Clover's heart pounded in her chest, louder than the monster's growl that echoed faintly from inside the chamber.
Jojo's words kept repeating in her head.
"Only you can save her. Reach her. Remind her who she is."
She stepped closer to the glass, her voice trembling at first—
But determined.
"Mel… do you remember the day Mom made us those chocolate chip pancakes and you pretended you didn't like them so that I could have more?"
Inside, Melanie twitched, her head jerking slightly at the sound.
"And that summer we snuck out past curfew just to watch the fireworks? You said the blue ones were your favourite… You made me swear we'd always stick together, no matter what."
Melanie growled lowly, hands pressed against the chamber wall.
"____"
Her jagged nails scraped against the glass, but she didn't attack.
Her breathing grew ragged.
"Mel… I remember how you used to hum when you braided my hair, and how you held me the night Mom died. You said we still had each other. That nothing could break us."
Her voice cracked.
Clover wiped away her tears and stepped even closer, pressing both hands against the glass.
"Please, Mel… I know you're scared, I am too. But I never stopped looking for you. I never gave up—because I knew you were still in there."
Inside the chamber,
Melanie's body jolted again.
"____"
Her arms trembled.
The blackened veins along her neck began to pulse.
For the first time, her gaze flickered—
Not wild and hungry—
But confused, torn, human.
Clover whispered, voice cracking.
"You're my sister, not a monster. Come back to me… please."
A soft gasp escaped Melanie's lips.
Gasp!
"____"
She stumbled back from the glass, grabbing her head as if fighting something inside.
And then…
She let out a choked sob.
"C-Clover…?"
Jojo, who had remained silent until now, took a step forward.
The Angel Flame swirled around his hand, not like a weapon—
But like a divine promise.
Jojo stood calm amidst the flickering tension, his eyes locked on Melanie as she trembled, her voice fractured and pleading.
"Stay back! Please... I can't—control it..."
Her claws scratched the glass floor as her body twisted between human and beast.
One moment, her voice was her own;
The next was a guttural growl laced with agony and hunger.
Clover's hands pressed against the chamber wall, her breath fogging the glass.
"Mel... It's me! It's Clover. I'm here—you're not alone!"
Jojo's voice cut through the tension, firm yet gentle.
"She's still in there. I can feel it. But we don't have long."
He turned to Bonnie.
"Prepare the mind-link. We're going in."
Bonnie nodded and raised her hands, chanting softly.
Nod~
A silvery-blue shimmer began to form in the air, swirling like mist around Clover.
Jojo then stepped toward Melanie, the angel flame blazing calmly in his palm—
Not wild or wrathful like his Hellfire, but warm, steady, and radiant.
Melanie growled louder, falling to her knees, her hands over her ears as if trying to block out voices in her own head.
"____"
"DON'T COME CLOSER! I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!"
Jojo didn't stop.
"You won't,"
He said simply, kneeling before her, his angel fire illuminating both their faces.
Then, gently, he reached forward and touched her hand.
The moment contact was made, the angel flame flared and wrapped around Melanie's arm—
Not burning her, but purifying, soothing.
Her twisted claws faded slowly back into fingers.
Her snarling stopped.
Her breathing slowed.
"____"
And then, like a shockwave, her eyes turned completely white.
Bonnie's voice rose louder behind them as she completed the spell,
And Clover's eyes fluttered, then closed, her mind gently being guided into Melanie's fractured mind.
Jojo kept holding Melanie's hand, anchoring both girls.
The real battle now would be inside.
Inside the prison of pain, trauma, and the monster created by madness.
Only Clover could break through that cage.
And Jojo would make sure she had the chance to.
INSIDE MELANIE'S MIND...
Clover blinked, looking around.
The world was dark, broken, and twisted.
A storm raged in the sky above.
Around her were fragments—
Floating shards of childhood memories...
A broken swing set, a picture frame of their mother, laughter echoing faintly, and then warping into distorted growls.
