Supernatural: Reincarnated into the Hunt

Ash leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, and shot James a smirk. "Listen, dude, you're barely getting out of bed without looking like a 90-year-old. You're stuck here at least a couple more days. Lucky for you, I'm probably getting sprung first. I'll start digging into things while you're busy being a model patient."

James frowned, his tone sharp. "No way. No going to the manor, Ash. I'm dead serious. That place isn't safe, and unlike me, you don't have powers to back you up. If something happens, I won't be there to bail your ass out."

Ash raised his hands in mock surrender, the smirk never leaving his face. "Alright, alright, no manor. Scout's honor." His grin widened as he added, "Though it's cute hearing a rookie try to give me advice. 'Don't go there, Ash. It's too scary.' Real convincing."

James glared at Ash without saying anything.

Ash chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax, I got it. No manor. I'll hit up the archives or maybe some dusty-ass library. Do a little research, see what I can dig up on the creepy family and their haunted house."

Before James could say anything, the door swung open, and Nurse Williams stepped in, her expression instantly unimpressed. She looked at Ash and sighed like she'd done this too many times already. "Mr. Anderson, what did I tell you about staying in your room?"

Ash tried to charm his way out, flashing his best grin. "Come on, Nurse Williams. You can't expect me to leave my partner-in-crime hanging. Bros before—uh—hospital rules?"

The nurse didn't even blink. "Partners in crime or not, you're still recovering. Back to your room. Now."

Ash groaned dramatically, throwing James an exaggerated look of betrayal. "You hear that? They're tearing us apart. This is cruel and unusual punishment."

James rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a chuckle. "You'll survive. Just don't get caught sneaking out again."

The nurse crossed her arms, all business. "Don't encourage him, Mr. Bennett. And Mr. Anderson, if you're not out of here in thirty seconds, I'm calling security."

Ash stood, placing a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Fine, fine. No need for the muscle. I'm going." He saluted James with a grin. "Catch you later, man. Don't miss me too much."

James just shook his head as Ash limped out, Nurse Williams following close behind. The door clicked shut, and the room fell into silence. James let out a deep breath, sinking back into the pillows.

His thoughts drifted to the LSAT exam he'd missed. Becoming a lawyer had been his dream since he was a kid, something he'd worked his ass off for. Now, though, that life felt a million miles away, like it belonged to someone else. Everything had flipped on its head this past week—his plans, his future, his entire sense of normal.

But James wasn't the type to give up. He clenched his fists, determination burning in his chest. 'I'll get there,'he muttered to himself in his mind.

'I'll become a lawyer. Just… not right now. Not until I figure out what happened to Mom. Not until I track that demon and rip its heart out. Not until I bring Dad back…'

That last thought hit like a gut punch, heavy with doubt and raw hope. Bringing his dad back seemed impossible, but James wasn't ready to let go of the idea. If his Essence Sovereignty system kept getting stronger—if he pushed it to the limit—maybe, just maybe, he'd find a way. It was a long shot, but it was all he had.

For now, though, he needed to focus on surviving, on getting stronger, on figuring out just how far this power of his could take him. Staring at the ceiling, he made a silent promise: no matter how long it took, he wasn't stopping.

That demon wasn't getting away. James Bennett wasn't just surviving—he was going to win.

James stayed in the hospital for a few more days, but he healed faster than the doctors expected. Each morning, he felt stronger, the pain faded quicker, and soon, he could walk without much effort. He figured his quick recovery had something to do with his constitution, which the system said was now 1.9. Sitting on his hospital bed, he thought, Maybe the limit for normal humans is 2. He wished the system gave more information, but for now, his focus was on getting discharged.

When Nurse Williams finally gave him the discharge papers, James wasted no time. He had already texted Ash, who was waiting outside to pick him up.

---

Outside the Hospital

"It's about time," Ash called out when James walked out of the hospital. He was leaning against his car, looking relaxed. "Thought they were going to keep you locked up forever."

