(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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The house was silent now,
"...."
"...."
"...."
Except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan and the soft sobs coming from the adjoining room.
Jojo sat on the worn-out couch,
His elbows resting loosely on his knees,
Eyes half-lidded in thought.
Beside him, Caroline crossed her legs,
Her expression calm but thoughtful.
Inadu sat quietly on the far end,
Her gaze fixed on the half-open door through which the father and daughter could still be heard their muffled voices a blend of relief and heartbreak.
The air was heavy with emotion —
The kind that lingers even after victory.
Inadu's eyes softened.
"...."
Watching Atharva holding his daughter,
Crying like a broken man who had finally found the light,
Stirred something deep inside her.
Memories she rarely allowed herself to feel —
Cold voices, cruel laughter,
The suffocating weight of being unwanted.
Her lips trembled slightly before she looked down at her hands.
'Sixteen years,'
She thought.
'He fought for her for sixteen years… my parents wouldn't even fight for a second.'
A bitter smile tugged at her lips —
"...."
Part envy, part sorrow.
Jojo noticed the faint flicker of emotion crossing her face.
Without a word,
He reached over and rested his hand gently on her shoulder,
His thumb brushing lightly in reassurance.
Inadu turned her head slightly,
"...."
Startled, and met his gaze.
Jojo's expression was calm,
"...."
The kind of steady warmth that didn't need words.
His smile was small but genuine —
Telling her that she wasn't alone,
That old perverted ghost haunted her past,
She had found her people now.
Her lips parted, and she exhaled softly —
Sigh~
Tension melting from her posture.
She gave him a small, reluctant smile in return.
"...."
Caroline, watching from the side,
Leaned back against the couch and exhaled quietly through her nose.
'So that's the famous witch who terrified the Mikaelsons,'
She thought, amused but a little touched.
'Underneath all that power, she's just… human.'
Atharva and Arya the daughter stepped out from the bedroom.
Where she has been coffined all these year's.
The faint smell of old incense still clung to the air,
Mixed with the metallic tang of dried tears.
Arya's steps were unsteady —
Her father's hand trembling as he guided her forward.
Her eyes were still red and swollen,
The faint traces of years lost to darkness shadowing her face.
Then, without warning,
Atharva sank to his knees before Jojo, Inadu, and Caroline.
"...."
"...."
"...."
His hands shook as he bowed deeply,
His voice breaking with emotion.
"No god… no priest… no healer ever helped us,"
He rasped, tears welling in his eyes.
"For sixteen years, I begged, I prayed… but all I found was silence."
He looked up at them —
At Jojo standing calm and unreadable,
At Inadu with her quiet intensity,
At Caroline who watched with sympathy.
"You three… you came here and gave my child her life back."
His voice trembled.
"For me, that makes you gods."
Jojo's jaw tightened —
"...."
Not out of pride, but discomfort.
He stepped forward, offering the old man a hand.
"We're not gods, Atharva,"
He said quietly.
"Just people who refuse to look away."
Arya tried to follow her father's gesture,
But before she could bow,
Jojo placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.
His touch stopped her, firm but gentle.
"...."
She looked up, startled, meeting his calm gaze.
"It's enough that you're standing,"
Jojo said softly.
Inadu, who had been silent until then, glanced at Jojo —
Seeking his permission.
He gave her a small nod.
Nod~
She turned toward Arya and knelt to meet her at eye level.
Her voice softened, losing its usual sharp edge.
"You remind me a little of myself,"
Inadu said.
"Once… I was a puppet too. Controlled by old pervert. Used for his perpose, his fight's, a weapon."
Arya blinked, unsure how to respond.
"...."
"It took me more than a thousand years to be free,"
Inadu continued.
Her eyes flicked to Jojo, a faint smile touching her lips.
"And I only managed it because of him."
Jojo gave a quiet smirk,
Smirk~
Pretending to study his boots like he didn't hear that.
Inadu's expression grew serious again as she held Arya's gaze.
"Sixteen years under a curse leaves traces. You might not feel it now, but there's magic inside you — the kind that's born from surviving."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a black card,
Its silver letters glinting faintly in the dim light.
DMC — Devil May Cry.
"If you ever want to learn to control it,"
Inadu said gently,
"if you want to stop being the victim and start being the hunter… think about joining us."
Arya took the card hesitantly,
Her fingers brushing Inadu's.
"I…"
She swallowed hard, her voice still raw.
"I don't know if I can."
"Don't decide now,"
Inadu said.
"Just think."
The girl nodded slowly, clutching the card like a lifeline.
Nod~
Caroline smiled faintly,
Watching the exchange.
Jojo turned away toward the window,
Where the last light of evening faded over the fields.
His expression was unreadable —
But his tone, when he spoke, was calm and certain.
"Every curse leaves a scar,"
He said quietly.
"Sometimes, that scar is what keeps us moving forward."
Outside, the crickets had started to sing again.
The air was still heavy —
But this time,
It carried a quiet peace.
Then they bid farewell to the father and daughter duo.
