Chapter 166: Alessa

"Indeed, I am a devil, but what can the so-called God of yours do to me~?"

As soon as Jon finished speaking, the scenery around him underwent a drastic change. Flames erupted all around, and the ground beneath their feet turned into scorched earth in an instant.

In a blink of an eye, the sacred church transformed into an endless purgatory.

A pitch-black ancient book appeared in the air and slowly unfolded. Jon's eyes briefly softened as he gazed at the book, a silent testament to his long and arduous journey through dark arts and forbidden knowledge, seeking power to protect what he cherished in a world that had shown him little mercy.

With the powerful of the ancient book as the focal point, combined with the hellfire and the knowledge within the dark book, a magical barrier was created that trapped everyone in a space akin to hell. It was Hell's barrier, Jon's magical creation.

Christabella looked around at the purgatory, his expression fluctuating: "This place was the only sanctuary in Silent Hill, a sacred church! What have you done?!"

Jon calmly replied, "If a sanctuary protects a group of evildoers, then why not turn it into purgatory?" His voice carried a hint of pity for what the church had become, a far cry from the sanctuary it was meant to be.

He approached Christabella and asked softly, "Now tell me, where is Rose?" His question was not just a demand for information but a reflection of his desperation to end the cycle of suffering that had ensnared those he aimed to save.

Christabella stared at Jon fiercely and said bitterly, "She went to seek the demon, Alessa, a spawn of evil just like you!" The air thickened with tension as her words echoed, a painful reminder of the judgments and misinterpretations that had haunted Jon's steps.

Jon smiled and said, "Oh, is that so? Then prepare yourself for the revenge of the so-called spawn of evil~!" His smile was a facade, masking the turmoil and resolve within him to confront the shadows of Silent Hill and protect those caught in its grip.

With that, Jon turned to leave, taking Sharon's hand and whispering, "Let's go, I'll take you to find your mom." Sharon's small hand in his was a grounding force, a reminder of the innocence he fought to protect in a world that had forgotten its meaning.

Sharon obediently nodded and was about to follow Jon. Then, Jon seemed to remember something, turned back to the followers, and said, "Oh, right! I won't kill the rest of you now because there's someone more suited to take your lives than me. So, enjoy the last moments of your life~" His words were a chilling prophecy, delivered with a deceptive lightness that belied the gravity of their fate.

After saying this, Jon left the church, leaving the followers trapped in Hell's Barrier, unable to escape. They were imprisoned in a Jon's cage, their only option to silently await his arrival to claim their lives.

***

Leaving the church, Jon arrived at a massive skyscraper. Through the cultists' memories, Jon found Alessa's true location. He took Sharon into the building, his heart heavy with the weight of memories that clung to its walls, a silent witness to the tragedies that had unfolded within.

This was where Alessa was burned to death, the origin of Silent Hill's nightmares and sins. Everything started here, and today it would end here. The air was thick with the ghosts of the past, whispering tales of sorrow and vengeance that seeped into the very fabric of the building.

The building's interior was similar to other structures in Silent Hill, looking dilapidated, but since it was the real world at the moment, it didn't seem as terrifying. Yet, each step they took echoed ominously, a stark reminder of the reality they faced.

Jon led Sharon to a sealed door, glanced at the map beside it, and memorized it. He paused for a moment, considering the path that lay ahead, a path fraught with danger but also the promise of redemption.

Then he kicked the door open and entered with Sharon. The world inside was pitch black. Jon realized Sharon was scared and holding his hand tightly, so he summoned a ball of hellfire with his other hand to light up the surroundings. The hellfire cast long shadows, making the ordinary seem otherworldly, a stark reminder of the thin line between reality and nightmare.

Following his memory, Jon soon found the room where Alessa had been burned to death. However, there were some faceless creatures wandering the corridor, dressed in nurse outfits. These creatures had more voluptuous bodies than average women, wearing enticing nurse outfits but with dysmorphic faceless bodies. They had one characteristic: sound and light attracted them to attack, while they remained immobile in darkness.

Thus, the light from Jon's fire seemed to provoke them. They started moving towards him while emitting moans like they are in agony. "How much you have suffered?!" Jon couldn't help but sorrow, while Sharon had already hidden behind him. Still, Jon remained calm. He extended his hand to cover the heads of those nurse monsters in his vision, allowing himself to only see their bodies. "Now, Rest in peace." Jon lowered his hand, and immediately a ball of hellfire incinerated the nurses.

After dealing with them, Jon stepped forward and pushed open the large door in front of him. The moment the door opened, a blinding light appeared, as if the whole world was engulfed in that brightness. As the light slowly faded, three figures gradually became visible.

The three of them looked over simultaneously, and Jon and Sharon could now see their faces clearly. One of them was Rose, Sharon's mother. There was also a little girl with an angelic face similar to Sharon's, but her complexion was pale, and her expression was somber, lacking the liveliness expected of her age. The other was a woman in a nurse's uniform, her face covered in blood.

The little girl was Alessa, and the nurse was Lisa, who had been caring for Alessa. At that moment, Alessa was about to embrace Rose, but her action was interrupted by the sudden entry of Jon and Sharon. She had been about to possess Rose and then use Rose's body to enter the church to enact her revenge.

"You...how did you get here?!" Rose exclaimed in astonishment upon seeing Jon. Just then, Sharon timidly walked out from behind Jon.

"Mommy~!"

"Sharon~!" Rose cried out in surprise, then rushed forward to embrace Sharon without hesitation.

She had agreed to let Alessa possess her because she was told by Alessa that Sharon had been captured by the church and was going to be burned at the stake. To save her daughter, she had agreed to Alessa's proposal. But now, seeing that it was unnecessary, she held Sharon tightly in her arms. After searching through the monster-filled Silent Hill for so long, she had almost forgotten what the normal world was like, but now it seemed, all her efforts were worthwhile.

"Don't be afraid, Sharon, mommy will take you out of here soon," Rose whispered softly. However, at that moment, an incredibly somber voice sounded: "Do you really think I'd let you go?"

The air instantly turned cold. Alessa's angelic face was now utterly frigid as she stared intently at the three before her, especially at Jon. Her plan had been disrupted by this intruder. She had deliberately appeared before Jon to lure him into the psychiatric hospital, intending for the church's people to hold Jon back, so he wouldn't foil her plans. However, she hadn't anticipated Jon's all abilities, enabling him to find Alessa's location through the memories of those followers and, at this critical moment, disrupt her plan.

------------

(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see +20 chapters ahead.

patreon.com/TheMightyZeus

------------