To enter the community where the priest who had sent the request was located, Jonathan had to walk long distances with Wednesday. Many people used horses to get through these areas, but since they were not locals and had no time, they ignored many regulations.
Many of the locals who looked at him didn't say anything; after all, he was a priest, a man of God who wasn't looking for trouble.
But not everyone was like that; after all, they were in an Indian reservation.
"Hey, Father, can you hear me? I have a question for you."
Jonathan sighed deeply and turned his head toward those boys who were sitting under a tree smoking, waiting to ask whatever they wanted.
"Do you think your God exists?" one boy asked loudly while raising his hands to the sides.
"Hahahahaha!" His friends laughed together; the laughter was harsh and mocking.
Obviously, these young men were only seeking their own amusement. Jonathan felt no sorrow in his heart, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
As a man who had been in the presence of death, he knew that everyone would eventually suffer for their sins, and these kids would be no different.
Unlike the peaceful world of his previous life, there were demons and supernatural beings that appeared in reality, things one would only expect to find in fairy tales. He didn't know exactly whether any god of any religion truly existed, but he did know of the existence of an entity that could very easily be God.
If Christian tools were useful, it was due to the faith placed in them. That was the theory, but everyone thought differently and had every right to do so. As an Exorcist Priest, he knew that holy water was effective, as well as silver crosses and rosaries—they were all effective against dark beings, so his opinion on the matter needed to remain open-minded.
Besides that, the most powerful proof that God existed was that the demons and evil spirits he exorcised would curse God at the very end of their resistance.
What did that show? God really could exist, and His presence in this world was stronger than anywhere else.
If these young men dared to ridicule the name of God in vain like this, they would be punished according to their actions—maybe not now, but they would be punished.
Thinking of this, Jonathan smiled modestly and said, "I will pray for your souls…"
"Hahahahaha, this stupid priest."
"He'll still pray for us? Haha! If God exists, let a damn lightning bolt strike me!"
"If God existed, He wouldn't have allowed everything my ancestors suffered."
In the face of Jonathan's calmness, these kids became even more foolish.
Jonathan only felt pity for them. He looked away and said to Wednesday, who had been watching them for a while, "Remember this lesson. We're not in this kind of work to look after kids like that, but to clear the fog from the paths of those who truly deserve peace."
"Yes, I understand!" Wednesday nodded with a look of understanding. As a future certified hunter, she needed to have an unbreakable will; she couldn't doubt why she was seeking the path of Light or she would end up being rejected.
Jonathan saw her firm expression, so he asked, "Have you spoken with your family? I hope they don't hate me for taking you out of that school… or am I wrong?"
"It shouldn't even matter to you what my family thinks…"
Jonathan nodded and said, "You're right about that. Let's hurry and finish this as soon as possible…"
Wednesday smiled slightly. A few minutes later, they climbed a rather steep hill.
At that moment, an elderly man with white hair suddenly appeared from the building beside them and slowly walked toward them.
"Good morning, you must be the priest who will help Felix's family…"
"That's me, pleased to meet you, sir!" Jonathan nodded upon seeing the old man who had appeared suddenly and asked, "Are you heading to the village?"
Although he didn't know everyone in this place, he could recognize the aura of the faithful—those who regularly prayed and performed good deeds.
"Yes, Priest." The old man, whom everyone called Luk, nodded, and his gaze landed on some young men far away who were making a lot of noise.
"There's no need to pay attention to them. They're nothing but scum, not worth saving. They'll drown in their own shit sooner or later."
"Sooner or later everything is paid for in this world…" Jonathan nodded and smiled faintly as his gaze moved between the buildings.
"I hope you can pray for my wife. I won't bother you anymore so you can continue on your way." Old Luk held Jonathan's hands before continuing on his path.
Jonathan looked into the eyes of that old man and said, "I'll be praying for your wife, sir. Take good care of yourself, and remember to eat well to stay strong."
"Thank you for your kindness…" Luk smiled gently.
Jonathan nodded, walked through a small path, and headed toward the community where the distress message had been sent.