The road back to the hotel stretched endlessly under the dim orange streetlights.
The hum of the jeep's engine was the only sound cutting through the quiet Gujarat night.
Jojo sat behind the wheel,
His eyes fixed on the road but his thoughts elsewhere.
The faint glow from his phone illuminated his face as he spoke into the small earpiece.
"Sara,"
He said, voice calm but clipped.
"Any progress on tracking Father Sal Tedeschi?"
The AI's voice came through the speaker,
Smooth and metallic yet faintly feminine.
"Last confirmed location — Chennai International Airport, forty-eight hours ago. After that... It's like he vanished, sir."
Jojo's brow furrowed.
Frown~
"Vanished how?"
"Dont know sir. All I can tell was he has avoided all the cctv camera's where ever he gone,"
Sara replied.
"I'm still scanning residual cctv cameras. Please hold."
Beside him, Inadu leaned her head against the window, watching the blurry lights flicker past.
"He's hiding,"
She murmured.
"Or being hidden."
Caroline sat in the back seat, arms crossed, her reflection visible in the glass.
"Whatever he's planning, even through it was not connected to what happened at that school,"
She said, her tone firm.
"No one vanishes like that he is covering his tracks."
Jojo didn't respond immediately.
"...."
His jaw tightened as the jeep turned onto the narrow lane leading to their hotel.
"Keep digging, Sara,"
He finally said.
"Cross-reference airport logs, private transport manifests — everything. I want every shadow this priest's walked through lit up by morning."
"Understood, sir,"
The AI answered.
"I'll report the moment I locate any anomaly."
The line clicked off.
They pulled up before the hotel —
A modest two-story building tucked behind a row of palms,
Its neon sign flickering faintly in the night wind.
As Jojo parked, he exhaled slowly, fingers drumming once against the steering wheel.
"We came to Gujarat because it was chaos,"
He muttered.
"But this…"
He looked up at the stars, his expression darkening.
"This was only the prelude."
Caroline climbed out, stretching her legs.
"So,"
She said, glancing at him with a half-smile,
"what's next?"
Jojo stepped out, shutting the door behind him.
"We pack,"
He said simply.
"We leave for Chennai at first light. That priest—"
His voice lowered, eyes gleaming faintly,
"—he's not just some preacher dabbling in darkness. Peoples like him are the reason this rot is spreading."
Inadu looked up at him, her expression unreadable.
"And when we find him?"
Jojo gave a humorless smile,
The faintest spark of fire glinting in his eyes.
"Then,"
He said,
"we'll remind him what real judgment looks like."
The hotel room was dim,
Washed in the soft amber light from the bedside lamp.
Outside, the hum of late-night traffic mixed with the sound of a distant train cutting through the Gujarat dark.
Jojo sat sprawled on the couch,
A cold beer bottle resting between his fingers,
Its condensation glinting under the light.
The muted TV played some late-night news,
But his attention was fixed on the phone in his other hand.
He was scrolling through YouTube absent-mindedly when a thumbnail caught his eye —
A stylized clip of his face.
The title read in bold white letters:
"Bro dropped two bangers and vanished."
For a moment,
Jojo just stared at it —
Then a slow, amused smirk curled at the edge of his mouth.
Smirk~
He tapped the video.
The screen filled with edits —
Flashes of his concerts,
Snippets of his music videos, fan comments running like wildfire across the feed.
"Where is he now?" —
"The legend disappeared just like that!" —
"That voice, that fire… he's not human. I want him back I feel like illumanati kidnapped him."
Jojo leaned back, the faint light reflecting in his eyes as he took a long sip of beer.
"Not human, huh,"
He muttered, chuckling under his breath.
Chuckle~
Inadu, sitting by the window and cleaning her dagger, glanced at him.
"What's so funny?"
Jojo tilted the screen toward her with a grin.
Grin~
"Apparently, I'm trending again. The 'mysterious artist who vanished after two songs two years ago.'"
Jojo shrugged, setting the beer down and stretching.
"Maybe one day,"
He said casually.
"But first…"
"After we finish this mess in Chennai,"
He said,
"it's time I dropped another track. Been too quiet for too long."
There was a sudden knock at the door.
Knock~ Knock~
Jojo frowned, setting his phone aside, and crossed the room.
Frown~
"...."
When he opened it,
Inadu stood there—
Her eyes dark, unreadable in the dim light.
Without a word she stepped inside, brushing past him.
He raised an eyebrow at her boldness.
The door clicked shut behind her, the air instantly shifting.
Click~
"Inadu?"
He asked, half-amused.
Her lips curved into a teasing smile.
"You've kept me waiting long enough,"
She murmured.
Before he could respond,
Her magic swept through the room—
Gentle but irresistible.
Jojo found himself pulled backward until his knees hit the edge of the bed.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
She leaned in, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath against his neck.
The energy between them crackled—
"...."
"...."
Fire and storm meeting halfway.
What followed was a blur of laughter, whispers, and unspoken emotion—
A night where restraint gave way to connection,
And two powerful beings finally allowed themselves to fall into the gravity that had been pulling them together for so long.
