Chapter 5: 5 – Despondent reality

“Ah-ah!” The fake-angel woke up with a start.

Her chest heaved and her brow was filled with sweat. Her eyes were still hazy with the brink of unconsciousness.

“Ugh…” Her groaning echoed through the room, as her hand slowly edged through the couch she laid on, seeking for a surface to hold and pull herself up.

Finally grabbing a hold at the top of the couch, she pulled herself up.

“Argh!” As soon as she did so, however, her hand shot to her head, cradling it with force, as if the action would somehow quench the immense headache that assailed her.

Slowly, she forced herself past the pain and turned her head around, seeking to take note of where she currently was.

“Welcome back to the world of the living.” His cold greeting brought her head snapping towards him.

“Argh!” And as soon as she did so, she was affected with a splitting headache, no different from an axe being driven through her head. Both her hands sought out her skull, this time, cradling it with more and more strength.

He did not speak again, allowing her to recollect herself.

It took a few moments, but she powered through the pain and turned back towards him, a hand still cradling her head.

“Alma… what are you…?” Her voice was faint, the greatest focus of her mind still in overpowering the assailing headache.

She barely managed to make sense of her surroundings, but she was… at the orphanage, and Alma was there, looking over her.

He sighed. “You went all out against that thing. You were exhausted and out of light. So I had to nurse you back to health.”

“Nurse me back to…” Still dazed, she failed to comprehend the meaning behind his words. It was then that she realized, her gear-wearing body was covered here and there in red crystals.

“I can’t heal, but strengthening your body allowed for your own healing factor and recovery speed to kick in faster.” His mouth quirked up to a smile. “You can thank our friends for their kind blood donations later.”

That was the difference between them.

His powers allowed him to keep going for as long as there was blood to be harvested; the only way for him to fall down was to either be completely overwhelmed, or to lose the blood and fall to exhaustion. But she… she was limited to the amount of light she had in her, as soon as that light ended, she would go down.

As soon as he recovered from his passing out, he immediately set upon healing her. It wasn’t much help, but given her ridiculous healing factor, it managed to actually do something useful.

“…” She took a deep breath, focusing on the here and now once more.

He eyed her carefully, paying attention to her every move. Judging, analyzing.

“How… long?” She asked the first question that came to her mind.

He sighed. “A few hours, but the night’s still high.”

She nodded, in the end, it hadn’t been that long.

She went to ask something else, but the noise of slow steps echoing through the hall close by.

Her head slowly turned, looking expectantly at whatever figure was bound to come through.

The seconds ticked by, and the steps grew louder, and at the end of it all, the figure that had emerged from the hall was a kind elderly woman.

“Matriarch…” Her voice rang out dully, taking note of the concerned expression in the woman’s face.

“Azza… you’re awake.” Impossible relief flowed through the old lady’s voice, a happiness like no other at the knowledge that the woman was alive. “Oh, thank goodness.”

She smiled weakly to the elder lady. “Yeah, I am.” She giggled slightly. “Didn’t I tell you? As long as I was around, everything would be fine.”

He sighed, relieved that she seemed to be well enough to try and be cheerful again. That was… good… it was good.

Still, a small part of him wished she would just pass out again and only wake up again days later.

“I am sorry we didn’t put you in your bedroom, it’s just that… you hate it when people dirty it up.” Riding off the slightly relaxed fake-angel, the old lady made such an apology.

“What are you talking about? There’s no way I would be mad because of something like that.” She smiled kindly.

Relief and good cheer commanded the atmosphere, but those could only last so long.

As soon they wore out, the old woman’s hands joined together, her expression filled with worry. “Azza… are you well? Do you feel anything?”

“Yeah, there’s no need to worry. I don’t have that much light in me, but I don’t have any injuries you should concern yourself with and the tiredness is almost gone.” She tried to find a more comfortable position on the sofa, the headache finally wearing off.

