Chapter 2: The Smile
[High-Risk Mission]
This was part of his ability. It would appear periodically.
Completing the task meant receiving a specific item, usually one with unique properties.
For example, the brass bells tied to the fences outside were a reward from a previous mission.
When placed in specific positions, they formed a Demon-Trapping Array, which had saved William's life on more than one occasion.
As for the content of this current mission... it looked suspiciously like the plot of the movie Smile.
William remembered the lore vividly. The curse in the original work operated like a contagious virus.
When a cursed individual committed suicide, if there was a witness nearby, the curse would transfer to them.
The incubation period was roughly 4 to 7 days.
During this time, the victim would be plagued by horrific hallucinations. They would lose the ability to distinguish reality from delusion until they suffered a complete mental breakdown.
There were only two ways to escape the curse.
The first was suicide, but that only ensured the curse had no host to transfer to—unless someone was watching, in which case the cycle continued.
The second method was to find a new victim. The cursed individual had to murder someone else in front of a witness.
By doing so, the curse would pass to the traumatized witness, and the murderer would be free.
It seemed like a manageable threat, but the insidiousness lay in its subtlety.
Only the victim could see the hallucinations.
Outsiders couldn't perceive the terror, so naturally, they rarely believed the victim.
...
"This should be enough."
William stuffed the holy water into his backpack.
He was now "fully armed."
In addition to the crucifix necklace hanging over his chest, he had wrapped mini-rosaries and crosses around his wrists and ankles.
These were the body's weak points. In his previous life, while reviewing horror clips, he constantly saw characters get dragged away by their limbs. Not today.
Furthermore, William had concealed a pocket Bible inside his jacket, positioned directly over his heart.
There was a much larger, thicker Bible in the church, but this pocket version only contained selected verses.
To anyone else, it was just a book of scripture.
But under the influence of [Scripture Reading], the words William chanted from it carried a trace of holy power.
Everything was in order. William stepped out of the church.
Jared and Judy had been waiting for quite a while.
Seeing the priest in his solemn black vestments, yet sporting a heavy hiking backpack, they found the combination rather eccentric.
William locked the church door and wedged a single strand of hair into the door crack.
Only then did he signal to them. "Let's move."
...
Ms. Isa's house was about two miles from the church.
On the way, William questioned Jared again.
He learned that aside from Ms. Isa's strange behavior, there had been a spike in suicides in the surrounding neighborhoods over the last two weeks.
"So far, all the incidents have occurred within this specific radius."
William looked at the map, deep in thought.
"Can we... keep going now?" Jared asked tentatively.
The three of them were currently standing on the sidewalk.
Ms. Isa's house was literally at the other end of the street, a straight shot of maybe 300 yards.
They had actually arrived at this spot twenty minutes ago.
But William had stopped here and refused to take another step forward.
Jared found it strange. Was there an evil spirit right here on the sidewalk?
Judy tilted her head, confused. She didn't sense anything wrong here.
Could it be... this priest was a coward?
That has to be it!
After all, her mother, Lorraine, would eat and sleep in the same house as the victims, facing the evil spirits head-on before banishing them to hell!
That was a real exorcist!
Judy lifted her chin proudly. She was brave enough to enter her family's Occult Museum alone!
William had no idea what the kids were thinking. He was calculating something else entirely.
There might be more than one cursed individual. If the entity escapes halfway through, it will definitely come back to bite me... I need a contingency plan.
With that thought, William took off his backpack and fished out several brass bells, handing them to Jared and Judy.
He called them closer and marked several spots on the map.
"I need a favor from both of you. Place these bells exactly at these locations. This is crucial for Ms. Isa's safety."
William spoke with absolute seriousness.
"Me? Okay!" Jared was eager to prove himself.
Judy's eyes widened, surprised.
Both of them were "outcasts" at school; they were rarely trusted with anything important by adults.
Because time was tight, Jared and Judy ran until they were dripping with sweat.
William, meanwhile, leaned against a streetlamp, casually enjoying a popsicle.
"Good job! You guys worked hard."
Seeing them return, he thoughtfully handed them two bottles of water. Kids shouldn't eat too much sugar, after all.
After a brief rest, the trio finally headed toward Ms. Isa's house.
Before knocking, William made a point to walk a full circle around the property, mentally mapping out his escape route.
