Page 42 of Where the Dark Knelt (Worshipped by Darkness #1)

Chapter Twenty Four

Eveline

Another weekend spent reading prayers and listening to the parishioners from morning until dusk.

These days had become the most mundane part of my practice, yet I knew they were crucial for my development as a nun in this place.

Listening to people, guiding them through their sorrow, guilt, and confusion…

it was a duty I already fulfilled unofficially, but soon it would become my official life once I took all the vows.

If only that demon would leave me alone…

Though somewhere deep in my soul, something stirred whenever I thought about him, something that both terrified and excited me.

He awakened feelings in me I hadn’t known existed, or perhaps I had long buried them under layers of devotion and discipline.

I questioned myself constantly now… Had I ever truly felt desire? Love? Passion? Sex?

Story after story passed today like on a conveyor belt.

Apparently, people were in a hurry to talk to me — somehow, a queue had formed while others relaxed nearby with wine and fruit.

I didn’t complain; I was simply glad to help those in need.

Some spoke of loneliness, others of heavier burdens, but they all left with smiles, these soft, fragile smiles, even if their eyes were still rimmed with tears.

It seemed face-to-face contact mattered far more than the confessional booth, though for some the old method still worked. In a way, we had become divine psychologists, helping souls unravel their troubles, offering advice or simply listening, then sending them on their way with parting words.

As one parishioner replaced another, I lost count of how many had come to me. Then suddenly, a wave of alertness swept over me. Goosebumps erupted along my right side and spread across my back, making me shudder on the bench beside the altar.

I turned slowly and saw a man sitting at the far end of the bench to my right, his back to us but definitely listening to our conversations.

Something about him seemed... off. His presence rippled with strange colors like the vibrating hues I sometimes saw after a nightmare.

But this time, those colors were tinged with black smoke curling in and out, as if stained by shadow.

“I don’t…” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

A sudden interruption drew my attention, a girl telling her story, oblivious to my unease. “So what should I do? Should I give them both a chance or break up and go to the third?”

At first, her words seemed out of context, and I didn’t understand. Then it hit me, she was talking about love.

“Everything in life is love,” I said quietly, trying to steady myself. “You must give it to your neighbor, but above all, make sure it doesn’t hurt others. Love should be pure, not painful.”

“Ah, I get it!” the girl exclaimed, clapping her hands with delight. “Then the four of us will be together! Thank you!”

“It’s not—” I began, but she had already hurried off toward the exit.

I turned back to the right, but the stranger was gone. My heart skipped a beat.

Then, instinctively, I looked left and froze.

The same man sat now on the bench to my left, so silently that I hadn’t noticed him move.

I screamed softly in surprise, swallowing nervously as I blinked hard. His eyes were fixed on the altar, utterly mesmerized, and he said nothing.

“Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” I asked cautiously, reaching out to tug gently at his shoulder.

That was my mistake.

As soon as my fingers touched him, he whipped around with a terrifying grin.

His mouth split wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth like a shark’s.

Then, as if summoned by some dark ritual, long horns erupted from his skull, curving wickedly around his head.

Thick black hair tumbled over his eyes, hiding their color, but what I saw next froze me in place, unable to breathe.

Behind him unfurled massive, leathery wings and a long, sinuous tail. He was no man, he was a demon incarnate.

I screamed like a madwoman, terror ripping through my throat.

Before I could react, his hands shot out and closed around my neck, squeezing with crushing force. I struggled to breathe, panic clouding my mind.

Then, just as suddenly, everything shattered.

The twin sisters, Garcia and Gwerir from our choir, who had been nearby, rushed to my side. They slapped my cheeks and splashed holy water over me. The cold liquid seemed to burn the demon’s form, and I blinked down at my hands clutching my throat.

The demon was gone.

He had dissolved into mist and steam as if the holy water were acid, leaving nothing but the faintest trace of smoke in the air.

I gasped, barely able to catch my breath, voice hoarse and trembling.

“What the… hell…” I muttered, confusion and fear warring inside me.

The sisters exchanged worried looks. “What the fuck, Eveline?” one whispered.

“You… you started strangling yourself,” the other said, shaking her head. “It’s not okay. Maybe you should see a doctor?”

“No, I’m fine. I just need to rest.” My voice was shaky, barely a whisper. “I need to find Eata… I need to talk to her.”

Without waiting for a response, I got to my feet and hurried away, ignoring the whispers trailing behind me.

“She’s gone crazy…”

I didn’t care.

If I was seeing demons now, if they could invade my mind and reality freely now, then I was in danger. My sanity felt like it was unraveling thread by thread.

What in heaven’s name was happening to me?

I should have called that exorcist girl years ago. Maybe she was still practicing. Maybe she could help me now.

I prayed silently as I rushed to find Eata, desperate for any chance to rid myself of the demon clawing at my mind.

Because this — this — could not be real.