[Chapter 3: First Case]
"Who are you?" Daniel Cross opened the glass door to his shop and asked the young policewoman standing outside.
She looked about twenty, strikingly attractive, her figure impossible to ignore even beneath the tight police uniform. Her chest was full, drawing his gaze momentarily before he caught himself.
The policewoman looked at Daniel Cross, then glanced past him toward the back of the shop. "Is Mister Cross here?"
Daniel hesitated. "You mean my father? He passed away three months ago."
"Ah?" The woman blinked, clearly surprised. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Daniel asked, "What do you need him for?"
She didn't answer directly. Instead, after sizing Daniel up, she said, "Since you're his son, surely you know how to perform an Exorcism Ritual, right? Come with me quickly."
As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Wait, let me grab some things," Daniel said, hurrying to pack a few items into his bag before climbing into the police car parked outside with her.
...
In the car, she introduced herself as Lara.
The name made Daniel think of the heroine from Tomb Raider, and his eyes involuntarily drifted to her figure again. 'Are all women named Lara this well-endowed?' he wondered.
When they arrived at the 17th Precinct, Daniel immediately understood why she'd called him.
Apparently, two men had fought in the temporary detention room, and one of them had died on the spot. At first the precinct treated it as a straightforward accident.
But things quickly went wrong.
The killer strangled himself to death, and after that, strange occurrences ramped up throughout the precinct.
The temperature didn't actually change, but everyone felt an unsettling chill.
Lights flickered erratically, doors and drawers opened and closed on their own. Blood would pour from faucets. Files and documents scattered violently across the floor.
One officer got trapped when the bathroom door locked itself tight, nearly giving him a heart attack.
The precinct finally admitted something was seriously wrong.
They called in an Exorcist, but after performing some rituals, the man failed utterly and fled in terror.
Desperate, they searched for another.
That's when Lara thought of his father. She remembered that during her police exam months ago, she had requested a Blessing Ritual from him -- and she had passed.
So she trusted his father and, not knowing her father had died, decided to bring Daniel Cross instead.
'What determined whether she passed the police exam probably wasn't that Blessing Ritual', Daniel thought quietly.
He didn't believe the father had any real skills. If he did, Daniel was sure he wouldn't have been any higher than an Initiate.
Currently, Daniel was an Acolyte. Above him was Exorcist, then Saint and higher still was Celestial -- a scale separated by an enormous gulf.
Besides, Daniel had already glanced through the shop's inventory. Everything was fake, just novelties.
...
Lara parked and led Daniel into the precinct.
They immediately saw a short-haired officer and a middle-aged white man in priest's robes.
Both turned their attention sharply to the newcomers.
The short-haired man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, surveyed Lara's face -- and her chest -- before finally looking at Daniel. "Lara, is this the Exorcist you called?"
"Yes, Gary," Lara nodded confidently.
Gary curled his lips in derision. "Him? An Exorcist? What a joke. Only you would buy it."
He glanced at the priest beside him. "This is Father Scott. He's the real deal."
Father Scott looked nearly fifty, tall and stout, belly stretching tight under his priest robes. He puffed out his chest and said to Lara with a smirk, "Madam, I've dealt with plenty of so-called Exorcists -- all frauds, I assure you."
"Sure, they at least dress the part," he added, sneering at Daniel. "But the one you dragged here looks like an amateur. Too young, too casual. Doesn't even know how to con people."
Gary gave Daniel a scornful look. "Lara, don't waste any more time. Tell him to leave."
Lara glanced at Daniel, then back at Gary with a firm expression. "I believe he's an excellent Exorcist."
Daniel was surprised. Lara actually trusted him that much.
Though Scott annoyed him, he was right on one thing: Daniel didn't appear like a typical Exorcist.
If their roles were reversed, Daniel admitted he might doubt himself, too.
Still, Lara's confidence reassured him.
"Hmph!" Gary snorted coldly. "Lara, prepare to face Sheriff Ford's wrath. Father, let's go."
They walked away.
...
Daniel asked Lara quietly, "Do you really trust me that much?"
Lara shook her head. "No. I just couldn't back down."
Daniel was silent.
"Are you really an Exorcist?" Lara pressed.
"I never said that," Daniel replied. "You brought me here without asking."
Panic flickered across Lara's face. "What are we going to do then?"
"Let's observe first," Daniel said.
Lara sighed. "That's all we can do. I just hope Sheriff Ford goes easy on me."
She led Daniel Cross to the temporary detention room, where Father Scott and the officer Gary were already waiting.
...
Father Scott was preparing his Exorcism Ritual.
Noticing Daniel and Lara entering, Scott turned to Lara with a sly smile. "Madam, seems you've been cursed with bad luck. If you want to improve your fortune, come see me after this."
He ignored Daniel as if he weren't there.
Lara was tempted but held back her eagerness. "I'll think about it."
Scott grinned and returned to prepping the ritual.
Daniel peered into the empty detention room.
An uneasy aura -- thick with chilling dark energy -- lingered in the stale air.
It came from Malevolent Spirits trapped inside.
There was definitely a serious problem here.
...
"How's it going?" a tall, bearded white officer approached.
"Sheriff Ford," Gary greeted, "Father Scott is setting up. The ritual will begin soon."
Sheriff Ford nodded, then looked over at Daniel. "Who's this?"
Lara swallowed and said, "This is Daniel Cross. He's the Exorcist I invited. If Father Scott fails, we'll have him do the ritual."
"How could Father Scott fail?" Gary raised his voice.
Lara held firm. "I said 'if.' Backup is backup, at least."
Sheriff Ford nodded in agreement.
Gary fell silent.
Scott opened the detention room door and stepped inside.
"Look," Gary said, "the ritual has begun."
...
Scott held a cup of so-called Holy Water in his left hand.
He flicked droplets onto the walls with his right while reciting Scripture, creating an almost sacred atmosphere that made the room feel like a church filled with safety.
But then something went wrong.
Suddenly Scott's body was thrown violently backward. He crashed into the wall, coughing up a heavy mouthful of blood. His face drained of all color.
The cup shattered, Holy Water spilling everywhere.
Everyone froze, their faces pale with alarm.
*****
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