Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantle were on edge as they prepared for the night ahead. Their apartment, once a hopeful start to their new life away from Riverdale, had become the epicenter of something dark and malevolent. This evening, with the help of a paranormal investigator, a medium, and a Catholic priest, they hoped to confront the forces haunting their home. They had also gathered their closest friends—Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews, Cheryl Blossom, Toni Topaz, Kevin Keller, Fangs Fogarty, Moose Mason, and Tabitha Tate—to support them through the ordeal.
The group arrived at the apartment, exchanging anxious glances. The priest clutched a small, silver cross, and the paranormal investigator set up equipment to capture any paranormal activity. The medium, a calm yet intense woman in her fifties, sat cross-legged on the living room floor, preparing herself for the energy she would soon channel. She glanced at Veronica and Reggie.
"You mentioned the silver locket, Diana's urn, and an apparition of Marcello. These are all connected to the dark past of this apartment," the medium said softly, her eyes filled with empathy. "But there's more here than just Marcello."
Veronica looked at her friends, their expressions grave. Cheryl tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but the tension was too thick for even her to dispel. "Ghosts, ex-husbands, and mysterious mistresses—sounds like an episode of Riverdale, doesn't it?" she quipped.
Betty shot her a stern look. "Not now, Cheryl."
As everyone settled in, the medium began her work, walking slowly through the apartment. The energy in the room felt heavy, oppressive. The group watched her in silence, holding their breaths. Reggie's heart thudded in his chest as the medium paused by Veronica's office.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped, a sharp chill creeping up everyone's spines. The medium froze.
"There's another spirit here," she whispered. "A woman. Mid-twenties."
Veronica and Reggie exchanged shocked looks. "Oliver never told us about another woman," Veronica murmured.
The medium turned toward them, her face pale. "Her name is Isabella. She was Marcello's mistress while he was married to Diana. He lured her here, to this very apartment... and killed her."
The room fell into a stunned silence. Reggie's jaw tightened in anger, and Veronica's eyes widened with horror.
"Marcello killed two women in this apartment?" Archie whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is beyond twisted."
The group collectively recoiled at the revelation. The medium could feel their shock ripple through the room. "Isabella's presence is still tied to this place, along with Diana's. Both of them suffered greatly here."
Jughead, ever the documentarian, raised his iPhone to record what was happening. He had a feeling this would be something they'd never forget.
The medium gathered everyone around the coffee table in the living room, signaling that it was time to begin the seance. "We need to bring peace to these spirits," she said. "But Marcello's malevolent spirit is strong. Everyone, hold hands. Whatever happens, do not break the circle."
The group clasped hands tightly. Jughead balanced his phone on the table, the camera focused on the flickering candle in the center. The medium closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Is anyone here with us?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The candle flame shot up, burning in a perfect, vertical line. Everyone gasped, their hands squeezing tighter.
"Is it Marcello?" the medium continued, her voice steady.
The candles suddenly blew out, plunging the room into darkness. The group jolted, startled, but no one let go of each other's hands. Cheryl gasped, and Kevin murmured a nervous prayer under his breath.
"He's here," the medium said, her voice calm. "Marcello's spirit is with us."
Betty's voice trembled. "What does he want? Why did he kill Diana and Isabella?"
The room was eerily silent. Then, Jughead's phone, which had been filming the seance, was yanked off the table by an unseen force. It tumbled to the floor, the screen cracking.
"Don't break the circle!" the medium instructed urgently. "He's trying to disrupt us."
As she continued to ask Marcello questions, Cheryl suddenly yelped. "Something just pushed me!" Toni immediately pulled her closer, checking to see if Cheryl was okay. Her eyes darted around the room, but there was nothing visible.
"Stay close, everyone," the medium urged. "Marcello is angry."
A scream pierced the air, echoing from Veronica's office. The sound was inhuman, shrill and tortured, and it reverberated throughout the apartment before abruptly stopping. The group sat in stunned silence, their grips tightening around each other's hands.
"Marcello!" the medium called out, her voice filled with authority. "Why did you kill them? Why are you still here?"
The temperature in the room dropped even further. Then, a full-bodied apparition of Diana appeared behind Veronica, her face twisted with fear. Veronica stiffened, unable to turn around, but she could feel Diana's presence.
"She's here," the medium whispered. "Diana's spirit is trying to communicate."
Diana vanished, only to reappear behind Toni. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows across the room as the medium continued to channel the spirits. "Diana, are you here to protect them? Why are you still bound to this place?"
The air around them suddenly swirled with a gust of wind, blowing across their faces and ruffling their hair. Everyone froze. The wind seemed to carry Diana's essence, confirming her presence.
Marcello's spirit, enraged, began to manifest his power more aggressively. The candles on the table were knocked over by an unseen force, and the potted plants by the windowsills crashed to the floor, spilling soil across the carpet.
The medium remained unshaken. "Marcello, you will leave this place. You have caused enough suffering. Leave Isabella, Diana, and these people alone."
As the medium continued to confront Marcello, the priest raised his crucifix, shouting prayers in Latin, his voice growing louder with each phrase. The apartment was now a battleground, the energy thick with tension as the two forces clashed—Marcello's violent spirit and the priest's powerful exorcism.
The medium asked Diana and Isabella to move on, to find peace, while the priest called for Marcello to be banished from this world.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the room grew still. The air lightened, and the oppressive weight that had been hanging over them lifted. The medium opened her eyes and exhaled deeply.
"It's over," she said. "Marcello's spirit has been banished, and both Diana and Isabella have been freed. The apartment is no longer haunted."
Everyone in the room released a collective breath, their hands trembling as they let go of each other. Veronica looked at Reggie, tears of relief welling in her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered to the medium, the priest, and the paranormal investigator. "Thank you for saving us."
The medium nodded, looking exhausted but satisfied. "It's done. The apartment is yours again."
Veronica, Reggie, and their friends began to process what had just happened. Questions lingered—about Marcello, about the violent history of the apartment, and about the spirits who had been trapped for so long.
But for now, they were safe. And as they watched the medium, priest, and paranormal investigator pack up their things and leave the apartment, a sense of peace finally settled over them.
Veronica and Reggie hugged their friends tightly, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"You did it, Ronnie," Betty said, smiling. "You freed them."
Veronica smiled, her relief palpable. "We all did."