Chapter 134: Meeting Perron Family.

Jojo exhaled slowly, letting the warmth of the tea settle in his chest as he listened to the eerie tale.

The two spirits before him, both young girls, had an air of sorrow clinging to them like an unshakable mist.

Their translucent forms flickered slightly, as if struggling to maintain their presence.

One of the girls, the elder of the two, spoke first.

"Our father was once a kind man, a nobleman respected by many. But everything changed after he acquired that pendant."

Her voice wavered, the weight of her memories evident.

The younger sister nodded, her expression somber.

"At first, we thought it was just a family heirloom—something precious to him. But as time passed, he became... different. Darker. He started hearing whispers, speaking to someone we couldn't see."

Jojo raised an eyebrow but remained silent, letting them continue.

"Then came the fire,"

the elder sister continued, her spectral hands clenching into fists.

"No one knows how it started, but it spread unnaturally fast. We tried to escape, but…"

She hesitated before finishing,

"We didn't make it."

The younger one shuddered, though she had nobody to truly feel the cold.

"After we died, we watched as our father, completely consumed by the darkness in that pendant, took his own life. But he didn't move on. His soul became trapped inside it, twisted into something monstrous."

Jojo placed his teacup down and leaned forward.

"And you want me to destroy it?"

His voice was calm, but his sharp eyes betrayed his intrigue.

Both sisters nodded urgently.

"It's the only way to free him,"

the elder said.

"Please. That pendant—it holds something evil. If it isn't destroyed, it might corrupt someone else."

Jojo tapped his fingers against the wooden table, contemplating their words.

'A cursed pendant that held a corrupted soul? Sounded like trouble. Sounded like fun.'

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"Alright, ladies. You've piqued my interest. Where is this pendant now?"

he said, his voice carrying a casual confidence.

"But first, where is it now?"

The elder sister's ghostly form flickered slightly as she answered,

"It's currently with a family that investigates paranormal activities. They took it after failing to exorcise the spirit trapped inside. They thought they could contain it, but they don't understand the true danger."

Jojo's fingers drummed against the table, his expression shifting as a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

"A family that collects haunted objects, huh?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"For some reason, that rings a bell..."

Something about this situation tugged at the edges of his memory.

He had encountered plenty of supernatural oddities before, but this felt... connected.

He couldn't place it yet, but he knew one thing for certain—

this wasn't just some cursed trinket.

"____"

Hearing Jojo's words, Freya tapped her chin in thought.

After a moment of contemplation, she turned toward Leah, who was lounging on the couch, completely absorbed in her game of Candy Crush.

"Leah, check if there are any tasks assigned through DMC regarding a possessed pendant on this island,"

Freya requested.

Leah barely glanced up, casually swiping on her screen as colorful candies exploded in a satisfying cascade.

"Give me a sec…"

she mumbled.

A few moments later, she blinked at the result and let out a small sigh.

"Negative. No reports or assigned missions about a haunted pendant around here."

Freya crossed her arms.

"That means whoever took it isn't one of our usuals. Must be an outsider—a paranormal activity expert unaffiliated with DMC."

Jojo leaned back in his chair, exhaling.

Sigh~ 

The two spirit girls exchanged a glance before the younger one hesitantly spoke.

"We… don't know much about them, but they did take the pendant only a week ago."

Freya snapped her fingers.

"That works in our favour. Paranormal investigators don't just take objects and never look back. If they truly believe the pendant is cursed, they'll return to check if supernatural activity persists."

Leah nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, these guys always come back multiple times, trying to validate their findings. Since it's only been a week, chances are high that they'll return soon."

Jojo stretched lazily, a smirk playing on his lips.

"So, we wait for them to come to us, huh? Works for me."

The wind refused to stir, and the usual chorus of crickets had gone silent.

Then, a piercing scream shattered the eerie quiet.

Jojo, still seated on the porch of the old farmhouse, lowered his teacup.