“…” But… that did not ease the old lady’s mind.

“A-anyway, where are the children? It must be late, right? Are they sleeping?” A growing concern bubbled inside her, a disconcerting feeling at the atmosphere she now realized.

This time, it was the red-wearing man that answered. “They all got a headache a little before we got here. Probably some disease they caught and transmitted to each other. In any case, they are finally sleeping… somewhat.”

She nodded hesitantly. The more conscious and aware she became, the more she realized there was something wrong.

“I hope they are fine.” She remarked. “I’ll have to bring all of them well-wishing presents. They’ll get mad at me if I don’t, those gremlins.” Even so, a small smile blossomed in her face as she thought about them.

While this was in part something to move past the tension, she genuinely wished the kids were fine.

But even so, they didn’t comment, they just kept staring at her, as if an unknown concern was yet to be brought to light.

For a moment, a few heartbeats, she wondered if it would continue like that forever. But her friend was the one who broke that assumption.

“Azza, how much light do you have on you?” His voice carried no worry or concern. It was something emotionless, it was meant to establish information.

“… it’s not enough to fight a devil, or for very long, or for very flashy uses, but if I use it correctly it should be enough to kill a few demons.” In response, her voice too lost emotion. This wasn’t a conversation, it was an assessment.

He nodded his head solemnly. “So you can fight.”

In the background, the old lady’s expression became pained, sorrowful.

She nodded in response. “Yes, but… should it matter? The devil’s gone, there shouldn’t be any other worries…”

“We took too long to completely vanish its influence. The distortion opened way to outbreaks.” He sighed. “Only one exorcist is needed for outbreak, but there are more and more popping up every moment. Some outbreaks even joined together due to proximity and some demons broke off and are on their own.”

Her mouth set itself in a grim line.

She understood it now, the unspoken tension, the expressions.

There was no need to be told or ordered.

She had just woken up, her body was still worn out, her powers still hadn’t recovered fully. Yet, she was meant to go out and fight, to slaughter every single enemy that came into her sight.

Closing her eyes for a short and solemn moment, she muttered. “The Holy Will be done.”

It was something inaudible, not meant for anyone but herself to hear.

Opening her eyes once more, she was filled with determination.

Making her body move once more, she rose from the couch.

“I can fight, what about you?” She looked at her partner, already knowing the answer.

But, before she could have any talk with him—

“Azza…” The elderly voice she knew since childhood called out to her. It lacked any vitality it once had, carrying only worry and despair.

“Matriarch…”

“You’ve barely healed, please, don’t leave…” Her voice was weak, as if she had finally taken the identity of the elderly lady she was meant to be.

She pursed her lips.

She could understand her. No mother wished to see her children die, and yet, how many had she already lost to the hunt of demons?

“I… there must be a way… if I talk to the Reverend Father, he’ll surely aid us, he’ll understand…”

But in the end, she shook her head. “Sorry, but I can’t stay. I have a duty to follow.” A smile blossomed on her face. “Don’t worry though, I don’t plan on dying. And it’s not like Alma will simply let me die like that. So be sure, I’ll still be around to pester you to make me pie.”

“Azza…” Her voice was as weak as her demeanor.

It was cruel, but she would not back down.

“Come, matriarch, let’s get you seated somewhere.” Holding the elderly woman by the shoulders, the red-wearing man led her to the kitchen table, making sure she was comfortably seated.

The elder woman was full of worry and heartbreak.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing will go wrong.” He couldn’t be sure if he could live up to those reassurances, but… he would try, to his very last.

With a face that betrayed her distress, the old lady spoke her goodbyes. “Please, be careful. I love you both, my children.”

With solemn faces, they both nodded.

“Everything will be fine.”
“We’ll be going now, matriarch.”

The both of them set out to leave the orphanage, and the fake-angel grabbed her scythe that rested by the door.

‘I’ll make sure nothing will go wrong.’ He wasn’t lying when he said those words.

