Chapter 42 – Death Knocks (Conclusion)
No matter how foolish Carter was, even he could see that it had been the priest who saved him.
"Father, I…"
He barely opened his mouth before being interrupted.
"Emma, by the window." Gideon Black pointed in a direction.
Emma retrieved a bottle of holy water and stepped around the warped wooden boards to enter the room.
Just as she prepared to act, a sudden gust of wind swept past, lifting the scattered newspapers from the floor.
The papers were carried by the wind toward the spinning tabletop fan.
In the next moment, the blades shredded the papers into fragments, scattering them into the air.
Some fragments had letters printed on them. When they fell, they formed a sequence.
Everyone stared in surprise—they realized it was a message:
"Wait! Take it easy!"
Carter gaped, pointing at the torn paper fragments, speechless.
Alex and Lewton exchanged incredulous looks, equally astonished.
Terry closed her eyes tightly, making the sign of the cross over her chest.
Gideon, however, took a bottle of holy water from his cloak, uncorked it, and poured it over the fragments on the floor.
"Trying to trick me again?" His eyes were resolute.
sizzle… sizzle
Wherever it touched, the black substance entwined around the paper was purified completely.
At the same time, Alex, Carter, and the others felt a sudden lightness.
The oppressive, dangerous sensation that had weighed on them moments ago vanished.
Gideon remained cautious and had Emma search the room thoroughly.
Once they confirmed that the black substance was completely eliminated, he finally stepped over the threshold.
Carter approached with a cross in hand.
"Sorry, Father. I acted recklessly earlier."
Guilt was written all over his face. Without Gideon, he would have been riddled with holes by now.
And he deeply regretted his previous rudeness. He even wanted to ask if he could keep the cross—but couldn't find the words, reluctantly handing it back.
Elsewhere, witnessing everything, Lewton finally believed Gideon and Alex hadn't deceived her.
She recalled the strange shadow at home, the knife on the kitchen counter, the suddenly toppling shelf.
She had narrowly avoided danger on so many occasions.
Her throat tightened. Fear lingered, but she now understood the priest's actions.
"Thank you… you saved my life."
Lewton stepped forward, grasping Gideon's hand.
"No need to thank me," he replied with a smile, subtly withdrawing his hand.
After confirming no black substance had transferred, he finally relaxed.
At that moment, Gideon remembered the words on the floor.
Judging by the tone, it seemed like an attempt at negotiation.
A chill ran through him at the thought that the force behind it could be death itself.
It was safer to keep a distance.
But fate had other plans.
As Gideon prepared for the next "deadly maneuver," an uninvited guest appeared at the door.
"Good evening. My name is William. I'm the local mortician."
The visitor was a tall Black man.
He removed his formal hat, held it at chest level, and bowed slightly.
Though addressing the group, a closer look revealed his posture subtly inclined toward Gideon.
Carter and the others exchanged puzzled glances. None of them recognized this man.
"Excuse me… did you stop what just happened…" William began, looking at Gideon.
Before he could finish, the priest's expression turned serious.
He lifted his robe, revealing crosses strapped across his chest and limbs.
He then took out a bottle and poured its contents over himself.
In Gideon's eyes, the Black man was now enveloped in the same black substance—
a very clear sign of possession.
Across from him, William wiped his face, removing the remaining moisture.
He wasn't an ordinary mortician—he was an "agent."
Years ago, William had survived a disaster much like the young people in this house.
The others who had escaped with him perished in various accidents.
To survive, he had "sacrificed" himself to a certain presence.
After that, William did live a relatively peaceful life and retained the "precognitive" ability he had gained during the disaster.
But, as with all things, there was a price to pay.
Guided by this mysterious force, William had to interact with corpses daily.
And at intervals, he was required to push some unfortunate soul who had died "by accident" into the furnace.
According to the "presence," this was necessary to maintain the balance between life and death.
Of course, he had no choice but to comply.
Over the years, William had learned a few truths.
This presence manifested in reality as a black substance, a force of unimaginable power that could not be destroyed.
He had personally witnessed it corrode a massive bridge, causing a catastrophic disaster.
This kind of event continued right up to tonight.
When William saw the news of a plane crash on television, he knew the presence had acted again.
Originally, he had been waiting for the corpses—but unexpectedly, he received a revelation.
The message was only one line:
"Find the priest. Keep him safe."
At that moment, William was stunned.
There was a trace of… hesitation in the words—a subtle warning.
It was almost inconceivable.
For decades, William had never dared to challenge the presence directly.
So naturally, he became even more curious about this priest mentioned in the revelation.
At the same time, the black substance began to surge over William's body.
He knew what this meant—it was possession.
He hadn't expected the presence to intervene personally.
Then, seeing the priest in front of him, William was once again shocked.
The moment he came into contact with the holy liquid earlier, the black substance on him had been completely neutralized.
This… was impossible.
A wave of dizziness swept through him.
He understood this was the presence's displeasure.
Suppressing the discomfort, William raised his hands, signaling he meant no harm.
"It wants to speak with you," he said, his voice low and steady.
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"Please, follow me," William gestured, inviting him to speak privately.
Seeing no immediate hostility, Gideon decided to follow—but kept a cautious distance, just in case.
Downstairs, William spoke again, keeping his voice subdued.
"Father, could we get a bit closer? Don't want to disturb the others."
After several assurances, Gideon finally reduced the distance to five meters.
"This is my limit," he said firmly.
From this position, if the man meant harm, Gideon would have enough time to respond.
"Alright…" William nodded, seemingly understanding why the revelation had come.
After some discussion, William revealed his purpose:
"You may leave safely. No further accidents will occur."
Gideon rubbed his chin, then asked after a moment:
"And the compensation?"
"What?"
William blinked, confused.
"You can't expect me to leave empty-handed."
William almost couldn't believe what he heard.
So according to the priest, the presence wanted him alive—but he also expected some reward in return?
William froze.
The black substance around him temporarily calmed—but then began to tremble violently.
He knew it was anger.
But unexpectedly, the anger subsided quickly.
And suddenly, an item appeared in William's pocket.
He stared in disbelief, took it out, and handed it to the priest.
At the same time, a faint aura regarding the object entered William's mind.
"What is this?" Gideon asked, not rushing to take it.
"A Talisman of the Dead."