James rolled his eyes and threw his bag into the backseat. "Nice to see you too, Ash. You could've brought coffee, you know."

Ash smirked. "And spoil you? Never. Besides, you look good enough now to grab your own."

James shook his head, unable to stop a small smile. Getting into the car, he asked, "So, what'd you find?"

Ash's smirk faded as he started the engine. "A lot. Buckle up—it's a hell of a story."

As they drove, Ash explained everything he had uncovered. "First, forget about finding anything official. I checked the police database, archives, even sweet-talked a librarian into letting me access some old records. Nothing."

"That's strange," James said with a frown. "No records at all?"

"Not a single one," Ash said, glancing at James. "So, I went old school. Hit up historical societies, private collections, even some weird online forums. Turns out, about a century ago, the manor belonged to a rich guy named Arthur Redgrave."

The name hung in the air, heavy and unsettling.

"Arthur Redgrave," James repeated. "Never heard of him. What's his story?"

"Rich as hell," Ash said, his tone sharp. "Inherited his family's fortune and made even more from steel or railroads. But here's the thing—this guy wasn't some saint. His wife died suddenly in the house. No one knows how. Some say it was an accident, but others think something shady happened."

James leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "What happened after that?"

"That's when things got weird," Ash continued, lowering his voice. "Arthur changed. He started acting different. The servants said he would wander around the house at night, muttering to himself, snapping at anyone who got too close."

Ash continued,"He also had a daughter. Her name was Eleanor. She was sixteen when her mom died. After that, Arthur started abusing her. Hitting her. Neighbors heard screaming from the house, but no one did anything. He was too rich and powerful, and back then, people didn't interfere."

James raised his eyebrow. "He hurt his own daughter? "

"Yeah," Ash said quietly. "She couldn't take it anymore. One day, she went to the attic and hanged herself."

The car was silent for a long moment, James staring out the window. "And Arthur?"

"A few days after Eleanor died, the maids found Arthur dead in his study," Ash said. "His body was beaten and crushed, just like Derek."

Ash leaned back in his seat, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "Here's what's messing with my head," he said, his voice dropping a little. "Before Arthur's wife died, he was a good guy. Like, everyone in town said he was the kind of dad you wished you had. Loved his daughter more than anything, spoiled her even. But after his wife died? Boom—total one-eighty."

James frowned, resting his elbow on the car door. "What could screw someone up that bad? I mean, yeah, losing his wife had to be brutal, but this sounds... extreme."

Ash shook his head. "Grief can mess you up, sure. But this? This wasn't grief, man. This guy went nuts. That doesn't just happen. Not like that."

"You're saying he was possessed or something?" James asked, his tone skeptical but not entirely dismissive.

Ash shot him a quick look before turning back to the road. "I don't know. Maybe."

James rubbed his chin. "So, let me get this straight," he began. "Arthur's daughter, Eleanor, turns into some vengeful ghost after she hangs herself. She killed her dad back then, but even after that, it's like it wasn't enough. She stays in that damn house, pissed as hell, and every time a family moves in, she just... snaps and kills them? That's what happened ten years ago, and now with Derek's family. She's stuck in some crazy-ass cycle."

Ash nodded, his grip on the wheel tightening. "Yeah, that's exactly what it looks like. But here's the part that's driving me nuts, man. If it's just Eleanor, how the hell are there over thirty spirits in that house?"

James was curious about that too.

Ash sighed,"Over the past hundred years, only two families lived in that house. The one from ten years ago, and Derek's family. That's it. Before that, the place was just sitting there, falling apart. No one lived there for decades. So where the hell did all those ghosts come from?"

James leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sure? No squatters, no secret murders or whatever? You're telling me there's nothing?"

Ash sighed,"No one else died in that place, at least not on the record."

James looked out the window, his mind racing. "I guess that makes things even difficult."

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