Growl~
"____"
Ahead, in the centre of a shattered landscape, Clover saw her.
Melanie.
One side of her face was still human.
The other—
Clawed, pale, monstrous—
Was overtaken by the Wendigo spirit.
She was kneeling, clutching her head, sobbing.
Sob~ Sob~
"____"
The creature loomed behind her like a shadowy parasite, whispering in her ear.
"They left you. They forgot you. You're better this way. Stronger."
Clover stepped forward, slowly but without fear.
"No… she's not alone. Not anymore."
Melanie looked up, tears in her one human eye.
"____"
"Clover…? You shouldn't be here…"
Clover knelt beside her, gripping her shoulder.
"Yes, I should. I came all this way to find you. And I'm not leaving without you."
The shadow growled behind her, screeching with rage.
GROWL!
"____"
It lunged toward Clover—
But instead of flinching, Clover stood tall.
"You're not her. You're just her pain. Her fear. Her anger. But I remember who she really is—and so does she."
She reached out, both hands glowing faintly from Bonnie's magic and Jojo's blessing, and placed them on both sides of Melanie's face.
"Remember the fireworks? The pancakes? Mom's lullabies? Our pinky promises?"
The memories shimmered into the air—
Warm, golden, and powerful.
Melanie gasped as the warmth washed over her.
GASP!
"____"
The Wendigo inside her screamed, shaking violently, beginning to crack and split under the weight of love and memory.
"I'm not… a monster…"
Melanie whispered.
"I'm… me…"
With one final cry, the Wendigo form shattered into dust—
Disintegrated by the force of who Melanie truly was.
The darkness broke.
BACK FROM MIND SPACE...
Melanie's body jolted, her eyes flashing from white to brown.
Huff. Huff.
"____"
She slumped forward into Jojo's arms—whole, healed, and human.
Clover opened her eyes next, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face.
"I got her… she's back…"
Jojo gave a rare, soft smile.
"You did well."
Bonnie exhaled in relief, and Caroline, Elena, and the others at the doorway watched in awe.
After Melanie finally came back, restored by Jojo's angel flame and her sister's unshakable love, she collapsed into Clover's arms.
Both girls clung to each other as if the world would disappear if they let go, tears streaming down their faces—
One out of guilt, the other out of relief.
"I'm so sorry, Clover,"
Melanie sobbed.
"I should've listened to you. I thought I knew everything… but I was wrong. I was stupid, and I—I almost turned into a monster."
Clover hugged her tighter, whispering,
"You're back. That's all that matters."
The moment hung heavy with emotion,
But Abel, ever the one to break the tension, rubbed the back of his neck and joked,
"Well... next time, just text your sister instead of turning into a man-eating ghoul, huh?"
A brief chuckle passed through the room—
Chuckle~
Until Melanie's body suddenly tensed.
Her head jerked slightly, and her eyes turned pitch black again.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from her throat.
Growl~
"____"
"____"
"____"
Instantly, every person in the room dropped into a stance.
Bonnie flared with magic, Caroline took a half-step forward, fangs bared, and Max instinctively grabbed the broken axe near his feet.
Jojo, however, remained perfectly still.
He let out a long sigh and raised a calming hand.
Sigh~
"Relax,"
He said, walking up to Melanie slowly.
"It's not an attack. It's instinct."
He turned to her, his tone calm but firm.
"You're still a wendigo, Melanie. That's not something I can erase—not without killing you. But you're not lost. Not if you learn to control it."
Melanie, trembling slightly, closed her eyes.
Her breathing slowed.
The black in her eyes faded as her sister held her hand again.
Jojo reached into his coat and pulled out a weathered, matte-black card.
The white logo read:
DMC — Devil May Cry: Paranormal Services & Monster Control.
He handed it to her.
"If you're interested,"
He said,
"We can teach you. How to fight. How to survive. And how to use what you've become... without losing who you are."