When you are an exorcist of the church, you surrender your fate to them.

Even when many were assigned to other places to act as exorcists, they were assigned to stay. For so long was she his friend, for so long have they been together. He would not let her die.

This was their duty, to slay monsters who threatened humanity. They would aid in the killing these demons than ran rampart, kill them all without ever stopping, and fix everything.

They would not die that night.

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Their forms blew past the empty streets.

An impossibly fast dash in the direction of conflict.

He had already taken the blood crystals away from her body, incorporating them in his. Now, she flew ahead with only her wings and light.

Her face was one of pure concentration, her body dashing through the headwind.

The light that gave her powers, she could not, would not afford to waste it. The city was in disarray, so she had to do her best to last as long as possible.

The destined place where conflict laid approached, where bloodshed and slaughter would take place.

Demons came into view, swarming the streets and skies!

The two exorcists raised their weapons aloft, poised to strike with a deadly blow. Not an instant of hesitation.

Demons were not like that devil’s offspring. Even if they didn’t differ much in physical capabilities, each and every single demon was special, each was of a different nature, capable of bringing a distortion to the world and turning the tide of battle.

Two beasts advanced, one surrounded by black thunder and another that possessed a great emptiness in its belly.

And, at speeds far too great for the human eye to follow, the exorcists slashed them apart!

A single blow was all it took, and the murderous beasts were gone.

More and more moved through, they came from all directions, attracted by the presence of the exorcists.

Back to back, the fake-angel and the red-wearing man slashed at demon after demon, enemy after enemy.

Each cut resulted in a shower of blood, it coalesced and amalgamated into crystals, more and more deadly weapons to slaughter with.

Unfortunately, however, he couldn’t force all the demons down. Not with Azza so close.

Still, he wouldn’t complain. His objective was to kill and keep her safe, if accomplishing it meant not being able to use his powers fully, he would gladly accept it.

A serpentine demon made out of ice flew through the sky, like a bullet, it dove straight towards the two exorcists with an opened maw and the desire to slaughter!

Her mind not at its best, the fake-angle realized the attack too late.

Her body spun, her scythe was brought to bear, but her swing would come too late, her wings charged with light, prepared to unleash a purging and blinding brightness.

The icy maw that froze whatever it bit opened wide, and the wings shone with brightness. A confrontation of time, which would be unleashed first? Which spell the end of the other?

The moment of revelation came, and—

“Tch, don’t make me save you.” The complaining voice of her companion graced her ears.

A pillar of crystalized blood was erected, entrapping the enemy’s maw before it could unleash any devastation.

She smiled. That was right, she wasn’t fighting alone this time. There was someone she could trust to help her against the hordes of enemies.

His sword blurred, and a large gash came to the body of the enemy.

Blue blood oozed out of the ice-made body.

It coalesced and amalgamated around his left hand. Soon, the form of a jagged and curved greatsword made out of red-blue crystals was wielded by him.

His body advanced without restraint. Few were the times he was granted a chance like this. When the blood he took was special in itself, when the life force within it carried a remark of the one it once allowed to live.

With master expertise, he wielded two greatswords. A golden one in the form of a twisted cross, and a crystalized one.

His body moved and swung the blades like they were twigs, absurd dexterity and strength. His technique foresaw five moves ahead and his body followed through every single one!

Enemy after enemy, each swing of his hands brought another one down.

Every time the red-blue sword slashed apart the opposition, the air itself froze and the enemy was covered by ice.

A tail of blood crystal whipped and impaled, clawed feet torn all, the crystals that loitered his body made him stronger and stronger. A living weapon that evolved with every kill.

A demon with powerful armor appeared, and he did not hesitate.

Kicking the ground, he lunged ahead, and bringing the red-blue sword up, he smashed it against the enemy!

All his strength was put into it, the blood’s power called out to its fullest extent.

The swing reached the enemy before it could’ve reacted.

