"There are only seven people residing on the 8th floor," Sycamore briefed them. "There are five separate apartments. One unit houses a couple, and another accommodates a mother and her child. The remaining units are occupied by individuals."
"The report came from the owner downstairs. When he spotted a man with vacant eyes, he hurried to alert the others. Upon reaching the floor, he found everyone there displaying the same empty-eyed stare. We're uncertain how many people on that floor might be affected, so stay vigilant and be ready to assist anyone who needs immediate help."
"Yes, sir!"
The responders and detectives dispersed, donning their protective gear as they swiftly ascended the stairs.
"The priests will arrive shortly," Sycamore announced over the radio.
A few moments later, the sound of a car pulling up was heard, and Sycamore turned to see Malachim stepping out of their vehicle. Dressed uniformly in black attire, they appeared prepared to shift into their white forms at a moment's notice.
Sycamore nodded in acknowledgment as Malachim approached.
"Why are you all dressed up for a funeral?" Sycamore greeted.
"We're priests," Quill replied.
"Can priests dye their hair like that?"
"Priests who can do whatever they want."
"Well, get to work, priest who can do whatever he wants." Sycamore grew more serious. "We're dealing with a lot again this time."
────────
"Mommy!"
The child ran after her mother and hugged her from the knees. She carried grocery bags in her hands and dropped them on the floor.
"Mommy, Mr King turned into a monster!" she said with a pout, but the woman did not answer.
She walked over to her room slowly, and the child followed her behind.
"Mommy? Mommy~ Mommy why are you not answering me?"
"Mommy?"
The woman entered her room and closed it behind her, locking it from the inside. The child was outside the door and knocked again and again, but she was not answering.
"Mommy?"
Her shoulders slumped the moment she turned away from the door. She went back to the living room, finding Mr King already standing before her.
"Mr King..." she slowly backed up from the man, who had his head tilted and sharp teeth on display. The black oozes out of its mouth and onto the floor, as it towered over the little girl. Its limbs were flexible and long, and its mouth a stretched grin.
"Mommy..." she ran back to her mother's bedroom and banged on the door. "MOMMY!" Squeals escaped her and her breathing was rapid and ragged. "MOMMY!" The child was crying from the lack of response.
There was never an answer heard from the door and so she had no choice but to scoot further back. It was a dead end. She reached the corner and before her, the man towered with a grotesque grin smothered in black blood.
Her sharp scream echoed through the small hallway and she ran past the towering demon that failed to reach her from its height. She went outside their unit and ran to the stairs, finding the exit locked.
When she reached the elevator, it was out of order and she decided to find somewhere to hide. The demon that followed behind her had its limbs twisting, dragging along the floor. She stumbled into a unit that was open, and immediately slammed the door shut behind her.
Inside, she found an older man sitting in a chair, staring blankly at the television. His eyes were distant, lifeless. She hesitated, but with no other options, she approached him.
"Please, help me!" she pleaded, shaking his arm. He didn't respond. Tears streamed down her face. Maybe the old man was asleep, she would thought, and just hid in one of the cabinets near the sofa.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. The demon was getting closer.
From the small crack of the cabinet, she could see.
The door creaked open, and the demon's grotesque face peeked through.
The old man on the sofa did not react, did not utter a single word, and the little girl got worried. The demon only got closer to the man, pushing its face to him, there was still no sound.
The television continued to emit the monotone sound, and the demon snapped his head around.
It was all seen by the little girl, as she put her hands on her mouth to prevent a scream.
The demon stepped back from the unit, as if finding nobody in there.
The little girl crawled out of the cabinet, and moved towards the open door, her small footsteps nearly silent. She looked at the old man and wondered how he was, yet he was still facing forward to the television, but this time, his eyes... were all white.
She screamed. The sound took the attention of the demon who then peeked by the open door. When she turned it was waiting for her by the threshold and she immediately ran away in the opposite direction.
She glanced back, seeing the demon had turned around, its void-like eyes now locked onto her. She pushed herself to run faster, and she stumbled. She lost a shoe and scooted over to a corner where a window with a railing was.
The demon got closer and closer, and when she looked at the window, she saw there was an opening.
Her small hands gripped the railing and pushed her head and body through it towards the small space. She continued to hold on to it to keep her balance, as she looked down, and the street was busy in the afternoon. Cars were zooming by and the horns and loud sounds frightened her.
The demon reached for her through the railing, long limbs of pointed fingers scrambling for the child beyond the metal rods.
The little girl scooted on further and further, until her left foot without a shoe, slipped off from the metal space. She hung on to it.
The demon's fingers were just inches away when a voice called out, "Hang on!"
The little girl squeezed all the power she could to hang on and it showed on her face.
A few moments later, a hand and a face popped out of the window.
"Give me your hand!"
The little girl took the hand that helped her and she was pulled up.
The demon screeched in frustration, its long limbs unable to reach them.
"Are you okay?" Arc asked.
The girl had tears in her eyes, looking back to the demon in the window which she found was barricaded by a window screen. The demon was motionless in the side wall and its body twitched.
She nodded to him, tears still streaming down her face. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Come on, we have to get you out of here."