Chapter 127: Suprise News...

Ghost Rider tightened his grip around the struggling Creeper's throat, his hollow, burning eyes locked onto the monster's own.

The Penance Stare was in full force.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Creeper thrashed violently, its wings flailing, but the iron grip of death held firm.

Ghost Rider's jaw opened, releasing a bone-chilling roar that echoed through the cemetery.

"What is he doing?"

Klaus arched a brow, watching Creeper's tortured expression.

Its contorted face screamed in agony, as if suffering through something far worse than physical pain.

Elijah, equally intrigued, turned to Freya, waiting for an answer.

He had seen this ability before—when JoJo used it on Greta—but watching it again only deepened his curiosity.

Freya, never taking her eyes off Ghost Rider, finally spoke.

"It's one of his abilities."

Her voice was low, calm, but carried a weight of understanding.

"According to him, this power forces the victim to experience every sin they've ever committed—reliving it in the cruelest, most unbearable way—until their very soul collapses under the burden."

Klaus and Elijah exchanged looks, their expressions shifting from intrigue to awe as the realization sank in.

"Who… who are you people?!"

The panicked voice of Chase interrupted their conversation.

His entire body trembled, sweat dripping from his forehead as he pointed at Ghost Rider.

"W-what is that thing?! A-and what the hell is that monster?!"

His eyes darted to Creeper, still trapped in the fiery grip, his mind unable to process what he was witnessing.

Laine and Clarrie weren't any better.

Laine clutched her chest, trying to control her breathing, while Clarrie stood pale and stiff, her lips trembling.

They had just watched their guide, Stu, get devoured.

Now, another inhuman monster was being burned alive before them.

"Quiet."

Freya sighed, her irritation clear.

Without another word, she cast a spell—and instantly, the three collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious.

Creeper's screams weakened.

Its once-violent struggles slowed.

Until—It stopped moving altogether.

Its charred, blackened eyes stared into nothingness.

The Penance Stare had done its work.

But the punishment didn't end there.

A dark, eerie stillness settled over the corpse.

The souls it had devoured for centuries now turned against it.

For the first time, Creeper felt their pain.

Their sins—the burdens of their suffering—all crashed down onto its own soul.

And Creeper paid the price.

THUD!

Ghost Rider dropped the lifeless body to the ground.

Then—

RAAAAAAAAAAA!

He roared victoriously, placing one flaming boot on Creeper's corpse.

And then—The body began to change.

A dark cocoon-like structure wrapped around Creeper's remains.

But instead of silk—It was made of hellfire.

The flames spread hungrily, consuming everything—Skin. Bones.

Even the very essence of what Creeper once was.

The air filled with the sickening sound of cracking flesh and hissing embers.

And then—

Puff.

With a final burst of black smoke—Creeper was gone.

Burned to nothing.

JoJo sighed.

A puff of smoke escaped his lips as the hellfire receded, his form shifting back to normal.

The Ghost Rider was gone.

In his place—

Just Jojo.

His muscles tensed, and he rolled his shoulders, an odd discomfort settling over him.

Something felt…

Off.

"Klaus, Elijah…"

JoJo exhaled, rubbing his shoulder.

"Can you enter the mansion?"

Nod.

Elijah gave a curious glance at the old mansion before him, then with a slight nod, he reached for the door.

It was unlocked—no need to use force.

With a faint creak, the door swung open.

But the moment he tried to step inside—

Thud.

An invisible force stopped him in his tracks.

It was as if an unseen wall blocked the entrance.

Elijah frowned.

He pressed forward, testing the resistance—But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't move past the threshold.

"Nah… looks like the owner of this place is still alive."

Elijah turned toward JoJo, shaking his head.

If the mansion's owner were dead, he should have been able to enter.

But the fact that he couldn't meant someone—the true owner—was still out there, alive.

"I eliminated all the cult members here."

Klaus crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes.

"One of them even confirmed that every last member was present today. There shouldn't be anyone left alive."

His tone was firm. Certain.

He had personally hunted them down—ensured their deaths.

So if the cult members were truly wiped out…

Who was the owner?

"Maybe the owner wasn't aware of all this."

Freya pondered for a moment, then shrugged.

