Chapter 235: Grande's Concert (2 in 1)
"These are the phone interview records from three hundred audience members who attended the concert that day."
Gordon placed a thick stack of documents on the table.
"Based on the questions Father Gideon specified, we uncovered something shocking."
"All interviewees reported experiencing strange phenomena over the past two days—specifically, frequently seeing exaggerated, unnatural smiles on the faces of people around them."
"At the same time, according to statements from their family members, nearly all of these individuals began drawing at roughly the same time."
"Most of them had previously disliked drawing, yet every sketch depicted the same thing—a distorted smiling face."
"And finally," Gordon paused, his voice turning solemn, "all three hundred of these people—without exception—purchased tickets to singer Grande Alina's concert."
"It's scheduled to take place three days from now."
The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room turned heavy.
Including Commissioner Bowen, every elite officer present wore a grim expression.
In criminal investigations, coincidence was often the key to breaking a case.
And when so many coincidences converged, even a rookie could sense that something was deeply wrong.
One by one, everyone turned to look toward the priest standing quietly in the corner—eyes filled with awe and admiration.
They all understood the same thing.
This man was the real professional.
Even Commissioner Bowen—despite his reluctance—had to admit that his earlier stubbornness had been completely misguided.
After a brief hesitation, Bowen stood up.
"Father Gideon," he said solemnly, "what is your next plan? The Philadelphia Police Department will fully cooperate with your actions."
The other officers rose to their feet as well.
This was no longer just about their careers.
They owed the people of North America an answer.
Gordon subtly flexed his muscular arm and gave Gideon a discreet thumbs-up.
Judy's heart was pounding—this was the first time she had ever witnessed such a scene.
Gideon smiled faintly.
"I appreciate everyone's trust. Exorcism falls squarely within my duties."
"When the time comes to act, I'll certainly need the police's assistance."
"But before that, there's still one thing that must be done."
---
Dey Commercial Street — House of Rest
When Gideon and Judy returned, a business van was already parked outside.
Several burly bodyguards stood guard nearby.
Grande, still wearing the gray hoodie, was crouched at the shop's entrance.
Beside her, Braun kept glancing around nervously, speaking to her in an anxious tone.
This was precisely why Gideon had come back.
Earlier at the police station, he had intended to seek Grande out himself.
After all, every clue related to the Smile Curse pointed toward her.
Using the police department's internal system, Gideon easily obtained the singer's contact information.
But when he called, he learned that Grande had gone out—and that her destination was none other than Dey Church.
After gaining this lead at the psychiatric hospital, Gideon had already researched Grande.
Despite her public image being heavily styled, skeletal analysis confirmed it—
She was the same girl from the alley.
And so, Gideon immediately understood why she had come here.
"Grande, this is a public place. You can't sit like this—you'll be photographed!"
"I know… I'm sorry," Grande replied weakly.
"But leaning against this shop is the only way I feel better…"
Hearing the argument ahead, Gideon spoke up.
"We meet again."
The bodyguards instantly moved to block him.
Braun's expression turned alert.
Only the girl on the ground reacted differently.
Grande pushed past the bodyguards and rushed toward Gideon.
"Father… you can help me, right?"
Gideon looked her over carefully.
Her exhausted demeanor, disheveled appearance, and the terror she could no longer hide—
She had clearly been suffering immensely.
At the same time, Gideon detected traces of lingering evil on her.
"Let's go inside first."
---
Inside the Shop
"Ever since Skye's incident, strange things keep happening to me…"
Grande poured out everything she had experienced.
It turned out that she and Skye had been close friends in private.
On the day Skye took her own life, Grande had also been present at the concert.
"Grande," Braun said helplessly, "I know you're in pain, but I've already checked with security and your residential management."
"Neither passersby nor surveillance footage show any of the 'people with twisted smiles' you're talking about."
"I know you're looking for comfort, but after we leave here, you must see a psychologist."
"The concert is in three days—rehearsals, ticketing, brand partnerships… you don't have time to collapse."
"Some sponsors are already dissatisfied. They've demanded your attendance next time."
Grande clutched her head, on the verge of breakdown.
