When Jonathan opened his eyes, Father Doug's watchful gaze was fixed on him with great anxiety. "Is everything done?"
"Yes, this boy is free from all evil." Jonathan withdrew his hand from the child's head and looked at Mr. Lambert, then gave him a slight nod.
"Darling, Renai, you can come up now!" shouted Mr. Lambert with a look full of anxiety.
As soon as the words left his mouth, hurried footsteps were heard from the stairs, and the first to enter was Renai, who immediately ran to her son.
"My God, is everyone alright now?"
"My dear Dalton." Mrs. Lambert rushed in, and after seeing her son untied, she cried out in anguish. She came closer, touched Dalton's face, and checked that he wasn't seriously hurt.
However, Mr. Lambert was more composed. He stood firmly at Jonathan's side, who had bandaged his own hand.
"I must thank you, Priest Jonathan. Thank you so much for helping my son."
After seeing that Father Doug was taking care of things, Jonathan stepped out of the room to speak more privately with Mr. Lambert and said: "Tonight, two people assigned by the Church will come to your home to bless it and make sure everything is alright with your son. I only ask that you don't share any of this with anyone else."
"Of course, I understand what you mean." Even if he did tell someone, Mr. Lambert knew that everyone would call him crazy. Only those who have been close to the darkness can see the evil within it.
Jonathan smiled faintly, looked at the man in front of him, and said: "Exorcism is my work, so you don't need to thank me. Now that the matter is settled, it's time for us to leave."
The Healing Church has fixed duties, so it isn't convenient to wander from place to place without at least staying aware of the news that each location has to offer. Although exorcisms of this speed were uncommon, there were many more things than just spirits.
"If anything else happens, you can make a phone call instead of seeking other options." Father Doug took out a business card and handed it to Mr. Lambert.
After seeing that everything was completed, Jonathan sighed and walked toward the exit.
When Mr. Lambert saw Jonathan and his companion leaving, he quickly took down the cross from the door and shouted: "Priest Jonathan, you forgot your cross."
"You don't have to return it. This is a gift for regaining faith in the Light. Some god will always be watching over us." Jonathan smiled, walked to the door, and left together with Father Doug, who carried most of the luggage.
The family remained looking a while longer at their son. Even after seeing the small wounds on his brother's skin, Caster wondered why such wounds were necessary, but he said nothing.
Everyone had at least once in their life heard about exorcisms. Even if it was taboo, they were all aware of how to tell one thing from another.
And that was why Josh himself couldn't ignore all the help the Priest had given his family, so he quickly ran after Jonathan, who was leaving the house.
"Priest, wait a moment, how can I pay you for all the help you gave us?" asked Josh, clutching the rosary tightly in his hand.
Jonathan stopped and, without turning back, said in a calm tone: "Say nothing about what happened, don't investigate, live your life as a good person, and if you ever face problems you can't explain, call the number you were given."
After saying that, Jonathan, who was too exhausted, left the house without looking back again. This mission had been easier than he thought; the mysterious reward had not yet been revealed, but whatever he received would be a gain.
"[...
MISSION COMPLETED!
[Status]: Operational success confirmed.
[Hostile Entity]: Incarnate demon neutralized.
[Rewards Unlocked]:
Assigned resources: Enhancement points for basic abilities [Distribution in Strength increase]
[Evolutionary Subprocesses Activated]:
Advanced Manipulation of Hunter Instinct – Wesen.
…]"
"Why am I not surprised?" Larry, upon realizing that Wesen also existed in this world, stopped worrying about what that might represent.
The ability he received, although it seemed little, strengthened his skills and gave him a unique power to detect Wesen among humans.
Jonathan knew this thanks to his rich knowledge of cinema and understood it wasn't such a big problem.
What were Wesen? Basically, it was said that since ancient times, the tales we now call fairy tales were nothing more than distorted echoes of encounters with the Wesen. What villagers called witchcraft or curses were, in reality, the true faces of these creatures hidden among men.
The story of Little Red Riding Hood, for example, did not begin as a simple children's tale. It was the memory of a girl who crossed paths with a Blutbad, a humanoid wolf whose hunger and brutality turned him into legend. Thus, the devoured grandmother and the disguised wolf were not metaphors, but facts recorded by those who lived in fear of such beasts.
But not all Wesen are the same. Some seek to integrate, to work, to have families, and to live without arousing suspicion. Others, however, embrace their savage nature, using fear and violence as weapons. That duality makes them complex: they can be loyal allies or fierce enemies, but they will never cease to be what they are in essence… beasts hidden beneath a human mask.
And so, every myth, every fable, every horror story told by the fire could be a fragment of the silent war between men and Wesen. A war that never ended, it only became harder to see.
As long as they did not represent a threat, Jonathan would not kill them. That was the job of the Grimms. As for whether many of them remained or not, that was not his problem either.
"How was my performance?" Father Doug approached Jonathan, who was waiting outside, and asked.
"Outstanding, you did a good job. Your evaluation isn't over yet, but we made a lot of progress today," said Jonathan, who suddenly received a call.
"John? Are you the Priest? It's me, Dustin, and we need your help."