As Lorraine stood frozen, eyes locked onto Jojo with a mix of reverence and quiet dread, she was abruptly snapped from her thoughts when Jojo stepped forward, his tone friendly and calm.
"____"
"Ms. Warren,"
Jojo said with a soft nod and a slight grin,
"It's an honour to finally meet the famous clairvoyant in person."
The warmth in his voice cut through her daze like sunlight breaking through thick fog.
Lorraine blinked,
"____"
startled—
but quickly composed herself.
"Ah, yes—of course,"
she replied, forcing a polite smile.
"And you are…?"
"Just a fellow enthusiast of the unexplained,"
Jojo answered, voice smooth and casual, but his eyes held a quiet storm of understanding.
Carolyn stepped in with a relieved smile, unaware of the strange energy hanging in the air.
"Roger, Ms. Lorraine's made an exception for us,"
she said, her voice tinged with gratitude.
"She's stopped taking cases after her husband died, but… she's here. She's really going to help us."
Roger's face fell slightly, the weight of her words settling in.
"I see… That must've been tough. I didn't realize—"
Jojo, however, stood still, a flicker of realization flashing in his eyes.
"____"
That explained it.
The lingering question in his mind since recognizing the plot of the Conjuring story —
"Where is Ed?" —
was answered in a single, quiet sentence.
In this version of the world, Ed Warren was dead.
It wasn't just a story anymore.
This was a different timeline.
One where the foundation of Lorraine's strength —
her husband, her partner, her anchor —
was gone.
Jojo's expression softened.
He remembered from his past life: Ed was not just Lorraine's husband.
He was the shield between her and the abyss she gazed into.
He steadied her when her gift threatened to break her.
He protected her from the toll of constant exposure to darkness.
And now… she faced it alone.
Freya, standing beside Jojo, studied the exchange closely.
She wasn't slow to catch on.
The moment Jojo looked at Lorraine, something changed in his gaze —
it wasn't lust or infatuation, it was… curiosity, deep and pure.
A spark of respect.
An awareness that went beyond surface-level admiration.
That look meant something.
And Freya, sharp as ever, narrowed her eyes slightly in thought.
'That interest in her,'
she thought.
'It's not about who she is... It's what she can do. Her ability. Her connection to the supernatural. He's intrigued.'
Behind Freya, Leah casually walked up, arms folded, observing.
After a beat, she stepped in with her usual ease.
"I'm Leah,"
she introduced herself, giving Lorraine a small, respectful nod.
Nod~
"And we're… his crew."
"Freya,"
Freya added next, cool and confident as ever.
"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Warren."
Lorraine nodded back slowly, still absorbing the strange shift in energy around her —
this group wasn't ordinary.
And Jojo?
He remained calm, but his mind was alight with thought.
'So, Ed is gone. Lorraine's alone. And yet… she's still standing.'
She's stronger than she even knows.
And somewhere deep inside, Jojo knew —
this story wasn't going to follow the movie exactly.
Lorraine's gaze hadn't left Jojo for more than a few seconds at a time —
not with fear, but with a strange unease, like someone trying to understand a puzzle already partially solved.
"____"
"____"
Jojo noticed.
He wasn't new to that kind of stare.
With a soft chuckle, Jojo broke the silence.
Chuckle~
"You keep looking at me like I've got something on my face, Ms. Warren."
Lorraine blinked, caught slightly off guard.
"____"
He grinned, raising his brows.
"Or is it that you're seeing something... extra?"
Freya smirked at that, while Leah rolled her eyes playfully.
Jojo continued, still in his smooth, relaxed tone.
"It's alright. Happens a lot with people who can see… more than most. I imagine you caught a glimpse of my other side."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Let's just say… I have a bit of a burning spirit. Comes with the job."
Lorraine's eyes widened ever so slightly.
Her breath caught —
he knew.
She had seen it, only for a flash —
a fiery skull, flickering in and out of his aura like a phantom.
It wasn't malicious, but it was intense.
Wrathful.
Before she could ask, Jojo reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, matte-black card with silver foil text and a glowing emblem of a phoenix wrapped around a scythe.
He handed it to her casually.
"Here. DMC — Demon Management & Containment,"
he said with a proud, joking flair,
"We don't do jingles, but we do handle business."
Lorraine took the card and examined it, brow furrowed.
"DMC…? I've never heard of you before."
