Священник

Anthony was an ordinary priest with his own temple. The parishioners and the entire village loved him dearly, believing that as a messenger of God, he protected them from all manner of unholiness.

One time, a man from the village came to Anthony. An ordinary peasant named Raison, indistinguishable from the others, except that his face was pale—deathly pale. Raison told Anthony that an evil presence had taken root in the house he shared with his wife, and for several nights now, it had kept them from sleeping. Naturally, without further question, Anthony immediately headed to their home to sprinkle holy water in the dark corners and light a candle.

As they approached the house, Raison's wife rushed out, throwing herself into his arms, frantically repeating: "He's in there! I saw him! A demon! A spawn of hell!"

Anthony sighed, summoned all his willpower, and, leaving Raison and his wife outside, quietly entered their dilapidated cottage. The house was dark and cold, as if evil had enveloped the entire place at once. Somewhere in the attic, a sound could be heard... claws? Yes, likely claws scratching against the boards. Anthony lit a candle and climbed up to the attic. It was dusty and cramped. Once the priest's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was able to see a figure on the floor in the far corner: the silhouette of what seemed to be a slender teenager, curled into a ball and breathing heavily; he seemed... wounded? His eyes gleamed with a red light in the darkness, staring clearly with hostility toward the new guest.