Melanie looked at the card, then at Clover, and nodded with a small, determined smile.
Nod~
"I want to try. I want to make this right."
Jojo smirked.
Smirk~
"Good. Then welcome to the weird side of life."
As the group wrapped up their sweep of the underground surveillance facility,
Jojo led the charge—
His boots crunching on scattered debris and broken machinery.
Every corner had been checked.
Every chamber was scoured.
The final step was torching the hard drives, logs, and research notes left behind by Dr. Hill's twisted experiments.
Jojo lit a spark of hellfire in his palm and casually tossed it onto the pile of data.
FWOOSH.
The fire roared to life, consuming everything that remained of Hill's sick legacy.
"That's the last of it."
Caroline said, dusting her hands.
"Good riddance,"
Elena muttered.
They made their way up the narrow passage that led back to the main house, climbing out one by one through the hidden entry behind the bookshelf.
As everyone gathered in the living room, ready to finally leave the cursed Glore Valley house behind,
Bonnie suddenly paused.
Her gaze was drawn to something out of place.
An hourglass clock.
"____"
It sat quietly on the mantelpiece.
Ornate. Antique.
And ominous.
But what truly caught Bonnie's attention wasn't its craftsmanship—
But the feeling it gave off.
"Wait,"
She whispered, stepping closer.
Everyone stopped and turned to her.
Bonnie slowly reached toward the hourglass, her fingers hovering above it. Her brow furrowed.
"This… isn't just a clock,"
She said quietly.
"It's a relic. A magical one. And it's active."
Jojo narrowed his eyes.
"Active? You mean it's doing something right now?"
Bonnie gave a hesitant nod.
Nod~
"Yes. I can feel residual time energy—like… something has been repeating. Not just time loops. This was amplifying it. Feeding the cycle. Maybe even trapping the souls."
Melanie tensed at those words.
Clover stepped protectively beside her.
"So,"
Abel asked, trying to keep calm,
"This thing's responsible for the time loops?"
Bonnie turned to Jojo.
"It might be part of it. Or at least a key component. Destroying it might unravel whatever lingering grip this place still has."
Jojo looked at the hourglass for a moment, as if weighing its existence.
Then, without a word, he raised his hand.
Hellfire ignited from his palm.
"No second chances,"
He said—
And launched the fire.
The relic burst into flames.
A shrill hum filled the air, like a trapped scream echoing through glass.
The hourglass cracked, shattered, and exploded into a blinding light.
A surge of mystical energy pulsed outward—
Then dissipated, leaving the house eerily still.
A long silence followed.
"____"
Then Bonnie exhaled.
"It's done. Whatever hold this place had… It's gone now."
Jojo turned to the others.
"Let's get out of here."
This time, when they opened the door and stepped into the rainy forest outside,
The air felt different—
Lighter.
The storm clouds had parted, and for the first time since arriving, the night sky was visible.
They had survived Glore Valley.
But as Jojo glanced once more over his shoulder at the house, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
"Too many monsters are born from human hands."
As the group stepped out into the cool night air, a strange calm settled over Glore Valley for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Behind them, Jojo stood in silence, staring at the two houses—
Symbols of madness, death, and corruption.
Without a word, he raised both hands.
A low, guttural whisper left his flaming hand as his hellfire surged forth.
It wrapped around the houses like snakes, igniting every corner—
Walls, rooftops, basements.
The flames weren't ordinary.
They burned with purpose, devouring not just wood and stone but every lingering negativity, every trace of twisted magic left behind.
The structures groaned, then collapsed into ruin.
"Good,"
Jojo murmured.
"Let the past rot with them."
Just as the fire dimmed into a low blaze, the sudden ping of a notification sounded.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Everyone looked down at their phones in confusion.
Their screens lit up with missed calls, urgent messages, and voicemails.
Jojo's phone buzzed wildly.
Hope Mikaelson:
"Jojo, where the hell are you?! Are you okay?"
