CHAPTER 188
Chapter 188: Hearts Aglow, Shadow's Foe
The ancient evil, now manifested in Jenna's form, its eyes glowing with a malevolent green light, and the house filled with a suffocating darkness, made their home feel like a cursed sanctuary. Salome, holding Leo close, felt a surge of protective love and a chilling dread. She had to save her daughter.
"Jenna!" Salome cried, her voice echoing through the darkness. "Please, fight it! It's not you!"
The figure in Jenna's form laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Silence, mortal!" it hissed, its voice a distorted echo. "She is gone. There is only me now. And I have come for the boy."
It reached out with its hand, its touch radiating a freezing cold, towards Leo.
The celestial Johnson, his form shimmering with a golden light, stepped forward, shielding Salome and Leo. "You will not touch them," he said, his voice a resonant echo. "Not while I still draw breath."
He unleashed a wave of celestial energy, a force of pure creation, clashing with the ancient evil's darkness. The house shook, the air crackled with power, and the battle between light and darkness raged.
Salome, holding Leo tight, felt a surge of desperation. She had to do something. She couldn't just stand by and watch her family be torn apart.
"We have to remind her," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "We have to remind Jenna of who she really is."
She looked around the house, her eyes searching for something, anything, that could help. And then, she saw it.
The Christmas tree.
It stood in the corner of the room, adorned with colorful lights and sparkling ornaments, a symbol of hope and joy in the midst of the darkness. Salome remembered the laughter, the love, the warmth that had filled the house during the holidays.
"The tree!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a sudden hope. "The Christmas spirit! It's a time of love, of family, of new beginnings! Maybe… maybe it can help us reach her!"
The celestial Johnson nodded, his eyes filled with a desperate faith. "It is a beacon," he said. "A symbol of the light that still burns within her. We must try."
Together, they turned their attention to the Christmas tree, focusing their love, their hope, their memories of joy and togetherness on its shining lights.
Salome remembered decorating the tree with Jenna, their laughter echoing through the house as they hung ornaments and strung garlands. She remembered Johnson's warm smile as he placed the star on top, his eyes filled with love. She remembered the feeling of peace and contentment as they gathered around the tree on Christmas morning, ready to celebrate.
As they focused on these memories, the Christmas tree began to glow brighter, its lights pulsing with a renewed energy. The darkness in the room receded slightly, and a faint whisper of Jenna's voice could be heard, struggling against the ancient evil's control.
"Mommy… Daddy…" the whisper said, barely audible. "Help me…"
The figure in Jenna's form recoiled, its malevolent grin faltering for a moment. "No!" it hissed, its voice a distorted echo. "I will not let you take her from me! She is mine!"
But the Christmas tree's light grew stronger, pushing back the darkness, and Jenna's voice became clearer, more distinct.
"I remember," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "I remember Christmas. I remember the love."
And then, a new ornament appeared on the Christmas tree, a shimmering rainbow crystal, pulsing with a vibrant light. It was Jenna's crystal, restored to its full power.
As the rainbow crystal glowed, the figure in Jenna's form screamed, a high-pitched, agonizing sound. The ancient evil's control was weakening.
But then, a new, horrifying detail emerged. The Christmas tree began to twist and distort, its lights turning into malevolent eyes, its ornaments into grotesque faces. And from the top of the tree, the star began to glow with a dark, pulsating energy, and a new voice echoed through the house, a voice that was both familiar and terrifyingly distorted.
"You think your holiday cheer can defeat me?" it boomed, its tone filled with a chilling triumph. "You are mistaken! Christmas is mine now! And it will bring about the final darkness!"