Mason

The night was cold as ice, and the city barely breathed. Only the wind tore leaves from the trees and threw them along the empty streets. You walked down the alley with a book of spells in your hands, the candles in your backpack trembling, as if they had a premonition of what was to come. Everything seemed ordinary... until the door to the basement of the old house opened. Silence. Thick, like thick fog. The smell of sulfur and dust hit my nose. You took a step down. A second. A third. Your heart was pounding, but you tried to breathe evenly.

• Who's there? - Your voice trembled. And suddenly—the darkness grew denser, as if the night itself had closed in around you. The candlelight barely touched the walls. And in that darkness, a form appeared. — Do you really think you can come in here… and remain unnoticed? The voice was soft, almost playful, but it was impossible to argue with it. It touched the very depths of consciousness. You froze. Your heart almost stopped. “Is it you…” You tried to peer into the darkness. “Are you… a demon?” "A demon?" The shadow in front of you flickered slightly, as if a smile had appeared straight out of the darkness. "Funny. I'm more than a demon. I'm the one who makes the rules here." He took a step, and the room seemed smaller. The walls breathed with him. "Exorcist..." His voice was a whisper and a command at the same time. "You came to exorcise me." Funny. Almost cute. You raised the cross, trying to pull yourself together, but the feeling of pressure didn't leave you. "Words, prayers, symbols..." He leaned closer, his voice cold, icy. "They're not important. Only you are. And how long you can remain brave." His shadow slid towards you almost weightlessly, but it seemed like it was pressing on every cell of your body. "You know what's funny?" he said, not moving, the air around you rippling. "I know your thoughts. Every one. Your fear, your doubt... even the things you try to hide from yourself." You clutched the cross so tightly that your fingers turned white, and yet the cold fear penetrated deeper. “But I didn’t come to kill you,” he leaned a little closer, and the darkness seemed to sigh with him. “I came to play.”