(A/N):
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Only a dark patch of scorched earth and a few drifting gray motes that the night wind carried away.
Freya crossed her arms silently,
"____"
Her expression cold but steady.
Inadu's dark eyes softened only slightly,
As if acknowledging justice done.
Hope stood under the moonlight, her golden wolf eyes glowing faintly, the reflection of the flames dancing within them.
Behind them,
Jillian stood trembling—
Tears tracing down her cheeks,
"____"
"____"
Not just for the horror of what she'd seen,
But for the revelation of what her sister had suffered.
Nick gently placed a hand on her shoulder,
But even his own face was hollow with shock.
Ghost Rider turned his burning skull toward them,
The embers in his sockets dimming just a fraction as his voice softened—
Not in tone,
But in weight.
"THE PAST IS BURNT AWAY… BUT THE SCARS WILL REMAIN. LIVE… WITH TRUTH."
Then he turned his gaze toward the resort.
After few minutes...
As the flames devoured the Hobb's Resort,
The night sky turned crimson.
The inferno raged like judgment itself—
Wood, stone, and screams blending into a single roar of annihilation.
Every window spat fire, every shadow inside writhed and vanished.
By the time the roof caved in, the structure was little more than a burning monument to sin.
Jojo stood before it,
His silhouette framed by the firelight.
Hisss~
A curl of smoke rose from his shoulders as his hell flames subsided.
With a whoosh of dark smoke, his Ghost Rider form vanished—
Whoosh~
"____"
Bones and fire replaced by flesh and leather once more.
The black glow in his eyes faded, revealing his usual calm, steady gaze.
Toni, Rod, Nick, and Jillian stood a few steps away—
Shaken, dirty, their faces illuminated by the glow of the dying resort.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
"____"
"____"
"____"
The crackle of the fire and the soft hum of insects returning to the forest filled the silence.
Finally, Jojo reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek, matte-black card.
A silver emblem gleamed under the moonlight:
DMC — Devil May Cry.
He handed it to Toni,
Who hesitated before taking it.
"If you ever come across something… not normal or supernatural incident,"
Jojo said evenly, his voice deep but calm,
"call the number on that card. The DMC handles things like this. Depending on what kind of problem it is—vampiric, demonic, or just plain cursed—someone will be sent to deal with it."
Rod took the card,
Flipping it between his fingers,
Reading the cryptic text on the back:
"No job too strange. No evil too strong."
Nick gave a short,
Uneasy laugh.
Ha~
"Guess… this isn't something we'll forget anytime soon."
Jillian, still trembling, whispered,
"Will… will they come after us again? If some one is still alive..."
Jojo shook his head.
"No. What needed to be burned… has been."
Freya stepped closer,
Resting a hand on his shoulder,
Her blonde hair reflecting the flames.
"Let them go, Jojo. They've seen enough hell for one night."
Jojo nodded.
Chuckle~
Nod~
"Yeah."
Toni took one last look at the burning ruins—
Where her nightmare had started and ended—
And then turned to the group.
"Thank you… all of you,"
She said quietly.
"I don't know what we'd have done if—"
"You survived,"
Jojo cut in gently.
"That's what matters."
She gave a small nod, eyes glistening,
Nod~
Before helping Rod into the car.
The others followed.
The vehicle's headlights cut through the smoky air as it rolled down the long dirt road,
Vanishing into the night.
Jojo watched until the lights were gone.
Then he turned to his team—
Freya standing cool and composed;
Inadu's dark eyes still faintly glowing from the energy she'd drawn;
Hope gazing silently at the moon and back to him;
Lizzie and Josie leaning against the car.
Behind them, the Hobb's Resort collapsed with a final crash,
CRASH~
Sparks raining down like dying stars.
Jojo exhaled, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Sigh~
"Well,"
He muttered,
Smirk~
"that's one nest of monsters off the map."
Freya crossed her arms.
"One down,"
She said,
"Still that voodoo practitioner and the church father is out there."
The wind shifted—
Carrying with it the last embers of the cursed place.
The group headed for their own car parked by the gate,
The reflection of fire flickering across its black hood.
Behind them, the flames roared once more before finally dying out—
Leaving only ashes and silence.
The night stretched quiet and cool over the back roads leading out of Hobb's Hollow.
The flames of the resort had long faded behind them,
Leaving only a faint haze of smoke trailing in the moonlight.
By the time Jojo and his team reached the small settlement,
Dawn was breaking—
Painting the horizon in pale orange and soft gray.
The air smelled of wet earth and smoke.