The first light of dawn filtered through the thin curtains,
Painting the room in shades of gold and quiet warmth.
The chaos of the night before had long faded,
Replaced by a deep, steady stillness.
Jojo stirred first.
"...."
"...."
Inadu lay beside him, her head resting against his chest,
One arm loosely draped across him.
Their breathing moved in rhythm —
Slow, even, peaceful.
For a long moment,
He didn't move.
He simply watched the morning light crawl across the ceiling,
Listened to the faint hum of the city outside,
And let the silence settle around them.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then, gently, he shifted, brushing a stray lock of hair from Inadu's face.
She murmured something half-asleep but didn't wake.
Jojo smiled faintly, his expression soft —
The kind that rarely appeared on his face.
Carefully, he slid out of the bed and stretched,
The faint ache in his muscles a quiet reminder of the night's intensity.
The bathroom light flicked on a moment later,
Followed by the sound of running water.
Steam filled the edges of the doorway as Jojo stood under the shower,
Letting the cool water wash over him, clearing his thoughts.
"...."
When he stepped out,
The room was bathed fully in morning light.
Inadu had woken by then,
Sitting up with her knees pulled to her chest,
Her hair falling freely over her shoulders.
She glanced at him —
"...."
Her usual composure returning —
But there was warmth in her eyes that hadn't been there before.
"Sleep well?"
Jojo asked, towel slung casually over his shoulder.
She smirked faintly.
Smirk~
"You talk too much for someone who should still be asleep."
Jojo chuckled.
Chuckle~
"And miss our flight? Not a chance."
Within hours, they were checked out of the hotel.
The morning breeze of Gujarat carried the faint scent of dust and diesel as Jojo handed the jeep's keys back to the travel agent.
Sara's calm voice played through his earpiece as they moved toward the airport terminal.
"Tickets confirmed. Departure in one hour. Destination: Chennai International Airport. Weather: clear. Estimated arrival — four hours."
Jojo nodded absently.
Nod~
"Good. Notify Caroline to meet us at the terminal."
Inadu adjusted her jacket, looking out at the tarmac through the glass walls.
"Chennai,"
She murmured.
"Let's hope your priest doesn't vanish again."
Jojo smirked, slipping on his sunglasses as the boarding announcement echoed through the speakers.
Smirk~
"If he does,"
He said quietly,
"I'll make sure he doesn't vanish alone this time."
Together, they walked toward the gate —
Two shadows against the morning light —
As the engines of their next hunt roared to life beyond the glass.
Chennai...
The plane touched down smoothly on the Chennai runway,
Its engines roaring before fading into a steady hum.
Outside, the morning sun was already blazing, painting the tarmac in sharp gold and heat shimmer.
Jojo leaned back in his seat as the announcement for arrival played in Tamil and English.
Inadu, seated by the window, adjusted her sunglasses,
Her sharp eyes catching the bustling sight of the airport below.
Caroline stretched in her seat, letting out a sigh.
Sigh~
"Finally,"
She muttered.
"Gujarat was too dry for my skin."
Jojo smirked faintly, grabbing his duffel bag from the overhead cabin.
Smirk~
"Welcome to the tropics,"
He said, slinging it over his shoulder.
They stepped out into the Chennai International Airport —
The sound hit them first.
Announcements overlapping in multiple languages, rolling suitcases,
The mix of travelers, locals,
And the scent of coffee and spice heavy in the air.
Sara's calm, mechanical tone echoed in Jojo's earpiece.
"Local temperature: thirty-four degrees Celsius. Traffic density: moderate. I recommend ground transport over air surveillance for discretion."
"Already on it,"
Jojo replied quietly.
Outside the airport, the heat hit them like a wall.
The crowd swirled around —
Cab drivers calling, horns blaring, a thousand lives moving at once.
Amid it all, Jojo stood calm, scanning the area as if reading the city's pulse.
Within minutes...
They reached a car rental kiosk.
Jojo handed over his passport with a practiced ease,
Signing the papers and taking the keys from a polite attendant.
The car —
A black Toyota Fortuner —
Gleamed under the sun.
As they got in,
Caroline settled in the back seat and sighed in relief as the AC kicked in.
"Now this,"
She said, leaning back,
"is more like it."
Jojo started the engine, eyes briefly meeting Inadu's through the rearview mirror.
"Sara, find us a place,"
He said.
"Coordinates locked. Five-star category. Privacy level: high. Recommendation — The Leela Palace, Chennai."
Jojo smirked.
Smirk~
"Of course."
The drive from the airport cut through the city —
The endless sprawl of concrete and color,
Temples rising between glass buildings,
The scent of jasmine and street food wafting through the vents.
Inadu gazed out the window,
Her reflection half-lit by the sunlight.
"This city feels… energetic,"
She murmured.
Caroline chuckled softly.
Chuckle~
"That's because it is. It's one of the one."
After forty minutes,
The car slowed before the grand facade of The Leela Palace,
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
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