As they approached the hospital, Alexander, who was sitting next to Anton, asked, "If it's not a bother, what are we investigating or what exactly are we going to face? As you know, I don't make mistakes, so the more I know about what we're up against, the more useful I'll be."
Alexander was a man who disliked making mistakes; he focused solely on duty within the association to be more effective against all dark entities. Most people fought for duty, some kind of revenge, or obligation, but Alexander did it because he could handle it, and that was what mattered most to him.
Anton, who was reviewing some information in the association's database to see if there was any demon that enjoyed causing trauma to possess a body, didn't immediately respond to Alexander. Regarding possession, that was correct; there was a possession involved, a very aggressive one that he had never seen before, simply because the victim was tortured until they desired death.
He didn't know the exact methods, but knowing that none had survived beyond seven days and that these victims seemed to see things no one else knew, it was easy to know they were being tortured until they were vulnerable enough to be possessed.
After finishing reading, Anton turned his head to look at his assistant and said, "It's some kind of demon that likes to possess its victims within a span of seven days. They're marked by witnessing the death of whoever was the previous victim of that demon."
"Hmm, that reminds me of fleas. Those things usually live in the bodies of stray dogs, and when they see a completely healthy dog, they decide to change homes if given the chance. Having a better body is much nicer for those things; they wouldn't have to live in a deteriorated body." Alexander's hair was very long and tied in a ponytail, and shaking his head, he said, "A virus, some infection that has only one method of spreading."
Anton evaluated Alexander and said, "Don't get too excited. If we can't eliminate that evil spirit, the only way out will be to kill that woman."
Alexander, upon hearing this, thought for a moment and pointed out, "But the important thing about that is not to be marked by the demon in the process. Do you think it's a good idea to counter a demon?"
"Of course not. It was just a small test. Remember, there are four types of dark entities: corporeal, material, incorporeal, and ethereal. What kind of dark entity are we facing with the information I've given you?" Anton asked this as he put on leather gloves.
Alexander smiled cleverly and said, "Many at this point would think this is an incorporeal dark entity, but knowing that this dark entity has some kind of place, I'd lean towards an ethereal one."
Upon hearing this response, Anton nodded and asked, "So, how will you confront this dark entity?"
"Through some exorcism, using blessed objects, or finding a way to discover the origin of that monster." Alexander was confident in these statements.
"What if there's no information on any similar demon, and you're left without answers?"
Alexander's expression froze as he didn't have the best idea of how to respond; he fell silent. "Maybe..."
Anton looked at Alexander and said, "If you can't eliminate the dark entity, then you'll have to ensure that others don't get marked by the demon. In this sense, taking the marked victim to a panic room where no one sees her is the right thing to do."
Silent killing is the best way to defeat this dark entity if Anton weren't on the way.
If they're talking about one victim of this demon every seven days, that would add up to 52 confirmed deaths in a year, which would increase infinitely without control over who was marked.
"That would be a bit..."
Anton coldly mocked and said, "Cruel? Cruel would be prioritizing one life when you could save hundreds more. You'll have to learn to make decisions; many of them won't be pleasant at all, but we have to adapt to the fight against demons."
"Thank you for your advice, Archbishop. I'll keep that in mind." Alexander understood something that left him speechless but made a lot of sense.
As soon as they finished talking, a psychiatric hospital came into view, so knowing that the victim was in this place, they both hurried to get out.
When they arrived at the hospital entrance, Alexander approached the reception and said, "I'm Detective Alexander Lopez; I want to know if you have a patient named Laura."
"What are you doing here?"
Anton turned, only to see an old man staring at him with a certain sense of anger in his eyes. "Is there a problem?"
This old man with white hair took a step forward and held Anton's jacket where he had a seal of the association; he looked at him fixedly and clenched his teeth as if recognizing him. He then looked back at Anton and said, "I was also an agent, but on a mission, my friends were abandoned by this disgusting organization, which ended up bombing the whole damn jungle."
"Are you on duty?" Anton asked this while looking at the old man, but at that moment, a woman ran up.
She looked as her father held onto Anton and said with a face full of embarrassment, "I'm so sorry; my father has mental issues, so he sometimes confuses reality."
"No problem at all." Anton glanced at the old man one last time before turning away. He neither knew nor cared about what he had just said, so he turned around and forgot about the matter.
"Sir, we have the information; she's being treated right now by a doctor." Alexander approached them with the information they needed.
However, at that moment, two nurses ran at full speed while shouting, "We have a code two in the emergency room!"