Sebastian healed beautifully as time passed by, but there was one thing very difficult to get by, Andrea's constant avoidance. She had avoided him each and every time, after they had that heated argument. He had tried hard to have a conversation but she made sure it wasn't about their personal lives. They all worked tirelessly to get leads about the ancient text but none proved to be fruitful.
"Have you all gotten your costumes for tonight?" JJ asked suddenly, surprising everyone in the room.
"What costume?" Faye asked alarmed.
"Have you all forgotten so soon. Today is Halloween" he explained.
"Oh okay that thing. How can you be thinking of fun during a moment like this?" Faye asked surprised.
"Well I always try to keep an open mind. You never know what you can get at the least place" JJ said spinning in his chair.
"Well I think we all need a break from all the hard work" Marcus said simply.
"I think we should take today off, from the look of things we will have plenty of time to work" he added, looking at the unsolved mysteries in front of him.
"I will be heading out, I have to take care of some personal business" Andrea said rushing out.
"Wow, that was weird" JJ murmured.
"That was kind of intense" Marcus added.
"I'm off too" Sebastian said then left rather too quickly.
The crew knew there was something going on between the two but they didn't want to interfere.
"How long do you think you can keep this up?" Faye asked Andrea as they took a stroll around the city.
"I don't really know but I will do it as long as I can" Andrea says.
"I can see he is really hurting. Whatever you are doing is really working on him surprisingly" Faye says simply.
Andrea and Faye's phone rings simultaneously. It was JJ and it sounded like an emergency. Both of them rushed to the training room immediately. They were surprised when they saw both Sebastian and Marcus there. They had also received the call.
"What do you have to say JJ?" Marcus asked curiously.
"Well I just made the call, it's Sebastian's idea" JJ explained.
Sebastian moved in front of the rest
"I was digging up some old files from the old world archives and I think I found another way to get us a lead in locating the last gospel" he explained, a hint of excitement crossed everyone's face.
"Okay, so how do we do that?" Andrea asked surprisingly.
"I know what I'm about to say may sound insane and dangerous but it may be our only lead in locating the last gospel" he further explains.
"Away with your insane plan" Marcus teased.
"In the old world archives, there is a text that talks about the true history of Halloween, I uploaded it here do you can all have a look" he said as JJ opened the file on the giant monitors.
"I find it hard to believe but it says here that Halloween was previously known as Samhain, it was a Celtic harvest festival dedicated to remembering the dead. It was also christianized as 'All Hallow's Day'. They said it marks the beginning of the winter known as darker-half of the year. It is also associated with a Celtic pagan. It is a day which all portals are opened to other worlds. I must admit that is some really dark issue" JJ said terrified.
"I think I have had enough of the history lessons, let's get to the point" Andrea said moving to the desk.
"Well when you read further it reveals a ritual that helps you communicate with Samhain, the demon lord. It says that you can ask it one ask him one question" Sebastian explained.
"Why do I have a feeling that there is a but go your statement?" Faye asked concerned.
"But you will have to keep his demon bodyguards away from him" Sebastian added.
"Can't we just exorcise them?" JJ asked.
"Samhain is also a demon and his guards are linked to him in some bizarre way, so any attempt of an exorcism on them will send all of them back to hell" Sebastian further explained.
"I can't let you do that" Marcus said.
"Why?" Sebastian asked surprised.
"All you just said stands against our faith as Catholics" he murmured softly.
"What is faith if it si mot tested. Are you considering the possibility that this could be our only way" Sebastian said frustrated.
"Come on, we are Seraphs. It is our duty to keep the hope going when all have lost it. The only power we are to look to is the power of God, and ritualistic practices goes contrary to that. Going on with this will be the same as going against our own believes" Marcus said simply.
"I wish I could do this on my own but I can't" Sebastian says in a soft tone.
" I'm really sorry but I can't help you. I can't be a part of this" Marcus said simply.
He tried to walk away but Sebastian held his arm firmly.
"All those times I did your favours I never asked anything. I'm asking you today to help me with this and I will never ask anything like this of you again" Sebastian said with pleading eyes.
"Okay what's the plan?" Marcus asked.
"Okay so the ritual has to be performed midnight today. When he is out, I will distract the guards as long as I can. Andrea and Faye will engage Samhain in the conversation and find out what we need to know. Marcus you and JJ will keep everyone else from that location" Sebastian said simply.
"Okay guys, it seems we have work to do" Marcus said. He slowly makes his way out.
"I can't believe you guys agree with this insane plan. He can't battle the guards alone. For all we know there could be hundreds of them" Andrea said in an Andry tone.
"I will be fine" Sebastian assures her simply.
"You heard the man. Now let's move out and prepare for the long night ahead l" Marcus said exiting as the rest followed.
"You can't possibly allow him to do this, he might even die" Andrea said nervously to Faye as they stood in the near empty room.
"I thought you two were not in talking terms, why the sudden interest?" Faye teased.
