Liam and Carrie were walking through the town, searching for a bearer of the Shine. The orange glow of the streetlights illuminated the streets decorated with pumpkins, fake cobwebs, and Halloween figures that swayed gently in the night wind. The atmosphere should have been festive, but for both of them it felt oppressive, heavy with an invisible tension.
Liam had felt it earlier, while they were looking for a hotel: a presence with the Shine, right at the edge of his psychic sensitivity. It had been like a brief stab at the back of his mind, a clear signal that something was there. Liam wanted to investigate, to see if it was one of those psychic vampires or something malicious—something he could kill to gain a new ability.
Only a few hours had passed since they left Derry, but when Liam sensed an opportunity, he didn't want to risk losing it by letting a day go by. He couldn't afford to wait; every second mattered. His jaw was tense as he walked, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He insisted on not leaving it for the next day. Although he wanted to go alone, in the end he couldn't stop Carrie—still tired and injured—from coming with him.
"You should have stayed at the hotel with Mom to rest. You had your first fight to the death today, you're injured and you should be resting. You already did more than enough by allowing us to leave Derry." Liam said, turning his head slightly toward her as they walked, his brow furrowed and his tone serious, clearly showing his concern.
Carrie, hearing that, puffed her cheeks in a childish pout that contrasted with the clear exhaustion on her face. She crossed her arms and looked away for a second before responding. "I'm not leaving you alone. And if you run into something like Pennywise here, I won't be able to relax while you go alone somewhere that's probably dangerous."
Liam opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't find a convincing argument. His lips pressed into a thin line and he let out an almost imperceptible sigh. He couldn't deny it. In the end, he nodded in resignation and accepted Carrie's company in this search for the user of the Shine.
A few minutes later, while they walked through the darkness of the night, the streets adorned for Halloween and long shadows stretching across the houses, a sharp sound broke the silence.
[DING]
The sound of glass shattering echoed clearly, followed by a sharp ringing that made Carrie stop abruptly, instinctively raising a hand.
[NEW MISSION AVAILABLE]
[PREVENT THE MURDER OF ALLIE HARNETT AT THE HANDS OF ART THE CLOWN]
Liam stopped dead in his tracks. His steps froze, and his eyes narrowed as he read the mission. For a second, an incredulous expression crossed his face.
He couldn't help thinking about his luck, running into two evil clowns on the same day.
Although he didn't recognize the name, the mission alone told him this was no ordinary clown.
"Carrie, let's go." Liam said, tilting his chin toward the house where the sound of breaking glass had come from. His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Carrie nodded immediately, straightening her back and slowly curling her fingers, already preparing her telekinesis. Her eyes hardened, alert.
When they reached the yard, the crunch of glass beneath their feet confirmed their fears. The glass door was shattered, fragments scattered across the ground. The inside of the house was dark, except for a dim light coming from the upper floor.
They entered cautiously—and saw him.
A clown dressed in black and white, with a small black hat on his head, was slowly climbing the stairs, chasing a teenage girl who was desperately running upward, stumbling, sobbing, looking back in terror.
"After all that… seriously?" Her voice trembled, not with fear, but with exhausted anger. Carrie rubbed her forehead, clenching her teeth. "We barely made it out alive, and now another clown." She said, clearly fed up with clowns.
"I don't want to know anything about clowns after we deal with this one." Carrie added, her tone dry and full of frustration.
Liam nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the staircase where the clown had disappeared.
The moment Liam saw that clown, something clicked in his mind. A vague but clear connection. It was a clown from a horror movie he hadn't seen in his previous life, but its appearance fit far too well with what he was seeing.
They didn't have time to focus on that.
To his right appeared what looked like a small girl, dressed in the same sinister style. Her face was expressionless, her eyes too still, too aware.
Liam didn't hesitate. He activated Observe before deciding what to do.
[AMON-VEIL / ASTRAL PROJECTION]
RACE: Ancient Demon
TITLES: The One Who Hides Behind Horror.
[ABILITIES]
Existential Anchor: Grants minor immortality to his chosen one and, as long as he desires, can bring them back to life.
Empower Chosen: The more suffering his chosen one causes, the more he can strengthen them.
Suffering of Others: The suffering caused by his chosen one strengthens his existence in reality.
Selective Manifestation: Can choose who is able to see him.
Possession: Can possess bodies that do not have an abnormal will.
Vocal Imitation: Can imitate voices.
Intangible: Cannot be touched by physical means while he has no body.
[WEAKNESSES]
Death of the person being possessed.
?????
?????
