Dante returned home as soon as the school day ended.
He left his backpack near the front door and headed straight toward the kitchen, where Sarah was preparing dinner.
“Mom, what happened with Carrie’s case?” Sarah stopped chopping vegetables and turned toward him.
Her expression was tired, but a gentle smile appeared when she saw how concerned he looked.
“It has been handled for now.
Margaret’s mental condition is extremely unstable, so the doctors transferred her to a psychiatric facility for treatment.” Dante had expected something similar after hearing Marquis describe Margaret’s condition.
The woman had already been consumed by fear and religious obsession before the demon fed on her emotions.
“What about Carrie?” “She’ll stay with us until the authorities decide what happens next.” Sarah lowered her voice.
“I’ve already spoken with the police and child protective services.
No one is sending her back into that house while Margaret is in this condition.” Dante nodded with satisfaction.
Carrie would finally have time to recover in a home where no one called her sinful or locked her inside a prayer closet.
John called them into the dining room before they could continue.
The family soon gathered around the table while the smell of roasted chicken and vegetables filled the house.
Carrie sat beside Sarah with her shoulders drawn inward.
She kept her eyes lowered and ate in small bites as though she feared taking too much food.
John tried several times to draw her into the conversation.
He asked about school and mentioned a few harmless stories from work, but Carrie answered with only a quiet word or a nervous nod.
No one pressured her.
After dinner, John stood and offered his arm to Sarah with a playful smile.
“Mrs.
Connor, would you care to spend the evening with your charming husband?” Sarah laughed and linked her arm through his.
“That depends.
Where is this charming husband taking me?” “That’s a surprise.” Sarah looked toward Dante before leaving.
“We won’t be gone long.
Keep an eye on the girls.” “I will.” John and Sarah left hand in hand.
Once the front door closed, the house became much quieter.
Only Dante, Carrie, and Marquis remained.
Marquis was still wearing Lily’s appearance.
She leaned against the wall near the dining room and watched Carrie with mild curiosity.
Dante looked toward the frightened girl.
“Carrie, do you want to learn how to control what happened last night?” Her fingers stopped moving around the edge of her sleeve.
“You mean the light?” “And the volleyball.” Dante kept his voice calm.
“Those things didn’t happen by accident.
You made them move.” Carrie’s face lost some of its color.
“I didn’t mean to.” “I know.” Dante moved closer but left enough distance to avoid making her uncomfortable.
“That’s why you need to understand your power.
If you learn how to control it, you won’t have to be afraid every time something moves.” Carrie looked uncertain.
Margaret had spent years teaching her that anything unusual was evil, and accepting the truth about her abilities meant rejecting everything her mother believed.
“Can I really control it?” Dante answered without hesitation.
“I believe you can.” The certainty in his voice gave her enough courage to nod.
“All right.” Dante turned toward Marquis.
“Marky, teach her.” The demon’s eye twitched.
“My name is Marquis.” “That’s what I said.” Marquis opened her mouth to argue but remembered the pain of Purification.
She forced a pleasant smile and walked toward Carrie instead.
“Your power responds to thought and emotion,” Marquis explained.
“Fear makes it burst out without direction.
You need to focus on one object and give your mind a clear command.” Carrie listened carefully as Marquis placed a small teacup near the center of the dining table.
“Don’t try to touch it,” Marquis continued.
“Imagine an invisible hand resting against the cup.
Then picture that hand pushing it toward you.” Carrie stared at the teacup.
Nothing happened.
Her eyebrows tightened as she concentrated harder.
The cup trembled for less than a second before becoming still again.
“I can’t do it.” “You already moved it,” Dante said.
“Try again.” Carrie took a slow breath and focused on the cup.
She imagined the invisible hand Marquis had described and tried to ignore every doubt moving through her mind.
The teacup shook.
This time, it did not stop.
It slid several inches across the table before coming to rest near Carrie’s hand.
Her eyes widened.
“I did that?” Marquis nodded.
“You did.” Carrie looked at Dante as surprise and pride slowly replaced her fear.
A blush spread across her cheeks when she saw his approving smile.
“That was amazing,” Dante said.
“You learned faster than I expected.” Carrie lowered her head, but she could not hide her happiness.
No one had ever praised something that made her different.