"Yes we have a little something going on but it's not like I want him to die" Andrea defended sitting down.
"Oh! A little something" Faye teased her more.
"You know what I mean Faye" Andrea defended intensely.
"If there is one thing clear about Sebastian, he is never going to let go of this. Even if we don't help him, he is going to do it one way or the other, which might be too dangerous. If you really want him alive, then I suggest you get your game on tonight" Faye murmured softly.
Andrea felt very nervous when JJ handed the incantation of the ritual to her. She was scared for herself but was really scared of might happen to anyone else.
"It's almost midnight, you two should set up the grounds" Sebastian said when Marcus and JJ bid them farewell.
"I will draw our demon pentagram" Faye said taking the vase full of blood and the instruction manuals from Andrea.
"Are you afraid?" Sebastian asked when Faye was far out.
"Afraid? I'm terrified" she said with a smile.
"That makes the two of us" Sebastian reciprocated.
"What? You don't look scared" she said surprised.
"Like everything else, just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there" Sebastian murmured softly.
"No need to worry, you won't die today, I promise" he added.
"I know we haven't been too cool with each lately but please don't die" Andrea said with glowing eyes.
"I will try, but I can't promise anything" he said with a huge smile that covered his whole face.
It reminded her of when he went to battle the basilisk alone. Those were his words when she asked him to take care.
"Guys, come over here. It's time we invited a demon to our party" Faye called out.
They made their way and stood besides her, in front of the huge pentagram drawn from blood. Andrea took the small text and read out it's content.
"Ad te vocamus, bellua profana inferni. Veni,
et responde nobis quod quaerimus. Hoc
sacrificium pacis sume et da nobis veritatem
quam petimus (We call to you, profane beast of the abyss of hell. Come and answer us for what we seek. Take this sacrifice of peace and grant us the truth we seek)".
They stepped back when the ground began to shake. Moving even further away when the pentagram split open.
"You two hide. The guards will emerge first, you two can have your quick chat when I lead them away" Sebastian says quietly.
"How do you know that?" Andrea asked concerned.
"There was a part of the text that said they always come out first to neutralise every threat before Samhain emerges. They are born of the keepers of the thirteen gates of hell" he explained.
He stood in front of the opening of the ground, awaiting the fierce demon guards.
The moon hung high in the midnight sky, bathing the desolate clearing in an ethereal glow. The air was thick with an ominous energy as Sebastian gripped his gleaming swords tightly, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. Before him stood a vile horde of thirteen demons, their eyes glowing with an unholy fire that seemed to penetrate his very soul. The demons stalked closer, their grotesque forms twisting and contorting as if trying to break free from the confines of their demonic bodies. They hissed and snarled, their bloodlust cutting through the stillness of the night.
Andrea and Faye watched from their hideout terrified. Sebastian's muscles coiled, ready to strike as beads of sweat trickled down his furrowed brow. With a primal roar, the first demon lunged, its sharp claws aimed at
the Sebastian's throat. Reacting with supernatural speed, he sidestepped, both blades whirling through the air in a swift and lethal dance. The demons' wicked talons clashed with the his lethal steel, sending
sparks raining down like fiery droplets. He spun and ducked, evading more furious attacks, his movements fluid and precise. Each demon he faced, he parried, repelled, and sliced through their wicked forms, but the creatures seemed to regenerate instantly, never faltering, never tiring. Their eyes radiated an infernal defiance.
After a few minutes of close observance, the fiery figured demon appeared. Faye and Andrea rushed to him, not thinking twice of what might happen. They just wanted to save Sebastian from the clutches of the demons.
"Why have you summoned me here?" Samhain said in a fierce and authoritative tone.
"We seek to find a relic of great importance" Andrea replied immediately.
"What you seek is beyond the reach of all" Samhain said puzzling them.
"I'm afraid we don't understand you" Faye asked.
All Andrea could think of was Sebastian as they listened to Samhain explain his words.
Sebastian seemed to dance with dead as each demon launched itself at him one after the other, his swords creating a deadly
symphony of steel. Blade met flesh, a gory symphony of screams and curses filled the clearing, yet the demons' resilience seemed unyielding. A particularly tall, menacing demon separated from the ranks, its eyes burning with an intense malevolence. It swung a massive clawed hand, so powerful that the wind generated by the strike sent Sebastian's black hair fluttering. But he slipped beneath the demon's reach, his blades cutting shallow gashes across the creature's twisted limbs, with an intense shriek, the abomination lunged, this time faster than before. Sebastian braced himself, his swords deflecting the forceful blow. But as he clashed with the demon, his vision faltered, a wave of exhaustion threatening to consume him. Was it possible that even his unwavering resolve was now beginning to wane?
"How do we get the Last Gospel?" Andrea asked as the shrieks from the battleground grew stronger.
"The Last Gospel is hidden from us" Samhain said simply.
"So how can you help us?" Faye asked.