"Shit." Liam muttered under his breath, clenching his fist tightly. He had run into a dangerous demon. While it wasn't even close to Pennywise's level, it didn't seem like it could be harmed directly. The only truly dangerous thing was its possession, but he didn't think it would work on him or on Carrie.
"Carrie, try to contain this demon while I deal with the clown." He spoke telepathically, urgency tightening his voice, while deep down he prayed that Carrie's telekinesis could hold it back. If she managed that, he could kill the clown with his dagger, no matter how long it took.
"I've got it." Carrie nodded, stepping forward. Her eyes shimmered faintly as she began channeling her telekinesis toward the demon, the air around her subtly vibrating.
Liam didn't waste any time.
He ran up the stairs two at a time, his steps fast and silent. When he reached the bedroom, he saw the clown holding the girl by the hair, forcing her head up brutally, a sharp blade dangerously close to her face, ready to carve her.
Without time to use Observe, Liam rushed forward and kicked the clown with all his strength, striking him in the side and forcing him to release the girl and crash onto the bed.
The girl screamed, a sharp, broken sound, but seeing the opportunity, she immediately moved away from the clown and positioned herself behind Liam, clutching his back with trembling hands. Fear and desperate relief were written all over her face.
The clown opened his mouth in surprise, making no sound, and pointed at Liam, shaking his hand angrily, clearly furious at being interrupted.
At that moment, with the girl safe, Liam activated Observe.
[ART]
RACE: Human
TITLES: Serial Killer.
[ABILITIES]
Minor Immortality: Cannot die unless decapitated.
Minor Regeneration: Can recover from severe injuries in weeks.
Abnormal Endurance: Can ignore damage and move as if unharmed.
Superhuman Strength: Can overpower adult men with ease.
[WEAKNESSES]
Decapitation
Destroying his entire body
Liam's eyes gleamed intensely as he read the information floating before him, his pupils contracting slightly as a mix of cold interest and restrained excitement ran through him. All of those abilities would be extremely useful, especially immortality, and he couldn't stop a spark of anticipation from crossing his gaze at the thought that this might be the ability he would gain by killing him.
Without delay, Liam launched himself into the fight, his body moving decisively as he drew his dagger along the way, the metal glinting under the dim light of the room. Art the Clown's eyes widened in surprise at seeing a dagger appear out of nowhere, but a second later that surprise twisted into a wide, sinister smile, as if he were enjoying the challenge.
Art the Clown tried to stab Liam with a brutal, forceful motion, his arm coming down hard, but Liam dodged easily, twisting his torso and sliding one foot back. Without losing momentum, he counterattacked, aiming for the neck, but Art managed to avoid the cut by leaning his body aside.
Seeing this, Liam changed his target mid-swing, his muscles reacting on pure instinct and precision, and aimed for Art's torso. This time, he couldn't dodge it. The dagger carved a deep, clean arc, and Art the Clown received a massive gash across his torso, blood spilling out and staining his black-and-white suit.
Art opened his mouth as if screaming in pain, his jaw tightening and the muscles in his neck standing out, but no sound came out. After what seemed like a silent scream, his expression changed completely, his face hardening as he looked at Liam with pure, focused hatred.
Art attacked again with more fury, slashing and stabbing wildly, but he didn't land a single hit. Liam dodged every strike by inches, shifting his body, stepping back, or spinning smoothly, and every time, he wounded Art further, stacking injuries without giving him any room to breathe.
"He's fast and strong, but it's useless if he doesn't know how to use it." Liam thought coldly as he analyzed every movement, his breathing steady and his mind clear. In the end, as long as the physical gap isn't too wide, experience can overcome raw strength.
"Now." After a few more exchanges, Liam found his opening. His eyes sharpened and his body reacted instantly. In one precise motion, the arm holding Art's knife was cleanly severed, the limb hitting the floor with a dull thud. Liam didn't stop there—he stepped forward and kicked Art hard in the chest, sending him flying backward and crashing violently onto the floor.
Art tried to get up, his fingers moving desperately as he attempted to grab Liam, but Liam didn't allow it. He stepped back half a pace and kept his distance, knowing that letting himself be grabbed would be extremely dangerous and hard to escape due to the difference in strength.
Liam slashed toward one of Art's legs, bringing the dagger down swiftly, but Art avoided it by kicking with the opposite leg. However, that was only part of the attack. While Art defended himself, Liam's other arm was already moving toward the second leg. At the exact moment it was about to land, Liam released the dagger from his right hand; the weapon vanished and instantly reappeared in his left hand, as if the motion were completely natural.
Art the Clown's left leg was severed completely, falling to the ground and stripping him of any chance to stand.
