"[Mission in Progress…
Class: Exorcism
Objective: Rescue young Dalton Lambert from the hands of the Lipstick-Face Demon, eliminating any possibility for this demon to cross from Hell into the real world.
Reward: +100 general strength points, spiritual energy boosters, and an unknown skill.]"
"One more mission..." Jonathan, seated on a wooden bench somewhere in a public forest, stared at the mission while thinking about what he would be facing.
If this had been before, of course he wouldn't have dared to face something like this. But now, things seemed to be more in his favor, so there was no reason to decline.
Besides, Jonathan knew this demon very well—after all, it was the main demonic entity that haunted Dalton Lambert.
From what he remembered, the demon had claws, a long tongue, and a red-and-black face that resembled a devilish mask.
If he decided to confront it—even if he couldn't stop it—his own safety wouldn't be compromised thanks to his new abilities.
That's why he barely hesitated before accepting the mission.
This demon was dangerous, yes, but predictable. Its only goal was to possess Dalton's body in order to cross from the spiritual world—known as The Further—into the physical world.
Nothing Jonathan hadn't faced before. And he was fine with that.
"Nothing I can't handle." Jonathan leaned back on the wooden bench while waiting for the report.
He glanced at a nearby tree, where a squirrel was carrying an acorn to who knows where. At times, Jonathan wished he could be that acorn, free from all worldly concerns.
But he was too stubborn to ignore problems he knew he could solve. Jonathan was a hunter now—an exorcist—a man of good and light, fighting unconditionally against the dark.
He hoped to someday leave this work behind and retreat to a monastery on a distant island, far away from cities and trouble.
Of course, that was just a dream. An impossible one, at least for now.
Beep! Beep!
Jonathan picked up his work cell phone—the one he only used for missions—and soon saw a message.
"[...
CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE – FOR REGENT BELMONT.
SENDER: Dr. Elise Rainier (Medium – Beyond Research Network)
Lambert Case – Residual Demonic Activity (Level 5)
…
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Family Name: Lambert
Members:
Josh Lambert (Father, 39 years old) – History of astral projection during childhood. Recently involved in an incident with a demonic-class entity.
Renai Lambert (Mother, 36 years old) – No known paranormal abilities. Witness to poltergeist activity.
Dalton Lambert (Son, 10 years old) – Innate astral projection ability. Victim of demonic possession.
Foster Lambert (Younger son)
Cali Lambert (Infant daughter)
…
CURRENT LOCATION:
Address: 1430 North Ridge Avenue, Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia.
Note: The family recently returned to their original home after fleeing a previous residence affected by hostile presences. It is unknown whether the new environment is free from spiritual contamination.
…
SUMMARY OF RECENT EVENTS (Past 7 Days Extracted):
Dalton has exhibited episodes of sleepwalking, recorded voices in his toys, and demonic figure drawings that match the "Lipstick-Face Demon."
Josh has shown personality changes: amnesia episodes, aggressiveness, and rejection of religious objects (crucifixes, prayers).
Renai has reported doors opening by themselves, music coming from empty rooms ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips"), and ghostly figures seen through the baby monitor.
Apparitions of a red figure lurking in mirrors have been reported by Foster and partially documented in distorted digital photographs.
…
PRELIMINARY EVALUATION:
[Primary Entity]: Unidentified demon, temporarily classified as "Lipstick-Face Demon."
[Threat Level]: Critical. Capable of manipulating the astral plane (The Further) and altering the consciousness of the living.
Objective: Access the physical world through possession of Dalton or Josh.
…
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Avoid direct confrontation without advanced spiritual preparation.
Use of protective relics, constant prayer, and astral vigilance is essential.
Immediate intervention is advised before the demon attempts a second full possession.
—
SIGNED:
Dr. Elise Rainier
Field Psychic – Order of the Beyond
Emergency Contact: Inner frequency channel via The Healing Church.
...]"
Jonathan was impressed by The Healing Church's capacity to investigate supernatural cases. This information would be incredibly useful to anyone working in the field.
"Look, a priest."
"He's drunk. My dad says all priests spend the donation money on alcohol."
A group of kids walked past where Jonathan was resting, unable to keep from commenting on what they assumed all priests were like.
Jonathan couldn't speak for every priest—he was very different from what most people imagined. That's why he didn't let it bother him.
"The vehicles are ready, boss." Father Doug approached Jonathan, holding a black suitcase.
Upon hearing everything was ready, Jonathan stood up, grabbed the robe next to the bench, and put it on. Underneath it, two golden pistols, a belt with special cartridges, and expandable magazines were visible.
Anyone who saw those weapons might have thought Jonathan was a criminal. But in a world like this, few would dare report him.
"Let's go." Jonathan looked toward the two black SUVs parked not far away.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to bring a group of ten agents?" Father Doug didn't want to brag, but he was a good shot.
"It's a high-ranking mission. Of course, we're required to bring more agents than usual." Jonathan had no say in the matter—it involved The Healing Church.
That was one downside of losing personal authority in the organization. Without a doubt, you'd eventually get dragged in.
Father Doug understood what Jonathan meant and didn't ask any more questions. He simply got into one of the SUVs and said, "Step on it. We need to wrap this up before nightfall."
"Yes, Father." Any agent would assume Doug was worried about what might come out after dark, but in truth, his favorite football team was playing tonight—and he didn't want to miss the game.
When they arrived at the Lambert home, Jonathan said, "Secure the perimeter. We'll handle everything inside. But if things get out of control and anyone comes out who isn't us, you know what to do."
"Understood, Regent."