As Gabriel and the priest as they walked side by side down the cobblestone street toward the orphanage. Stars dotted the dark sky, casting a gentle glow over the town, and their footsteps echoed softly along the empty path. Gabriel glanced curiously at the priest, sensing a quiet mystery about the man walking beside him.
They continued in comfortable silence for a few moments, but eventually, Gabriel's curiosity got the best of him.
"You know," the priest spoke first, breaking the silence with a warm smile, "I don't believe I properly introduced myself. My name is Astried."
Gabriel nodded, but something clicked in his mind. He raised an eyebrow, his curiosity deepening. "Wait… you've been calling me Gabriel this whole time," he said slowly. "But I don't remember telling you my name. How did you know who I was?"
Astried chuckled softly, as if he'd been waiting for the question. "Ah, Sister Margaret told me a lot about you," he replied, his eyes kind. "She said you're a wonderful young man, with a good heart. She even mentioned your special gift."
"My gift?" Gabriel asked, surprised.
"Yes," Astried continued. "Your ability to learn things just by observing them. It's a rare blessing, you know."
Gabriel felt a mix of pride and shyness. "Thank you… So, where do you live? Are you from around here?"
"Not far," Astried replied. "I live just past the border, in a neighboring town. And I live there with my son."
Gabriel's eyes widened. "You're a father? You must really love him."
"Very much," Astried said, his voice softening. "I found him under difficult circumstances, near a forest. There was a large house on fire. I rushed in and found him there, alone. I couldn't leave him."
Gabriel looked at him in awe. "You saved him. That's incredible. And as a priest, too… you're like a hero."
Astried smiled. "Being a priest isn't only about prayer. Sometimes, we must protect others as well."
"But… how did you learn to fight?" Gabriel asked.
Astried's expression turned serious. "I'm part of an organization called the Vatican. We follow a prophecy—one we believe is from God. The prophecy told me to find a child who is destined to save the world."
Gabriel's eyes widened. "And you think that child is here?"
Astried nodded solemnly. "Yes. And I must find them before the demon name Satan does".
Gabriel glanced at Astried, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and curiosity. "Who's… Satan?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Astried's expression darkened, his gaze fixed on the ground ahead. "Satan is the one who slaughtered everyone in the organization I belonged to. He's more powerful than most can imagine. He has the ability to alter timelines, though he can't touch ours—God protected us with a shield against his dark magic. But Satan himself found a way to break through, and he killed my friends, my family, everyone I fought beside."
Gabriel swallowed, feeling a chill settle in his bones as Astried continued.
"Our only hope now," Astried said, his voice low and resolute, "is the child in the prophecy—a boy from this town. He's mentioned in an ancient book God gave us to guide the world to salvation."
Astried reached into his coat and pulled out a small, leather-bound book, its cover worn and ancient, strange symbols etched into the faded surface. He held it out for Gabriel to see.
Gabriel blinked, taking in the sight of the old, tattered book. "That looks… really old."
Astried nodded, his expression softening for a moment. "It is. I was raised in that orphanage up ahead, Gabriel. That's where I learned to follow God and become His soldier. We kept the peace for many years, but two weeks ago, everything changed. The gates of hell opened, and demons began scattering across Europe, possessing humans and spreading chaos. Now, we have to find that boy from the prophecy before Satan reaches him."
Gabriel's face paled. "You think he's still here? In town?"
"Yes," Astried replied, his eyes intense. "If he is, we must find him and protect him. He's our last chance to save humanity."
They continued walking, quickening their pace. Just as Gabriel was about to ask another question, Astried suddenly halted, his eyes narrowing as he peered ahead. He held out a hand, signaling Gabriel to stop as well.
In the shadows up ahead, a dark figure lurked at the edge of a building, almost blending with the night. Gabriel's heart began to race as he caught sight of it.
Astried's face hardened, his voice barely a whisper. "Stay close, Gabriel. This could be dangerous."
As Astried readied his claymore sword, Gabriel gripped a chain wrapped around his hand, adrenaline pumping through both of them. Suddenly, the dark figure before them split into three, revealing the full forms of the demons.
The left one was a towering beast with thick, armor-like skin and massive arms. The middle demon was smaller and slender, its long arms giving it a grotesque appearance. On the right stood a tall, thin figure with sharp claws for legs, ready to pounce.
