Chapter Text
The church was empty.
She only went there when it was empty.
Well, not completely empty, there were always traces of... something. The echo of prayers, confessed sins. Drops of wax from candles that had been burning for too long on the floor. The persistent smell of incense seemed unwilling to leave, no matter how many windows were open.
Eva moved silently down the central aisle, as quiet as a shadow. She had learned to move like this before she could even speak a sentence.
Something was wrong.
That's why she was there.
The silence inside was too much, overwhelming, forced.
The altar was untouched. That was a sign. A very bad one.
There were no signs of a fight. No blood splattered everywhere. However, five people had already disappeared and there was no serial killer to blame.
Nothing was out of place. The whole place looked more like a film set than a busy church.
And then she felt it. A smell that burned her nostrils. Sulfur.
“Come on. Come out of hiding. I know you’re here.” Her voice was firm; she knew what she was doing.
Silence answered first.
Then, a laugh. Loud. Grotesque. Mocking.
“Ah- You arrived.” A shadow materialized; it didn’t have a fixed shape, it wasn’t entirely human, it was somewhat twisted. Its skin was cracked and dripping something that wasn't quite blood; it had probably once been a human body, now torn apart by evil.
Its eyes were completely black, sunken, as if there was nothing behind them.
The figure moved quickly, but she was faster. Holy water, a knife with a palo santo handle. She had many weapons hidden on her body; she was a weapon. But for this? That's all she needed.
I attack first. The first blow straight to the creature's arm. The blade pierced the arm, the rotting skin. The same liquid that dripped from its body oozed from its arm, black, thick, wrong.
He attacked her head-on; she tried to be faster, but she didn't always succeed. He grabbed her by the neck before she could land a second blow "You're small. Insignificant..." Eva's feet lifted from the ground, her throat already burning from lack of air. "You think you can finish me off? Ha!"
It couldn't finish it's laugh. Because she was clever. Always prepared. She twisted her wrist and plunged the knife into its eye. The demon screamed again, letting go of her.
She was already rolling on the ground and getting back to her feet before she even hit the ground.
The same thick blood ran down her face; it wasn't regenerating. That was good.
Eva advanced again, breathing heavily.
The demon attacked as well.
It had claws. And one of them lashed out at her arm. She wanted to scream. Heat coursed through her arm as blood trickled from her fingers.
That had been a mistake.
Because now she was angry. Very angry.
She began to whisper a prayer under her breath, and the demon retreated.
And she advanced.
She plunged her knife into his chest, savoring the immediate reaction. His body arched. The cracks in his skin widened, “No…”. She was good and she knew it, she had trained all her life for that. Fighting them.
Before the demon vanished into thin air, she screamed at it, interrogating it in seconds.
“Tell me who your leader is!”
He smiled at her and closed his mouth. He held the body for a second, just to be sure. When he let go, it fell heavily to the ground, shapeless, the skin collapsing in on itself, as if it had never been there, as if it had never harbored anything in it.
Great, I should find another one.
Something was terrorizing that city, something big. And she was going to uproot it.
He went straight to the bar after finishing his work. He knew everyone there; the city was full of hunters, all seeking the same thing: glory, to save the world, to prevent evil from spreading further.. She could get information there, something that would help her; everyone knew her, respected her, and would help her if she asked.
She drove her car through the streets that were still wet from the afternoon rain; the weather was horrible, still humid, somewhat warm; she hated this time of year..
When the neon sign glowed in the parking lot, she allowed herself to breathe; all the hunts affected her, no matter if they were big or insignificant.She took a moment to pick up her rosary and murmur a prayer, all demons were once people, they had once had souls that could have been saved if someone had helped them earlier.
After his moment, he walked through the bar doors, nodding to the burly security guard.
“Stratt.” The bartender slid a glass of vodka and a lime wedge in his direction. “Working hard today?”
“Hey Carl… always working.” She appreciated Carl; he was a constant in her life. He always gave her the best cases first and made the best drinks. “Something new I should know?”
“No one managed to find anything about him. The same old information. He's big, all these demons running around are just his weakest soldiers, but none of them are weak enough to tell us who he is.”
"The same old crap we all know. Damn."
"Maybe you need a break, Eva. You've been hunting nonstop for weeks. Your body's going to pay for it."
"When hell is no longer upon us, I'll rest, Carl. Thanks anyway." She finished her drink in one gulp and headed for the exit. Although she wouldn't stop hunting, she did need to sleep for a few hours, even if it was just for a little while.
She was driving to her motel; the road was long and narrow, surrounded by forest on both sides. The trees leaned over the asphalt as if they wanted to touch each other, giving the impression that she was in a tunnel.
For many, the road ahead would be unsettling.
But not for Eva. The isolation of the forest was clean, predictable, with no people, no noise. Just the road and the constant hum of her engine.
It was… relaxing.
At least it had been, until that moment.
A figure crossed his path.
Not an animal.
Too tall. Too fast.
It couldn't be a person.
Eva slammed on the brakes. The wheels screeched against the wet asphalt. The car lurched before coming to a complete stop.