The crystal-made sword shattered into a thousand pieces, and the area hit transformed into a block of ice.

Rearing back his cross-shaped sword, he thrust it forward impaling the enemy!

It shattered the ice-transformed surface, and reached deep inside, where the blood and squishy insides remained.

Without thinking twice, he pulled the sword back. Blood oozed, and the enemy feel, death overcoming it.

A great shadow covered the moonlight overhead.

His head snapped up, and high above was a great and winged demon. Stretching meters in size, the beast sought to kill them.

He scowled. As if it would ever achieve that.

He flexed his legs, and jumped above, soaring through the sky!

His body blew right through the wind above and past the winged enemy.

Flipping his body in the air, he aligned the arc of his descent with the enemy’s body, and fell right on it.

Firming his footing over the back covered by small-black feathers, he raised his sword, and pierced it downwards!

The blade pierced the enemy with strength.

Reaching out to the blood that flowed inside, he turned it all into crystals!

The enemy body imploded, blood crystals coming through all sides.

The flying body lost speed and began falling. His eyes scanned the horizon, and where once were focus of fights, there was now an almost fully calm city.

Almost all the demons had been slayed by all the exorcists.

Without hesitation, he jumped out of the falling beast.

Falling right above the body of a demon, he brought his sword up and pierced it in his descent.

He looked towards the winged companion to whom he had fallen close to.

“The fight is almost over. We better finish here as well.”

Even though he said such a thing, they were still swarmed with enemies. It would take longer than desired to eliminate all of them.

If she didn’t fall out some time from exhaustion, that is.

She set her mouth in a grim line. “I have an idea on how to deal with all of these with my current light. Help me?”

An enemy came at him, and he slashed it. “What is it?”

Swinging her scythe upwards, she cut apart an enemy and pointed towards the sky!

“Crystalize the sky!”

It took him a second to catch the meaning behind her words, but as soon as he understood it, he smiled. “Sure, I think I can do something like that.”

Years of living with her taught him how she thought, it allowed him to know exactly what she planned.

Striking a pose with his sword, the blood from his enemies coalesced into its blade, and with a mighty heave—

“Ha!”

A bloody slash cut apart the enemies in his path!

Blood flowed from the corpses of dozens of enemies, and he took control of all of it!

Extending his hand towards the sky for a moment, he directed all the blood upwards!

And when it reached the sky, the blood crystalized to form a great panel of blood crystals above them.

But, it wasn’t completely regular, no, it was a panel of thousands of smaller crystals, every single one of them angled weirdly.

“Now!”

His voice marked the signal.

Her hand reached up towards the sky, her wings shone with light.

She didn’t need to use a large amount of light on each one of these enemies. No, she only needed to use the amount of one in every single one of them.

Light burst towards the heavens, flying straight towards the great panel of blood crystals above!

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The torrent of light slammed straight against the panel above with a blinding light!

And in their blood, only a single effect, a single command. Reflect all energy, all light, all life force.

Reflected by a thousand mirrors, the light shone down on all demons that stood down below!

Like the brilliant dawn of the sun, it shone down on all creatures and purged them as if shadows.

A swarm of demons that sought to attack them, each and every one of them reaching for an achievement they could never hold.

Below that brilliant light, they all turned to ash and vanished.

No matter how big, how robust, their forms all disintegrated.

The light died down, and the scenery she was met with was that of ashes and silence.

Above them, the great panel of blood crystals slowly melted off into blood.

She took a few deep breaths. In the end of it all, fighting alongside him, she didn’t even waste all her light.

“Is it… over?” Her voice was filled with trepidation.

They had lunged into an ongoing conflict and dealt with a focus of demons. Most others had already dealt with theirs, and there was no need for assistance for those that were just finishing their own.

“I… don’t know.” Yet, none of them could confirm anything.

The last demons had already been slain, so all should’ve been fine.

