saw how wide their eyes had gone in shock.
"What did you just say?" Phil was the first to react and he stood up, agitated.
"Mr. Carlson, I won't say for sure, but I might have a way to help your daughter."
Lionel didn't show it on his face. Only he knew how anxious he was at that moment. He was taking a big risk by speaking before confirming if he was capable or not.
It was a gamble, Either he could actually help his professor's daughter or he would be labeled a liar.
"What would you know? Go home and study, kid." Phil scoffed and looked at him in anger.
"Mrs. Carlson, there's no harm in trying. What if I can actually help Nia?"
Lionel aimed at his professor who wasn't as stubborn as her husband. His words made her soften her stance and she faced her husband, pleading him to give in.
"Phil, let's allow him to give it a try."
"Sophia, our child is already suffering. Do you want her to suffer more? Aren't the strange rumors in the town enough? Do you want another person to add to the flames?" He gritted his teeth and glared at Lionel.
Sophia's eyes welled up and her shoulders shook. "What else can we do? I can't see our daughter suffer. What if he actually has a way?"
"What if he doesn't?" Phil directed his furious gaze towards his wife.
Sophia remained silent, not knowing how to counter him.
"Mr. Carlson, if I'm unable to cure your daughter, then I'll consider myself unworthy of being Mrs. Carlson's student."
"Your words are all nice to hear. They don't do you any harm. It is my daughter who will suffer." Phil spat, his eyes turning red in anger.
"Mr. Carlson, how about this? If I can't cure your daughter, you may punish me however you want."
Lionel didn't know how else to convince the man. If he wasn't desperate to test his talismans, he'd have walked out of the house by now.
Phil had nothing to say this time. Although he was still annoyed, he wasn't objecting anymore.
Taking his silence as his consent, Sophia brought Lionel to her daughter's room.
The dark energy was stronger inside the room. For a moment, Lionel wasn't certain if he could ward it off. Feeling a strong, suspicious gaze on him, he turned around to face his professor's husband who was right behind him.
Lionel didn't show any fright under his scrutiny and stepped inside the room further. Ignoring his diffidence, he inspected the girl on the bed.
Nia seemed to be in her early teens. Her face was deathly pale and she looked haggard.
Lionel frowned. Instinctively, he placed two of his fingers on her forehead. The next instant, he felt a negative energy inside her.
If he was doubtful before, he was sure now. A ghost had possessed Nia. But what surprised him was that he didn't sense any ghost inside her or anywhere around him.
"Mrs. Carlson, may I know how long your daughter has been like this?"
"It's been two weeks now. Why? Lionel, what's wrong?" Sophia's face lost all color and her worry heightened when she saw her student's grim face.
"Mrs. Carlson, my next actions might shock you. But please don't interrupt me."
"But.."
"Please, Mrs. Carlson, Mr. Carlson."
Lionel sought permission from both of them. While Phil didn't say anything, he nodded and Sophia followed suit.
"Thank you."
Lionel wasn't sure how strong the dark energy inside Nia was. So, he used the strongest talisman he had drawn.
Phil's expression changed when he saw what Lionel was about to do. Even Sophia was taken aback. But they didn't intervene and watched him silently.
Lionel didn't waste time and smacked the talisman on Nia's forehead and the next instant, Nia shrieked in agony.