Astried felt a wave of unease wash over him. "This is my first time encountering a full-form demon possessed by a human body," he muttered. "Rest in peace to whoever is that body."
Memories flooded back—he recalled reading about demon forms in one of the ancient texts. He turned to Gabriel, who looked terrified. "This is what a possessed body looks like," Astried explained. He remembered how diligently he studied each demon form and the counters for their attacks.
Suddenly, the tall, legged demon lunged toward Gabriel. Astried sprang into action, charging at it with his claymore, but the demon was quick, dodging his strike. At the same time, the large demon on the left charged at Astried, who barely managed to dodge and counterattack. His sword struck the creature but barely left a mark on its thick skin.
The skinny, short demon extended its arms toward Astried. He deftly dodged, parrying the attack with his sword, but its arms kept stretching toward Gabriel. The tall-legged demon sprinted toward him as well.
Gabriel felt a rush of fear but quickly reacted. He used the chain wrapped around his arm to whip at the tall demon, catching it off guard and sending it crashing to the ground. Astried watched in astonishment.
"You've been recording my fighting style, haven't you?" he asked, impressed. Gabriel nodded, his mind racing with ideas.
As the tall demon fell, Astried dashed forward, ready to finish it off. Just then, the skinny demon's long arms shot out and grabbed his claymore, stopping him in his tracks. The large demon seized the opportunity and punched Astried, sending him flying toward Gabriel.
"How are we supposed to beat them?" Gabriel shouted, breathless. "They have agility, durability, and that large one has crazy offense!"
Gabriel's eyes flickered over a deck of cards that had fallen from his pocket during the fight. An idea struck him. "I have a plan!"
Astried nodded, trusting Gabriel instinctively. "Okay, let's go!"
"We start with the long-legged one!" Gabriel shouted as he threw a card at the demon's eyes. The card hit its mark, temporarily blinding the creature. "Run toward it!" Gabriel urged as the tall demon staggered back, screeching in pain.
He used the chain to wrap around the long-legged demon, pulling it down as it tried to flee. Meanwhile, the skinny demon lashed out again, extending its arms to attack Astried, but he quickly cut them off with a swift swing of his sword.
"Good work!" Gabriel exclaimed, feeling a surge of confidence.
But they weren't prepared for the skinny demon's arms to regenerate into four long appendages. The Large demon charged at Gabriel, who scrambled to escape while dragging the long-legged demon behind him.
"Let me go, damn it!" Astried shouted, struggling as the four-armed demon grabbed him.
Gabriel ran toward a nearby lamp post, tying the long-legged demon to it with the chain. Panic surged through him as he spotted a broken fence nearby. He dashed toward it, bending a sharp piece of wood into a spear.
When he lunged to stab the large demon, it barely penetrated its thick skin. The large demon retaliated with a punch, but Gabriel dodged, retreating toward an unfinished old wall. The large demon swung again, but this time, the wall crumbled, trapping its arm in the debris.
In that moment, curiosity piqued Gabriel's interest as he spotted something moving beneath the rubble. Without thinking, he ran toward it, stabbing the exposed area five times. The large demon screamed in agony.
With adrenaline surging, Gabriel jumped onto its neck, plunging the makeshift spear deep into the creature. As he landed, he fell back against the corner of the building, breathing heavily, sweat and blood staining his clothes. The battle had taken everything out of him, but they had fought back—together.
As Gabriel sat in the corner, breathing heavily, he watched the large demon burn away to ashes, a sense of relief washing over him. But that relief quickly turned to panic as he realized he had left Astried alone to fight the long-armed demon, one capable of regenerating its limbs with every strike.
With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Gabriel sprang to his feet and ran back toward the battle. He skidded to a stop, seeing blood smeared on the floor and Astried's claymore lying abandoned. Grabbing the sword, he continued searching frantically for Astried.
As he rounded a corner, his heart dropped. There was Astried, engulfed by a mass of thirty demon arms, each one pulling and tearing at him. Astried was no longer whole—his limbs were being ripped apart one by one.
"No… this can't be real! This is a dream, right?" Gabriel gasped, confusion overwhelming him. But just then, one of the demon's arms reached out and punched him, knocking him back to reality.
