The pair arrived in a rural town, just outside of the city. Nothing was in sight, but an old abandoned farm with no one in sight.

“Are you sure this is the place?” Amy searched the area.

“The library said this was a place full of black masses.” Kearney replied.

The empty lot showed no signs of movement from the days before, so it began to look more abandoned by the second. The pair crossed past the field and noticed the lock of the farm was still intact. The clean silver finish gave them an uneasy feeling.

“Who’s been here?” Amy studied the lock.

“It looks new,” Kearney added, “Whoever was here, it was recent.”

Amy drew her gun waited to shoot open the lock.

“Wait!” Kearney pulled out some pins from his bag, “I got this covered.”

“I thought you were just a medic.” Amy smirked.

“I’ve had free time.” Kearney picked away at the lock until the last tumbler popped open, allowing the lock to unlatch free.

Amy stepped in first with her gun drawn, ready for anyone. Kearney followed with his gun as well. They were focused and neither of them showed a signal of fear. Whether they felt it was really empty or they were expecting something to happen may have been a factor to their attitudes.

For a moment, they felt like fools with nothing happening around them. The history of black masses may have proved to be just an urban myth that made it into the history books.

“Do you hear anything?” Kearney whispered to his partner.

“This was just a wild—” Her words cut short by a loud whispering wind entering the farm. The door violently sealed shut along with a loud slam. The event seemed more of coincidence as nothing appeared afterwards. The duo expected creatures or hellfire to appear, not a surprise scare.

“Let’s just get out of here.” Kearney suggested with a voice of disappointment.

“That may just be the only option here, Nielsen.” Amy sighed.

Amy reached for the door of the farm, but it never inched. She applied more force that seemed more of a workout than an answer for the sealed door.

“What’s wrong?” Kearney stared at her with confusion.

“This damn door won’t open!” She said frustratingly.

Amy and Kearney tried opening it together, but to no avail. The door was fastened on the other side with something that was strong enough to hold its own against two trained Exorcists. Kearney leaned on the door in exhaustion while Amy sat on the floor trying to get a new plan.

“Have you seen any ladders?” Amy asked.

“Oh, here,” Kearney said, “In this empty farmhouse. No, I didn’t see a ladder.”

“A simple no would’ve sufficed.”

“I don’t care anymore.”

“You’re being a baby.”

“A baby wouldn’t—”, Kearney noticed Amy’s face change expression as she stares whatever is behind him, “What are you looking at?”

“Just walk toward me and do NOT look behind you.” Amy signaled her partner toward her.

Kearney’s curiosity was piqued and he slowly stepped toward her. On the last step, he turned around quickly and what he saw questioned his eyesight.

“Is that…Is that a giant eyeball sticking out of the door?!” Kearney turned to Amy, not sure what he was looking at. He thought being stuck in the farmhouse for a long time was affecting his mind.

“Hello Exorcists,” A disembodied voice spoke to them in a menacing, booming voice echoing through the barn, “I’ve been watching you for a while already.”

“Is that him?” Kearney whispered to Amy.

“It has to be,” Amy responded, “He’s the only source of dark energy in this area.”

“Ah yes,” The voice laughed, “The Royal Cross’ cannon fodder has come to put an end to the evil plaguing this city.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Cannon fodder?” Kearney’s voice trembled lightly to the voice’s words.

“What do you know about the evil that’s invading the city?” Amy peered at the large eyeball.

“Other than the source,” The voice sounded more arrogant, “Not much.”

“Stop playing with me, Hell Walker!” Amy aimed her gun at the eyeball, hoping to scare the voice into giving up more information, “You know how to stop it and the Elders called me to bring you in.”

“Here I was thinking that this was a playdate,” The farmhouse started to grow colder as the ground cracked open into little chasms, “The party was just about to start.”

“Do you hear that?!” Kearney frantically aimed his gun at the holes. The noise of loud guttural, chattering grew louder as it reached closer to the surface, “I thought this was an extraction mission!”

“We have no choice, Kearney,” Amy backed up close to her partner, ready for whatever was coming, “This is survival.”

“I hope to see your pretty face in hell.” The menacing voice laughed as hundreds of demons exited the burrows with their chattering growls.

“It’ll be the last one you’ll see,” Amy shot down a couple demons, “Yamada.”

The eyeball closed by left a burned mark on the door as a seal for an easy execution for the pair.

“Did the Elders tell us that Kayden was a more kill first, ask questions later kind of guy?” Kearney shot down a couple more demons.

They were getting outnumbered by the second as the demons kept crawling out of the ground in almost unlimited amounts. As if they were the heads of a hydra, Amy was ready to accept her fate and the mission failure.

“We’re going to run out of ammo soon.” Amy sighed.

“There’s got to be another exit in here.” Kearney tried to reassure her, but his voice kept getting cut off with their guns firing into the hellions’ flesh.

“Even if there is one,” Amy said, “That bastard must’ve already sealed it.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Kearney kept on shooting into the horde while Amy ducked under a table to look for a trump card in his bag.

“I guess this can wipe out a good amount of them with us.” Amy pulled out a grenade.

“Are you sure about this?” Kearney continued shooting.

“What other choice do we have?” Amy said, “Not like a miracle will come down any second.”

The moment was official for Amy. She was prepared to give up on her faith and everything she was taught in the Royal Cross academy. Her shining moment felt it was slowly crashing down like a meteor heading to earth. Kearney grabbed onto Amy’s hand for a last moment of comfort and gave her a nod in agreement.

Her thumb slowly reached the pin to cook the grenade. The mass of demons didn’t care for anything except for the mutilation of the Exorcists and were going to achieve it by any means. One of the creatures managed to climb over the obstacles and found them under the table where they were hiding.

“Damn it, hurry Amy!” Kearney exclaimed.

The demon ferociously lunged toward them ready to finish them off before she even got the grenade ready.

Boom!

A loud explosion sounded above them and a loud thud landed on the same table they were finding shelter in.

After that, a sound of flesh ripping oozed into the ears of Amy and Kearney. Suddenly, they were greeted with the lifeless eyes of a dismembered demon head. Amy’s thumb retreated away from the pin.

“I guess I’m a bit tardy to the party.” A voice unknown to them emerged with a sound of confidence and even a bit reassuring.

“Who is that?” Kearney whispered.

“Our miracle.” Amy smirked.