Joe and Raffin walked quietly under the curtains of the night.

A curved tunnel lay underneath the grounds of the church, winding and twisting as it delves deeper into the heart of the village.

They couldn't help but notice the glistening walls of the corridor they were stepping into.

Their breaths formed a thin fog that hung in the air, adding to the darkness.

Approaching a dark wooden door, they exchanged nods before Father Joe stopped, searching his pocket for the key. 

The villagers believed that this door led to a secret chamber where the priest had allegedly been performing rituals for years. However, they never entered it out of fear and respect for the old man.

 

Brian and Asdras trailed cautiously behind them, slipping softly on the damp ground to avoid being caught.

"Ready?" Joe whispered.

"Ready!" 

With a gentle nudge, Joe pushed open the door, revealing a room bathed in the feeble, flickering glow of a solitary torch. The dim illumination cast elongated shadows that danced subtly across the rough-hewn stone walls.

An improvised bed, little more than a pile of straw and coarse sheep wool, lay neglected in one corner.

However, the most horrifying sight was the solitary chair positioned in the center of the room. There was a man bound to it. His skin revealed a ghastly combination of purple and bluish tones, while fresh wounds ran through his battered flesh.

A small, distinctly colored stone nestled in the man's matted hair, glowing with a reddish-purple hue.

"Tha-hats!" Raffin stepped back. "Is this what I think?"

"It is," Joe said as he approached the body. "This poor soul failed his awakening. But the problem is..."

He grabbed the head of the body and slightly rotated it to the left, revealing his neck.

"Look!"

Raffin fixed his gaze on the exposed neck. A creepy worm-like creature was slithering beneath the pallid, dead skin, creating unnatural bulges and ripples with its movements. The skin stretched and contorted as it continued its zigzag ascent.

"Poiso—no, a curse?"

"Perhaps." Joe gently adjusted the deceased's head. "I cannot recall any mention of such a curse in our holy texts, but it should be documented."

"Where did you find the body?"

"Down by the river." Joe sighed wearily as he perched on the bed. 

"I was wandering aimlessly, seeking clarity amidst the uncertain future, when I stumbled upon the lifeless form by the riverbank. It happened three days ago. The peculiar part is that, this individual isn't one of our own."

"This happened before?" Raffin asked as he studied the chamber.

"No," Joe replied while adjusting his robe. "In my three years here in Bamor, I've never seen such a thing. The former priest, God rest his soul, never spoke of anything like this either."

The curse that plagued the village had been a source of fear and unease for years. Those who were unfortunate enough to experience its effects had experienced sickness, misfortune, and even death.

Since the church had already checked out this area two years ago and no one has suffered any kind of strange disease, Father Joe always thought these stories were just superstitions.

"This brings something to mind," Raffin circled the lifeless form, arching his brows and wearing a thoughtful frown.

"During my travels here, I encountered some rather unusual occurrences. It's quite intriguing, considering that these fields have always been so calm."

"What is it?"

"The beasts tend to keep their distance from the main road, 'cause of all the protective measures in place," Raffin whispered, his hands trembling as he leaned against the wall. "I came real close to meeting my end out there, but that wasn't even the worst of it."

"I... I was on the road to here, you know, when I saw him. A figure cloaked in darkness, shrouded in an ominous hood that hid his face. He wore a necklace, a silver cross gleaming in the moonlight. It sent shivers down my spine, I tell you. I thought I was alone, but there he was, like a shadow in the night. I couldn't see his face, but his presence..."

"An exorcist?" Joe's eyes widened. "Here, in these parts?"

"He confided in me and said he's on the hunt for a woman, armed with a whip. And he warned me to steer clear of the hidden paths."

"It appears as though this Eruption—" Joe pondered, but he abruptly halted as the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. "These little rascals."

"Who?" Raffin strained his eyes, attempting to peer through the veil of underground darkness.

"Ah, never mind," Joe said as he approached him. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Father Joe's last words echoed through the tunnel as Brian and Asdras quietly made their way out. The uneasy revelation about the curse still weighed heavily on their minds.

As they emerged into the open, the chilly night air brushed against their faces, providing a stark contrast to the oppressive environment of the underground chamber. They moved swiftly yet cautiously, merging their silhouettes with the shadows that the moon cast on the aged stone walls of the church.

With a shared sense of urgency, they climbed up the steep roof of the church, gripping the cold, snowy tiles with their hands.

"Y'hear that?" Brian asked, his voice quivered as his gaze darted around.

"Yes." Asdras nodded firmly.

When they finally reached the rooftop, they paused for a few seconds to gather their breath. From their elevated vantage point, they got a good look at the houses below them. 

The flickering lamps from the houses casting dancing shadows outside the buildings and a light mist hanging in the air.

"A fuckin' dead, the awakening, and the—" Brian halted as he noticed his friend's hand. "The curse..."

Asdras stared at his palm, a faint red crow emblem etched there. Memories of a crow helping him in the wilderness resurfaced, leaving him puzzled. 

"Why?"

"Well, maybe it ain't all that bad. I mean, considerin' what the old man's been sayin', you might just have an edge when it comes to awakening. Just look at your arms."

Asdras examined his arms, observing the healed skin without a single scar or mark.

"And what 'bout that exorcist?" Brian shifted the subject. "D'ya recall them tales we heard in the city?"

"You know, Asdras, they say those exorcists, the ones hunting criminals for the church, they're somethin' else. Their rituals, the rumors... It's all so strange. I heard they're brutal, but they got this calm demeanor that chills ya to the bone."

"They say they wield cursed weapons," Asdras shook his head. "I reckon we'll find out once we sign up and get our awakening. Sometimes I wonder if our fate will be the same as that dead man..."

"I dunno," Brian grinned. "We're too darn good-lookin' and sharp-witted for all that nonsense, don't ya think?" He added with a wink, earning a chuckle from his friend.

"Sure, it'll be a challenge, but we're ready for it. All those battles we've had, training with old Joe, they've been the perfect warm-up!"

As their discussion drifted, Asdras' keen eyes flickered, catching a glimpse of something unusual moving amidst the tree branches. 

At first, a mere wisp appeared, a pale white light that danced, eluded, and took on a spectral form. Asdras gently nudged Brian and pointed in the direction of the strange apparition.

As they strained their eyes and focused their senses, a simultaneous realization struck them like lightning. In hushed unison, they spoke, their voices barely louder than the whispers of the night. 

"Is that a child?"

"Is there really a kid standin' all alone smack-dab in the middle of the trees?" Brian gasped.

Asdras and Brian watched in disbelief as a small, pale figure, barely visible in the darkness, floated closer to the village.

It glided like a wraith, its movements both graceful and eerie, as if it were one with the shadowy night itself. 

The thin veil of fog that blanketed the landscape seemed to embrace the child, shrouding it in an ethereal cloak.

As the apparition continued its approach, it came within the radius of the flickering torchlight that marked the boundary of the village. 

For a brief, heart-pounding moment, the pale figure remained illuminated by the warm, flickering glow. 

The child's form became slightly more defined, revealing tattered clothing and a mournful expression that sent shivers down the observers' spines.

But then, as if the torchlight had uncovered a hidden secret, the apparition began to dissipate.

It dissolved into the air like mist, leaving behind no trace of its presence. The fog that had previously concealed it now closed in, swallowing the apparition until it vanished completely.

Asdras and Brian exchanged wide-eyed glances, their hearts racing with astonishment. The rooftop seemed to quiver beneath their feet as they struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

"Y'see that?"