The townsfolk had gathered outside the sheriff's office, their faces weary but relieved, word already spreading that the curse over Hobb's Resort had been broken by the Sheriff himself.
Sheriff Richard, stepped out of his office,
Adjusting his hat as Jojo and the group approached.
His eyes lingered on Jojo and others.
"Well,"
He said with a tired smile,
"guessin' by the fireball that lit up the whole damn sky, I don't need to ask if the job's done."
Jojo gave a curt nod.
Nod~
"It's done. You won't be hearing from the Hobb family again."
The sheriff's expression hardened then relaxed for a moment—
The news he was waiting for has finally arrived.
Then he exhaled, walking over to his desk and pulling a thick envelope from the drawer.
"This is the agreed payment,"
Richard said, handing it over.
"You earned every cent. Folks here… they don't have much, but they'll sleep easier now."
Jojo took it without a word,
Slipping it into his coat.
Freya, standing beside him, smiled faintly and added,
"That's all the thanks we need."
Nearby, Hope and Josie were speaking with the boy,
Jojo had saved earlier that night.
The child—
Peeked out from behind his father's leg, holding a small wooden carving.
His wide eyes met Jojo's.
"You… you were still alive,"
The boy said softly.
Jojo crouched down so they were eye to eye.
"You're safe now. Stay with father, listen to him."
The boy nodded earnestly.
Nod~
"I won't. I promise."
Freya smiled and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder before standing back beside Jojo.
Richard bid his farewell.
"You folks headin' out?"
Jojo nodded.
Nod~
"New Orleans. There's always another job waiting."
Jojo smirked slightly.
Smirk~
"That makes two of us."
He turned toward the car,
Engine rumbling as Hope slid into the driver's seat and Inadu adjusted her dark cloak in the back.
Freya, glancing out at the pale sunrise that was bleeding across the fields.
As Jojo climbed in last,
He glanced back one more time—
Then the engine growled, tires crunching over gravel as they pulled out of town,
Leaving behind the settlement.
New Orleans...
In the heart of New Orleans,
The old Abattoir had become eerily silent.
Moonlight filtered through cracked windows, pooling in silver streaks across the dusty floorboards.
The faint hum of distant jazz music drifted in from the French Quarter —
Muffled, haunting, and utterly at odds with the tension inside.
French Quarter...
In the center of the grand hall,
Aponi hung suspended by spiked, rune-carved chains,
Each one glowing faintly with an amber-red light that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The chains were forged by Bonnie's magic,
Designed to suppress her powers and prevent escape.
Every movement made them tighten, biting into her skin,
Drawing thin rivulets of blood.
A few feet away stood Alaric Saltzman, arms crossed,
His expression carved with frustration.
"____"
He'd been questioning her for hours,
But every answer came back the same —
She didn't know where Malivore was.
Damon, lounging on a nearby couch, swirled a glass of bourbon and smirked.
Smirk~
"You know, Ric, I think she's telling the truth. Either that, or she's the best damn liar I've met since Katherine. And that's saying something."
Bonnie, standing by a sigil-drawn circle on the floor, shook her head.
Sigh~
"No. I checked her aura — it's scattered, disoriented. Whatever link she had to Malivore… it's been severed."
Caroline paced near the chained girl,
Her blonde hair shimmering faintly in the candlelight.
"So we're back to square one. She doesn't even know where the damn thing is?"
Aponi's head lifted slowly,
Eyes flickering between exhaustion and defiance.
"You think I'd ever be told where Malivore hides?"
Her voice cracked, but her tone was steady.
"He's a void. A devourer of souls. Even those who serve him don't see him. We only feel his call."
Her words sent a ripple of unease through the room.
Before anyone could respond,
The main door creaked open, and a familiar, commanding voice filled the hall.
"Seems like you've been busy in my city,"
Drawled Klaus Mikaelson, stepping through the doorway with that smug, dangerous smile only he could wear.
His presence filled the room instantly —
Centuries of predatory confidence in every stride.
He looked around, eyes landing briefly on Aponi before shifting to Alaric.
"Charming décor, Ric. Torture by chains? How very human of you."
Damon raised his glass.
"Look who finally decided to join the little reunion."
Klaus ignored him, turning his gaze back to the captive witch.
"Now then, little dove,"
He murmured, his voice dropping into a low, hypnotic tone.
"You'll tell us where your master hides… or I'll make you wish you'd never crawled out of whatever pit he birthed you from."
Aponi's breath hitched, fear flickering across her face for the first time.
"____"
Bonnie glanced at him sharply.
"Klaus, we've been over this — torture won't get us anywhere."
Klaus smirked.