After walking through puddles and mud, Jonathan and Wednesday reached their destination, a beautiful wooden house with a backyard attached to it.
Speaking of which, the security in Indian communities was among the best. Some police patrols often passed through the streets, and there was an absence of criminals wasting time, making it a middle-class area.
Seeing a priest with a bandaged hand waiting beside what seemed to be the affected family, they approached.
"Priest Jonathan…"
Jonathan ignored the anxious looks from the two adults, turned toward Wednesday, and ordered, "Before identifying the entity, take care of the initial procedures."
"Yes!" Wednesday, who was carrying a large black case, set it on the ground and took out some incense sticks, then took out a golden censer with chains and prepared the equipment to begin suppressing the evil.
"Don't be alarmed. First, my assistant will handle protecting you…"
Felix looked at his son and wife, who had fallen silent. They had heard stories, but they never imagined Jonathan would be so prepared for this.
"In the name of heaven, light, and earth, cleanse this domain and bring light to the darkness that torments this family…" Jonathan began to speak in Latin, walking around the house while Wednesday spread the incense, shaking the chains and censer.
Normally, demons or spirits marked the family, with the purpose of jumping from one body to another. But now that the house was protected and none of the members of the Long family showed signs of change, it meant they were fine.
"I've finished the preparations…" Wednesday sighed as she wiped away cold sweat. She never expected Jonathan to give her so much work right from the start as his assistant.
Jonathan observed carefully before lowering his guard.
Demons and evil spirits were truly dangerous, so he had no choice but to take many precautions. After all, the capabilities of these dark entities were extremely malignant. Although he and Wednesday might be protected from cursed possession, the victim's family was not.
"You know how this works. You don't mention anything about it, and you stay silent while we do the job. We know your son is being possessed by a malevolent entity. I will make sure it doesn't get worse, so only one of you can come with me."
Jonathan preferred that the father or grandfather accompany him; the mother could be too dramatic, and anyone else didn't meet his standards.
"Priest, let me accompany you…" Felix volunteered this time. He felt Jonathan was very different from any other priest he had ever met, including Father Luis, who stepped aside respectfully.
At that moment, Wednesday approached with the results and murmured, "Someone is playing with rituals in this house. The results say a very negative energy exists here."
"Then we need to prepare."
Wednesday took out a gun and soon attached a silencer to it. The whole family grew nervous, but without caring about that she said, "We are trying to save your family. We suspect that somewhere in the house there's a ritual, so if you don't agree with us helping you, the best option will be to eliminate you to avoid causing problems for others in this community."
"Wait, wait, wait a minute—there's a ritual in our house?" Felix wanted to stop everything because of how fast things were moving and asked in confusion.
"Tell me, where? If you supposedly know everything that's going on in our family, tell me where the ritual is." The mother of the affected child, named Anna, thought these people were aware that many things didn't make sense, but for some reason she also felt they weren't lying.
"That's simple." Jonathan walked toward the staircase to the second floor, following the aura surrounding them, and pointed to the small vent on the ceiling. "You must smell what's around you. Wake up."
Wednesday felt a wave of heat surrounding her, and at that moment she felt she was being affected by the ritual that was affecting the entire community.
"The shed?" Felix found this very strange, but still walked over to open it.
As soon as he opened it, a strong stench of rot came from above, making many cover their noses. Steve, now more terrified, climbed the stairs slowly.
Jonathan walked toward Wednesday, placed a blood cross on her forehead, and said, "Give them the silver crosses; they're going to need them."
Just as Jonathan was about to say something, a scream of horror came from above, and shortly after Felix approached, almost fainting from shock. "Anna, why is your sister's body in the shed?"
"What did you say?" Anna pushed Jonathan aside and climbed up to the shed using the ladder. As soon as she reached the corner, she saw her sister's headless corpse. She stared at it in horror and stepped back, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Jonathan, who had also climbed up, walked toward the spot and looked at the ritual. He extended his blood-covered hand and murmured, "May God forgive your sins."