"Well I wouldn't want to help you but I'm compelled to do so. I will give you a lead, a close one that will give you the answers you seek if you follow it closely" Samhain said simply, with his hands stuffed behind his robe.
The two listened attentively as he spoke.
"The truth you seek, lies deep within the treasures no one sees. With words of trust, he who wishes to succeed must be devoid of lust. Be sure to give your best, for everything good lies in a dead man's chest".
"That is just the riddle we need to solve" Andrea said pleadingly.
"Maybe it isn't what you think it is. I'm sorry but it's time to go. See you guys next year" he said then turned into a black mass which was sucked into the opened ground.
"We need to seal the vail for the other demons to leave" Faye said quickly.
Sparkling blue eyes met the fiery gaze of the demon, locked in a momentary standoff. Determination flared in Sebastian's gaze, echoing in the depths of his being. He would not succumb. With newfound strength, he grunted, launching himself forward, striking with the force of a tempest. The distinct sound of flesh being rent apart, sizzling from the violence of Sebastian's dual strikes, reverberated through the clearing. Yet, in defiance of physics, the demon's wounds began to seal almost instantaneously. Sebastian's heart sank as he realized these creatures could not be vanquished through mere mortal means.
As the remaining twelve demons closed the
distance, his spirit flickered. He glanced at the heavens, silently pleading for guidance. Suddenly, an unyielding resolve ignited within him. It did not matter that they could not be killed. He would fight until his dying breath, for his purpose was not merely to defeat them, but to protect his friends who seek answers to their noble cause. Gritting his teeth, he cast the notion of victory aside. This was not a battle he could win, yet he would make his mark. Two swords met thirteen demons, steel against abomination, and in that clearing, under the moon's watchful eye, a solemn symphony of survival commenced. Just when he thought it was all too difficult to survive, the creatures shrieked and slowly disappeared into thin air.
Andrea and Faye surfaced immediately. Faye gave him a smile of victory but Andrea ran straight towards him. Holding him in a tight embrace. Thoughts of what could have happened filled her mind.
JJ and Faye surfaced, with JJ clearing his throat to announce their presence.
"What is going on here?" He asked curiously, making Andrea break off rather too quickly.
"Nothing" Sebastian explained.
"What did you get out of the demon?" Marcus asked.
"Whatever he said proved to be a puzzle, but there was one thing that he said that caught my attention. He quoted our puzzling text and said maybe it wasn't what we thought it was" Andrea replied.
"Let's get back to the institute" Marcus murmured.
Sebastian entered Pope Venimore's room quietly, not wanting to disturb the old man if he was sleeping.
"Why have you come to see me again?" Venimore asked calmly.
"I just wanted to ask you one question. How does a man discover his greatest desire?" He asked simply.
"Every man has a task. What he seeks to achieve by performing that task becomes his greatest desire" Venimore answered.
"Thank you" Sebastian said leaving the Pope concerned.
"I think I got something" JJ called out to the rest.
"So I was thinking, what if the text is not a puzzle as we thought?"
JJ murmured.
"What do you mean JJ?" Marcus asked.
"So the demon said the text isn't what we think it is, and all along we've been thinking the text is a puzzle but what if it's not? I was trying to match up every lead we had and what the demon confirmed. I searched for anything that has lust and dead man's chest and look at what I found" he explained, bringing forth the picture on the monitor.
"What is that?" Andrea asked.
"That is the Chest of Saint Siméon" Sebastian answered.
"The Chest contains the mummified body of the saint" JJ explained further.
"Okay that says a lot about a dead man's chest but it says nothing about lust" Andrea said.
"That is not entirely true. There was once a case where someone was mesmerized by the beauty of the chest that she stole the finger of the Saint. History has it that the finger began to decay immediately and was restored to normal when it was returned to the body. What I'm trying to arrive at is that after that insident, the chest is always surrounded by valuables which was gifted by Elizabeth of Bosnia every year" JJ explained.
"That explains the issue of treasures" Andrea said interestingly.
"And wherever there is treasure there's bound to be lust" Sebastian added.
"How do we locate this Chest?" Andrea asked.
"That's the problem. The Chest was lost after the heist of the Apostles" JJ said.
Sebastian left the room immediately the word Apostles was mentioned.
"What is it with him?" Andrea inquired.
"He is the last living descendant of the Apostles" Faye explained.
"Who were the Apostles?" Andrea inquired more.
"They were a group of Seraphs of one noble family, tasked with retrieving holy relics to the Vatican city after the fall of the old world. His whole family was killed during that particular heist" Marcus explained.
Andrea realized she knew very little about about Sebastian than she realized. She turned to the monitors as they continued the search for any clue that may lead them to the Chest.
Sebastian entered his room and quickly locked the doors. He didn't want to be disturbed by anyone. He took off his robe and weapons and sat on the bed. The soft material moving inwards against the pressure of his body. Flashes on the attacks filled his minds eyes as he tried to sleep. He hoped one day he will meet his family again.