His sharp eyes flicked toward the source of the sound—

the farmhouse opposite theirs.

Freya stood beside him, arms crossed.

"That didn't sound normal,"

she murmured, glancing at Leah, who was still fixated on her Candy Crush game.

Without another word, Jojo stood at the door and looked at the scene.

The others followed as they crossed the small stretch of land separating the two farmhouses.

As they approached, the sight before them came into full view.

A small girl, no older than eight, was kneeling on the dirt, her little hands clutching a lifeless dog.

She sobbed uncontrollably, her tiny body shaking.

"April,"

a woman's voice called, urgent and filled with concern.

Carolyn Perron, a woman in her early forties, rushed forward and crouched beside the crying girl, wrapping her arms around her.

Her face was lined with exhaustion, but her motherly instincts were strong.

She ran a gentle hand through April's hair, whispering soothing words, though it did little to calm the child.

Roger Perron, the father, stood nearby, his brow furrowed in worry.

A tall man with a strong build, he looked protective yet unsettled.

He exchanged a glance with his eldest daughter, Andrea, who stood apart from the rest, arms folded, her expression unreadable.

Nancy and Christine, the middle sisters, lingered near the porch, staring at the motionless dog with wide eyes.

Cindy, the second youngest, clung to their mother's side, trembling.

Jojo took in the scene carefully, his gaze shifting to the dog.

It lay eerily still—no wounds, no blood.

But its stiffened body and the way it had collapsed told him enough.

Freya exhaled sharply beside him.

"That dog didn't just die,"

she muttered.

Jojo's fingers tightened around his teacup as he looked up at the farmhouse.

It loomed in the moonlight, its old wooden frame casting deep shadows.

Something about this place… it wasn't just haunted.

It was waiting.

Leah, finally looking up from her game, sighed.

"We're just watching for now, right?"

Jojo nodded, his voice quiet but firm.

"For now."

As the Perron family mourned their dog, unaware of the dark presence watching over them, Jojo knew one thing for certain.

Jojo adjusted his jacket, taking a deep breath before stepping forward.

The Perron family was still gathered around April, who had quieted down to soft sniffles.

Carolyn held her close, whispering reassurances, while Roger stood protectively nearby, his eyes darting toward the darkened farmhouse as if searching for an explanation of what would have caused their dog's sudden death.

For some reason, he remembered how their dog had barked at the farmhouse and didn't enter it.

Jojo kept his steps light, his expression calm and approachable.

As he neared them, all eyes turned to him, their gazes filled with grief, caution, and a hint of curiosity.

He raised a hand in a casual wave.

Andrea, still standing apart from her family, studied him with sharp, assessing eyes.

"You don't look like a tourist,"

she commented, raising an eyebrow.

Jojo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Chuckle~

"What's a tourist supposed to look like?"

That earned him a small smirk from Andrea, though she said nothing further.

Roger extended a hand.

"I'm Roger Perron. My wife, Carolyn. These are our daughters—Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April."

Jojo shook Roger's hand firmly before nodding to each of the girls.

"Pleasure to meet you all. If you ever need anything, we're just across the way."

He turned his attention to April and crouched slightly to her level.

"You take care, alright? Your dog was lucky to have a kind friend like you."

April gave a small nod, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Thanks, mister…"

"Jojo,"

Grin~ 

he reminded with a grin.

Carolyn sighed, finally seeming to let go of some of her tension.

"I think we should get inside. But it was nice meeting you, Jojo. Maybe we'll see you around."

"You definitely will,"

Jojo replied with a knowing smile.

As the Perron family gathered themselves and made their way inside, Jojo remained still for a moment, his gaze lingering on the farmhouse.

The air around it felt heavier now, as if something unseen was watching from the shadows.

Freya stepped up beside him, arms crossed.

"So?"

she asked quietly.

Jojo exhaled, his expression unreadable.

"We wait."

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(Author's POV)

(A/N): 

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