"Relax, it's just an exorcism. I can handle it." Vynx had told Soleil and Sophia that he would be fine without their assistance on his latest job. In hindsight, bringing a paladin might have made his life easier, but the hunter wasn't keen on splitting yet another bounty with his straight-laced companion. There was also the matter of the job request coming from a small church dedicated to the Lunar Goddess in yet another tight-knit village far in the countryside. While most in the capital worshipped the Goddess of Light, there were many scattered sects across the kingdom that remained faithful to other deities. Vynx liked to stay neutral when it came to affairs concerning gods and their followers, but he could never be too sure how a secluded community would react to both a paladin of the Holy Order and a vampiress in tow. 

Vynx skimmed over the details of the bounty he had snatched up from the job board. A call for assistance in dealing with a "ghost" that was haunting their halls—nothing that he hadn't seen before, though he wasn't much of a fan of dealing with the incorporeal undead. Regardless, the request paid well, and Vynx marched himself from the tavern to the chapel located at the edge of town overlooking a valley and river below. He burst through the doors, pamphlet in hand, scanning the scene for the head honcho. "Ho there! I’m looking for the priest! Anyone seen him?"

His entrance interrupted the somber music and murmuring prayers of the other visitors. Vynx received a few bizarre looks before a woman dressed in white hurriedly came to the foyer to greet him. "I'm sorry, the Father isn't here right now. He and the other Sisters are holding a funeral in town today, so it's just me." The cleric gazed up at him with a polite smile. "You're here for the exorcism job then...?" she asked, glancing over the weapons on his belt before peering up at his face.

"Oh. That’s alright, my apologies." The fire that was lit under the hunter died out in a near instant. "That I am!" he responded, knowing damn well he didn’t read the entire note and only saw the sender and the payment.

"Perhaps we should speak of this in private. Please, follow me," the woman said in a hushed voice and turned to lead him to a study in the side wing of the church. For a woman of the cloth, her robes were rather form-fitting, and Vynx couldn't help but admire her elegant features. A white veil with gold embroidery draped over her long, strawberry-pink hair, contrasting with her striking red eyes.

"Lead the way, miss." Vynx seemed more polite than usual, even if it was primarily because of the number of people who watched the man like he was a live circus act. "Sooooo…" he cut the silence in the hallway once they were away from the main area. "How are things? Does this stuff usually happen?" he asked, following the woman into the office.

"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Hilde Vogel, a cleric here." She gave a little bow before sitting down in one of the chairs. At his question, she awkwardly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and replied, "As far as I'm aware, this is the first... occurrence." Hilde forced a little laugh and glanced away. "It's quite common for people to be superstitious, but this time the other Sisters are certain they saw a spectre wandering our halls at night. The Father even believes it may be the work of a fiend or devil." The pink-haired priestess began to fidget with her hair as she turned back to Vynx. "Would you happen to be a professional in taking care of such creatures?" she inquired. There was an air of caution around her, as if she didn't know what to make of the disheveled hunter yet. 

"You can say that. You can also call me Vynx, by the way," he responded casually as he plopped himself down in a chair opposite of Hilde. Vynx took note of the way she averted her gaze whenever their eyes met and the hint of nervousness in her voice each time she spoke about the ghost. "Though I've got a couple of questions—if you'll allow." He put up his hand, pointing one finger up. "Do you happen to have any holy water I can use to coat my weapons?" Then he pointed a second finger up. "Can I ask everyone who stays here to go without candles for a night?" Following that, Vynx raised his third finger. "And lastly, this will go a lot more smoothly if you happen to have a prayer on hand. We’re in a church, so any of them will do."

"Essentially, yes..." Hilde nodded to all of his questions. "We should have plenty of holy water, and I'll be happy to bless some more should you need it. The Father has left me to oversee the church and help you in any capacity I can," the cleric replied with an uneasy smile. "I was instructed to give you a tour of the church. The Sisters claim they've only seen the ghost while it's dark, so you'll likely have to wait until nightfall," she added and cast another weary glance towards the window looking out towards the cemetery behind the church.

"That's fine with me. I do have friends waiting for me back at the inn, but I'm sure they won't miss me too bad for one night," Vynx chuckled. If anything, he would have loved to return to see Sophia fretting over him rather than the stone-faced greeting he'd usually get.

"Should you happen to find the source of these hauntings, will you… destroy it?" 

"If there's no other way to send it off to the next life, yeah." Vynx lowered his hands and set them on his lap. "A proper exorcism involves driving the spirit from this plane and banishing it back to the afterlife where it belongs. Can't say I'm much of a holy man though, so I might need your help with the incantations and prayers." 

"I understand…" Hilde gripped her arm, and a shudder ran through her. 

Vynx tilted his head. "Are you afraid? I can handle it on my own if you don't want to deal with it," he offered. 