"Why won't you believe me? I really saw them! I'm not mentally ill—I don't have psychological problems!"
Gideon listened quietly.
This was exactly what made the Smile Curse so terrifying.
It existed only in the victim's mind.
Step by step, it eroded trust—until family and friends turned away—
And the victim collapsed into despair, their soul completely consumed.
Fortunately—
This time, Gideon was here.
"Miss Grande," he said gently, "I believe you."
The argument stopped instantly.
Grande looked up, tears still clinging to her lashes.
"Father," Braun interjected cautiously, "I know the Church has… certain 'tasks.'"
"If it helps Grande finish her concert, I'm willing to accept a limited form of alternative counseling."
"But only until the performance ends. After that, she will undergo professional psychological treatment. Do you understand?"
Braun's tone was firm.
Grande was a star he had personally cultivated.
He would not allow anyone—except himself—to influence her thoughts.
But Gideon walked past him without hesitation.
"Miss Grande, your condition isn't unique."
"All audience members from that concert are experiencing similar symptoms."
Before Braun could argue, Gideon continued calmly.
"This isn't speculation. The Philadelphia Police Department has been investigating—and they've already obtained solid evidence."
"These symptoms blur the line between reality and hallucination, subjecting people to constant psychological torment."
"You've endured a great deal to last this long."
A tear slid down Grande's cheek.
For the first time in days, she felt warmth.
Everything she'd been thinking—everything she'd felt—had been seen.
Understood.
In that moment, Grande finally perceived reality.
She threw herself into Gideon's arms, hugging him tightly.
She didn't know how else to express what she felt.
Braun nearly choked.
He had wanted to refute the priest—but every word Gideon spoke was grounded in facts and evidence.
Braun was left speechless.
A priest should act like a priest! he screamed inwardly.
Grande wiped her eyes.
"Father… how can I get rid of these symptoms?"
Gideon fell into thought.
From all the clues so far, the Smile Spirit was clearly planning to recreate a public suicide through the concert—amplifying the curse's spread.
But the drawings suggested something more disturbing.
The spirit appeared to be evolving its method of transmission.
If even ordinary drawings now carried mental influence—
Then the next stage would be far more dangerous.
What if it spread through media platforms?
The more Gideon thought about it, the more chilling the possibility became.
An idea quickly took shape in his mind.
"The concert will proceed as scheduled," he said, looking at Grande. "The moment you step onto the stage will be the moment the curse is lifted."
Grande looked confused, but out of trust in the priest, she nodded seriously.
Beside her, Braun's expression brightened. As long as the concert wasn't delayed, he could accept the priest's "temporary intervention."
"By the way," Gideon added suddenly, "while you were waiting outside earlier, did you see any of those smiling figures again?"
From their first encounter in the alley to the hospital afterward, he had crossed paths with the evil spirit more than once.
Yet strangely, there had been no trace of it within a one-kilometer radius.
Grande froze for a moment, then realized she hadn't encountered anything strange for quite a while.
"Now that you mention it… I started feeling much calmer after coming to this shop," she said honestly.
Gideon stroked his chin.
"If it's not that the spirit has an exceptionally strong concealment ability, then there's only one explanation—"
"It fears the formations I've set up."
---
Five kilometers away from Dey Commercial Street, on a rooftop, a pitch-black shadow stared in the direction of the shop.
The moment it sensed a black-robed priest stepping outside, the shadow vanished.
When it reappeared, it was already ten kilometers away.
---
Three days later.
New York — Madison Square Garden.
For countless famous singers, this place was sacred ground.
Only a completely sold-out concert here could truly prove one's influence.
Today, such a concert was taking place.
As one of the most beloved pop stars among young fans, Grande's tickets had sold out within eight minutes of release.
With the careful orchestration of her management team, anticipation for this musical spectacle had reached a fever pitch.
Although Grande had rarely appeared in public recently, the death of her friend and the wave of negative news had not broken her.
Tonight, she would return to the stage—performing for tens of thousands and mourning Skye together with them.
Outside the venue, crowds of fans gathered as multiple television stations conducted live interviews.
---
Backstage.
Judy looked around curiously at her surroundings.