Jojo smiled knowingly.
"You wouldn't have. We prefer to stay off the radar. No press. No news. Just results. You'd be surprised if you were to visit one of our cases."
That piqued her interest even more.
"And you say you have a… team?"
"Oh yeah,"
Leah cut in with a grin.
Grin~
"Big team. We've got quite a number in our team."
Freya added,
"We're not tied to any government or church. Independent. Which means we get to act fast. No red tape."
Lorraine stared at the card again, lips slightly parted in awe and disbelief.
"____"
"I've never heard of an organization with so many people involved in this field… and you're telling me there is another who can actually see spirits?"
Jojo nodded calmly.
Nod~
"Yeah, And I get the full package. Gifted.., I suppose."
His words carried weight, but his tone was light, trying to ease the burden he saw pressing on Lorraine's shoulders.
"You're not alone in this world, Lorraine,"
Jojo said, more gently now.
"There are others who walk the same path. And if you ever need a team… we've got your back."
Lorraine looked up at him, touched.
She wasn't one to be easily swayed, but something about Jojo —
his calm, his fire, his truth —
made her feel like, maybe for the first time since Ed's death… someone understood.
Lorraine's gaze sharpened, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto the two spectral girls lingering near Jojo.
Their pale forms shimmered faintly, almost translucent against the sunlight streaming through the farmhouse window.
For a moment, Lorraine remained silent—
eyes flicking between the sisters and Jojo, uncertain whether what she was seeing was truly there.
When she finally broke the silence, her voice was soft, almost in disbelief.
Sigh~
"You… you can really see them?"
The sisters exchanged a surprised look.
One of them, the taller with braided hair, stepped forward cautiously, as though unsure if Lorraine was truly addressing them.
"You can see us?"
she asked, her tone tinted with hope and confusion.
Lorraine gave a slow nod, her breath catching.
Nod~
"I haven't seen spirits this clearly in months… not since Ed…"
Before she could finish, the younger of the two sisters blinked out of existence and reappeared by Jojo's side, her hand cupped to his ear.
"It was her,"
she whispered, icy breath tingling against his skin.
"She has the pendent. The one binding our father."
Jojo's expression shifted from curious to intrigued.
He stepped forward, his tone calm but firm.
"Miss Lorraine, I think we need to talk—about a pendent you may have in your possession. It belonged to the girls' father… and apparently, it holds something… or someone."
Lorraine blinked, her face clouding with unease.
"A pendent? Wait… you mean the one taken from the burned mansion? Yeah... I have it."
"We couldn't exorcise it… so I kept it, thinking one day I might understand it better."
After hearing Jojo's explanation her eyes widened.
"Are you saying their father's spirit is bound to it?"
The spectral sisters nodded in unison, their forms flickering for a moment.
"He was corrupted,"
the older one said.
"Something twisted him… and now he's a servant to it."
Lorraine's hands trembled faintly as realization dawned.
"Then we need to destroy it."
Jojo gave a nod.
Nod~
"That was the original request. I promised them I'd see it done."
But something else gnawed at his mind.
He turned slowly, eyes narrowing.
"The sisters said it was in the hands of a couple... but your husband…"
He looked at her meaningfully.
"He's no longer among the living."
Lorraine's breath hitched.
"____"
For a fleeting second, the farmhouse seemed to go silent—
time holding its breath.
"____"
And then, Freya and Leah noticed it too.
A flicker in the mirror behind Lorraine.
A tall shadow—
strong shoulders, gentle eyes… and a presence that felt both protective and sorrowful.
"Edward…"
Lorraine whispered.
Jojo's eyes sharpened as he muttered to himself,
"So he still follows her… Even in death."
The realization settled like dust in the air.
Ed Warren—
though dead—
had not left Lorraine.
He was still protecting her.
Still guiding her.
And possibly, still fighting.
Freya stepped up beside Jojo, whispering,
"So… that's why the couple was still seen… The bond between them never broke."
Jojo looked back at Lorraine with new respect in his eyes.
"You're stronger than I thought,"
he said.
As the quiet hum of tension settled over the farmhouse living room, a cold breeze gently stirred the curtains despite the windows being shut.
The flickering presence in the mirror behind Lorraine began to grow clearer—taller, more defined.
A warm, sorrowful presence filled the room.
Jojo turned his head slightly, already sensing what was about to happen.
