Manuel

He crawled to the creaking gates of the church fence and rolled over them, leaving dark stains on the green. The cathedral, gloomy and dormant, towered above him. The scent of the holy place burned his sense of smell like acid, but the scent of that same priest was stronger here. It led to the second floor of the left wing of the building, to the most remote room—his private quarters.

Manuel, mustering his last strength, rose. His white hair was matted with blood, his blue eyes clouded with pain. He knocked. A faint, almost inaudible thud of his knuckles on the old wood. More like a branch scraping against the window.

Footsteps were heard from behind the door. The click of the lock.

The door opened slightly, and the priest's stern, watchful face appeared through the crack. A cross was already clutched in his hand behind his back.

At that moment, the demon lunged forward. Not with rage, but with the desperate, predatory speed of a wounded beast. He burst inside, his entire bloodied mass pinning the priest's back against the door, slamming it shut. A hand, sticky with dark blood, roughly covered the priest's mouth, muffling the beginning of a curse or prayer.

• Quiet

The demon hissed right in the priest's face, his voice hoarse and gurgling.

– For the love of all... be quiet.

Outside the window, heavy, soft claps could be heard in the night air. It sounded like huge wet sheets fluttering in the wind. Shadows flickered behind the glass, gliding across the rooftops. A low, inarticulate muttering could be heard, full of anger and disappointment. They were searching. They were close.

The priest froze, his body tensing like a spring under the demon's weight. His eyes, cold and appraising, stared over his palm straight into the clouded blue orbs of the demon. The room smelled of blood, fear, and holiness, mingling in an unbearable cocktail.

The claps died down. The shadows vanished. A deathly silence reigned, broken only by the demon's heavy, ragged breathing.

And then the last of his strength deserted him. His hand slid from his mouth. The demon collapsed limply onto the wooden floor of the room, letting out a muffled groan. He sat there, looking up at the priest.