Finally, he stepped up to the front door, which was decorated with colorful streamers.
Knock... knock.
A young man opened the door.
"Can I help you?" The man looked guarded.
"Frank! We came to see Ms. Isa!"
Jared popped out from behind William, and Judy gave a polite wave.
"Oh, it's you guys."
Seeing the two children, Frank relaxed. He knew Isa's students often visited.
"And who is this?" He looked at William.
Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from inside the house.
"AAAAHHH!"
Frank and the two kids immediately rushed inside.
William paused to kick a rock into the doorjamb to keep it from latching shut, then followed them in at a leisurely pace.
In the living room.
"Isa! How could you do something like that?!"
"That is sick! It's not funny at all!"
...
When William entered, the living room was crowded.
judging by the flashy decorations, it was a birthday party.
But right now, the guests' eyes were filled with anger, confusion, and disgust.
All eyes were fixed on the woman named Isa.
Isa looked lost and frantic, shaking her head incessantly. "It wasn't me! I didn't do it!"
In her hands, she held a dead cat. It was already starting to rot.
A colorful ribbon was tied around the carcass, wrapping it like a birthday present.
This was Isa's only pet. It had gone missing a few days ago. No one expected it to show up here.
Seeing her boyfriend arrive, Isa seemed to find a glimmer of hope. She walked toward Frank, trying to explain.
But Frank looked at her with disappointment and instinctively took a step back.
Then, shaking his head, Frank turned to the guests. "I'm sorry, everyone. Isa has been... unstable lately."
Seeing that even the man she loved didn't believe her, Isa's agony deepened.
"Ms. Isa." Jared summoned his courage and stepped forward to comfort her.
Judy shrank back to the side, her body trembling slightly.
"Relax. You see something, don't you?"
A calm, steady voice spoke from behind her, instantly grounding her.
Judy turned around to see the strange priest.
"Yeah, this place... it's..." She started to speak but immediately shut her mouth.
She did see things.
But past experience taught her that saying it out loud didn't make people believe her—it just made them think she was crazy.
"This place is thick with malevolent energy. There is definitely something unclean here." After soothing Judy, William rubbed his chin and delivered his analysis aloud.
Simultaneously, a notification pinged in his mind.
[Psychological Counseling +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (12/100)]
[Unlocked Ability: Empathetic Insight. Your words have a calming effect; people are more willing to trust you during conversation.]
Judy was astonished. That was exactly what she felt!
Is this priest actually the real deal?
William's voice attracted the attention of the others.
"Why is there a priest here?"
Frank finally remembered the uninvited guest.
William introduced himself and stated he was there on a commission from the two children to perform an exorcism.
"Exorcism? Do you think we're demons or something?"
"Another con artist playing tricks. We aren't falling for it!"
"With an outfit like that, you'd be better suited for a freak show."
...
The insults and mockery came thick and fast.
Frank walked over, his tone less than polite.
"Hey, listen. I don't care what game you're playing, you aren't welcome in my home."
He then glared at Jared and Judy.
"You two. If you're here to visit Isa, that's fine. But if you bring weirdos like this to my house again, don't bother coming back!"
His words were harsh. The two kids stood there, overwhelmed and unsure what to do.
William stepped in front of them, shielding them from Frank.
"Hey, watch your mouth. They're just children."
Frank realized he had crossed a line, but his pride wouldn't let him back down now. He pointed to the door. "Please leave."
The three of them were herded toward the exit.
Jared was frantic. "Can't you guys see?! Ms. Isa is in pain!"
Judy kept her head down. she knew exactly how Isa felt.
William, on the other hand, remained calm. He had seen this scenario play out a thousand times.
Just as Frank was about to slam the door, the sound of smashing glass and crashing furniture erupted from the living room.
Frank rushed back inside. Jared and Judy followed him.
William was a step slower, but this time, when he entered, he turned the lock on the front door, sealing it from the inside.
Back in the living room.
Isa was lying on the floor in a grotesque posture.
Her body was rigid, her jaw unhinged, her face frozen in an expression of pure, unadulterated terror.
Facing this scene, the reactions varied.
"Isa, what's wrong? We need to get her to a hospital, now!"
"Hey! Cut the crap! You think faking a seizure is going to get you out of this?"
"You have really disappointed me today, Isa."
...
This was what Frank saw when he rushed in.
But William saw much, much more.