Still, their instincts, that awareness that bordered the sixth sense, filled them with an unclear ease.

Was it their imagination? A joined delusion born out of shared experiences?

He looked high above. “For now, let’s look from above.”

Nodding in consent, the both of them went up high.

She with her wings, and he with a jump.

A rather suburban area, the buildings were not very high, having at highest three stories.

Still, it gave a good enough vision of what went on.

Landing on the roof, the two of them set out to look for anything happening.

Far away, a focus where ongoing fights were still clear made itself apparent. However, those ones too gave signs of dying down.

She scratched the back of her head. “It seems like it was just our imagination.” Breaking the silence, she spoke what was on both their heads.

Or so she thought.

“Isn’t it… silent in here?” His voice echoed throughout the night. In that suburban area, even if it was night, even if demons had just been fought, the silence was deafening.

“…” She chose not to answer, merely to observe.

The wind blew overhead, and for a moment, she believed nothing would come out of it.

It was then—

A great explosion resounded through the night!

Their heads snapped in the direction of the sound, adrenaline rushing straight through their bodies.

And when they rested their gazes upon the site of the explosion, it was dread that settled in their hearts.

A final outbreak had come.

The church, holiest of places, had been attacked.

“The orphanage!” She cried out involuntarily, fear and desperation filled her mind.

Immediately, they looked towards each other, and with a joined nod of understanding and agreement—

They kicked the roof and lunged towards the fight!

The cold headwind of the night smashed against their faces, pure adrenaline moving them. Their heartbeats thundering in their heads.

Their forms flew through the sky like red and white blurs.

Building after building went past their gazes, a breakneck speed that would’ve killed normal humans.

Using as much light as she could, she heightened her speed, flying overhead towards the place where the final fight would be had.

The great cathedral grew larger and larger. Even from far, she could see, a part of it had been destroyed, chipped off.

She clenched her jaw, anxiousness and rage filling her insides.

Gripping her scythe with strength, she prepared herself to fight until the final demon was slain.

He jumped off of another building and flew over dozens in a second, the blood crystals calling as much from the blood as they could, making him go as fast as they could.

Blood spun madly around his sword, an amount collected from the overhead panel just before leaving.

Clenching their weapons and eyeing the grounds below with rage the two exorcists of the church arrived at the holy grounds!

His feet slammed down the ground and the earth underneath was uprooted. His eyes madly searching for the next target to be had.

The fake-angel looked down from above, her wings glittering with blinding light.

And, from all around them, from the church, from the shadows of the trees, from the stone pathways, demons locked their gazes.

A promised final confrontation.

Without a moment of hesitation or doubt, he bore his sword to bear and thrusted it towards the nearest demon.

A humanoid creature, filled with green feathers, wings that sprouted out of its arms and a distorted draconic face.

The blood that floated around the sword immediately burst forward, like a deadly stream that sought a single point, it went right through the head of the opposing creature!

Light shone from overhead and beams of light shone down on the creatures below!

Like shooting stars, they fell towards their enemies with blinding speed and power, smashing against the ground like comets, rocking the earth like meteors striking at full force!

Following their twisted reasoning, all demons turned at the two exorcists and lunged in on the attack.

One tried to pass through them with a flickering ability, one tried to create copies of itself and pierce from above, one tried to swarm them down in an inferno from above.

Many attacks coming in varied forms from all sides.

But—

“Out of my way.” With a cruelly cold expression, the red-wearing exorcist flickered with speed, his half-crystalized form mortally slashing all demons that came close, his power and speed too much to hit or hurt.

The fake-angel overhead twisted the scythe in her hand into a position ready to swing down.

The wing-like blade shone with a blinding light, and with a powerful heave—

“Ha—!”

A swiping down slice of light was sent barreling towards the ground, slicing apart all that came on its way!

The two of them lunged ahead, towards the final concentration of demons!

Their speed, unmatched.

The velocity in which they reached that place prevented the clergy from even being reached.

