[Chapter 65: New Luck Alter Ritual]
"Enough talking," Douglas said, unable to stomach any more. A wave of nausea washed over him.
Sheriff Ford was equally uncomfortable, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Those bastards deserve to die."
Daniel responded calmly, "Otherwise, why would they be called a cult?"
Douglas shook his head. "If you had told me this before, I would have refused even more firmly."
Daniel's tone grew serious. "Those who want to join will pay any price."
Neither Douglas nor Sheriff Ford could argue with that. The whole situation was beyond unacceptable to them. But for some, it was just business as usual.
Shifting gears, Daniel said, "Frank, when you get back, you need to make a will. Once you die, all your assets should transfer to a trust fund. Katherine will receive only a fixed annual allowance she can't freely access until she turns 40. This will should be made public -- and published through several reputable media outlets."
Douglas and Ford immediately caught Daniel's meaning.
"That's a smart move," Ford said. "It reduces Katherine's value to them. They might just leave her alone."
Daniel shook his head. "Don't count on them letting her go. But it will at least postpone any immediate harm to Katherine. Maybe they'll honor the One-Year Agreement."
Douglas nodded. "A will can be challenged, but it's a hassle. They'd have to prove it's fraudulent. With their power, it's possible but difficult. Mr. Cross is right; this kind of trouble will make them think twice."
...
Just then, the Rolls-Royce pulled up to Douglas's mansion, right on time for lunch.
The kitchen, having been notified in advance, laid out an impressive spread of gourmet dishes.
After lunch, as they were leaving, Daniel passed by Tanusha's room again. He pushed open the door and saw that, although still restrained, she no longer fought as fiercely.
Looking at her, Daniel couldn't help but think of another horror movie.
Tanusha and her husband seemed straight out of The Skeleton Key. But according to her, the Brotherhood of Saints also tangled with elements from another film -- Get Out.
That movie's premise also involved soul transfer, but it was framed more scientifically. It portrayed consciousness being transplanted into another body through hypnosis. The original consciousness remained, though, surfacing briefly when exposed to bright light to seize control.
The strangest part? Only Black people could survive this consciousness transfer procedure. That led to many Black people becoming targets of the white characters in the film.
Daniel thought the director and screenwriter must have been both narcissistic and heavily paranoid.
However, when this concept manifested in reality, many of those absurd elements were altered.
First off, it wasn't only Black people who could endure soul transfer anymore, and the scientific consciousness transfer surgery was discarded entirely.
Everything now revolved around pure soul transfer.
The fear of bright light survived as a vulnerability -- a notable flaw in the transfer process.
The organization behind this was the Brotherhood of Saints, far more powerful and expansive than portrayed in the movie.
Tanusha and her husband were members.
'One year. I hope that's enough.' Daniel quietly closed Tanusha's door.
...
When Daniel returned home, the aftereffects of the Rite of Divine Empowerment were already setting in. His entire body ached and throbbed with bursts of sharp pain.
This time, the technique had been used longer than before, worsening the strain. The recovery would naturally be tougher.
Pulling out the paperweight, Daniel summoned Flesh-Mangled Face. "Go get rats -- lots of them."
Having done this before, Flesh-Mangled Face floated out without hesitation.
Shortly after, it returned, wrapping over ten rats in dark energy.
Daniel opened the underground door and tossed the rats inside.
Soon, he felt an infusion of power ripple through him; the soreness eased.
"It really works," Daniel said, pleased. "Get more rats."
After three rounds, Daniel felt significantly better. Yet the healing slowed down. It wasn't that the rats were ineffective -- the Moth Monster beneath seemed somewhat resistant and reluctant to devour them.
"Do you want to die?" Daniel growled coldly.
Immediately, the healing surge returned.
By evening, the recovery that had previously taken days was complete. His body no longer ached. He felt revitalized.
"Not charging you for moving back wasn't a waste," Daniel said slowly toward the basement.
...
The next morning, inside a private room at Daniel's house, Robert Downey Jr. lay on a mat surrounded by dozens of lit candles.
If Carlos had been there, he'd recognize how similar this setup was to where his niece had lain that night.
But besides the candles, the room was filled with seals, candles, incense, ritual bells, coins, and other icons lending the space an even more mysterious aura.
Robert felt both nervous and excited as he lay there.
Outside the circle of candles stood Susan, his girlfriend, watching anxiously.
Daniel held his sanctum blade and began circling the candles, chanting incantations.
Minutes later, several seals near Robert suddenly burst into flames.
Though nothing visibly changed as the charms burned, Robert sensed something different -- an intangible shift he couldn't articulate.
"All right, you can get up now," Daniel said, sheathing his sword.
Robert sat up, puzzled. "That's it?"
The ritual had felt surprisingly simple.
"There's one last part," Daniel said. "Follow me."
He led Robert and Susan to the basement entrance.
There, near the doorway, sat a small sealed cardboard box. Neither of them knew its contents.
Daniel pointed. "Open the door, push the box inside, then close the door."
Robert frowned. "Why..."
"Don't ask," Daniel cut him off sharply.
Robert didn't press further and obeyed.
He swung open the basement door, pushed the small box inside, and closed the door.
During the brief moment, he thought he heard a sound -- faint and fleeting. He wasn't sure if he'd imagined it.
"Is that all, Mr. Cross?" Robert asked expectantly after closing the door.
"Wait and see," Daniel replied cryptically.
Robert fell silent, standing quietly.
A few minutes later, his whole body suddenly trembled, his face drained of color and eyes wide with shock, as if his mind was struggling to grasp some unfathomable truth.
*****
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