"May the Lord be with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you."

They had only just stepped into the inner courtyard of the abbey when the distant, rhythmic hum of prayer drifted toward them from the interior.

The words were deeply familiar to Irene. It was the Hail Mary—a prayer she had recited countless times during her own days at the convent.

Noticing her lingering gaze, the nun leading them whispered an explanation. "That is the chapel. In this abbey, the chapel is never left empty. The sisters take turns praying there in shifts, even through the darkest hours of the night."

"Even at night?" Irene's eyes widened slightly.

Though they had ventured into the inner courtyard the previous night to rescue Seia, they hadn't stepped foot inside the chapel. Night was traditionally the time of Grand Silence; to continue vocal prayer during those hours was anything but normal.

Recalling the Priest's suspicions about this place, Irene felt a desperate urge to dig deeper.

"Excuse me, but what exactly is happening here? We came because of a report... a sister supposedly took her own life here, and..."

"You may call me Oana," the nun leading them interrupted softly.

"Alright, Sister Oana. Can you tell me what's been going on?"

"Of course, but we should find a more private place to speak." Oana didn't seem intent on hiding the truth, but a drafty corridor was hardly the place for such a conversation.

"Right... oh, and I'm Irene."

Realizing she hadn't introduced herself, Irene hurried to catch up, then glanced over at Seia.

"Hello, 'Sister.'"

Seia offered Sister Oana a small, knowing smile. "I am Seia. My apologies for nearly disrupting the abbey's prayers last night."

"So, it was you who went to the chapel last night," Oana said, her face flickering with genuine surprise. "Sister Meilan mentioned she felt someone standing behind her while she prayed, though she never saw who it was."

"I was attacked," Seia said flatly. "It was likely the work of a demon."

"I... I see..." Oana replied, her voice trailing off into a complicated silence.

Irene frowned. So the sisters were aware of the rot festering within these walls. But if they knew, why hadn't they reported it?

And another thing... why did Oana only mention one nun? According to Seia, there should have been another sister who led her the night before. Was it just as they feared?

The three of them soon reached a small parlor. Once they were all seated, Sister Oana finally spoke.

"Sister Victoria's death was a terrible tragedy for this abbey, yet we can still feel her presence. She was the most devout among us..."

The words had barely left her lips when the heavy parlor door swung open with a sudden thud.

Another nun stood in the doorway. Her expression was severe, a mask of cold neutrality that nevertheless radiated an oppressive weight. Without a word, she stepped aside but remained by the entrance, her silent presence making it clear she intended to monitor the conversation.

"Apologies, we value our privacy here," Oana explained after a tense moment. "The other sisters would prefer that we didn't speak with you at all."

The strangeness of the place was beginning to crawl under Irene's skin. Knowing nothing, she could only press on. "We're grateful you're willing to talk to us, Sister Oana. Could you tell us about the history of this abbey?"

"Certainly."

Sister Oana nodded and began to weave the tale of the ancient stone structure.

The abbey had once been a castle, built by a Duke during the Dark Ages—a time when the Church and the demonic were not the fading shadows they were today, but the forces that ruled the world.

Back then, the Church held the power to topple kings, while demons found no shortage of souls willing to trade flesh and spirit for power.

This Duke had authored countless texts on sorcery and forbidden rituals, obsessed with summoning the powers of Hell.

He succeeded. Hell used him to tear open a gateway, allowing a demon to bleed into the mortal realm. Had the breach remained open, the world would have become a playground for the damned.

But the Church had been watching. The moment the gate cracked open, they stormed the castle. They seized the Duke and used the blood of Jesus Christ to seal the portal shut.

The Church then claimed the castle, and from that moment on, the perpetual prayers of the sisters began.

That is, until the fires of war struck the abbey. The once-perfect seal had been cracked by the shelling, and the demon had found a way to begin unravelling the lock.

As the story concluded, Irene felt a cold chill run down her spine.

A gateway to Hell, right beneath their feet? God help them. If this wasn't handled properly, the entire world would be cast into ruin. And the weight of it all rested on just the three of them?

The trial felt impossibly heavy, but she knew she couldn't turn away.

While Irene was busy gathering her courage, Seia spoke up. "Yesterday, a sister guided me. She led me to a very dangerous place."

"You saw her too?" Oana's face paled. "I see her walking the corridors every night. I'm not the only one; the others see her too."

"She only wears the skin of a nun! In truth, she is a being of pure malice. To deceive us, to prey on our weaknesses, she will take any shape she desires!"

"Sister Oana. And... our two guests."

Just as Oana's voice began to rise with emotion, a cold, stern voice cut through the air.

The nun who had been standing guard at the door had moved in without them noticing. "Sister Ruth's prayer shift is not yet over. You should go and relieve her."

"Yes, Sister..." Oana muttered, pulling herself together with a sharp nod.

The stern nun then turned her gaze toward Seia and Irene. Her eyes were a storm of conflicting emotions. She felt a profound debt to Seia—the girl who had used a holy relic to liberate their minds and dull the agony of the evil forces tormenting them.

But having the three of them stay in the abbey was the very thing they feared most.

A demon required a vessel to fully break the seal and escape. Though the sisters had regained their senses, the dark shackles placed upon them by the demon prevented them from warning their guests.

Masking her inner turmoil with an icy, impersonal stare, she looked at Irene. "You have not yet taken your vows."

The question felt strangely out of place, catching Irene off guard.

"No, actually..."

"Then this is no place for you. Leave this abbey. Take the girl and go, immediately."

"Wait! I intend to take my formal vows today," Irene blurted out. She couldn't afford to be kicked out just as they were making progress. "If it's convenient, could you help me prepare?"

The nun's cold mask faltered for a fraction of a second. She turned away. "...We will have things ready by dusk."

"Thank you so much!" Irene exhaled, relieved that she had secured their stay.

But as the nun walked away, her back turned to them, a single, silent tear fell from her eye.

--+--

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.