Chapter 4: The Puppetmaster's Shadow

After setting up, I took out a special candle, lit it, and placed it in Ms. Franklin’s hand. "Before the demon comes out, don’t let this candle go out. If it does, your baby will be in danger."

The flame flickered, throwing weird shadows across her face. She clung to the candle as if it were a lifeline.

Hearing this, Ms. Franklin nodded solemnly.

I saw a new determination in her eyes.

Then I took out a sigil, cut my palm, and let blood drip onto it. As soon as the blood touched it, suddenly, a piercing baby’s cry filled the room. A small, shadowy figure appeared in the center of the circle.

The sound was unnatural, chilling. The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees, and the shadows deepened. Its form flickered—one moment a baby, the next something ancient and furious.

"Savannah!" Ms. Franklin started trembling as soon as she heard the crying.

She looked absolutely terrified.

"That’s the demon, not your baby—don’t panic!" I reassured her. I knew my blood could drive away evil spirits—especially an unborn demon.

I kept my voice calm. My heart was pounding.

"I’ll burn this sigil, mix the ashes with blessed water, and you’ll drink it!"

I moved quickly, my hands steady despite the adrenaline. The air filled with the smell of burning paper and hot metal.

After she drank the sigil water, the demon wouldn’t be able to get close to her. As long as it couldn’t get back into her belly, she and her baby would be safe. I explained each step, pausing to check her reaction. Was she following? Did she believe me?

I could see her starting to trust me.

Her eyes were wide, but she nodded, swallowing hard. She held onto my instructions like they were her last hope.

But just as I lit the sigil, Mariah’s voice cut through the room, high and panicked. "Watch out!"

The door burst open!

The protective circle flared.

The one who broke in was none other than Ms. Ruth!

She barreled into the room, her eyes glazed and her movements jerky, like a puppet on strings.

"Mariah! Stop her!" I yelled, hoping she’d move fast.

I tossed Mariah my backup talisman, praying she’d be quick enough.

"You think I’m not trying? I can’t! This old lady’s strong as a linebacker!" Mariah shouted. Like the Terminator.

Mariah desperately clung to Ms. Ruth’s waist, but the old lady didn’t even notice her. She was freakishly strong—like a puppet with superpowers. In seconds, she tossed Mariah aside.

She hit the floor, gasping for air.

“Bang!”

Mariah crashed to the ground, coughing up blood. "Savannah, I can’t stop her—hurry!"

She wiped blood from her mouth.

The sigil in my hand was already half-burnt, but Ms. Ruth had already rushed over. She hit the circle and bounced back hard. Seeing this, I frowned even more, and Mariah cursed out loud.

Everything was chaos—shouting, flaring energy, panic.

“Damn! She really is a puppet!”

Mariah spat out blood, glaring at the old woman. “I swear, she’s like the Terminator!”

This old lady had been controlled for a while! Taking advantage of the circle’s protection, I quickly mixed the sigil ashes into the blessed water. The next second, I grabbed Ms. Franklin’s chin, ready to force the water down her throat.

Adrenaline kicked in—I moved fast. Ms. Franklin’s eyes widened in panic, but I held her steady.

But as soon as I reached her, Ms. Ruth grabbed me by the neck.

Her grip was like steel, her eyes blank.

I gasped, clawing at her hands. The world spinning.

"Savannah!"

I croaked out, "Take my hairpin—stab her three inches below the neck!"

She staggered, blood on her chin.

"On it!"

Mariah pulled the pin from my hair and stabbed it right into Ms. Ruth’s body. Instantly, the old lady went limp, like a robot powering down, and collapsed to the ground.

Her body crumpled, the grip on my throat finally loosening. I sucked in a desperate breath.

Stars dancing before my eyes.

Freed, I ignored the burning pain in my neck and immediately forced the sigil water into Ms. Franklin. As soon as she drank it, the baby’s cry turned into a shriek.

The sound was unbearable, like nails on a chalkboard.

"It hurts! It hurts! Grandma, save me! Grandma, save me!"

The voice was twisted—childish, but wrong.

Grandma!? Before we could react, Ms. Ruth, who had collapsed, somehow crawled over and hugged my leg tightly. "Savannah! Please spare my grandson!"