For the first time, her power felt less like a curse and more like a gift.
They prepared to continue the lesson when the telephone rang in the living room.
Dante frowned and walked toward the landline.
Very few people called the house at that hour, and anyone close to the family usually contacted Sarah directly.
He picked up the receiver.
“Connor residence.” A low laugh came through the line.
“Heh…
heh…
heh…” The sound had been electronically distorted.
It was deep and unnatural enough to resemble a voice crawling out of a dark tunnel.
“Dante.” His expression hardened.
“Your parents left, didn’t they?” Dante tightened his grip on the receiver.
The caller was not guessing.
Someone had watched John and Sarah leave.
“Who is this?” The strange voice laughed again.
“Why don’t you guess?” “I’m not interested.” Dante hung up.
Carrie watched from the dining room with concern.
“Who was it?” “Probably some idiot from school.” He returned toward the table and tried to dismiss the call.
Before he could sit down, the phone rang again.
Dante stared at it for several seconds before picking up.
“What do you want?” “You hung up on me.” The distorted caller sounded almost offended.
“That was rude.” “Call again and I’ll disconnect the phone.” “Don’t you want to know who I am?” “No.” Dante slammed the receiver down a second time.
Marquis tilted her head.
“Should I find the caller and remove his tongue?” Carrie looked horrified.
Dante ignored the suggestion.
“It’s only a prank.” The telephone rang for the third time.
The sharp sound echoed through the living room and made Carrie flinch.
Dante did not pick up the receiver.
Instead, he pressed the answering-machine button.
A recorded message played through the speaker.
“This is the Connor residence.
Leave a message after the beep.” Beep.
For several seconds, only faint breathing came from the machine.
Then the distorted voice returned.
“Do you really think the answering machine will protect you, Dante?” His eyes narrowed.
The caller should not have known that Dante had pressed the answering-machine button unless he could see inside the house.
A cold sensation moved down his back.
Dante slowly looked toward the living-room windows.
The curtains were still open, but the darkness outside made it impossible to see beyond the reflections on the glass.
“You’re taking this too far,” Dante said as he picked up the receiver.
“You’d better hope I don’t find you.” He walked toward the largest window and pulled the curtains shut.
The heavy fabric blocked the view from outside.
Dante looked toward Marquis and gave her a silent signal.
Her playful expression disappeared at once.
She took Carrie by the arm and guided her toward the hallway.
“Come with me.” Carrie resisted for a moment.
“What’s happening?” “Someone is watching the house,” Marquis whispered.
“Stay quiet and do exactly what I say.” Carrie followed her toward the stairs.
Dante waited until they were out of sight before opening his System inventory.
Ebony and Ivory appeared in his hands with a faint flash.
The massive twin pistols felt reassuring beneath his fingers.
He kept both weapons lowered while scanning the living room.
The couch offered enough space for someone to hide behind it.
The kitchen cabinets were too small, but the hallway closet and the rooms upstairs remained possible locations.
The caller’s voice came through the receiver again.
“Heh…
heh…
heh…” Dante raised one pistol and pointed it toward the dark hallway.
“Closing the curtains won’t help you.” The voice sounded amused.
“And what are you planning to do with those guns?” Dante’s gaze sharpened.
The caller could still see him.
He looked toward the ceiling corners and searched for a hidden camera.
Nothing appeared out of place, but that did not mean the house was empty.
The stranger might have entered before Dante returned home.
He could be hiding upstairs, behind the furniture, or inside one of the closets.
If someone were truly inside the house, Dante should have been able to hear the caller speaking.
He held his breath.
The building remained silent.
No footsteps crossed the second floor.
No floorboards creaked beneath hidden weight.
The only sound came from the distorted voice moving through the telephone.
Dante tightened his grip on Ebony and Ivory.
“Where are you?” The caller laughed.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Dante searched the living room again.
His eyes moved across every doorway, shadow, and piece of furniture.
The situation felt familiar.
A stranger had called an isolated house and asked questions while watching the people inside.
The altered voice, the taunting laughter, and the promise of a game all belonged to a movie Dante knew very well.
The caller spoke again before he could complete the thought.
“Let’s play hide-and-seek, Dante.” The voice became softer and more threatening.
“If you find me, I might give you a very special surprise.” Enjoyed the chapter?
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