"N-no, I want to assist you! It's just that…" the cleric trailed off. It was obvious she had more to say, but she couldn't find the right words to divulge to a professional monster hunter. "We do have some time before nightfall, so if you'd like to make preparations before then, you have plenty of time," Hilde said instead. "And if this whole thing happens to be nothing but superstition, the Father instructed me to compensate you for your troubles," she added. "Though while you're here, perhaps you could assist me with fixing up some parts of the church? I'd be willing to pay extra as well. This place is getting rather rundown, and I do think we should patch up some of the doors and windows..."

He raised an eyebrow but gave Hilde an agreeable smile. "Sure, I don't mind lending a hand. You can leave all the heavy lifting to me, Sister." Vynx wanted to at least leave a good impression on his host, especially one so attractive. Whatever she was hiding, he knew he would pry it out from her sooner or later. 

With that, he got up and followed Hilde's instructions to retrieve the tools from a shed behind the church and some spare planks of wood from the carpenter in town. It also gave him a chance to put in an order for some extra stakes before he returned to the chapel to patch up any creaky doors and battered windows. In the meantime, Hilde returned to work, cleaning the interior of the church and assisting the visitors until the evening bell signaled the closing of public services. 

By the time Vynx finished inspecting the building for any other damage, the sun was beginning to set, and he heard the priestess call him inside for supper. Vynx wiped the sweat from his brow and washed up by the well before heading to the kitchen. He was greeted by a modest spread of tea, freshly baked bread, and creamy stew that he was all too happy to dig into. "Phew, this sure hit the spot! Thanks for the meal, Hilde!" Vynx beamed with a mouth full of baguette.

"This was the least I could do for all your help," Hilde replied. "I… wanted to do something to thank the Father and Sisters for when they returned, but it would have taken twice as long if I were to handle the repairs myself," she chuckled. Seating herself at the table, she brought her own cup of tea to her lips and took a long sip. The warmth soothed some of her worries, yet there remained a troubled look in her scarlet eyes that was reflected in the amber liquid.

"It's no problem, really," Vynx insisted. "It gave me something to do while we wait for this ghost to show up, and I managed to take a good look around the place." He raised the wooden bowl to his lips and took a long slurp of soup. After emptying the bowl, Vynx set it down with a content sigh. "Aaaah. So, are you gonna tell me what's on your mind, or am I going to have to do another set of chores before you'll trust me?" Vynx asked directly. 

His question startled the priestess, tearing her gaze back to him. Hilde swallowed and let out another nervous laugh. "Oh my, was I that obvious? I suppose there's no hiding things from you, good hunter." She took a breath to steady herself and reached for the golden crescent dangling from her neck, gripping the sacred ornament for strength. "It's not that I don't trust you, Vynx. The truth is… there is a small issue I have," Hilde began. 

"Small issue?" Vynx blinked for a moment, trying to put the pieces together. He listened intently; she clearly had much more to do with the ghost than she was letting on—but there were a multitude of reasons as to why that could be. Could she have killed someone? Did she disturb a grave by accident? Did an old foe place a curse on her without realizing it? He had to know more so he could do the job correctly.

"My Sisters... they aren't wrong about seeing things. It's just that... what they're seeing isn't truly a danger to them. We have other things to worry about—though it may be better for me to just leave before tonight!" she blurted out.

"Wait, how would you know it isn’t a danger to them? I thought you said that most people here haven’t seen it much outside of a report or two?" The hunter asked the obvious question. "Better for you to leave?" he cut in, confused but curious to learn more. "I’m sorry, but could you be more honest with me? My hearing ain’t so great for people who try to give me the run-around. Terrible habit, I’m afraid." The hunter stood back up, leaning against the door to keep her from running out and making a scene. "You know something, and I intend to find out what—now that I know it has to do with my employment. Apologies."

She could feel his questioning gaze on her and almost regretted spilling what she did. Yet at this point, she had been holding the secret in for too long, and he was her only hope of setting things right without being driven out of the church. "Very well. I'll be frank with you. But please, give me a chance to explain and hear me out entirely," Hilde breathed out.

"By all means, I wish to hear the truth behind this matter." While it was true Vynx was failing upwards, again, there was a part of him that wanted to understand and work with what was going on before going for his sword. 

"The ghost isn't exactly a ghost. It's more of... an ability of mine," she admitted.

He regarded her closely, at first a little standoffish, then slowly relaxing himself once he realized, "Oh, so that’s your ghost in the hallway then."

Staring up at the hunter, her crimson eyes began to glow faintly. As they did, an oppressive aura surrounded the seemingly innocuous cleric. It felt almost as if there was another presence in the room watching them, its aura practically reeking with the scent of death. A large shadow began to manifest behind her, but Hilde quickly shut her eyes, dissipating the unsettling darkness before it could take form. "Not very holy for a cleric, hm?" she chuckled weakly.