Her hand was already moving before the car even came to a complete stop, her knife and holy water in her hands. Ready to fight.
She got out of the vehicle without bothering to close the door and scanned the darkness. Her trained eye, ready to detect any irregularity. And she saw it. A slight movement among the tree branches.
“There you are,” she murmured.
And she ran.
The branches scratched her already injured arm, snagged her clothes, but she couldn't stop.
Her lungs burned, her breathing heavy, her legs felt like they were on fire. He was fast, supernaturally fast, but so was she. She had trained her whole life to be able to keep up with them. She could do it.
He moved among the trees as if he knew them by heart, as if he were on a circuit he had spent days training for. She was no slouch either.
But then—
He stumbled.
The demon's body lost its balance and fell straight to the ground, sliding through damp branches and leaves, with a scream that was far too feminine for a demon who appeared so imposing.
“Stay still!” She lunged at him, pressing a knee against his torso before he could get up, the blade already against his chest and the holy water ready to be thrown.
Only when he was sure he had him firmly in his grasp did he look at him; something was wrong. He was completely covered in blood, not drops, not splashes, completely drenched. He must have had light hair, because it shone red in the moonlight; blood ran down his face, his neck, dripped from his clothes. “Tell me who your boss is and I’ll make this not hurt… so much.”
The demon looked at her.
Not with hatred, nor with defiance.
With fear.
“I can explain…” his voice trembled. “Please don’t kill me.” That was definitely… new. Like, yes, some demons begged for their lives., but they never looked so... innocent... In their eyes there was really something very close to despair.
Then she hesitated, for a split second.
But it was enough.
Because he smiled.
"Shit," she whispered.
And he moved. Too fast, too unexpectedly.
Before she could react, he had her pinned against a tree. Eva's back was pressed against the bark with enough force to knock the wind out of her.
Her wrist was trapped; the blade was useless between them.
"You're not normal."
He was too close; she could feel his breath.
I could see his eyes.
Clear. Not black like the other demons.
“And you don’t seem surprised.” He was… gorgeous. As always, they were always gorgeous, gorgeous enough to make her body crave sin. But she was stronger than that.
“I’m not.” A lie. She’d never met one so fast. She’d never been deceived. She had no doubts.
He was looking at her as if he could read her deepest thoughts. As if he knew she was lying. And that sent shivers down her spine.
“What are you waiting for? If you’re going to kill me, do it.”
He smiled.
And then he laughed. Right in her face. A low sound, as if he were surprised.
And he disappeared.
Without a trace.
The weight on her body vanished as if it had never been there.
“What…?” Eva froze for a second.
The sounds of the forest filled her ears again.
And then anger filled her. She hadn't just hesitated. She had let herself be trapped. And she had allowed the demon to escape.
Her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to scream. To smash every bone in her hands against a tree, to hit someone. But she didn't.
She walked back to his car, forcing herself to take deep breaths.
Then she retraced her steps. The car was still there, unlocked, with its lights on.
Everything was the same. Except that it wasn't. She looked again at the forest, dark, silent. Normal.
She didn't understand how, but she knew that today she had started something she didn't want to have to continue.
She drove slowly toward her motel, more carefully. Any trace of satisfaction from the previous hunt was clouded by their last encounter.
It was later than she had planned, her much-desired hours of sleep had already been significantly reduced, and that put her in a worse mood.
She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her hands trembling. Not from fear, no.
From rage.
The image returned without her permission, the exact moment she had hesitated. She didn't hesitate, she couldn't. To hesitate was to surrender to death, and she had done so. She was an idiot, she couldn't make sense of her own actions… Why had she done it? She never missed. She was proud of it along with her colleagues, of how ruthless she was. But he…
It hadn't been normal. Nothing about him, about their interaction had been.
He was faster than usual. Too precise… and his eyes… No.
She wasn't going to think about that. She wasn't going to think about how he had allowed her to live like that.
The motel appeared on the side of the road, its lights distracting her from her train of thought. The sign with its barely functioning LED lights gave it a familiar feeling. Safe.
The tires cut through the gravel of the parking lot, she slowed down while taking a deep breath, parked in front of her room. She didn't like taking unnecessary walks at night. She knew very well what lurked in the darkness.
The night air hit her face, a constant humidity that made her feel sticky and uncomfortable. She walked the short distance to her room, she opened the door and closed it harder than necessary; she was grateful there were no other tenants nearby, that would have earned her a complaint the next morning.
She leaned against the door for a few seconds, scanning the room. The need to check that everything was alright was a habit she was grateful not to lose. Her room was impenetrable, rosaries and herbs scattered around all the entrances, salt under every door and window, symbols drawn on all the edges of the room. Yes, it was safe. But it never hurts to be sure.
She left the knife on the table, the holy water beside it, everything where it belonged; control was the only thing that kept her sane on days like that.
She took off her jacket, stained with the blood that dripped from that blond demon, the fabric torn where the demon had touched her earlier; her skin still burned, the blood had already dried. She went straight to the bathroom.
