Malachai kept investigating and in a room at the back, the master bedroom, he found an overturned desk, yellowish papers scattered everywhere. He used telekinesis to lift one, a leather bound diary, cracked and dusty. He opened it carefully, the pages crackling like old bones.
"The Turtle spoke to me in dreams. It said the clown is not the only devourer. There are worse things in the shadows of this house. Souls trapped, furious after decades of torment. The dagger is Maturin's tooth. If you drive it into the dead light, it will bleed. There is a girl… she purifies with light. You must search for her and find her."
"I saw the girl in visions. She is the daughter of paranormal investigators, she has powerful gifts, but she uses them to bring peace, not to hunt. Her hands shine like stars, burning away the evil. If she comes here, she could help us."
Malachai closed the diary.
'A girl with purification powers. Interesting. If she exists, she could be an ally against Pennywise.'
Then he heard it, a feminine whisper, pained, like a distant lament. It was coming from the basement.
He descended the stairs silently. The basement door was ajar, a pale blue light pulsing like a slow heartbeat from within. He entered.
The basement was a maze of stacked boxes, thick cobwebs like ropes, and a smell of dampness and death. In the center, an improvised stone altar with extinguished candles and turtle symbols carved into it. And there she was.
A girl about 18 years old, standing in the middle of the basement. Brown hair cut in a soft bob that framed her innocent yet mature face, large expressive gray blue eyes that glowed with an inner light, as if they contained stars.
Her skin was pale, almost luminous, and she wore a simple white tunic, dirtied by dust. In her hands floated spheres of pure white light, slowly rotating like protective orbs. She looked fragile, but there was a determination in her stance that spoke of experiences far beyond her age.
When she saw him, she tilted her head slightly, her eyes scanning him with curiosity and caution.
"You… shouldn't be in this place." She said in a soft but firm voice. "But you're not afraid either. Who are you?"
Malachai took a step forward, his imposing presence filling the space.
"I'm Malachai Walker. I came only for Maturin's dagger. And you?"
"Judy Warren." She replied, her voice gaining strength.
'Wait is 'this' that Judy Warren from The Conjuring?' Malachai thought, and seeing her now, he remembered.
She was the daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren. She had spent her entire childhood in Bridgeport, living with her grandmother Georgiana while her parents were paranormal investigators. She attended a Catholic school, surrounded by crosses and prayers, because her parents were devout Roman Catholics.
In the movie, she knew nothing of her parents paranormal work until she was an adult. But here it seemed different.
Malachai figured that since this universe was a fusion of many films, she had awakened as a user of the shine and had delved into the paranormal.
And the girl who used her purifying light powers to give rest to ghosts and spirits mentioned in the diary, he imagined it was Judy because of the light emanating from her hands. For some reason, Malachai felt calmer and more at peace just looking at her.
"I came here because this house is a knot of pain. The souls are screaming, trapped. They need peace. And I will give it to them."
Malachai raised an eyebrow, impressed. Judy Warren. Of the famous Warrens. In this fused universe, it fit perfectly. Her powers… now that he saw them in person, they could be very useful against IT.
"I come from Riverdale, which used to be Derry. The clown has already awakened. I need the dagger to hurt him."
Judy's eyes shone with understanding.
"Pennywise. So that thing has already woken up. This house is infested. If we don't purify it first, the dagger won't reveal itself. Will you fight with me?"
Malachai gave a cold smile. "Of course. Show me what you've got."
Before Judy could answer, the shadows in the basement twisted like living snakes.
Figures emerged from the walls, translucent silhouettes, faces deformed by eternal terror. A woman with a broken neck, twisting her head at impossible angles. A child with his eyes torn out, crying black tears. A man with his mouth sewn shut. They advanced toward them, moaning in a chorus of pain.
Judy raised her hands. The spheres of light expanded, forming a protective circle around both of them, a white barrier that crackled on contact with the shadows.
"Don't look them in the eyes." Judy warned, her voice trembling slightly but firm. "They're terrifying, but my light weakens them. You distract them."
Malachai activated his time perception. The world slowed down. The ghosts moved as if in a slow dream, every gesture visible in detail. He raised his hand. A broken piece of ceiling beam flew like a missile, piercing the first ghost, the woman with the broken neck, dissolving her into black smoke that evaporated with a shriek.
Another spirit, the child, leaped toward Judy. She extended a hand, and a sphere of light struck him, burning him like holy acid. The child began dissolving into luminous particles.
More entities emerged, a dozen now, surrounding them. An old man's ghost with chains tried to wrap around Malachai.
He floated into the air, evading with superhuman grace, and used telekinesis to slam it against the wall. The impact echoed like thunder, the spirit exploding into smoke.
Judy was softly chanting, an ancient language, it sounded like Latin mixed with something mystical. Her light intensified, burning three spirits approaching her and turning them into particles of light. She was sweating, her brown hair sticking to her forehead, but she didn't back down.
'She's strong. Young, but with purifying power. She could be a valuable ally.' Malachai thought as he watched her fight.
A larger entity rose from the floor, a shapeless mass of arms and snapping mouths, like a living tumor. It tried to envelop Judy.
Malachai intervened, raising a force field, the mass bounced off an invisible barrier, shuddering. Then, with a mental gesture, Malachai lifted it and smashed it against the ceiling over and over until it disintegrated into smoke.
The battle lasted eternal minutes, waves of spirits attacking, Judy purifying with light, Malachai destroying with raw force.
They cooperated without words, he distracted, she weakened and purified them.
In the end, the last souls screamed one final time before dissolving into peace, leaving the basement in absolute silence.
Judy was panting, leaning against a wall, her white tunic stained with ethereal ectoplasm. Malachai landed in front of her, without a drop of sweat, his breathing steady.
"Your powers…" Judy said, looking at him with admiration. "How did you get them?"
"When I turned 16 I was calmly eating and I passed out, and when I woke up a few hours later I realized I could levitate things with my mind," he replied, lying without the slightest hesitation. "I trained and got stronger. And you?"
Judy nodded, sitting on the floor to catch her breath. "At first it terrified me. I saw shadows at school, felt presences in church, everywhere. When my parents found out, they taught me to use my powers for good. I don't hunt demons like they do; I purify. I give rest. This house called to me in dreams. I knew there was something here connected to Derry… to Pennywise. I wanted the dagger to go to Riverdale and defeat Pennywise. I don't want another massacre to happen in that town."
Malachai sat beside her, his imposing presence strong but not threatening. "As it happens, I also want to kill that clown. Want to work together to take him down?" He smiled in amusement as he watched her eyes open slightly in surprise.