Nearby, the Warren couple followed Gideon's instructions, placing holy artifacts at specific locations.
Because so many lives were involved this time, Gideon had specifically invited the experienced exorcist couple to assist.
Around the plaza, more than a thousand police officers were concealed among the crowd.
Commissioner Bowen himself was present.
He glanced around and quietly placed a sacred icon into a patch of shrubbery.
"Commissioner, as instructed, the southern and northern sector arrangements are complete," Gordon reported in a formal tone.
"Lower your voice!" Bowen hissed nervously, grabbing Gordon's arm.
"I told you—no titles out here! What if someone notices?"
Gordon's lips twitched.
Our enemy is literally an evil spirit… he thought.
But since the other man was his superior, Gordon could only put on an alert, patrol-like expression.
"Any word from Father Gideon?" Bowen asked.
"You have any idea how much pressure I took adding another security checkpoint at the entrance?"
For this, not only had the Philadelphia police been fully mobilized, but help from New York's local police had also been requested.
Without Bowen's connections up top, fulfilling the priest's request would've been impossible.
Gordon nodded. "The hidden risk has been eliminated. Now we just wait for the concert to begin."
Bowen finally relaxed.
I really shouldn't have talked so big back then, he thought.
---
As evening fell, the lights dimmed.
The audience sea shimmered with glow sticks as everyone waited quietly for Grande's appearance.
After a burst of dazzling light, Grande appeared on stage.
Deafening cheers erupted.
She wore her hair in a high ponytail and a top printed with a butterfly motif.
Skye had worn something similar during her final concert.
It was a deliberate choice by the management team—symbolizing rebirth from the cocoon.
Watching from below, Gideon covered his face.
Americans truly had a talent for tempting fate—every "brilliant idea" somehow managed to perfectly align with classic horror tropes.
He shook his head and surveyed the surroundings.
Over the past few days, he had barely left Grande's side, yet never once sensed the evil spirit.
He suspected that this entity, like himself, was cautious.
But after investing so much effort, it wouldn't simply give up at the final moment.
That was precisely why Gideon had prepared this stage for it.
The first half of the concert passed quickly, the atmosphere growing more electric by the minute.
Watching the lively scene, many officers couldn't help wondering—
Would the evil spirit really not appear?
At that moment, the singing abruptly stopped.
Grande collapsed onto the stage, staring in terror at "herself" standing before her.
Realizing she was hallucinating again, she frantically searched the audience for Gideon.
But something even stranger followed.
Every single audience member sat perfectly still, each wearing an eerie smile.
This was no illusion.
The undercover officers in the crowd saw it too.
"C-Commissioner… I'm not dreaming, right?" Gordon whispered, patting the person beside him.
A sharp pain shot through his arm, making him gasp.
"P-probably not," Bowen swallowed, pulling his hand back.
Before Gordon could say anything else, Gideon's voice came through the radio.
"Commissioner, you may evacuate now."
"Alright… be careful," Gordon replied immediately.
When he turned around, Bowen was already heading for the exit.
"Hey! Commissioner Bowen—wait for me!"
Gordon hurried after him.
At the same time, the rest of the officers withdrew according to plan.
The Warren couple escorted Judy out of the venue.
---
Gideon put away the radio and moved through a dark backstage corridor, stopping before a small door.
He turned the handle and climbed the steps beyond it.
When he stepped onto the final stair, blinding lights washed over his face.
Grande lay on the stage not far away, shaking her head and retreating in panic.
Gideon walked slowly toward the center of the stage.
His face appeared on the massive screens on both sides.
The venue fell deathly silent.
To an outside observer, the audience seemed to be smiling calmly at the priest.
But Gideon saw something entirely different.
Hovering high above the venue was a colossal monster.
It had no skin—its bones and sinews fully exposed.
Its lower body was fused to Grande's shadow, as if crawling out from within it.
This was the true form of the Smile Entity.
It drifted slowly toward Grande, whose mind was on the brink of collapse.
Then the creature suddenly stopped.
It turned its attention to the figure behind her.
Gideon smiled faintly.
"So you finally came out," he said calmly.
"You're...uglier than I imagined."