Main Event Hall Number Five
Minutes before communications were cut.
"Please, everyone take a seat."
Haley, along with her friends—at least those who were still alive and had participated in the card reading—entered the auditorium.
"What are we doing here?" Lucas looked at Haley, quite confused. He didn't understand why she had brought them here to supposedly be saved.
But all of them felt helpless. They didn't know how to fix something they had previously believed impossible. None of them thought something like this could be real, but the damn coincidences were driving them mad.
Haley had called her friends, assuring them she had found the right person to solve their problems. But so far, no one had appeared.
"Just wait, he's here," Haley lied to her friends, but right now she knew this was her only chance to save them all.
"Hey, man, whatever this is, we don't have another option," said Paxton, always the optimist. He had to be, or else he'd go insane.
"I just want to make sure we really have a chance to break this curse, man. I've been doing research, and things aren't as simple as they seem."
Haley's friends talked about the signs—things that had always existed in the world but everyone had ignored. As more people entered the auditorium, they all realized that behind the door was, in fact, a chamber that spanned three floors—an indoor theater.
At the center was a circular stage, and the auditorium was arranged in layers around it.
"Welcome to the Thirteenth Street Exhibition. Feel free to take a seat." Henry was standing at the center of the stage, holding a microphone.
There were five assistants on stage, each positioned at the edge.
The staff at the event ensured that guests entered and sat in their assigned seats to avoid problems later on.
Haley looked around for a moment and chose a spot near the door.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Henry William, one of the people responsible for this exhibition." On stage, Henry held the microphone and looked out at the crowd with confidence.
"As you all know, in recent years there have been frequent terrorist incidents in several states…" Henry had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
He was the first billionaire brave enough to speak about things others only dared to whisper about.
Everyone feared The Healing Church. What they could do was extremely mysterious, but one thing was clear—they held immense power and would take lives just to hide the truth.
Because of this, Henry took it upon himself to spread the truth and gradually became an indispensable figure in the supernatural world.
This exhibition was also crucial. If it succeeded, he would prove himself worthy of being the voice of the supernatural world.
"To protect innocent civilians, those in control have hidden things we must know in order to face them. Paranormal phenomena masked by smoke screens like terrorist attacks."
People below rubbed their hands together in anticipation.
The Paranormal Council, founded by Henry, had a strong reputation and influence everywhere. They were the voice of the world, aiming to expose the most genuine supernatural acts to the public.
This could be good news for many, but controversy always hovered nearby.
Without the necessary support, the council would be nothing more than another website for supernatural enthusiasts and would lose all relevance.
Everyone believed it was enough to avoid using fabricated paranormal events to succeed in the field.
But Henry had taken precautions in secret. He arranged protection from assassins, some of whom belonged to the Ruska Roma—the best at safeguarding people.
Meanwhile, there was movement on stage, and those bodyguards stepped back when The Healing Church arrived at the auditorium.
"Currently, most terrorist incidents in various states are caused by possession by evil spirits." Henry raised his hand to give a signal, and a small door at the side of the stage opened.
Several men dressed in black dragged out a shirtless man.
The man was covered in wounds and had a chain wrapped around his chest.
He lifted his head, showing only the whites of his eyes, and began speaking in some unknown language.
Under the disbelieving gaze of the audience, Henry pulled out a dagger and cut the man's face.
But the next moment, the man's flesh began to move and the wound healed.
At the sight of this, everyone gasped.
Abnormal abilities and the ability to speak unknown languages are typical symptoms of possession by evil spirits.
A month ago, this possessed man had tried to summon a demonic entity, but they caught him in time.
Henry spoke then: "This is what the world is hiding from us—the existence of supernatural beings like this."
…
Down below, Haley felt afraid, but a warm light began to spread through her chest, and when she looked down, she saw that the cross Jonathan had given her was glowing faintly.
"Haley, I'm out of here."
"No, we shouldn't leave."
"Obviously these people are insane."
"It's just a performance. Don't panic."
But Lucas, who was far too nervous, didn't want to stay any longer and stood up. "I'm leaving."
But at that very moment, something inside him changed completely.
"Let me take control."