She begged, voice raw. Tears streamed down her face, and she clung to me with desperate strength.

At this point, not just Mariah and me—even Ms. Franklin was stunned. "Ms. Ruth, who’s your grandson!?"

Ms. Franklin whispered, her face pale.

She just clammed up.

She wouldn’t talk, which made Ms. Franklin even more anxious. She looked at us, desperate.

The old lady stayed silent. Seeing this, Ms. Franklin turned to me. "Savannah, is my baby safe now?"

I nodded slightly. "The demon’s been expelled from your body. You and your baby are safe now."

I put a hand on her shoulder. The worst was over—for now.

Even though the demon escaped, Ms. Franklin had drunk the blessed water, which would protect her and her baby.

I reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Mariah was already shuffling her tarot deck, ready for round two.

Just then, Mariah, who had gone downstairs to check, returned. She gave me a look—game face on.

Once she nodded, I looked at Ms. Ruth. "At this point, you still won’t tell the truth? Fine, if you won’t, I will. Ms. Franklin said you’re the housekeeper, but you’re not just the housekeeper here. You also work for the McKays upstairs and the Cooper family downstairs, right? You set up the Dripping Water Traps for all three apartments, didn’t you?"

I watched her, waiting for a reaction.

Mariah had gone downstairs to confirm whether there was a Dripping Water Trap below. When I was dealing with the hundred ghosts at the McKays, she was at Ms. Franklin’s. Ms. Franklin was asleep and didn’t hear the commotion, but Ms. Ruth did. As soon as we left, she went upstairs.

Suddenly, it all clicked.

When Ms. Franklin heard “Dripping Water Trap,” she looked at me like I was speaking another language. "What’s that?"

Mariah explained, "Dripping Water Traps can quickly build up a ton of dark energy. That’s what helps create the demon child in your belly. The more dark energy, the faster it grows." She pulled up a diagram on her phone. “It’s like a supernatural battery—charges up the bad stuff real fast.”

I continued, "When the demon matures in your belly, not only your baby, but you yourself will be in mortal danger."

My words hung in the air.

She went pale.

She looked like she might faint, so I grabbed her arm.

She turned to Ms. Ruth angrily. "Ms. Ruth, I’ve always treated you well! You only do simple cleaning, I don’t even make you cook! I pay you two grand a month—why would you hurt me!?"

She yelled, tears running down her face.

That was exactly what I wanted to ask, and the viewers on the livestream wanted to know too.

[Two grand a month just for cleaning? If you don’t want the job, give it to me!]

[So ungrateful! How could an old lady be so vicious? Aren’t you afraid of karma?]

[Seriously! With that kind of pay, why would you hurt her!?]

The chat exploded with outrage, viewers demanding justice. Some threatened to dox Ms. Ruth, others begged for more details. The collective anger was palpable, even through the screen. My own anger was bubbling up.

She balled her fists. "You know how evil these spirits are, don’t you!?"

Demon children are different from regular lost baby spirits. Baby spirits just have some resentment—if you help them, they’re fine. But demon children are something else. They go after kids—they hate them.

I explained, “It’s not just about you, Ms. Franklin. That thing would’ve gone after every kid in the neighborhood.”

That thing would’ve gone after every kid in the neighborhood.

After a long silence, Ms. Ruth spat the words, her eyes full of hate. "This is your punishment!"

Mariah and I looked at each other, confused.

Ms. Ruth said, "That’s right. I set up the dark energy traps upstairs and downstairs! Like you said, the demon did enter her belly!"

She almost sounded proud.

Seeing the evil energy around her, I shot the question at her. "Who’s behind you?"

I leaned in, voice sharp. “No way you pulled this off alone.”

"No one!" she said.

But I didn’t buy it for a second.

I narrowed my eyes, waiting for a tell.

"You didn’t make that soup yourself, did you?"

I drew a sigil, then summoned the demon back right in front of her.

The air shimmered, and the demon reappeared in the circle, howling in rage. Ms. Ruth shrank back, terrified.

The demon, trapped in my new protective circle, couldn’t escape and started screaming. Hearing that, Ms. Ruth’s eyes grew wide with fear!