Freya:
"There's something wrong. You're not responding. It's been three days!"
Rosalie:
"You vanished. Everyone's looking for you. Text back now!"
Alice:
"Jojo, this is serious. Don't ignore this."
Klaus:
"You better not be dead, Rider. Or I'll kill you when you come back."
Hayley:
"Hope is worried about you. Please tell me you're alright."
Jojo frowned as he scrolled through the notifications.
Three days had passed.
But for them, it felt like a single stormy night.
"Time dilation,"
Bonnie muttered, checking her own phone.
"We were inside a temporal field… Those houses—Glore Valley itself—must've been twisted in time."
Clover and her friends looked equally shocked as they realised their families had also tried to reach them—
Texts, calls, even emergency alerts.
Melanie clutched her phone tightly, guilt flashing in her eyes.
"Three days…? I was gone that long…?"
Jojo finally looked up from his screen.
"We're back in real time now. Let's not waste it."
Caroline nodded.
Nod~
"We need to head back. Let everyone know we're safe."
Elena placed a gentle hand on Clover's shoulder.
"We can figure out what's next. You and your sister… you've got a second chance."
Jojo took a slow breath, slipping his phone back into his jacket.
"Alright. Let's go. I've got people to check on… and monsters to explain."
He glanced once more at the smouldering ruins of Glore Valley.
"And I swear,"
He added softly, mostly to himself,
"If any part of this ever tries to rise again… I'll burn it before it breathes."
Then, without another word, the group turned away from the valley of ghosts and nightmares—
Heading back toward the world that had moved on without them.
Clover and her sister Melanie stood near their weathered car with Abel, Max, Nina, and Megan.
The vehicle looked like it had just survived a warzone—
Dented panels, cracked windshield, mud-caked tires. But it still ran. Barely.
Melanie glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror.
Though her skin had healed and her eyes had returned to normal, there was still something lurking beneath—
Something that would take time, discipline, and effort to control.
She met Clover's gaze, silently promising she would try.
"Let's get the hell out of here."
Max muttered, rubbing the back of his head where he'd been thrown earlier.
Clover nodded.
Nod~
"Yeah. We'll head home first. Then… we figure out what's next."
The old car groaned as it started up, sputtering before catching.
Slowly, they rolled away from Glore Valley, a haunted silence lingering between them.
Meanwhile, a few feet away, Jojo leaned against the hood of his black muscle car, phone pressed to his ear.
Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena stood nearby, all on their own calls, speaking rapidly to family and friends who had been frantic for three days.
Jojo's screen was filled with dozens of missed calls—
Hope, Freya, Rosalie, Klaus, Hayley, Alice… even Alaric.
He finally got through to Hope.
Jojo (calmly):
"Yeah, I'm fine. No, I wasn't ghosted by the devil… though close enough."
Hope (on the other end):
"Where the hell have you been? You dropped off the grid for three days!"
Jojo:
"Time got screwed. Glore Valley wasn't just haunted—it was cursed and filled with monsters. But it's over now."
He paused, glancing at the others.
"Listen… I want all of you to meet me at Salvatore Boarding School. I will explain there..."
Caroline, ending her own call with her daughters, looked at Jojo curiously.
"You sure about bringing everyone there?"
"Yeah,"
Jojo replied.
"This thing… Wendigos, time loops, mutated curses—Hill may be dead, but he wasn't acting alone. That place didn't twist itself. We need to prepare. Especially you guys who were close to..."
Bonnie nodded, slipping her phone into her pocket.
Nod~
"And Melanie… she's going to need guidance. Support."
Jojo smirked.
Smirk~
"She'll have it. If she wants it, she has a place at DMC."
The four got into the car, engines revving in unison.
As the two vehicles drove off in separate directions under the clearing sky, a soft wind blew through Glore Valley.
The cursed soil, once crying out for blood, now finally… silent.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!