"It's not a dream!" he shouted in despair, bile rising in his throat as he vomited on the floor. He bit his lip hard, drawing blood as he fought against the overwhelming rage building inside him.
Without hesitation, he charged toward the demon, throwing the claymore with all his strength. The demon used twelve of its arms to block the strike, grabbing the sword mid-flight. In that moment of distraction, Gabriel flung his remaining cards at the demon's eyes, blinding it partially.
The demon began attacking wildly, swinging its arms without precision. Gabriel ducked and rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding a lethal strike. He quickly recovered, using the chain to wrap around the demon's neck, trying to choke it.
The demon's arms lunged toward him, attempting to seize him, but Gabriel tightened the chain around its neck, feeling the struggle of the demon's grip on him. He could feel his own breath becoming labored, but he fought to maintain consciousness. With each moment, he realized the demon was weakening, even as its arms constricted around him.
Fueled by desperation, Gabriel tightened the chain further. The demon let out a pained shout, its movements becoming erratic. Gabriel's rage grew, igniting a fire within him. He was not going to let this demon win.
With a final burst of strength, he squeezed the chain around the demon's neck until he felt it go limp. But he knew that wasn't enough. Still gripped by anger, he grabbed a piece of broken wood from the fence, jagged and sharp, and began stabbing it into the demon's heart repeatedly.
"Not yet!" he shouted through gritted teeth. "You took something from me!" He stabbed again and again, driven by a primal urge to avenge Astried, not stopping until the first light of dawn crept into the dark street.
As the sun rose, the demon lay motionless, finally defeated. Gabriel, drenched in sweat and blood, fell to his knees beside the lifeless body, gasping for breath. The night had taken everything from him, but he had fought back. He had survived.
As Gabriel watched the large demon burn to ashes, a heavy weight settled on his heart. He picked up Astried's claymore and the ancient book, feeling the responsibility of his promise. "I promise I'll take care of your son, and I will find the person you're looking for," he vowed, his voice trembling with emotion.
With a sense of urgency, he gathered Astried's severed limbs and body, placing them gently into a sack. He buried them beside the street, the ground cold and unforgiving, but he needed to honor the man who had fought so valiantly. After saying a quiet prayer, he stood and wiped his eyes, steeling himself for what lay ahead.
As he walked toward the orphanage, a crowd of people gathered, their faces twisted in fear and confusion. Gabriel dropped Astried's claymore and the book to the ground, rushing into the throng. "What happened?" he called out, his voice rising above the chaos.
One of the onlookers turned, panic etched on their face. "I don't know! A huge creature attacked the orphanage run by Sister Margaret!"
Fear gripped Gabriel as he dashed toward the building, shouting the names of his brothers and sisters: "Rose! Lara! Luka! Feya! Bennett! Sister Margaret!" Each name echoed in his mind like a desperate prayer.
When he burst through the door, the sight that met him was unimaginable. The once vibrant orphanage was filled with destruction, furniture overturned, and debris scattered everywhere. And then he saw it—his beloved siblings and Sister Margaret lying on the ground, blood pooling around them. Horror twisted his gut as he realized their bodies were decapitated, their heads nowhere to be found. The brutal scene made his heart drop. They had been so loving, so protective.
"No!" Gabriel screamed, rushing forward. He fell to his knees, reaching for Sister Margaret, tears streaming down his face as he cradled her lifeless body. "Please, no! Not you!"
But guards rushed to him, pulling him back as he tried to hold onto her. "Let me go! I need to help her!" he cried, desperation clawing at his throat as they forced him away. He struggled against their grip, his heart breaking as he was dragged further from the bodies of those he loved.
"Get off me!" he shouted, fighting against their hold, but they continued to pull him back, further and further from the scene of devastation. All he could do was watch, helpless, as the only family he had ever known lay still, their warmth extinguished forever, their heads lost to the cruelty of the night.
The world around him faded into a blur as grief washed over him. He felt the weight of his promise to Astried pressing down on him, mingling with the overwhelming sorrow that filled his chest. Gabriel's heart raced with a mixture of rage and despair. He had to find a way to honor their memories, to ensure that their deaths would not be in vain.