The Sister’s words were cold and biting, her intent to drive them away unmistakable, yet Seia remained unphased by her sharp demeanor.

Gazing at the face obscured by the heavy veil, the smile on Seia’s lips only grew softer. Rather than retreating, she took a deliberate, slow step toward the nun.

The movement caught the Sister off guard.

"Come no closer!"

She grew sterner now, her voice ringing with an authority that brooked no argument.

Seia halted her advance, but her expression didn’t flicker. Her tone remained gentle and serene. "Forgive my intrusion, but are you the Abbess here?"

"I am."

The Abbess remained motionless, her voice a cold dismissal. "The abbey will close shortly for Vespers. If you have no further business, I must ask you to leave."

"I have come from Dublin... as an expert in exorcism," Seia explained with unhurried poise. "I am traveling with a priest from the Vatican and a novice sister."

"They have come for the incident; I have come for you."

"Your departure would be the greatest help you could offer us," the Abbess countered, clearly unmoved by the girl’s words.

"You have done well," Seia said softly. "For so many years, you have stood against an enemy that is near-impossible to defy. Even when met with cold indifference—even at the cost of your lives—your devotion to the Lord never wavered."

Seia moved toward the stone throne once more. This time, the Abbess did not stop her.

Behind the veil, the woman’s features finally crumbled. From the dark, eyeless pits of her sockets, tears of blood began to fall.

Yet, as the blonde girl drew nearer, those crimson droplets transformed into clear water. The withered, decaying flesh surged with life, restoring itself to a supple, porcelain radiance that surpassed even its former glory.

Gazing at the halo hovering above Seia’s head, the Abbess let out a silent, racking sob. She collapsed from the throne to her knees, clasping her hands to her chest in the most fervent prayer of her life.

Her soul, long dead and locked in a ceaseless struggle against demonic corruption, became blindingly pure. As Seia rested a hand upon her head, every trace of sin was washed away in a golden light.

"You have passed the Lord’s trial. You and your children—your sisters—shall remain under His eternal protection."

A look of sublime happiness washed over the Abbess’s face. She no longer feared a single thing.

Amidst that pure radiance, her body grew translucent until she vanished entirely from the room.

The long-tailed tit—the little fat bird Seia had enlightened and dubbed "Chirp"—tilted its head curiously. Seeing that the once-terrifying presence was no longer a threat, it tried to snag the shimmering silhouette with its beak, but Seia gently shooed it back.

Every nun in this abbey deserved respect. Seia could not allow their souls to wander in unrest after being claimed by a demon.

This was only the beginning. Before the end, Seia intended to shepherd every last one of them to Heaven.

As for whether the resident demon would notice... Seia wasn’t particularly worried. The name "Valak" might sound intimidating to mortals, but to Seia—effectively a living Gabriel—it meant nothing at all.

Forget Valak; even if Lucifer himself showed up, he’d get a swift kick out the door.

In truth, Valak did notice that one of the souls he controlled had slipped away. However, he didn’t care. Those souls didn’t belong entirely to him anyway; this was an abbey, after all. If a soul couldn’t withstand the corruption of his power and refused to serve him, it was only natural for it to simply dissipate.

On the other side of the grounds, Father Burke and Sister Irene followed Maurice to the ice cellar.

They immediately spotted the body of the nun Maurice had brought back for cold storage. Before Father Burke could step forward to examine her, Maurice blocked his path, his face a mask of conflicted dread. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

When Maurice had first delivered the body to the cellar, it had been lying flat. Now, the corpse was sitting upright.

It was profoundly wrong.

Father Burke grew cautious at the sight. Grasping the crucifix hanging from his neck, he moved toward the body step by step. Upon closer inspection, however, the corpse seemed inert.

After a brief search, the trio found a black key clutched in the dead woman’s hand.

They couldn’t leave a sister’s body to rot in a cellar, so they carried her out and buried her in the nearby cemetery.

With the task finished, the three finally approached the main entrance. As they pushed the doors open, they saw Seia standing just inside, clearly waiting for them.

Then again... she probably wasn’t just waiting.

If there hadn’t been a reason, there would have been no point in splitting up earlier. She had clearly accomplished something in the interim.

Yet, out of a deep-seated reverence for the girl’s foresight and visions of the future, Father Burke didn’t pry. He prepared to head deeper into the abbey.

Night had fallen. Whether they needed information from the nuns or simply a place to sleep, their only choice was to go inside.

Maurice knew his part was done. With a mix of relief and a strange, lingering reluctance, he took his leave.

As Burke started to walk further in, a hand moved to block his path. It was Seia.

"Is there a problem, Seia?"

"The sisters are at prayer now, which will be followed by the Great Silence. You won’t be able to get any answers tonight." Mainly because Valak won’t let you, she added silently.

"The Great Silence?"

Father Burke looked toward Irene for clarification.

"The sisters take a vow of silence from sunset until sunrise," Irene explained. "We should respect that."

"I see..." Burke frowned. "Does that mean we must return to the village for the night?"

"The abbey has a guesthouse. We can stay there," Seia replied.

Burke nodded. He watched as Seia led them with practiced precision toward a separate building surrounding the inner courtyard, despite this being her first visit.

Like the rest of the grounds, the exterior was dilapidated. The nuns clearly hadn’t put much effort into the upkeep; judging by the layer of dust, it was likely only cleaned once every week or two.

Still, considering how rarely they received visitors, the priest found it understandable.

Having traveled all day, both Burke and Irene were famished. Fortunately, while the place was dusty, the kitchen was functional. Between the supplies delivered to the ice cellar and their own rations, dinner was easily managed.

Once they had eaten, Father Burke brought up the matter of confession.

They were about to face a demon—perhaps even a Prince of Hell. He couldn’t afford to give the enemy an opening to attack his heart; if he did, he wouldn’t even be at half his strength.

He turned to Irene, the only sister he could currently speak with, to act as his listener. Together, they made their way toward the abbey’s cloisters to begin the rite.

--+--

T/N: I have a Patreon!

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