Simone knelt in prayer, her lips moving silently as she clutched her rosary, the heavy air of the Vatican cloister weighing down on her shoulders. Around her, the other trainees did the same—heads bowed, hands clasped, and eyes squeezed shut in concentration. The ancient stone walls of the training hall bore witness to centuries of such prayers, and the faint smell of incense lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of burning candles.

She had been training as an exorcist for nearly a year now, alongside others like her, under the watchful eyes of the Vatican's highest officials. Every day was the same—mornings spent in scripture study, afternoons filled with rigorous prayers, and evenings dedicated to practicing the rites of exorcism. The work was grueling, but necessary. Or so they had been told.

At first, Simone hadn't questioned it. She was raised devout, believing in the power of God's will, and she had always felt a strange calling toward the darkness that plagued the world. The idea of battling demons, of purging evil from the innocent, filled her with a deep sense of purpose. But as time went on, she began to notice strange things—whispers among the instructors, furtive glances between priests, and the growing urgency behind the Vatican's demand for more exorcists.

It wasn't until she overheard a conversation between two senior bishops late one night that the truth began to unravel.

Hidden in the shadows of the library, Simone heard them discussing something ancient—a ritual performed by the Pope and several high-ranking cardinals decades ago. It had been intended to mimic the ascension of Elijah from the Bible, to open the gates of Heaven and allow humanity to ascend in physical form. But something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong.

Instead of opening Heaven's gates, they had opened a rift into Hell itself, unleashing a darkness upon the world that no one had anticipated. Kings of Hell, long trapped in the underworld, had broken free, bringing with them legions of demons. And now, the Vatican was scrambling to cover their mistake. That was why they needed more exorcists. Not for routine possessions or minor disturbances, but to combat the forces of Hell itself.

Simone's blood had run cold when she heard this revelation, but she kept it to herself. She wasn't ready to confront the full weight of what she had learned. Not yet.

Two weeks later, she found herself standing beside Reverend John, a seasoned exorcist who had taken her under his wing. They were sent to a remote village in the Italian countryside, where a young woman had been possessed by a powerful demon. The Vatican had warned that the case was severe, but what they hadn't told them was the true identity of the demon.

It was one of the Kings of Hell.

The village was eerily quiet as they arrived at the house, a crumbling old structure at the edge of a desolate field. The air was thick with tension, and Simone could feel the oppressive weight of something unnatural looming over the place. Reverend John led the way, his expression grim but focused. Simone clutched her Bible tightly, her heart racing.

Inside, the woman was bound to a chair, her body contorted in impossible angles. Her eyes were black pits, and her skin, once pale, now seemed to crawl with something dark and alive beneath the surface. The room was cold, unnaturally so, and the faint scent of sulfur lingered in the air.

Reverend John immediately began the rite, his voice steady as he recited the prayers of exorcism. Simone stood beside him, murmuring her own prayers, but something felt wrong. The demon didn't scream or writhe in pain like the others she had seen. Instead, it laughed—a low, seductive chuckle that echoed through the room.

"You think you can cast me out with your pitiful words?" the demon purred, its voice unnervingly smooth, almost… alluring.

Simone's stomach turned as the demon's eyes shifted to her, locking onto her with an intensity that made her blood run cold.

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"Ah, Simone, isn't it? So young, so full of faith. But do you know why I'm here?" the demon asked, its voice dripping with malice.

Simone's throat tightened. Reverend John didn't pause in his prayer, but Simone could feel the shift in the air—the demon's attention was focused solely on her now.

"I was sent by your precious Vatican," it continued, grinning with a mouth full of sharp teeth. "They called me forth, and now they send their little exorcists to clean up their mess. How ironic."

Simone felt her heart pound in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm, reciting the verses she had memorized.

"But I don't want to play their game," the demon whispered, leaning closer, its voice like silk. "No, I want to play with you."

Simone's breath hitched in her throat. She felt an unnatural warmth begin to creep up her body, starting at her toes and rising quickly, spreading like wildfire beneath her skin. She tried to steady herself, gripping her rosary tighter and reciting the verses she had memorized. But the words felt weak, distant, as if they were slipping away from her mind.

The demon's laugh grew deeper, its eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her blood pound in her ears. Reverend John continued the prayer, but Simone could see the way his hands began to tremble.

"Poor John, so righteous, so devout. But your prayers can't stop me. I know what you desire." The demon's voice dropped to a whisper, but the effect was immediate—Simone felt it deep in her core, an unnatural stirring of heat and need she had never known before.

"No…" Simone whispered, shaking her head, but the warmth was spreading too fast, consuming her thoughts. Her heart raced, and she could feel the insidious, undeniable pull of the demon's influence taking hold.

The demon's smile twisted into something darker, hungrier. "I know what you both desire."

Reverend John's prayer faltered, his voice cracking as the demon's power snaked its way into his mind. Simone could see it in him—his face flushed, his breath coming faster. The demon was using something more powerful than fear or violence. It was using desire—primal, unrelenting.

"It's a shame, really," the demon purred, its voice dripping with sweet venom. "You've spent your lives denying yourselves. So much pleasure wasted. So much passion… repressed."

Simone felt her pulse quicken as the demon's words wove around her, twisting her thoughts. Her skin burned, her mind clouded with images of things she had never allowed herself to think of. Forbidden things. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out, but the more she resisted, the more powerful the sensation became.

Reverend John was sweating now, his face contorted in a mixture of pain and… something else. He clutched his crucifix, but the grip was weak. His eyes flicked to Simone, and she saw in them the same struggle she was feeling—the battle between faith and flesh.

"I can feel it," the demon whispered, its voice wrapping around them like silk. "The heat of your desires… you want to give in, don't you? You've wanted to for so long."

Simone's breaths came faster, ragged, as the warmth pooled in her stomach, sending shivers through her body. It was more than just temptation. It was a raw, physical need that she couldn't fight. Her mind screamed for her to resist, but her body—her body was betraying her.

Reverend John fell to his knees, the weight of the demon's influence crushing him. His hands reached out, trembling, towards Simone. She backed away, but the force was too strong. She could feel the pull, the insatiable hunger that had been buried deep within her for years—released now, exposed by the demon's power.

"Yes, Simone," the demon whispered, its eyes gleaming with triumph. "You want this. Let me show you the truth. Let me show you what it feels like to finally give in."

Simone's legs buckled, and she collapsed beside Reverend John, her mind lost in a fog of desire and shame. She had been trained to resist the devil's temptations, but this… this was something else entirely. It was too powerful, too overwhelming. The line between pleasure and sin blurred, and she was drowning in it.

The demon leaned closer, its breath hot against her ear. "The Vatican has kept you in chains, but I can set you free."

Simone felt her will crumble. She was powerless, consumed by the heat of her own desires. The demon had won.

With a final, mocking laugh, the demon surged forward, its influence overwhelming. Reverend John collapsed to the floor, his mind broken, and Simone felt the last of her resistance slip away.

In that moment, she understood the true nature of the Vatican's sin. They had opened the gates of Hell, and now the world would burn for it.

And as the darkness consumed her, she realized that there was no escape from the demon's grasp.

No escape from the Vatican's betrayal.