And in a final attack towards the final demons, the ground and air exploded into a blinding mixture of impaling blood crystals and purging light!

The two of them came to a grinding halt, their weapons swinging and slaying the already dead corpses.

With their backs turned, the demons that dared attack the holy ground precious to them perished, and the assault on the night was laid to rest.

“Ahhhh…. ahhhhhh…” She breathed as heavily as she could, an unbearable weight settling down on her chest. Tiredness and exhaustion from pushing herself past her limit.

But she didn’t have time for any of that.

She pushed past exhaustion and pain, any tiredness and sore muscle.

“Matriarch, children!” Her body immediately snapped in the direction of the orphanage.

Kicking the ground, she hurried towards the stone building that had always been her home.

It was such a short distance. One such as herself could traverse it in seconds, if not less.

But still… it felt like the longest run of her life.

Her red-wearing companion following close behind, they rushed towards the one thing they wished to protect the most.

Barreling straight through an open and battered out wooden door, they entered the orphanage.

And in the darkness within, they sought out for the things they wished to protect the most.

The result—

“No… matriarch!” Her voice cried out in despair, her body rushed towards the fallen person.

Alone in the darkness, the elderly body laid sprawled down, back against the wall.

Her hand clutched her stomach, red smeared her body and hands. On the wall, a great red stain that showed the path her body took when sliding down.

“Matriarch! Matriarch!” Her voice cried out in despair, her knees immediately gave as she kneeled by the woman, her hands clutching at her body. “You… you…”

She was still breathing, it was shallow and almost gone, her eyes were dazed as she approached death.

“Matriarch, you…” Her red-wearing companion kneeled down by the woman, his eyes glistening and his voice shaking.

Suddenly, the woman had a strong intake of air.

“Azza… Azza, is that you?” Her voice was uncertain, she was weak, not knowing whether she was hallucinating or witnessing reality. “Are you… there?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m here! Me and Alma, we are right here!” She clutched at the woman desperately. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine, we, we’ll get you help!”

Her mind stormed for ideas, the old lady was too weak to be carried, she would die if she was exposed to that strain.

“Ah… I’m so glad, you, lived…” True relief came to her voice, an insurmountable weight lifted off her shoulders with that single relieved worry. “The children… are they… fine?”

Through heaps of despair, through the lack of air and the death that came upon her, she asked such words.

“Yes!” She did not think twice before reassuring the woman. It didn’t matter if that was the truth or not, all that mattered was keeping the woman at peace. “Yes, they are fine! There’s no need to worry!”

“Ah, thank goodness, I…” Her voice trailed off, filling the world with an overbearing silence.

The red-wearing man’s expression became pained with realization, and he closed his eyes in grief.

“No, don’t die. Matriarch! Please, don’t die! Mom!” But no matter how much she called out, no matter how much she screamed, the woman would not respond. “No… no, please no…”

Her head lowered, a small tear trickling down the side of her face.

For a moment shock overtook her mind, and she was unable to think, to rationalize anything.

It was then… a noise came from the hallway.

And her mind remembered.

“Children!”

Her body flew up, desperately seeking the children.

Within her mind she cried, she begged, for them to still be alive, to still be fine.

She and Alma lunged for the hallway, seeking to save someone, anyone.

But what they found on the hallway was a single body, a single entity.

“Big… sis… big… bro?” A childish voice covered in pain and dizziness called out.

The two of them couldn’t even rush ahead. They could only stare at the young boy once called Adelphos.

“It… hurts… I tried… so much… but… it won’t… stop.” His body was on all fours, his voice full of pain and tears.

What once had been a child’s body, was now distorted.

A monstrous form that everything below his head took. A disformed body, a head smaller than the great demonic body that had been formed.

An amalgamation of muscles and claws, oozing darkness.

“Everyone… they…”

“Adelphos…” He could barely form a word, completely aghast by the scene in front of him.