At that moment, Liam knew the fight was already over. His posture relaxed slightly, but his gaze remained firm. Moments later, he had already cut off the other leg and the last remaining arm, leaving Art's body mutilated and unable to move. Now, his dagger traced a slow, deliberate path toward the clown's neck.
"Slash." Art the Clown's head separated from his body, rolling across the floor and leaving a trail of blood behind. Even then, his face still held a look of hatred directed straight at Liam.
[DING]
[MISSION COMPLETED]
[CLAIM YOUR REWARD]
[ABILITY OBTAINED]
Liam glanced at the system notifications for a second, confirming that Art the Clown was dead and the mission completed. His breathing steadied, but he couldn't focus on it for long, because at that exact moment something rushed past him at incredible speed, a cold, unnatural presence slicing through the room.
Liam turned his head just in time to see the demon Amon-Veil kneeling beside Art's body. With slow, deliberate movements, it picked up the clown's head and then looked up at Liam. Its eyes glowed a sinister yellow, filled with pure hatred.
Seeing this, Liam immediately realized that Carrie's telekinesis hadn't been able to hold the demon.
Shortly after, Carrie arrived in the room, her breathing slightly ragged and her expression showing exhaustion. Even so, she tried to use her telekinesis on the demon. Amon-Veil reacted instantly upon seeing her and flew at full speed toward the window, carrying Art's head with him. The glass shattered into pieces as it burst through and vanished into the night.
"I'm sorry, Liam. I couldn't touch that demon with my telekinesis." Carrie said in frustration, clenching her fists. "It was mocking me at first, and then it entered my body trying to possess me, but after a few seconds of fighting for control, I managed to push it out." She lowered her head slightly, clearly regretting not being able to contain it.
"It's fine, Carrie. This is the first time we've encountered a bodiless entity." Liam said calmly, turning to her, without a trace of reproach in his voice.
"Oh, but that's not all." Carrie replied, relieved and happy that Liam wasn't angry. Her eyes brightened slightly and her posture straightened. "After forcing the demon out of my body, I felt something else—something new that I couldn't feel with my extra sense before. I felt that if I tried again, I could hold the demon." Carrie said proudly, a small smile forming on her face.
"I think the demon felt that, and that's why it ran away from me." Carrie said, placing a hand on her chest as she reflected on what had happened, her voice calm but focused, as if she were still analyzing the sensation.
"That's good. It'll help us if we run into another demon or ghost." Liam nodded, clearly agreeing with her and mentally evaluating the future implications.
Liam silently thought that the Maturin root-binding brew had done more than just improve her telekinesis by 20%. It seemed to have awakened a new sense or ability—something that allowed her to touch what shouldn't be touchable, like bodiless demons or ghosts. The thought settled in his mind with a mix of caution and satisfaction.
"Why do you stay silent like you're talking with your minds?" Allie Hartnett had been watching them closely. She had seen how the two of them looked at each other, nodded, and reacted as if they were having a full conversation, but she hadn't heard anything. She stayed quiet for a while, her brow slightly furrowed in confusion, until she finally decided to speak.
At that moment, Liam and Carrie turned their attention back to her. "Sorry, we forgot you were still here." Carrie apologized with a small, slightly embarrassed smile, relaxing her shoulders a bit.
Liam only nodded in agreement with Carrie, his expression serious as his gaze shifted toward what remained of Art the Clown's body scattered across the room.
"It's fine, you don't need to apologize. I should be thanking you for saving me from that killer. I should've believed what Sienna said." Allie Hartnett said sincerely, her voice trembling slightly as she thought of her friend, mixing relief with guilt.
"It was nothing." Liam replied simply, without dramatizing what had happened.
"Carrie, burn the body. I suspect that demon didn't take the head just out of love or something like that." Liam said, gesturing slightly toward the remains while staying alert.
Carrie nodded, and with a focused gesture, Art the Clown's body and limbs slowly began to float in the room. Before long, the flesh started to redden, the air vibrating, and then it burst into flames.
The intense heat filled the room immediately, a scorching wave as everything slowly turned into ashes that fell to the floor.
Allie Hartnett stared at the scene in complete shock, eyes wide, body rigid, unable to look away.
"Let's go." Liam said, turning away decisively, with no intention of staying any longer.
"Okay." Carrie replied, following him without hesitation.
"Thank you so much, for saving me." Allie Hartnett thanked them again. Although she felt immense curiosity about everything she had witnessed that night, she chose not to ask anything out of respect for those who had saved her life. If they didn't tell her, she had no right to ask.
Liam simply raised a hand in a brief gesture of farewell as they left the house behind, along with the smell of ashes and a night Allie would never forget.