The Mirkwood forest, on the outskirts of Hawkins, Indiana, was shrouded in profound silence. The tall trees stood like sentinels under the pale moonlight, and the air carried a scent of damp earth and pine—a stark relief after the stench of blood and ashes in Raccoon City. Cassian, Jill Valentine, and Terri Morales emerged from the portal, the supernatural hum fading behind them. The dark circle that had brought them here closed with a whisper, leaving only the crunch of leaves under their boots. Cassian took a deep breath, feeling his blood stabilize after the strain of crossing dimensions. For him, barely a day had passed in Raccoon City, but his instincts told him that time in this world might have played a cruel trick. Jill, with her arms crossed, scanned the forest, her face tense but alert. Terri, clutching the remains of her broken camera, looked around with a mix of awe and nervousness, as if expecting something to leap from the shadows.
"This is… different," Terri said, breaking the silence. Her voice trembled slightly, but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "It doesn't smell like death. No zombies. But something tells me this place isn't a walk in the park."
"It's not," Cassian replied, adjusting the dagger at his belt. "This world has its own secrets. But there's hope here. Something your world didn't have."
Jill turned to him, her gaze sharp. "You said that before you brought us here. Now that we're here, I want details, Cassian. What kind of 'secrets' does this place have? And how do we fit into this?"
"Patience," he said, raising a hand. "First, I need to contact someone. Then we'll talk."
He pulled a satellite phone from his jacket, a rugged model that looked out of place in his weathered hands. He dialed a number, and after a few seconds, a female voice answered with a tone of both relief and exasperation.
"Cassian? For God's sake, is that you?" Helen said, her voice clear despite the distance. "Where the hell have you been? It's been five months!"
Cassian frowned, confirming his suspicion. "Time flows differently between worlds," he said, more to himself. "Helen, I'm in Indiana. I just got back. I'm not alone."
"Five months?" Terri whispered, looking at Jill. "How is that possible? For us, it was… what, a day? Less?"
Jill didn't respond, but her expression hardened as she processed the information. Cassian raised a hand for silence as he spoke with Helen.
"What do you mean 'not alone'?" Helen asked, her tone now more serious. "What did you do this time, Cassian?"
"I brought two people," he explained, glancing at Jill and Terri. "Women from another world. Fighters. Survivors. But before we get into that, tell me what's going on. Where are you?"
There was a pause, and background noise—distant voices, the crackle of a campfire—suggested Helen wasn't in a quiet place. "I'm in Japan," she said finally. "The Vatican contacted me three months ago. They said this place is going to hell, literally. Anomalies everywhere. It's not just an isolated case like the Kuchisake-onna we faced. We're talking about things more… disturbing."
"Define 'disturbing,'" Cassian said, his voice calm but edged with curiosity.
"Where do I start," Helen sighed. "There are reports of a yurei in Aokigahara, the suicide forest. Not one, but several. People saying they see shadows calling them, urging them to hang themselves. Then there's the case of an abandoned school in Tokyo where exorcists found recordings of children laughing… but there are no children. Some compare it to that movie, Ju-On, a curse that spreads. And don't get me started on the rumors about a ghost train in Hokkaido. People board it, but they don't get off. The Vatican thinks something is awakening these things, something bigger."
Cassian nodded, though Helen couldn't see him. "Does the Vatican have any theories?"
"Just guesses," she replied. "They say the veil between worlds is thinning. Not just here, Cassian. It's happening in the States too. Since you left, reports of paranormal activity have skyrocketed. Shadows, disappearances, things that don't add up. There are rumors of creatures—not zombies, but… entities that shouldn't exist. The Vatican is sending more exorcists, but they're stretched thin."
Jill, listening closely, interjected. "Creatures? Shadows? Sounds like something I saw in my world, but it's not, is it?"
Cassian gestured for her to wait, but Helen caught the voice. "Who's with you?" she asked, suspicious. "Don't tell me you brought someone without consulting me."
"They're trustworthy," Cassian said. "Jill Valentine and Terri Morales. They come from a world infested with zombies, controlled by a corporation called Umbrella. They survived things that would break most people. Jill's a fighter, ex-member of a tactical team. Terri's a journalist, documenting the chaos. I brought them because their world is dead, Helen. There was nothing left to save."
There was silence on the other end. Then Helen spoke, her tone softer. "Alright. I trust your judgment. But, Cassian, this isn't just a local case anymore. The whole world is… stirred up. In the States, I heard about two brothers, the Winchesters. Paranormal hunters. No one knows exactly where they are, but word is they're the best. They've been facing demons, ghosts, things straight out of a nightmare. One of the Vatican's exorcists mentioned them, said they could be allies… or trouble, depending on how we approach them."
"Winchester," Cassian repeated, committing the name to memory. "What else do you know about them?"
"Not much," Helen admitted. "Just that they're nomads, drive an old car, and have a history of getting into trouble with things that shouldn't exist. But that's secondary. I'm in Japan with a team of exorcists. I'll be in the States tomorrow. Can you wait in Indiana?"