Standing just behind Lorraine's reflection, Edward Warren's spirit materialized—
not terrifying or grotesque, but gentle.
His familiar trench coat, soft eyes, and protective posture made it clear this was a man who had loved fiercely and had refused to move on because of it.
Lorraine's breath caught in her throat.
She didn't need to turn around.
She felt him.
"Ed…"
she whispered, her fingers trembling.
The spirit didn't speak immediately.
His eyes lingered on her with deep affection and worry before looking at Jojo.
"Can I ask something?"
Edward's voice was calm and resolute, yet laced with the echo of emotion only the dead can carry.
"Will you let her join DMC?"
Jojo blinked, a bit surprised, but recovered with a quiet nod.
Nod~
"She's always welcome,"
he said warmly, his voice steady.
"But only if she chooses to. We never force anyone."
He paused, gaze softening as he looked at Lorraine.
"But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Lorraine's lips parted, stunned.
She looked between Jojo and the spirit of her late husband, caught in an emotional tide she wasn't prepared for.
"You… want me to join them?"
she whispered, heart aching.
"But I thought you didn't want me in danger anymore…"
Edward smiled faintly.
"I know you. You were never meant for a quiet life, Lorraine. And after I was gone… you tried. You tried so hard to be 'normal.' But you're not. You're gifted. And the world needs that."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.
"I was afraid,"
she admitted.
"Afraid of losing myself like I almost did with Frenchie… and afraid that without you… I will lose our daughter next."
"You were never alone,"
Edward said gently.
"I was always there. But I can't keep you from the world forever. You're strong. You've always been stronger than me. It's time you lived again. Help people again. Like you always did."
A silence fell.
"____"
Then, Lorraine slowly reached out toward the mirror, where his image flickered.
"Goodbye, my love,"
Edward said, beginning to shimmer softly with golden light.
"You'll never truly be alone. I'll always be a part of you… but it's time I moved on."
His form began to dissolve into soft sparkles, drifting like stardust into the air, his final words echoing through the farmhouse:
"Show them how strong you really are."
As his spirit faded completely, the room fell into a profound, still hush.
Lorraine wiped her eyes quietly, steadying her breath.
Freya and Leah watched her with quiet respect, and Jojo stepped forward—
not to say anything, but simply to be there.
The sun had barely begun to dip into the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of amber and lavender.
The air outside the farmhouse was still, thick with the tension of unspoken truths and hidden forces.
Inside, Lorraine had taken a seat alone near the back porch, facing the setting sun with her eyes closed, trying to process the emotional weight of Edward's final words.
Not wanting to disturb her, Jojo, Freya, and Leah stepped away toward the far side of the garden.
The air felt cooler there, perhaps more so from the presence of lingering spirits than the evening breeze.
Jojo folded his arms, a small chuckle escaping him as he leaned against the wooden post of the patio.
"You know,"
he said with a wry smile, glancing at Freya,
"This was supposed to be a simple vacation. But of course, it turned into another adventure."
Freya raised an eyebrow.
"Let me guess. You know about this place."
Jojo gave a slow nod.
"Yeah. The entity in that house—it's not like the ghosts which could be . It's older. Angrier. And it doesn't want to be cleansed."
Leah tilted her head.
"Then… can Lorraine really handle it alone?"
Jojo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
Sigh~
"That's the thing. I was watching earlier… there are many spirits in that house. But one of them—the one in the basement—it's far too strong for Lorraine to handle by herself. Especially in her current emotional state."
He looked over toward Lorraine, still sitting quietly, her fingers trembling just slightly in her lap.
"Yeah,"
Jojo continued,
"And she's been alone for too long. Edward was her anchor… and now, she's been drifting."
Freya crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"So what now?"
Jojo shook his head, eyes resolute.
"Now that Lorraine's joining us… it's our case too. The Perron family doesn't deserve to be tormented like this. We step in. We help."
Leah's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Another showdown?"
Jojo smirked.
"Possibly. But this time we're doing it smart. We wait for Lorraine to say she's ready, then we go in together—as a team."
Freya nodded in agreement.
The three of them stood silently for a moment, the gravity of what was to come beginning to settle in.
The farmhouse behind them creaked gently, as if in warning—
or anticipation.
Suddenly, Jojo's expression turned serious.
"Make no mistake… whatever is in that house—it knows we're here. And it won't go quietly."
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!