It was possible.

The mansion had been abandoned for a long time—perhaps Creeper had chosen it because of that.

Maybe the true owner had no idea of the horrors that took place here.

Since Elijah and Klaus couldn't enter the mansion, they stayed outside.

Meanwhile, JoJo, Freya, and Jacob stepped inside, carefully scanning the interior.

The air was thick with dust and stale decay.

Wooden beams creaked under the weight of time.

The walls were covered in cryptic symbols, their meanings lost to the untrained eye.

Their mission was clear—Find anything that could explain the dimension Creeper came from.

A clue. A relic. Something.

But after a thorough search of the entire mansion—They came up empty-handed.

Except—For one thing.

At the center of the main hall, they found a massive stone slab.

Carved into its surface—A pregnant woman, her hands and legs bound tightly, as if trapped in eternal suffering.

And above her—The Creeper, its dagger poised, plunging into her swollen belly.

The markings around the slab suggested one thing—A sacrificial ritual.

A horrifying incantation meant for something far worse.

JoJo, Freya, and Jacob stared at the chilling depiction.

A grim realization settled over them.

The answers they sought…

Might be darker than they imagined.

Sigh.

"Let's destroy this thing… and the wall."

With a defeated sigh, JoJo picked up a large sledgehammer from one of the storage rooms.

His grip tightened as he swung with full force, smashing the ancient symbols and writings related to Creeper.

If left intact, some fool might attempt the ritual for fun—and unknowingly summon another demon from the dimension Creeper came from.

Boom!

With each mighty swing, the old walls crumbled, dust and debris raining down as JoJo obliterated the markings.

Freya, watching closely, noticed something off—JoJo seemed… uncomfortable.

Like something was bothering him.

"Is something wrong, JoJo?"

Narrowing her eyes, Freya stepped forward and casually placed a hand on JoJo's shoulder—

Ahhh!

Jojo suddenly yelped, recoiling in pain as he clutched his shoulder.

"Are you hurt? Let me see."

Genuine concern filled Freya's voice.

She reached for JoJo's shirt, carefully lifting the fabric to inspect his back—What she saw made her eyes darken.

Two red patches burned into his spinal cord and shoulder blades.

The skin looked inflamed, as if something unnatural had caused it.

"____"

Freya pressed a finger against the irritated skin—Jojo flinched hard, gritting his teeth in pain.

That confirmed it—this was the source of his discomfort.

Sigh.

"It looks like your body is sore,"

Freya muttered.

"You should ice it to help with the pain."

Her tone was relieved—it wasn't a serious injury, just exhaustion catching up to him.

Jojo simply nodded, still feeling the dull ache in his back.

With the Creeper's threat eliminated, Jojo and the others ensured the safety of Trish, her brother, and Gaylon's granddaughter.

Before parting, they gave them a business card—One that read: DMC – Devil May Cry.

Forks...

With their mission complete, JoJo and his group returned to Forks.

At the same time, Klaus and Elijah departed for New Orleans—Their sister was happy here, and they didn't want to disrupt her new life.

When Jojo and the others arrived back in Forks—They were greeted with news that stunned them all.

Alice, however, was smirking at their reactions.

"What's wrong? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

The News?

Bella was pregnant.

And the father?

The ever-brooding Edward Cullen.

Rosalie stared, her expression frozen in disbelief.

Her brother—the one who constantly preached about how he would never turn Bella into a cold one…

The same Edward who had once tried to avoid her—Had gotten her pregnant.

"____"

Edward, feeling Rosalie's sharp gaze, knew exactly what she was thinking—

And yet, he had no words.

Snort.

"Damn…"

Rosalie scoffed.

"Edward, just turn her already. If you don't, things will only get more complicated."

She crossed her arms, glaring at her brother.

To her surprise, Edward merely snorted, clearly unamused.

Bella, standing beside Edward, was watching him intently—Waiting.

Hoping.

Though she hadn't openly admitted it, she wanted to be turned into a vampire.

But Edward—Edward was against it.

Reluctant. Hesitant. Refusing to even consider it.

And deep down, Bella couldn't shake the feeling that—He was underestimating her.

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(Author's POV)

(A/N): 

Thanks for reading the chapter!

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