Her hands shook, and she pressed herself against the wall, eyes glued to the demon.

I looked at her. "If you still won’t talk, I’ll destroy this demon right now!"

I raised the vial of blessed water, ready to end it. She knew I meant it.

With that, I splashed my blood onto the demon. My blood burned it like acid. As soon as the blood touched it, it writhed in pain.

The demon’s shrieks filled the room, the air rippling with supernatural fury. Ms. Ruth started sobbing, caught between terror and heartbreak.

"Grandma! It hurts! Save me! It hurts! She’s killing me! Grandma, save me!"

The words were twisted, but she knew what it meant.

The demon’s cries made Ms. Ruth panic. She begged me to take down the sigil.

She reached out, desperate, tears streaming down her face. “Please, stop! I’ll tell you everything!”

"If you tell the truth, I’ll help you send it off. If not, I’ll destroy it now!"

The choice was hers.

"Waaah!" The old lady became more anxious.

She wrung her hands, voice shaking. “Okay, okay, I’ll talk!”

I removed the binding sigil. "Speak—who is it?"

The tension in the room was suffocating.

"I—I don’t know their names. I never met them," Ms. Ruth said.

She sounded like a scared kid.

Never met them? Mariah and I frowned. Especially Mariah, who thought the old lady was lying. "Are you kidding me? You’d better tell the truth, or I’ll smack you!"

Her patience was gone.

Earlier, Mariah had chased this old lady for more than ten floors and almost passed out. She already disliked her. Now, seeing her still holding back, she was even angrier.

"I’m not lying! I really don’t know who they are!"

I actually believed her about that.

"Then how did you contact them?" I asked. "And why does the demon call you grandma?" I wasn’t letting her off the hook.

Ms. Ruth looked at the demon with pain in her eyes and muttered, "He is my grandson!"

Her hands shook.

I was even more confused. "That’s your grandson!?"

My mind raced, trying to connect the dots.

Nothing about this felt right.

I kept my tone gentle, but insistent. The truth mattered.

As soon as I asked, she snapped, full of venom. "It was her! If not for her, my grandson wouldn’t have died!"

Ms. Franklin recoiled, shock etched into her features.

Her voice trembled, but there was a note of defiance. "How could I have hurt your family? I didn’t even know you!"

Mariah’s eyes narrowed, her fingers dancing over her tarot deck. She was trying to piece it all together.

Ms. Franklin looked a bit embarrassed but nodded. "No, I’m not married. The baby’s father is just my boyfriend."

She glanced away, her cheeks flushing with shame. The room felt even colder.

"Ha! Boyfriend!? He was someone else’s husband!" Ms. Ruth spat. Her words hit hard.

Being called a homewrecker to her face, Ms. Franklin’s face went red and white. She looked torn between guilt and anger.

She crossed her arms, but her voice wavered. The truth was more complicated than she wanted to admit.

Mariah’s tone was soft, but firm. She gave Ms. Franklin a look—half pity, half disappointment.

She looked desperate.

Ms. Franklin really didn’t know Ms. Ruth, but she knew her son! Ms. Ruth’s family had been ordinary. Later, her son made it big in business, and her daughter-in-law was about to give birth. At that time, Ms. Franklin set her sights on Ms. Ruth’s son, trying to win him over. She tried to seduce him many times but failed, so she deliberately left her underwear in his car for his wife to find. This caused the couple to have a huge fight in the car, leading to a crash that killed all three of them.

The room felt heavy.

She broke down, sobbing. The guilt was too much to bear.

I glanced at Mariah, who nodded grimly. Sometimes, intentions didn’t matter—only consequences.

"Don’t pretend to be innocent! You have no idea how many times, in all the months I’ve worked for you, I’ve wanted to kill you!"

Her hands shook with rage.

She looked like she wished Ms. Franklin had died instead.

The room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

I shot the question at her. "Did you intentionally target Ms. Franklin afterward?"

"My good family was ruined because of her—who else would I target!?"

She ground her teeth.

Mariah’s voice was steady, but her eyes were full of pity. The tragedy was clear to all of us now.

She nodded, crying.

She sobbed, her hands trembling. The pain was too much for one person to bear.

She looked scared and guilty.

