But upon thinking back, he realized that he’d never actually finished watching that horror movie. He only had a rough idea that it was about a series of terrifying events caused by an evil entity possessing a doll.
Compared to Mary Shaw, who also used puppets to harm people, Annabelle was far more powerful and inflicted much greater psychological torment on her victims. This fit perfectly with the three-step pattern of demonic persecution that Ed and Lorraine had described.
Unlike spirits that killed directly, this kind of insidious, snake-like method of harming people was far more chilling.
Take Jamie, for example—the man originally destined to suffer. He wasn’t frightened by Mary Shaw’s relentless threats. He pushed past Detective Dyson, who saw him as a murderer, made his way back to his hometown to dig up clues, got close to the truth, and even faced the evil spirit head-on at the lake theater and managed to escape alive.
You could say he did everything a normal person could possibly do.
But in the end, it was his own father’s corpse that shattered his will, making him give up on life itself.
Of course, that tactic wouldn’t work on Su Fan.
“We’re almost at the last exorcism case… You’ve worked hard, Su,” Theresa said from the passenger seat, her tone carrying a hint of emotion.
“I don’t think any exorcist can match your efficiency and thoroughness when it comes to banishing evil spirits.”
“Thanks,” Su Fan replied casually. “I actually think so too.”
Theresa let out a soft chuckle from the passenger seat.
“Seems like you have a very clear understanding of yourself.”
The afternoon sunlight gradually softened, streaming in through the side window and filling the car. The nun turned her head to look at Su Fan as he drove, her eyes clear and sharp—no longer carrying that usual dazed look.
“I think I can roughly guess what you were thinking about this afternoon,” Theresa said softly.
“You saw evil spirits running rampant in the world while the all-powerful God did nothing, and it made you question religion and the divine, am I right?”
Su Fan raised an eyebrow.
“What makes you say that?”
“Because someone like you—who can overcome all obstacles and destroy evil spirits with your own power—probably doesn’t hold much reverence for God.”
“When I was little, I used to hear all sorts of strange voices. My father thought it was an ill-omened ability and forbade me from ever speaking of it.”
“After my mother died, my life went downhill. I didn’t have enough to eat, I was weighed down by heavy housework, and while other kids my age left home to go to school, I was still stuck in that Romanian village…”
“Every quiet night, I’d get up and pray to the night sky, begging the Almighty Lord to take me away from that place.”
“Looking back now, if it hadn’t been for my faith back then, there probably wouldn’t be a Sister Theresa today.”
“People are fragile creatures. Even someone who can live independently will still crave belonging, yearn for others’ care and love, and fall into the abyss of emptiness.”
“People revere God because they can’t change their circumstances on their own, or because there are things they could never achieve in a lifetime.”
“Many people, in order to avoid falling into despair, start looking for spiritual support. For those with fragile hearts, having a positive religious faith is a form of salvation.”
Su Fan listened, his gaze drifting to the side. He’d always assumed that the nun beside him, like most believers, was just blindly faithful—the kind who knelt in a candlelit church day after day, praying to the crucifix above with pious, unthinking devotion.
Turns out, she had her own perspective on faith.
Theresa was right.
When people realize they’ll never achieve their goals, emptiness and despair follow. That’s why so many scientists, arrogant in their youth, suddenly turn to religion in their old age.
The more you know, the clearer you see just how small you are as a human being. The stark contrast between a frail, decaying body and the endless ocean of truth makes the mind incredibly vulnerable.
Newton—who dominated both British politics and academia for years—was a perfect example.
“I believe that believers worship the triune God not because He will grant them immunity from evil,” Theresa continued, “but to strengthen their resolve, so they can endure the most difficult and painful trials.”
“So for people with fragile minds, faith is beneficial and indispensable.”
“Like in cases of demonic possession, right?” Su Fan interjected.
Theresa nodded gently.
Su Fan let out a sigh.
In the Conjuring universe, evil spirits and demons were real, and the way to fend them off was entirely mental. As long as your will was strong and you didn’t let them exploit your weaknesses, you’d be safe. If you were clever enough to deduce their true name, you could even fight back and banish them.
If your will wasn’t strong enough, you could follow Theresa’s advice—arm your heart with faith to achieve the same effect.
But the problem was, this world wasn’t just the Conjuring universe. It was a fusion of multiple horror genres.
Freddy and many other evil spirits didn’t work by breaking a person’s will and then possessing them. They went straight for the kill.
Theresa’s approach had too slim a chance of working.
Of course, to Su Fan, demons from the Conjuring world were no different from demons in any other horror movie. They might have tried to break through his mental defenses before, but now they probably wouldn’t even bother with the buildup—they’d likely attack the moment they saw him.
Just then, Theresa’s phone suddenly rang. She answered it, and her expression gradually grew serious.
After hanging up, she turned to Su Fan and delivered something unexpected.
“The doll is gone.”
Gone?
Su Fan frowned and gave a low hum, signaling for her to continue.
A woman named Annabelle Higgins had returned to her adoptive parents’ home and brutally murdered them. Then, along with her boyfriend—also a Satanist—she broke into their neighbor Mia’s house with the intent to kill.
LAPD patrol officers arrived in time and shot the man dead, while Annabelle took a doll from Mia’s home and committed suicide.
After that, strange things started happening in Mia’s house. The doll began moving on its own, leaving notes written in red ink under Mia’s door. There was even a mysterious fire in the house that frightened Mia badly.
Mia, already pregnant and suffering from prenatal anxiety, was pushed further into distress by the illusions conjured by the evil spirit. Although her husband John was a top medical student who didn’t believe in religion, he took his wife’s condition very seriously.
They quickly found Father Andrew.
“Andrew?” Su Fan interrupted abruptly. “Isn’t he in a different parish?”
“That’s right,” Theresa explained. “But he’s the only clergyman in this area specifically assigned to handle exorcism-related matters, so they went to him.”
Andrew himself didn’t have any real exorcism abilities, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch a pregnant woman live in constant terror. For the sake of the couple’s well-being and their unborn child’s safety, he decided to overstep his authority—he took the doll to the church for safekeeping.
But somehow, he was hit by a car and left in critical condition. The doll disappeared without a trace.
