A Break in the Storm

Dawn was breaking over Harrisville, painting the sky a soft gray as Cassian and Helen's Jeep came to a stop in front of the motel where the Perrons had taken refuge after the exorcism in the basement. Roger and Carolyn, still trembling but relieved, embraced their five daughters—Christine, Andrea, Nancy, Cindy, and April—on the porch, their faces marked by exhaustion but free from the terror that had haunted them. Ed and Lorraine Warren, drained after the battle against the Praetor Infernalis, loaded their equipment into their vehicle, exchanging one last look of gratitude with Cassian before heading home. Helen, her Vatican briefcase under her arm, approached Cassian, her voice low but firm as the cool morning air brushed against their skin.

"It's over, Cassian," Helen said, adjusting her messy ponytail. "The Perrons are safe, the demon is gone. What do we do now? Do we go back to the Vatican to report?"

Cassian stowed his blessed dagger in his bag, his face serene but weary after hours of fighting.

"Yes, we'll report, but not today. I need to talk to Elise first, see if she's free after New Mexico. Then… I think I'll take a break, Helen. Three months, if the Church approves. This fight has me thinking, and I don't know where I'm going yet, maybe some beach."

Helen raised an eyebrow, surprised but understanding.

"A vacation? I never imagined you asking for one, Cassian. A beach, you say? Any particular one in mind, or are you just going to throw a dart at a map?"

Cassian gave a weak smile, leaning against the Jeep.

"I don't know yet, Helen. Somewhere with sand, waves, where I don't have to fight shadows for a while. What about you? What will you do?"

Helen sighed, looking toward the horizon with nostalgia.

"I'll go back to North Carolina, visit my family. My parents have been asking me to spend time with them for months, and after all this, I think I need it. When will you call Elise?"

Cassian pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing Elise Rainier's number as the sun barely peeked through the trees. The line rang several times before Elise's warm but tired voice answered, a faint echo of wind in the background.

"Cassian, good to hear from you. Are you okay? You sound exhausted."

Cassian leaned against the hood of the Jeep, his tone relaxed but curious.

"I'm alive, Elise, that counts. We just finished a tough case here, but I won't bore you with the details. How are you? I remember you saying you were in New Mexico—did you finish what you were doing there?"

Elise chuckled softly, a sound that contrasted with the weight of her story.

"Yes, I finished, Cassian. It was a mess, but I'm okay. It started with a man, Ted Garza, who called me because strange things were happening in his house: flickering lights, noises in the walls. When I got there, I felt something familiar, like an echo from my past. It turned out to be my old house, where I grew up."

Cassian frowned, intrigued.

"Your house? That sounds personal, Elise. What did you find?"

"Too much, Cassian," she replied, her voice dropping an octave. "There was a spirit, a woman with keys hanging from her body, like chains. They called her Keyface, and she was trapping souls in the Other Side, a place between worlds. My nieces, Imogen and Melissa, came with me, and Specs and Tucker too—you know them. But things got ugly fast: Keyface used Melissa, dragged her into that dark plane, and we almost lost her."

Cassian crossed his arms, his mind picturing the scene.

"Keyface… sounds like a guardian of sorts. How did you stop her?"

Elise took a deep breath, the sound of wind growing louder in the background.

"It wasn't easy. I entered the Other Side with Imogen's help—she has my gift. I found Melissa trapped in a cell, and Keyface chased me, opening doors with those cursed keys. But I wasn't alone: my father, Dalton, was there, his spirit trapped since he died. He had tormented me as a child, and Keyface was using him against me. I had to face him, Cassian, forgive him to free him, and that's how I managed to save Melissa."

Cassian whistled softly, impressed.

"That's heavy, Elise. Forgiving someone like that… And what happened to Keyface?"

"I faced her at the end," Elise continued. "I used a flashlight my mother left me, a keepsake from her. Its light weakened her, and I closed the doors she opened, trapping her in her own game. Melissa came back, and we all made it out alive. But it left me thinking, Cassian… there are things in that Other Side I don't understand, doors that shouldn't be opened."

Cassian nodded, though she couldn't see him.

"I get it, Elise. We saw things here that left me with questions too, but I won't burden you with that now. Do you need help after all that? I can come to New Mexico if you call."

Elise laughed again, lighter this time.

"No, Cassian, I'm fine. I'm done there; I'm back in California, resting with Specs and Tucker. Don't worry about me—I handled it. What about you? What's next for you after your case?"

Cassian glanced at Helen, who was checking her equipment near the Jeep, and responded calmly.

"I'm going to ask the Church for three months off. They've approved things like that before, and after this fight, I need it. Helen's going to her family in North Carolina, and me… I don't know, maybe a beach, somewhere I don't have to think for a while. What do you think?"

Elise paused, her tone warm and maternal.

"I think you deserve it, Cassian. You've been running from one hell to another, and even the strongest need to stop. A beach sounds good—find one with good sun and let yourself unwind. If you need me, you know where to find me. Take care, okay?"

Cassian smiled, a rare gesture for him.

"I will, Elise. Thanks for telling me about New Mexico—it's good to hear you're okay. Talk soon."

He hung up, putting away his phone as Helen approached, her briefcase ready.

"What did Elise say? Is she coming, or is she busy?"

"She finished her work in New Mexico," Cassian replied, climbing into the Jeep. "A guy, Ted Garza, called her about noises in his house, which turned out to be her childhood home. A spirit with keys, Keyface, was trapping souls in a place between worlds. She handled it with her nieces and her friends, Specs and Tucker. She's fine; she doesn't need help. I told her about the vacation, and she agrees."

Helen nodded, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Keyface, huh. Sounds like something that would give us nightmares too. I'm glad she's okay. So, three months? Have you asked for permission yet?"

Cassian started the engine, his gaze fixed on the road.

"I'll call Daniel from the airport. The Church owes me this after everything we've faced. You go to North Carolina, spend time with your parents. I'll see you later."

Helen smiled, looking out the window as the Jeep drove off.

"I will. Mom will make peach pie, and Dad will want me to help fix his truck. It'll be weird not fighting demons for a while. And you? A beach, but which one?"

"I don't know yet," he replied, his voice softer. "Somewhere with sand and waves, where I can sit and not decide anything for a while. I'll figure it out when I get to the airport."

The Jeep drove away from the motel, leaving behind the Perrons and the echoes of Harrisville. Cassian called Daniel Hargrove from the airport, his tone direct as he waited for Helen's flight.

"Daniel, it's Cassian. I'm done in Harrisville, the family is safe. I want three months off, and I know the Church allows it after cases like this. Is it approved?"

Daniel grunted in approval on the other end of the line.

"After Haddonfield and now this, you've earned it, Cassian. Three months, approved. Where will you be in case we need you?"

"I don't know yet," Cassian said. "Maybe a beach, somewhere sunny. I'll give you the details when I decide. Helen's going to her family in North Carolina. Keep me posted if anything big comes up."

"I will," Daniel replied. "Rest, Cassian, and stay out of trouble."

Cassian hung up, watching Helen as she boarded her flight. He stayed in the terminal, without a fixed destination, thinking of distant beaches, the sound of waves a faint echo in his weary mind. For the first time, he had no plan, and somehow, that was enough.