Sineater

Prologue

Every life is a riddle. The answer to mine is a knowledge born of darkness. It wasn't always this way. In the beginning, I still had questions. In the beginning, my mystery still remained.

-Kim Seokjin

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The Head Priest rode his bicycle home from the Church everyday. Today was no different. He was pedaling through the village on the outskirts of Rome, waving or nodding to the townspeople in acknowledgement and greeting. Once he hit the hill that led to his home, he did what he always did and held his legs out slightly, allowing the slope of the hill to aid in his speed. He loved the hill, the wind blowing through his wild, unruly locks, the feel of it against his skin. It felt like flying when he allowed the terrain to benefit him this way.

Once he caught sight of his large, silo-shaped home housing several small apartments, he slowed to a crawl before stopping altogether. He got off the bicycle and walked it under the arched window, leaning it against the wood of the house.

He went inside, straight to his tiny apartment, straight past the small children playing with a ball, and began opening the package he carried. A noise captured his attention and he looked around, seeing nothing but dust and the clutter of a devout man.

He removed the small, journal-sized book from the parchment it had been wrapped in for decades and placed it on the desk in front of him. Locating his magnification glasses he placed them in his nose and began looked over the outside cover of the book.

It didn't look like much; a small, leather bound tome with a thin, wraparound strip of the same material. There were engravings in what looked to be ancient Latin and several other archaic languages on the cover and a small initial in the bottom right-hand corner.

He wasn't sure what he had in his possession, but he was absolutely sure it was of great value and importance. It seemed to speak to him at a soul deep level.

He slowly began unwinding the leather strip from around the book when he heard another noise. This time it was less mischievous and more agitated. It sounded somewhere between a hiss and a snarl, and it was a little unnerving.

The priest, clutching the book tightly to his chest, swiveled in his steps, eyes darting around the room, studying every shadow, every nook, every cranny.

Finally he heard slight shuffling from the loft above his living space and the priest looked up. There was a man standing at the edge. No, he corrected himself, man was the wrong word. It was some type of being, something ethereal; terrifying and beautiful all at the same time.

The creature, bringing the object in his hand up to his mouth, blew on it. It was a one of those weeds that bloomed wild and free in the springtime, the ones that parents told their children that, if they blew them, the seeds would carry their wishes to the fairies. The priest watched as the creature blew on that beautiful weed and the seeds spread down from the loft and surrounded him in a shower of bright sparks. He was mesmerized.

"Brother Kim," the creature spoke, his voice rich and deep, a timber that sang of infinite wisdom and grief. "You are the head priest of the Bangtan Order of the Catholic Church. In charge of the arcane and preternatural side of religion. You perform exorcisms and banishment, bindings and everything between." He descended the stairs that led to the priest's living area from the loft bedroom as he spoke. "You believe in everything. Angels, demons, sinners, saints." The creature paused as he reached the last step. "And me." He smiled slightly then, taking that last step into the room and walking toward the priest, that same small smile in place, coming to a full stop a mere hairbreadth away from the priest.

"I believe in many things," the priest responded, softly. Still sort of mesmerized by this being, but not so much that he couldn't think around it. He wondered what it was the creature wanted from him.

"So do I," the creature agreed, looking at his feet before turning and walking away, going to the window. "And right now, I believe it's time." He smiled and, pulling the long, heavy and thick drapes closed, leaving the single small oil lantern burning, turned back to the priest. "Are you ready to make your confession?"

The priest didn't know what to make of this. He felt as if he'd been placed under a spell. Something he still could think for himself through, but felt compelled to show nothing but obedience. He suddenly felt very sad, very old, very tired. His eyelids felt heavy and his bones started to ache. And when he spoke, he did it very slowly and haltingly, as if he hurt to move his mouth. "Forgive me, Seokjin, for I have I sinned against you."

The creature stepped directly in front of the priest.

Bright light suddenly spilled from the locked apartment door, out into the hallway where the little boy was playing with his sister. They both looked at the door, terrified, afraid to move, afraid to help. They kept their heads down, holding their ears against the terrible, soul-piercing screaming coming from within the confines and curled up in a ball together, crying. The door rattled against its hinges as the screaming continued and the boy looked up at the door, the light coming from within so bright that it blinded him.