Seia’s confusion didn’t last long. As she weighed her response to the Bishop standing before her, a flurry of images flashed across her mind’s eye, laying bare his current intentions and state of mind.

To be honest... it wasn’t a great feeling.

While being a clairvoyant certainly offered a unique perspective on life, this business of seeing everything before it actually happened robbed her of so much... well, genuine emotion.

The magic of a "first encounter" was as true for life as it was for a good book; having the ending spoiled and shoved in your face just ruined the experience.

No wonder Gilgamesh—and the original Seia, for that matter—found the gift of prophecy such a headache.

She waited in silence for the Bishop to finish his prayers. Glancing out at the sky, which was only just beginning to gray with the dawn, Seia finally spoke. "Are my identification papers ready?"

"We have remained in a state of constant preparation for your advent," the Bishop replied, his voice thick with devotion. "It is a profound honor that you chose to descend in Ireland this time."

Seia didn’t look surprised by his use of the phrase "this time."

She had already seen it. Though she had only just arrived in this world, her future self would eventually appear in the past to perform exorcisms.

From an outsider’s perspective, this was actually her third visitation.

The only reason the Bishop had looked surprised by her ears was because her current self—prompted by his very reaction—would later choose to hide those unique features from the public eye.

Suddenly, a plump little bird with snow-white feathers, a tan backside, and a black-streaked tail and wings flitted through the main doors. It scanned the chapel with a strangely human intensity before locking onto the blonde girl. With a cheerful chirp, it flew straight toward her.

To a normal human, its song was unintelligible, but to Seia, the meaning was clear.

"I’m glad to meet you, too," Seia said, extending her right hand.

Even though her arm and fingers were mostly swallowed by the billowing, airy folds of her poet sleeves, the little white bird landed on her index finger with pinpoint precision.

A Long-tailed Tit. Back in the game, these things always treated Seia like a glorified bird perch; she hadn’t expected them to flock to her here, too.

Seia couldn’t resist reaching out with her other hand to give its head a little scratch through her sleeve.

Watching it tilt its head back and forth, she felt so overwhelmed by the cuteness she could have ascended to heaven right then and there. How can a round little ball of fluff be this adorable?

The Bishop watched the harmonious scene, careful not to breathe a word.

In Christian tradition, the most sacred bird was the dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit—especially regarding its descent.

Just as the New Testament describes the Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove, the image was often linked to the revelations of the Archangel Gabriel. Even if Gabriel wasn’t directly tied to the bird in scripture, popular lore had practically made them a package deal.

But... did that even matter?

The living Proxy of Gabriel was standing right in front of him. Could mere legends really hold more authority than the Proxy herself?

The Bishop was already considering whether he should suggest amending the local doctrine to associate Gabriel with the Long-tailed Tit instead.

After playing with the bird for a moment, Seia felt her mood lift. She turned her gaze back to the Bishop. "Book me a flight. I need to get to Romania."

The Bishop immediately grasped the purpose of her visitation. His eyes welled up with tears again, and he nearly lapsed into another round of prayer.

"Praise be to the Lord for His protection!"

In this era, the Church’s influence wasn’t what it used to be. The rise of "freelance" exorcists—amateurs who picked up the trade halfway through life—had only soured the already tense relationship between the Church and the State.

Still, pulling a few strings for a fake ID and a plane ticket was well within their power.

Before long, a middle-aged man in priest’s attire was brought before Seia.

By now, Seia had tucked away her conspicuous animal ears and halo. To anyone else, she looked like nothing more than a young girl, perhaps not even fifteen years old.

Even as a man of the cloth, the priest could only sense a vague, "different" quality about her—an anomaly that felt inexplicably holy.

Because of that, despite her youthful appearance, the priest treated her with the utmost reverence.

"The Vatican has dispatched a priest and a nun for this matter," the Bishop noted, a brief flicker of unease crossing his face at the mention of the Vatican before he smoothed it over.

"If they prove to be an unnecessary distraction to your jud—to your exorcism..."

It was a common friction. Though they were all part of the Church, the Vatican represented Catholicism while Dublin held to its own traditions.

In a world where God, angels, and demons were very real, the divide wasn’t wide, and their doctrinal differences were mostly trivial. At the end of the day, they were on the same team.

"It’s fine," Seia said with a small smile, clearly unbothered. "Just get me there."

"As you wish." The Bishop felt a twinge of regret and disappointment, but he quickly pushed it aside. Despite their differences in thought, they were all believers basking in the Lord’s light. He couldn’t afford to be petty.

The accompanying priest listened to the exchange with a heavy heart. He knew the girl was extraordinary, and he knew the Bishop wasn’t the type to send a child to her death, but still... was this really okay?

In the end, his worries remained unspoken. Throughout the six-hour journey to Romania, when he wasn’t checking on Seia’s comfort, he was huddled in frantic prayer. By the time they touched down, his face was a mask of contrition.

At the airport, Father Burke and Sister Irene, the novitiate, were already waiting. When they saw a figure matching the description, they immediately moved toward her.

There was no mistaking her; Seia’s appearance and attire were impossible to miss.

Her champagne-blonde hair was straight and reached well past her waist, shimmering like silk and catching the light in warm, golden hues. It was so long it nearly touched her calves, tied off at the end with a white ribbon.

(A/N: The lore might have confirmed it’s a tail, but for my own tastes, I’m sticking with it being hair.)

Her outfit was even more striking: a white capelet, a deep blue square-ended tie, and a sleeveless layered dress that showed just a hint of her arms, complemented by those long poet sleeves. Dressed entirely in white and gold, she stood out in the crowd like a beacon. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

As they got closer and saw her striking eyes—pink on top and green on the bottom—their ninety percent certainty turned into a full hundred.

"She’s really just a little girl..." Irene whispered, her face a mix of pity and disbelief.

Father Burke’s expression soured.

It wasn’t just that the Dublin branch had sent a minor; it was the implication. If they were forced to send a child to handle this, it meant the investigation had escalated to an unimaginable level of danger.

He turned his gaze toward the priest escorting Seia. "This incident... just how much do you people actually know?"

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T/N: The horror story that the author is using the The Nun(2018)

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T/N: I have a Patreon!

It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!

[email protected]/AspenTL

If you guys wanna check it out.