Her words were brutal, but she was hurting.

I kept my voice gentle, but the warning was clear.

Deliberately creating a demon child was already a grave crime. If she knew the consequences and still did it, that was an even greater sin!

She wanted to believe she wasn’t the villain.

I watched her, looking for any sign of guilt.

She looked down, barely whispering.

My voice was sharp, disbelief clear. The room went dead quiet.

Her voice was fierce, almost defiant. She would have sacrificed anything for her family.

Mariah shook her head, her eyes shining with tears. The tragedy was overwhelming.

My stomach turned.

She laid them on the table, her hands shaking. I felt sick.

Her voice was flat, emotionless.

She’d planned everything, down to the last detail.

But the next moment, her pride turned to malice. She glared at me. She wasn’t sorry—she was angry at being caught.

I waited for it to hit her.

She looked confused for the first time.

I said it flat out. "That’s not your grandson at all! That’s a demon!"

She sounded desperate.

The transformation was horrifying.

The words echoed, bouncing off the walls. The circle held—barely.

I tightened the barrier, putting everything I had into holding it back.

She sounded broken.

She looked at me, her eyes wide with fear. The rules had changed, and we were in uncharted territory.

I explained, “The older the spirit, the more dangerous the process. It takes a toll on the person doing it—twists them up inside.”

Second, it takes countless infants as a lead to provide enough nourishment for the demon. That’s why they had Ms. Ruth work at maternity clinics! By then, they could easily claim that a hundred infants weren’t enough. For her grandson’s sake, Ms. Ruth would never hesitate!

I shuddered, realizing how close we’d come to disaster.

The plan was diabolical, and Ms. Ruth had been the perfect pawn.

I watched the demon, its eyes full of cunning. It totally played her.

After I exposed it, the demon went even crazier! It opened its mouth wide at me, as if to eat me. When it realized it couldn’t hurt me, it shrank back into a small lump and started begging Ms. Ruth for help.

It was obvious, but Ms. Ruth still hesitated.

The words twisted around her heart, and I saw her resolve waver.

She moved like she was possessed.

The demon’s voice was sly, coaxing. Ms. Ruth froze, breathing hard.

I lunged forward, but before I could reach her, something incredible happened.

Suddenly, the room filled with a soft glow—a tiny orb of light floated forward.

The orb shimmered, taking on the vague shape of a toddler. It felt warm, nothing like the demon.

She sounded hopeful, voice shaking.

Ms. Ruth’s hands dropped. She didn’t move to blow out the candles.

Her voice cracked, her grief spilling over.

The room was thick with sorrow and longing.

The orb glowed brighter, warming the whole room.

I saw something shift in her eyes.

Mariah’s voice was soft, her eyes shining with empathy.

She knew the pain all too well.

The room glowed softly, feeling peaceful for the first time all night.

They spoke softly, forgiving.

She sobbed, her tears genuine. She meant it.

His voice was gentle, full of understanding. Ms. Franklin looked up, hopeful.

She glanced at the demon, her eyes sad. The truth was more complicated than anyone realized.

They faded away, leaving the room peaceful.

I caught Ms. Ruth before she hit the floor, easing her down gently. Ms. Franklin just stared, stunned.

I spoke softly, making sure everyone understood. The demon was a master manipulator, feeding on pain and regret. Was I missing something else? Who was really behind all this?

I kept my voice gentle, but didn’t sugarcoat it. "Breaking up families brings nothing but misery."

She looked determined.

I believed her.

I helped Ms. Ruth to her feet, supporting her as we headed for the door. Mariah followed, tarot cards in hand.

If we didn’t find whoever was behind this, more demon children would show up.

We weren’t done yet—not by a long shot.

The voice was distorted, almost inhuman. My blood ran cold.

I pressed the phone to my ear, listening for any clue. The line crackled, the voice mocking.

My heart skipped a beat. The danger wasn’t over—not by a long shot.

The puppetmaster was still out there.

Her voice was fierce, but the caller just laughed—a sound that made my skin crawl.

The line went dead, leaving us in stunned silence.

The threat lingered, heavy and real.

We stood there, the weight of what had happened pressing down on us. The night was just getting started.

- The End -