Smirk~
"Oh, I'm not going to torture her, love. I'm going to remind her what she's dealing with."
With that, he stepped closer, his vampire visage flashing for just a moment —
Eyes black, veins darkening under his skin, fangs bared.
The air itself seemed to thrum with tension, the chains rattling as Aponi recoiled.
Alaric moved forward, his tone warning.
"Easy, Klaus. She's no use to us dead."
Klaus tilted his head, smirking faintly.
Smirk~
"Then let's hope she's more talkative before that happens."
He crouched before Aponi, eyes boring into hers.
"Now… where is Malivore?"
Klaus is very happy playing bad cop here.
Meanwhile, Hayley emerged from the kitchen,
Balancing a tray laden with glasses of bourbon with blood and water.
She moved with her usual calm confidence,
Setting the drinks down on the coffee table before handing each one out.
Caroline took hers with a small nod of thanks, though her eyes remained fixed on Aponi—
Still bound tightly by the glowing, spiked chains that shimmered with faint runic energy.
The Wolf's face was calm, but her power had long since been suppressed;
Any attempt to resist was instantly met with burning pain from the enchanted metal.
Hayley exhaled quietly and sank into the nearby couch,
Brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
"Any luck?"
She asked, glancing at the others.
Alaric didn't answer right away.
"____"
He sat slouched in his chair, two fingers pressed against his temple as he rubbed his forehead, eyes half-closed in frustration.
"None,"
He muttered finally.
"She either doesn't know where Malivore is… or she's too terrified to say it."
Damon leaned back in his chair with a lazy smirk, though the irritation in his eyes betrayed his tone.
Smirk~
"I vote terrified. The way those chains tighten every time she lies? You'd think that'd motivate her."
Bonnie shot him a warning glance before turning her gaze back to Aponi.
"Fear doesn't make people honest, Damon. It makes them desperate."
"____"
"____"
"____"
Silence fell over the room for a moment,
Broken only by the soft clink of Hayley setting her empty glass down.
Alaric sighed and finally said,
"For now, all we can do is wait for Jojo to come back."
Forks...
Meanwhile, in the quiet, mist-draped town of Forks,
The Cullen mansion...
Inside, the air was heavy with tension.
The Cullen family—
Carlisle and Esme seated side by side,
Emmett with his arm casually slung around Jess,
Jasper standing protectively beside Edyth,
And Rosalie and Alice poised near the window—
Watched their uninvited guests with calm, measured expressions.
Across the spacious living room stood four members of the Volturi guard,
Their crimson eyes gleaming faintly under the chandelier's glow.
Cloaked in deep charcoal robes, they carried the silent authority of death itself.
Carlisle clasped his hands together, maintaining his diplomatic tone.
"I must admit, I expected Aro himself,"
He said carefully, his golden eyes betraying a flicker of relief.
"But it seems he trusted you to handle this matter."
The lead Volturi guard—
Demetri—
Offered a thin, cold smile.
"Aro is… occupied,"
He replied, his voice smooth but carrying an undertone of suspicion.
"However, the incident in question was of great concern. Two of our own, burned alive by a creature wreathed in flame. We were told the Cullens might have… insight."
A faint rumble came from Emmett, his jaw tightening.
"____"
"Insight? You mean rumors,"
He said, his tone edged.
Esme placed a gentle hand on his arm, silently urging restraint.
"We heard of the tragedy,"
She said softly.
"But we've never encountered such a being ourselves. When we arrived at the location there is no such flame thing you mentioned."
Demetri's eyes narrowed, reading every twitch, every flicker of emotion.
"Strange,"
He murmured.
"Given your proximity to certain… anomalies in this region. Your family does have a tendency to attract the unusual."
"____"
"____"
"____"
Alice, still and serene by the window, broke her silence with a faint smile.
"We attract many things, Demetri. That doesn't mean we invite them in."
For a moment, no one spoke.
The tension hummed like a drawn bowstring.
The Volturi members exchanged a glance but could sense that the Cullens were holding something back.
They had clearly seen or heard more than they admitted—
But their unity made interrogation pointless.
Finally, Demetri straightened.
"Very well. If this creature crosses your path, you'll report it immediately. The Volturi will not tolerate another incident."
Carlisle nodded calmly.
Nod~
"Of course. You have my word."
As the four vampires turned to leave, Jasper's gaze followed them until the door closed behind their dark silhouettes.
They moved at high speed entering the forks forest.
Only then did he exhale slowly.
"They don't believe us,"
He said flatly.
Rosalie crossed her arms, her tone sharp.
"Good. Let them chase shadows. Let them pray that Jojo didnt return soon."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
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