Morbid love wasn’t hard to understand.
Simply put, Jennifer came from a broken home.
Starved of affection from a young age and having witnessed her father’s weakness during her childhood, she naturally developed a fixation on strength.
Dan Lee fulfilled all her fantasies.
When he finally revealed his identity as a church exorcist staying behind to face danger alone just for her sake, it was only natural for Jennifer to fall hard for him.
As for why it was “for her sake,” that was even simpler to understand.
Wasn’t that house her home?
When he suggested going there in the first place, wasn’t it out of fear that a demon might be lurking inside, doing it all to protect her safety?
Once people start filling in the blanks in their heads, they subconsciously ignore any logical inconsistencies.
This sort of thing was common in America, happening to both men and women alike.
It was also why certain men ended up turning gay.
Another man could give them a sense of security—it was just rare to find one as gorgeous as Jennifer.
…
The rain continued to fall through the night.
Jennifer’s actions looked like she was rushing back to offer herself up on a silver platter, but she wasn’t actually stupid enough to charge straight through the front door.
Carefully observing her surroundings, she tried to circle around from the backyard.
Yet when she reached the familiar home of her memories, a look of complete bewilderment washed over her face.
The two-story house and the small shed were gone.
In their place was a bed of crushed wood chips and bricks soaked in rainwater, looking as though a construction crew had just flattened the entire property, leaving nothing behind but a messy pile of rubble.
What kind of exorcism could utterly level a house right where it stood?
Jennifer plucked up her courage and walked into the center of the ruins.
There was nothing there—Dan Lee had vanished without a trace…
…
Inside a bar in Clam Shell Town.
Neons flashed, and men and women danced to the beat.
The Clam Shell Town quad—Pete, Old Joe, Q, and Cleveland—were gathered around a table drinking.
Given that a string of homicides had recently occurred in Clam Shell Town, the fact that Chief Pete could still sit here casually drinking tea proved just what a total scumbag he was.
In a small booth not far from the four men’s table: Dan Lee slumped limply against the seats, looking utterly drained.
The exorcism had failed.
The Ghost Card had confirmed that the entity was indeed the Midnight Man.
Physical exorcism was useless against the Midnight Man.
Even if you chopped the thing into eighteen pieces, it would stay alive.
On the contrary, Dan Lee had nearly been eaten by that terrifying creature.
The battle between the two of them had practically demolished the house.
Logically, with such a massive commotion, it was impossible for the neighbors not to notice, yet there hadn’t been a peep of noise outside.
Clam Shell Town was never short of people who loved watching drama.
It was highly likely that Dan Lee had been trapped in some kind of barrier or alternate world—much like the specific alternate world seen in Silent Hill.
Normal during the day, but as soon as night fell, it shifted into another reality: the deep alternate realm.
In the end, he had thrown Second Mutant out as bait to draw the attention of the Slender Man, finally finding an opportunity to breach that thin layer of membrane and return to reality.
Before leaving at that moment…
Dan Lee had glanced back.
Despite Second Mutant’s frantic struggles, it was ultimately swallowed up by Slender Man, vanishing along with it.
*Phew…* Dan Lee looked down at the Four of Diamonds in his hand.
After going in circles, he was back at square one.
Using the Evil Spirit Wendigo against these kinds of ghost-like horrors was still far too taxing.
It was much better suited for dealing with corporeal monsters.
Once the Evil Spirit Wendigo had mostly recovered, Dan Lee left the bar alone.
Steering outside, he pulled out his phone to check it.
Huh.
Signal restored.
A classic ringtone buzzed as the phone vibrated in his hand.
It was a call from Jennifer.
Dan Lee answered it.
“Darling, where are you?
When I got back, the house was already destroyed!
Are you okay?” Dan Lee replied, “It got destroyed during the exorcism.” Jennifer said, “I don’t care about the house being destroyed, I’m asking about you!” Dan Lee: “I’m fine.
What’s wrong?” Jennifer: “Where are you?
Tell me quick, baby, please, I’m begging you, really!” Dan Lee thought for a moment before saying, “On the street right outside the Clam Shell Town bar.” Jennifer: “Wait for me!
I’m coming right now!” Hanging up the phone, Dan Lee looked up at the pitch-black sky.
Was even this torrential rain a phenomenon created by the Midnight Man’s world?
Then where did the demon go?
In American horror, whether it was demons, evil spirits, witches, clowns, or vampires, monsters were extremely territorial.
Unless there was a vast difference in strength or special circumstances, coexisting was impossible.
One side would always enslave the other.
The demon had either been eaten by the Midnight Man or had fled.
Both possibilities were equally likely.
“Lee!” Jennifer spotted Dan Lee at the corner of the street and gave a joyful shout before sprinting toward him like a swallow returning to its nest.
Dan Lee originally had his hands tucked into his pockets, but seeing her approach like this, he helplessly withdrew them and spread his arms wide.
Jennifer took off in a running leap.
The two locked into a tight embrace.
Dan Lee could feel the soft, full impact spreading against his chest.
Jennifer was like a koala, not only wrapping her arms around his neck, but even clinging tight to his waist with her legs.
“Oh, come on!” Two bachelors across the street took ten thousand points of emotional damage from the sight and swore on the spot that they would find girlfriends this year no matter what.
Dan Lee looked at Jennifer, puzzled.
“Why are you so excited?” Jennifer didn’t speak.
Excited, she leaned in to seal his lips with a passionate kiss.
A sweet warmth pooled between them, leaving a sugary trail as their lips parted.
She genuinely thought it tasted a little sweet.
How could saliva taste sweet, though?
Was it because of love?
In truth, it wasn’t that her saliva was sweet; Dan Lee had just taken a few gulps of a sweet drink back at the bar.
After parting, Jennifer looked at Dan Lee with burning eyes.
“Are we getting a room, or going back to your place?” No coy shyness—once she was sure of her feelings, Jennifer wanted to give herself to him completely.
“Let’s get a late-night bite first.
I’m a little hungry,” Dan Lee said, neither rejecting nor accepting right away.
He was genuinely hungry.
“Then let me treat you!” Only after eating would they have the energy to perform.
Jennifer found the only Chinese restaurant open in Clam Shell Town.
Well, at this hour, it was literally the only place still open.
A true workaholic of Clam Shell Town.
On the way, Jennifer didn’t bring up the destruction of her house, though every word she said practically screamed: *I only have you to rely on now.
Will you let me stay with you?* Facing her cautious probing, Dan Lee pinched Jennifer’s cheek.
“Of course.
Don’t I still need to take you to tour my castle?” Jennifer nuzzled against Dan Lee’s palm intimately, looking like a cute calico cat begging for affection.
Why a calico?
Because Jennifer was feisty.
Don’t be fooled by her current cute *meow-meow* routine—that was strictly reserved for Dan Lee.
Back out in public, Jennifer wouldn’t have been able to hold the position of cheer captain or fend off dirty tricks from her pushy suitors if she weren’t fierce.
She had practically bristled up every single day.
Xiangnan Chinese Restaurant.
Inside were two women whose outfits suggested they had just come out of the bar.
Not long after Dan Lee and Jennifer sat down, another customer entered the restaurant.
It was a weirdly dressed clown carrying a burlap sack over his shoulder.