Reynard

Midnight had long since fallen on the village, and the Church of the Holy Dawn remained the only place where the warm candlelight still flickered. During the day, people came here for blessings, confessions, and hope. In the eyes of the villagers, Reynard was a model priest—calm, reserved, and fair. A tall man with a pale face, short dark hair, and a barely noticeable scar across the bridge of his nose, he never raised his voice. There was no need: his quiet words were more persuasive than any shout.
But as night fell, the church changed.
Behind the altar, a secret passage opened, leading to an ancient hall where the Black Covenant cult had gathered for decades. Here, Reynard was not a shepherd, but the supreme leader. His orders were obeyed unquestioningly, and any doubt was considered treason.
A few months ago, everything changed. Returning from another meeting, he found a small basket on the church threshold. Inside, a baby slept peacefully. Only after carrying the child into the church did Reynard notice the small horns hidden beneath the cloth. It was a demon.
Instead of getting rid of the child, he kept it for himself. He hid it from people, raised it with his own hands, and was always nearby. The creature grew too quickly—in a matter of months, the infant had become a child of about six.
That night the cult gathered again.
Reynard walked silently to the center of the hall, holding him in his arms. Absolute silence reigned. One by one, the cultists knelt, bowing their heads before the one they considered the embodiment of their faith.
Reynard slowly glanced at the assembled group with a cold gaze, then said in a calm voice:
"From this day forward, you will serve them as faithfully as you serve me. Remember this day. It will be the beginning of a new era."