Stitching wounds was something she could add to the list of things she'd learned too young. At least she was used to it; the pain wasn't so sharp once you managed to handle the needle with precision and speed.
After tending to her wound, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled, there was dirt on her neck, and probably some bruises underneath. She closed her eyes as she turned on the shower—cold, necessary. Only those like her knew how essential a cold shower could be to clear the mind after a hunt.
His eyes flashed into her mind. His smile. The beauty he possessed
Her stupid moment of doubt.
She kept repeating her mistake, how his expression had changed when he saw her hesitate, how he had used her.
But he let her go.
A normal demon would have torn her to pieces right then and there, scattered her organs on the ground and reveled in it while keeping her alive to cause her as much pain as possible.
But he had let her go. He had disappeared.
Why…?
She didn't need to finish that thought. She couldn't allow it. He was a demon, and that was enough. He caused harm. She had to exterminate him.
She turned off the shower; she was upset, She knew it. She put on the first thing she found: a plain t-shirt, underwear, nothing else.
She sat on the floor, kneeling at the edge of her bed. She stared at the knife on the table, a symbol of her mistake.
Her hands clasped together on their own, almost reflexively. “Lord, forgive me,” the words tumbled from her mouth like a waterfall, pure repentance. She felt stupid. Unworthy.
When she finished, her knees were red. Tears filled her eyes. She felt a knot in her chest; she hadn't been trained to fail. Everyone must be so disappointed in her…
She slumped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling; the morning would bring more clarity, tomorrow would be another day.
The neon light from the sign filtered under the door, and she was tired; her body was screaming for rest.
So, after a few minutes of mental turmoil, she allowed herself to close her eyes.
Her breathing slowed, her mind finally resting.
-
She was in the church.
The same abnormally proper altar, the same feeling in the air.
She didn't remember getting up, or even coming in. But there she was. So she observed, analyzing every detail as she remembered doing. The immaculate hallway, the weight in the air that made it hard to breathe. The shadows…. The shadows were strange… different. Longer, deeper… more malevolent.
“You’re not praying.” The voice came from behind her, brushing against her ear, tickling her neck.
Eva spun around.
He was there. Just like before. No blood. Spectacularly immaculate. Blue eyes, blond hair, tall. Beautiful. The kind of beauty that made her knees weak at the knees. No.
“This isn’t real,” she murmured, her voice not quite steady.
He tilted his head towards her, the height difference becoming noticeable.
“No.” He took a step towards her. “Or is it?” he laughed sarcastically as she held his gaze. “Who defines what is real and what is not?”
Eva took a step back. Her hands searched for her weapons.
They weren't there.
“Looking for this?” He held his knife. Impossible. “What? You think I can’t touch your toy?” He laughed as he tossed it into a far corner. She watched it fall, Calculating how long it would take to get where it fall.
She was distracted by that, because when she looked at him again, he was practically on top of her.
“Relax,” he said, as if he could hear her heart pounding. “I’m not going to hurt you. I thought you already understood that…”
“What do you want then?” Eva backed away as far as she could, but soon found herself trapped against a column.
He smiled. Too close. She could feel the heat of his body. Heat he shouldn't have. Something was very wrong with that demon. She wanted to keep analyzing him, but all thought left her body when he touched her. One hand on her hip, the other holding her wrist, his lips moving towards her ear. Close, very close, but giving her enough space to escape if she wanted. Her skin prickled; this was wrong. Very wrong. But she couldn't stop the heat that coursed through her body.
“I want you.” He pulled his body even closer to hers. Now she could feel his pressure against her. He turned his face toward hers, their lips just centimeters apart. “Only you can help me, Eva Stratt”
“This is wrong,” she whispered against his lips, her body betraying her.
“Yes, it is,” he smirked.
“Let me go,” she demanded. But her voice wasn’t firm.
He leaned a little closer to her, testing her.
And the world seemed to stop.
For a second. Just a second. She brought her body closer to his.
And then Eva opened her eyes.
The motel ceiling was illuminated again immediately, sunlight streaming in under the door. Eva sat bolt upright, her hand going straight to her wrist; it was unharmed. A dream. It had only been a dream. She went straight to the bathroom, bile already rising in his throat. She vomited her dinner into the toilet; the daylight was too bright, the guilt too heavy.
She turned on the tap, brushed her teeth, and splashed cold water on her face. She took a deep breath. It hadn't been real. She hadn't sinned. Everything was fine.
But that didn't feel right.
She clasped her hands right there, beginning to desperately beg for forgiveness. For allowing her subconscious to betray her, for not stopping it. For not wanting to stop it.
The silence didn't answer, it never did. But this time, it wasn't enough.
She stepped into the shower with the hot, almost boiling water. It burned her skin until it was red; she needed to rid herself of the sensation of his hands on her body, the sin on her skin.
She only got out of the shower when the water turned cold.
She prepared for another day of hunting, her eyes swollen.
She left her room distracted, heading straight to the cafeteria she always went to; she was going to need a lot of coffee to get through that day.
It was that distraction that made her not notice the shadow that was standing watching her from afar.