The village church stood at the back of the village, its modest exterior blending seamlessly with the surrounding buildings. Daemon approached it cautiously, taking note of the villagers' activities. They seemed genuinely engaged in their preparations for the Spiritual Ceremonies, with no signs of suspicion or evil.
Daemon slipped into the church, his senses on high alert. The interior was dimly lit by candles, and the air was thick with the scent of incense. He observed the villagers placing offerings on an altar, their faces serene and focused, he moved deeper into the church, searching for any hidden rooms or signs of the kidnapped victims.
'This place doesn't really seem like somewhere you can hide captives. It would have been found by others,' Daemon thought.
Inside rows of pews led to an altar, and behind it, a trapdoor partially concealed by a rug. Daemon moved silently towards it, lifting the rug and opening the trapdoor. Stale air wafted up from below, along with faint sounds of movement.
'What's down here? Is there a secret to the church?' Daemon wondered.
Descending the staircase, Daemon felt the air grow colder and heavier. At the bottom, he found a hidden chamber similar to the one at the cartel base. Cells lined the walls, each holding frightened villagers. Their eyes widened in fear and hope as they saw him. Some were chained to the walls, their bodies bearing the marks of torture and abuse, others lay on the cold stone floor, their eyes vacant and hollow their spirits broken.
How long have the villagers been held captive in the hidden chamber and how have they been sustained?
The stench of decay hung heavy in the air, mixing with the metallic tang of blood, flies buzzed lazily around the room, drawn to the putrid scent of death. The walls were adorned with crude symbols and sigils, painted in blood and filth.
Daemon's heart sank as he took in the full horror of what lay before him. These were not just victims of Kellan's twisted rituals, they were prisoners held captive under a church their lives a never-ending nightmare of pain and suffering.
Daemon's chest tightened with rage and sorrow.
"Elder Kellan is supposed to protect the village, so why is he doing this?" Daemon said aloud.
Daemon started opening the cell gates. The victims were fearful of him because of his appearance, but when he placed the baskets of food and fruits he got from the village and left, they all started crying and sharing the food, even hugging each other, some of them didn't know each other, but in their shared relief they embraced each other.
The reason he gave them the basket of food and fruits was because there were children among the villagers, as he moved deeper into the chamber, Daemon heard the faint sounds of whimpering and moaning.
He followed the sound to a corner of the room, where he found a group of children huddled together, their faces stained with tears and dirt. Their eyes were wide with terror as they looked up at him, their small bodies trembling with fear.
Although Daemon had vowed to kill both good and bad people to get his revenge, children were not among his targets.
Walking outside Daemon had to take a deep breath he felt conflicted, He saw a reflection of himself in the kidnapped victims—both used and broken. Yet, he didn't want to become the kind of person who inflicted pain indiscriminately, he wanted revenge, but he didn't want to lose his humanity in the process.
'Am I becoming the very thing I despise?' Daemon thought. The idea unsettled him deeply. He couldn't let vengeance blind him to the humanity of others. However, he also believed that sometimes, ruthless actions were necessary to do what he needs done.
As he pondered this, Daemon noticed the old man who had warned him before about the Iron Cartel, the old man was leading a large group of villagers. Daemon's curiosity was piqued.
'Where is he going with them?' Daemon wondered.
He decided to follow Elder Kellan to uncover what he was planning with the villagers. The cartel operative's words had made him suspicious of Kellan, thinking he might be kidnapping villagers in secret.
After following them for a while, Daemon saw them stop in front of a seven-foot-tall, ugly, black altar, He was confused about its purpose and why they had stopped there, his questions were soon answered when he saw the villagers kneeling in front of the altar, praying and placing leaves and baskets on it. Some even tried to clean the dirty spots on the altar, he overheard their prayers.
"So, that's the Guardian Syla altar," Daemon muttered. "How can a protector god endorse such evil?"
After the villagers finished praying, Elder Kellan brought out a bowl of blood and began marking the villagers' foreheads with it.
'Is that real blood? How did he get it? What's the purpose of those markings?' Daemon thought.
After a few minutes, the villagers followed Elder Kellan again, not back to the village this time moving behind the altar. Daemon quickly moved forward to catch up, but when he looked around the altar, they were gone.
"What the hell, they're gone," Daemon said in frustration. "This Elder Kellan keeps disappearing," he muttered.
Before searching further, Daemon decided to take a proper look at the altar. As he approached it, he felt a evil presence emanating from it, growing stronger with each passing moment.
Unsure of what he was dealing with, Daemon decided to ask the system. "System, what is this altar?" he asked.
-Just like your pacts with gods and demons taking an interest in your life, others can make similar agreements in this world. Some seek the powers of demons and must undergo trials and sacrifices to prove their worthiness and dedication. Once the trials are completed, the individual enters into a binding pact with a demon, exchanging their soul or allegiance for supernatural abilities and powers. This pact is sealed through a ritualistic ceremony, typically conducted under the guidance of a powerful demon or dark sorcerer.-
"So, that's what's really happening," Daemon said aloud. "The villagers are used for sacrifices, and in return, the demon or Kellan protects the village."
Daemon decided he needed to find out where Kellan had taken the villagers and what would happen to them, he searched behind the altar and, after a few minutes, discovered a hidden staircase covered by bushes, leaves, and branches, stale air wafted up from the old steps.
'This must be where they went,' Daemon thought.
Descending the staircase cautiously, Daemon felt the air grow colder and more oppressive. The passage led deep underground, and he knew he had to be on high alert, at the bottom he found himself in a dimly lit tunnel lined with torches, the flickering light cast eerie shadows on the walls, and the oppressive silence was occasionally broken by distant echoes.
Following the tunnel, Daemon soon reached a large underground chamber. He paused at the entrance, taking in the scene before him, the chamber was filled with more villagers that before, their faces illuminated by the torchlight. At the far end, on a raised platform, stood Elder Kellan speaking to the crowd.
"This ritual is necessary for our protection and prosperity," Kellan's voice echoed in the chamber. "We must honor Guardian Syla and ensure the balance is maintained."
The villagers, a mix of reverence and fear on their faces, nodded in agreement. Daemon' quickly realized Kellan was using their fear to manipulate them.
As Kellan continued his speech, Daemon moved through the shadows, staying out of sight. He needed to gather more information and find a way to disrupt whatever plan Kellan had. Approaching a group of villagers who seemed less enraptured by Kellan's words, he whispered to one of them.
"Do you truly believe in what he's saying?" Daemon asked his voice low.
The villager a middle-aged woman looked at him with wary eyes. "What choice do we have? He says it's for our protection. We've seen what happens when we don't comply."
"What happens?" Daemon pressed.
"Villagers disappear. Crops fail. Bad things happen," she replied, her voice trembling. "We don't want to anger the spirits."
Daemon's mind raced, Kellan was using fear and superstition to keep the villagers in line. He needed to expose Kellan's deceit and break his hold over them.
What is the extent of Kellan's influence and power within the village and who, if anyone, opposes him?
Just then, a loud chant began, and the villagers turned towards the platform, where Kellan had produced another bowl of blood. Daemon watched as he dipped his fingers into the bowl and began marking the villagers' foreheads, one by one.