Chapter 138: A Place to Live

The room was steeped in silence, save for the rhythmic breathing of the old man lying on the bed. His chest rose and fell with the steady cadence of someone on the cusp of a profound transformation. Jon stood over him, the Darkhold's leather cover warm in his grip. Despite the old man's newfound vitality, his limbs remained still, bound by the invisible chains of muscle atrophy that months of inactivity had wrought. Yet, the spark in his eyes was undeniable, a fierce glow of anticipation that belied his physical frailty.

Across the room, the lawyer, Luke Matthew, sat slumped in his chair, a casualty of the casted spell that had overwhelmed his consciousness. His head lolled to one side, the very picture of vulnerability.

Jon's voice, a low murmur, filled the room as he chanted spells from the ancient tome. The words seemed to weave through the air, a tapestry of power and intent.

The story was a twisted one. A black magician, Papa Justify, had long ago cheated death by transferring his soul into an unsuspecting man named Ben. As Ben's body succumbed to the ravages of time, Justify sought out a new host, and Luke Matthew had become his unwitting prey.

Now, the soul that inhabited the old man's body was not his own but that of Luke Matthew, the lawyer. And within Luke Matthew's form lurked the malevolent spirit of Papa Justify.

Jon's mission was clear: to restore Luke to his rightful body and to vanquish Justify once and for all.

The Darkhold's pages seemed to come alive as Jon's incantations grew more fervent. Spell runes, glowing with an otherworldly light, materialized in the air, swirling in a dance of arcane energy before descending upon the two men. The runes seeped into their skin, and the room pulsed with the power of the ritual.

With a decisive motion, Jon snapped the book closed. He extended his hands, fingers splayed, and with a forceful gesture, the souls were coaxed from their corporeal confines.

The soul that rose from the old man was a vision of respectability—a young man in a crisply tailored suit, his expression one of polite confusion. In stark contrast, the entity that emerged from Luke's body was a grotesque specter, its form twisted by darkness and malice.

Jon's voice rose in a commanding crescendo, and the two souls, now unbound, were guided by his will. They hovered, then, with a grace that belied the chaos of their journey, drifted toward their rightful shells.

A snap of Jon's fingers punctuated the silence, and as if on cue, both men's eyes flew open.

Luke, now back in his own body, stared at his hands with a mixture of awe and terror. His voice trembled with the weight of his ordeal as he gasped, "My God, my hands! They're... they're mine again!"

His face instantly filled with overwhelming excitement as he shouted, "This isn't a dream, right? I'm back! My God, I thought I'd never return!"

Luke's voice cracked with emotion, his eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill over. He had been imprisoned within the old man's frail form for what felt like an eternity, subjected to a drug that rendered him a prisoner in his own skin. In the darkest recesses of his mind, he had clung to the hope that Caroline would decipher his desperate plea for help and rescue him from this purgatory, allowing him to live out his days in the old man's identity.

But the reality of returning to his own body was a possibility he had scarcely allowed himself to dream of, and the joy of it was almost too much to bear.

Meanwhile, Justify, now back in the decrepit vessel he had once abandoned, stirred to consciousness.

Blinking in confusion, he rasped, "What... what happened?"

His voice was a hollow echo of its former power, and panic crept into his tone as he attempted to move, only to find his limbs unresponsive.

"What's... what's going on?!" Justify's voice rose in horror. "Where's Violet?! Where is she?!"

"Violet? Ha, you mean Cecily~" Jon turned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. It was clear to him that Justify was still disoriented, unaware of the seismic shift that had just occurred.

At the mention of his wife's name, Justify's eyes widened, and with a voice quivering with fear and confusion, he pressed, "How... how do you know? Where is she now?"

"That witch? She's gone where she belongs, and soon, you'll join her~!" Jon's smile was cold, a harbinger of the fate he had in store for Justify.

"You... you bastard..." Justify's accusation was cut short as his gaze fell upon Luke, who sat trembling in the chair, a living testament to Justify's own downfall. "You... how did you?!"

The realization dawned on him like a slow, torturous poison. With a herculean effort, he lifted his hand, only to be confronted with the sight of his own withered flesh.

"Why... why is it like this? It shouldn't be this way!" The words were laced with venomous regret.

His eyes, now wild with fury, fixed on Luke. "Give it back to me, give me that body back!"

But Luke, his voice a roar of defiance, shot back, "This body is mine; it was you, you bastard, who stole it from me!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

The words fell from Jon's lips like a death knell, and a beam of eerie green light burst forth from the Elder Wand. The light, humming with deadly intent, struck Justify squarely, and his body crumpled to the ground, life extinguished in an instant.

[Ding! Task three completed: Break the Voodoo Curse, Eliminate Justify and Cecily, 300 penalty points awarded.]

[Ding! Your legendary mission has been updated: Judge a thousand sinful souls across all worlds. Current progress: 77/1000.]

The system's prompts chimed in Jon's mind, a stark reminder of the ongoing journey ahead. He turned to Luke, whose face was etched with the shock of witnessing such swift retribution.

"Don't worry, it's over," Jon said, his voice a soothing balm in the aftermath of the storm.

Luke, still grappling with the reality of his liberation and the abrupt end of his tormentor, managed to stammer, "Y… yes! I can't thank you enough!"

***

After resolving the situation, Jon was ready to depart with Nancy. But just as he crossed the threshold, Luke Matthew, the lawyer, called out to him, prompting his return.

"Mr. Vinson, please wait a moment!" Luke hurried over, his steps echoing in the now-quiet corridor.

Jon turned, his expression inquiring. "Is there something else?" he asked, his hand resting on the doorknob.

Luke approached, his demeanor one of deep-seated gratitude and resolve. "You've done so much for me, I believe my financial ability can no longer repay you, so I want to do something to thank you!" he declared with sincerity.

Jon waved a dismissive hand, his gaze steady. "Oh, don't mention it, teaching these guys who do evil with their extraordinary powers is just part of my job," he said, his tone light but his eyes revealing the gravity of his vocation.

"Even so, I still want to repay you!" Luke insisted, and with a flourish, he produced several documents from within his jacket. "Before this, I was the real estate lawyer they hired to solve their inheritance issues, oh... and naturally, that includes this house!"

A frown creased Jon's brow as he processed Luke's words. "You mean..."

Luke nodded, eager to explain. "Previously, Miss Caroline was brought to this home as a hospice, but in reality, it was that Violet who wanted to despicably take over Miss Caroline's body. So she had me... uh, rather, me under the control of Justify's soul, transfer the inheritance rights to Miss Caroline. So now, this inheritance right is still valid. But now that their plan has failed, Miss Caroline naturally has the legal right to their inheritance."

He paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in, then added, "But... as you know, after going through this, Miss Caroline probably never wants to set foot in this house again, nor does she want to take anything related to this place. Therefore, if you don't mind, I can transfer this inheritance, including this house, to your name."

Jon's mouth twitched involuntarily at the offer. It was an unexpected turn, to be sure.

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