"We will," Cassian said. "I'll be at the usual meeting point. Bring all the intel you have on Japan and the States."
"Done," Helen replied. "And, Cassian… don't do anything stupid until I get there. I know sitting still isn't your style, but we need to plan this right."
"No promises," he said with a hint of humor. "Take care, Helen."
"You too," she said, and the call ended.
Cassian pocketed the phone and turned to Jill and Terri, who were watching him expectantly. The forest remained quiet, but the weight of his conversation with Helen seemed to charge the air. Terri spoke first.
"So, five months?" she said, crossing her arms. "That means for you, Cassian, it was just a day, right? But here, months passed. How does that work? Is time always this… unhinged between worlds?"
"Not always," Cassian explained, sitting on a nearby rock. "Each Earth has its own rules. Some are synchronized, others aren't. In your world, time moved slower for me. Here, it moved faster. It's part of what makes crossings dangerous. You never know how much you lose."
Jill leaned against a tree, her expression thoughtful. "That sounds like an impossible puzzle," she said. "But let's drop the time thing. What your friend Helen said… this world doesn't sound much better than ours. Shadows, entities, disappearances. What are we facing here, Cassian? And don't give me vague answers. I want the truth."
Cassian met her gaze, respecting her directness. "The truth is, this world is on the edge of something big," he said. "Demons are trying to cross into this Earth from infernal realms that shouldn't touch ours. My blood, my lineage, is tied to that fight. I'm a descendant of Enoch, someone who walked between the divine and the human, and my blood carries a power demons fear. I'm an exorcist, the Vatican's best, and my job is to confront them, banish them, protect this world. What happened in Japan months ago, with the Kuchisake-onna and other entities, might have tipped the demons off. They believe a descendant of Enoch is alive, here, on this Earth. And that's making them bolder. What Helen said about Japan, about the States… something is awakening. I don't know what, but I feel it."
Terri swallowed hard, her fingers fidgeting with the broken strap of her camera. "That sounds… terrifying," she said. "In Raccoon City, at least we knew Umbrella was the enemy. Zombies, corporations, Nemesis. But here? Demons? Infernal entities? And those Winchester brothers? I don't know if I'm ready for this, Cassian. I mean, I recorded horrors to show the world, but this is… another level."
"It is," Cassian admitted, his tone gentle but firm. "That's why I want to give you both a choice. You didn't ask to come here, but you're here now. You can join me, Helen, our work. Fight what's coming, learn this world's secrets. Or you can choose another life. There are places where you could start over. I won't force you into anything."
Jill let out a dry laugh, looking at the ground. "Start over? What, like I could work in an office after facing Nemesis? No, Cassian. I said in Raccoon I was tired of fighting, and part of me is. But this…" She paused, looking at the trees, as if searching for answers in the shadows. "The paranormal draws me in. It always has, even before Umbrella. I felt there was something bigger behind it all, something I couldn't explain. If this world has answers, I want to find them. I'm in."
Cassian nodded, a spark of respect in his eyes. "Good. Your experience will be useful. You're a leader, Jill. I saw it in Raccoon."
"I'm not so sure about that," she said, shrugging. "But I don't like being left behind. If there's a bigger picture, like you say, I'll figure it out. Though…" She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "I still don't fully trust you. You're too… enigmatic. But for now, I'll work with you."
"Fair," Cassian said with a faint smile. "And you, Terri?"
Terri took a deep breath, looking at the broken camera in her hands. "I have nothing," she said, her voice cracking. "My life was recording, telling stories, showing the truth. But my camera's broken, my world's gone. I don't know who I am without that. But when we fought in Raccoon, when you saved me, I felt like I could still do something. I'm not a fighter like Jill, but I want to learn. I want to stay with you, Cassian. I don't know if I'll be useful, but I'll try."
"That's enough," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to be a fighter. Your instincts, your drive to document… that matters. We'll find a way for you to fit in."
Terri nodded, her eyes shining with a mix of fear and determination. "Thank you," she whispered. "Just… don't leave me behind, okay?"
"I won't," Cassian promised.
Jill cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "So, what's the plan? Helen gets here tomorrow, then what? Do we go straight to hunting demons? Or is there a boot camp for rookies like us?"
"We wait for Helen," Cassian said. "She has intel, contacts. She knows more about what's happening in Japan and the States. Once you click with her, we'll decide. For now, rest. You've been through a lot."
"Rest," Jill repeated with a bitter laugh. "I don't know if I can close my eyes without seeing zombies. But I'll try."
"I'm not sure about sleeping either," Terri admitted. "But this place… it's quiet. Too quiet. Is it always like this?"
"No," Cassian said, looking into the forest. "This world is never what it seems. But for tonight, we're safe."
The trio settled in the clearing, the forest's silence enveloping them. Jill pulled a canteen from her jacket, taking a swig before passing it to Terri. "To surviving," she said with a touch of sarcasm.
"To surviving," Terri echoed, taking a sip and passing it to Cassian.
He took it, drinking slowly. "To what's coming," he said, his voice low, his eyes fixed on the darkness.