"Are you alright? Seia!" Irene cried out, dropping to her knees before the girl. Her hands moved frantically, checking Seia over for any signs of injury.

In that moment, Irene’s mind was a blur of singular focus; she cared for nothing else but whether the girl before her had been tainted or harmed by that creeping evil.

The sound of Irene’s frantic voice finally pulled Father Burke back from the depths of his own troubled thoughts.

"I’m fine, really. Don’t worry," Seia replied, her lips curving into her signature smile.

She looked entirely composed, radiating a sense of calm that acted like a balm on Irene’s frayed nerves. It took the edge off the sister’s anxiety, though it wasn’t enough to put her mind completely at ease.

"What exactly attacked you? Was it... truly a demon?" Irene’s face was etched with worry.

She had already heard the Father’s grim theories. This was her first journey outside the cloister, and she had never even faced a common restless spirit, let alone a creature of the abyss.

To have the stakes raised so abruptly to the level of a demon—it was impossible not to feel the cold prickle of panic.

Even with the blessing of the Virgin Mary upon her, Irene knew she wasn’t some powerhouse of the faith. That blessing was a gift of heightened intuition, a sensitivity to the spiritual, not a shield of divine strength.

"If it had been a true demon, I doubt I would be standing here so unscathed," Seia remarked, her expression unchanging as the lie slipped effortlessly past her lips.

"So... just a familiar, then?" Father Burke finally cut into the conversation. Observing Seia’s lack of fear, he felt a growing certainty that there was far more to this girl than met the eye.

Simultaneously, his conviction grew regarding the demon itself.

Even if it were merely a proxy, for a creature to manifest a familiar and interfere with the physical realm inside a consecrated abbey was no small feat. This was no ordinary bottom-feeder of the dark.

The war between Heaven and Hell was rarely fought with swords and shields in the world of matter; it was a spiritual campaign.

Demons did not target God directly—for that battle was already won—they targeted humanity.

The Son of God had already offered Himself as a sacrifice, redeeming mankind and reclaiming the physical world for the Divine.

Technically, demons held no legal claim here; they lacked the raw power to simply tear the world apart. Instead, they were forced to rely on whispers, baiting and guiding humans toward moral ruin.

In this grand design, humanity was tasked with holding fast to their faith, choosing the difficult path of enlightenment over the easy slide into depravity.

To believe in the Truth or to fall—that was the ultimate expression of free will.

In terms of raw, unprovoked harm, a simple malevolent ghost was often more ’allowed’ to lash out than a demon. But if a demon possessed the strength to exert its will directly onto the material world...

Father Burke took a sharp, steadying breath. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. This was an abbey, for Heaven’s sake.

"You both need to be extra cautious," Seia cautioned them.

"And what about you?" Father Burke’s brow furrowed. He and Irene had only been gone for a moment before Seia was targeted. He couldn’t afford another lapse in vigilance.

He knew that while Seia was special, demons fed on fear. By striking at her first, the entity likely viewed her as either the most vulnerable source of terror or the weakest link to be picked off to break the others.

Judging by the girl’s serene demeanor, the former seemed unlikely. That left the latter.

Seia knew the Father was still judging the situation based on his past experiences, but Valak was a different beast entirely. He had already established a tether to the physical realm.

His power was a flowing wellspring; he didn’t need their fear to sustain his presence.

The only reason he hadn’t brought total ruin to this world yet was twofold.

First, the seal on the gateway wasn’t fully broken; he was physically bound, and even an infinite pool of power has a limit when squeezed through a narrow straw.

Second, the abbey itself was doing its best to suppress him. He might look like he was running wild within these walls, but in reality, he was operating at a fraction of his true potential.

However, Seia kept these insights to herself. After all, this was all part of the "trial."

Father Burke’s face remained a mask of tension. He realized that if he wanted to settle this once and for all, he was going to need better gear.

He thought of holy water, a heavy silver-plated crucifix, a consecrated "Holy Flame" firearm, and satchels heavy with blessed ammunition.

He had brought some supplies, but they were suited for ghosts and lingering shadows—not for suppressing a demon of this caliber. To wait for reinforcements and supplies would take far too long.

Besides, this trial might very well be the Lord’s own test.

"Let’s rest for now," the Father finally decreed. "A rested mind is the best defense against the influence of the dark."

Exhaustion was a playground for demons; it made the mind sluggish, the spirit easy to deceive, and the will easy to bend. Both Father Burke and Sister Irene knew they couldn’t afford to leave such an opening.

The three of them found a small suite. Father Burke took one room, while Seia and Irene shared the other.

Before succumbing to sleep, Irene meticulously placed crucifixes at the head and foot of the beds and even at the bedroom door. Only then, with a heavy yawn, did she drift off.

In the dead of night, Father Burke—who had remained in a state of light, guarded sleep—suddenly heard the faint strains of music. It was the same melody they had listened to during dinner.

Confused, he wondered if the others were unable to sleep and had turned on the radio to soothe their nerves. Shaking off the cobwebs of sleep, he sat up, grabbed his flashlight, and stepped out of the bedroom. In doing so, he stepped beyond the circle of the crucifixes.

The living room was empty. Only the radio sat there, humming its tune. The moment the beam of his flashlight hit the device, the music snapped into silence.

He turned toward the other bedroom. To save time and keep an ear out, they had left the doors ajar. Seeing the two figures still tucked under their covers, Father Burke’s heart sank.

He chose not to wake them; to startle an untrained mind out of sleep in a place like this would only leave them vulnerable and disoriented—a perfect opening for the demon.

Suddenly, the sharp tap-tap of footsteps echoed from outside the door. Clutching his crucifix, Father Burke cautiously followed the sound out into the hall.

A minute or two later, Irene was jolted awake by a sudden, icy draft.

Finding Seia still apparently fast asleep, Irene initially meant to lie back down, but a strange, nagging impulse drew her to her feet. She walked to Father Burke’s room.

It was empty.

Her heart skipped a beat. She stole a quick glance back at Seia, and much like the Father before her, decided against waking the girl.

Lantern in hand, Irene stepped out of the room, desperate to find the priest.

The little round bird that usually slept soundly noticed the departures. It immediately burst into a chorus of frantic, shrill chirping that echoed through the suite.

At the sound, Seia opened her eyes.

Tonight was Valak’s first probing attack against the three of them. Seia calmly changed into her classic attire and pushed open the door.

Valak, for his part, hadn’t expected this trio to be quite so bold.

The first one had at least brought a cross. The second had walked right out with nothing but a lantern. And the third? The third had actually taken the time to change her outfit.

The demon mused that while the first man had required a bit of coaxing to leave the safety of the bedroom, the latter two seemed to have no respect for his presence at all.

But in the end, it didn’t matter.

The three of them had stepped away from their sanctuary at the same time, and they were all separated. It was the perfect moment.

And so, Valak struck.

--+--

T/N: I have a Patreon!

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