What… was the meaning of that. Why… did that child have the body of a demon?

“It… hurts!” Darkness, the muscled body, slowly expanded through his neck. Veins reached out, through his chin, up his cheeks. The darkened mass followed after, as the face of the boy slowly became that of a demon. “It hurts!!!!”

They took a step back, terrified by the reality in front of them.

And the boy’s face was completely overtaken.

A darkened beast with elongated arms, and hands that extended into long claws. It had no face, save for a very large mouth full of sharpened teeth.

“RRRAAAARGH!” The demon roared, and bearing its claw, it lunged towards the two, intent on ripping them.

Moved not by the mind, but by years and years of built instinct, the golden flash of his sword was faster, and the demon that came towards them was torn asunder in its course.

The two pieces it was torn into flew behind them in opposite directions.

A demon was slain.

His haunted eyes gazed upon the raised sword.

“What… was that?” The fake-angel’s voice was faint, almost like a whisper. And yet, when she received no answer. “WHAT WAS THAT, DAMMIT!” She slammed her fist against the wall, and shattered it.

The silence that overtook the orphanage was deafening.

“It must… some sort of… demonic power…” His voice trembled, as he lowered his bloodied sword. “Turning humans into…”

He couldn’t finish the phrase. The fake-angel grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. “CUT THE CRAP!” She screamed into his face “Don’t dodge the truth… we both saw it… that was… the demons are… humans…”

He tightened his hands, unwilling to admit it.

Demons are distortions that invade their world… they come through outbreaks and slay the people… not… not transformed humans.

“The demons we killed outside were…. they were…” She couldn’t finish her own thought.

She slowly let go of him, her feet involuntarily taking steps back. Her hands grasped her face, as she buried herself in the cruel realization that befell.

“… no, they… they weren’t… they… we should ask the Clergy… there has to be an explanation for this…” Desperation colored his tone and face, he couldn’t accept it, not that truth, not that reality.

“The……. Clergy……..?” At first, it was confusion that overtook her features, but soon, it became rage. “You want to trust them?! After this, you want to ask them?!”

“I won’t jump to conclusions like that! Not… not like this…” He tried to argue, to keep his strength… but… it all vanished the more time passed.

“No… no…” She slowly shook her head, a thousand thoughts rushing through her mind. Those walls, that cathedral, that holy ground, it all came down on her, overbearingly.

For a moment, time stood still.

And like that, she was forced to accept. The truth she didn’t want to glance into, the reality that she hadn’t seen.

There was only one path ahead.

She accepted it all, as her mind and world crumbled into pieces, she did not fall.

“…” She turned to him, in her face, a haunted expression of determination. “I… am leaving.”

“Huh…?” Slowly, as if his mind still hadn’t caught up to reality, he turned to her. “What… do you mean?”

“I… won’t kill anymore… I… am leaving the church” With those emotionless words, she turned around, only her back being reflected on his eyes.

“Wait… Azza! You can’t do that! To leave the church is to…”

“SHUT UP!” Even then, she did not turn back to face him.

Her decision was made, she would not falter, not look back, for even a second, for even a moment.

“I… won’t allow this to go on anymore.” Clenching her fists, she finished her words and took a step.

One after the other, through a slow crawl, she began her walk towards the exit.

“Wait! Think this through!” He called out, but despite that, he himself couldn’t move.

What was right, what was wrong? What was truth and what was a lie? What were assumptions and what was understanding?

He didn’t know. What was the path ahead, what was the correct action to take?

How could someone so unsure ever stand up and stop someone who had already made her mind?

“Wait!” He ran outside, after her, desperate.

And on the outside, she floated aloft, her wings shining with light.

Without turning to him, she left a parting greeting. “Bye, Alma.”

Her wings shone with the last of her light, and she flew away, only a white blur to be seen.

And in the dark night, as the cold breeze blew by, he stood in his lonesome, filled with unease.

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