SOMETHING was wrong.
Isaac could only describe the feeling as eerie. It was more than that itch at the back of his neck or that little voice whispering into his ear.
"What's wrong, Isaac?" Leo asked.
They had left the stage long ago and joined the party. Immediately after they had stepped down from the stage, Reyna had become surrounded by sponsors, all interested in her work. She was still surrounded by them.
They were still in their outfits because Reyna had assured them that they could wear them and it would also help attract more sponsors. Plus, Isaac also had another reason for wearing them. He had no dinner clothes and didn't want to stand out more than he already was.
"Everything," he replied. He had to find the source of the problem before it found him. He rushed to the window and looked outside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just the parking lot, the maze, some chauffeurs, and a guard tower.
He turned back and the sensation intensified.
The windows shattered, and glass rained down on him.
Something whistled past his ear, and he felt a sharp sting.
It was a bullet.
Its trajectory played out before his very eyes.
"LEO!!!!" Isaac screamed and ran forward.
He tried casting different spells, but none of them worked. Their respective magic circles appeared and just shattered on his palm.
He watched as the bullet hit his best friend square in the chest.
Leo clutched his chest and looked at Isaac. His knees buckled just as Isaac reached his side.
Nothing seemed wrong. His clothes seemed intact, and there was no hole where the bullet had hit. People started surrounding them, but Isaac was long gone.
He checked Leo's pulse.
Nothing.
He checked his heartbeat.
Nothing.
He began CPR, but it wasn't working. Isaac watched the colour drain from his face.
Realization dawned on Isaac all too quickly.
Leo was dead.
* * * * *
Blanc and Irene made their way to the front of the crowd.
Blanc examined his son's body.
"What happened?" Irene asked him.
Blanc was silent.
"NOAH, WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR SON?!!!" she yelled with tears rolling down her face. "TALK TO ME!"
"Irene, calm down," he said softly and cradled her in his arms.
"How can you -"
"SOMEONE GET ME CASSIDY KLEIN!" he yelled, using his charism to amplify his voice.
Blanc looked around. Lisa was crying on Reyna's shoulders, and Isaac was on his knees staring at Leo's body.
Isaac stood up abruptly, and all eyes were on him.
His clothes began to change. The waistcoat became gold, and the pentagram design changed into a cross. Other parts of his outfits became white, and his moccasins reverted back to their original state.
"Isaac?" Reyna said, reaching out to him.
His eyes flashed open, and his irises were radiating a magnificent golden light, then he vanished.
* * * * *
Dis was happy.
His toy had done well on the first shot.
"We're leaving," he announced.
Something stabbed through his torso before he had any chance to move.
There was someone behind him.
A child.
The very child who was responsible for his masters' current predicament.
Dis whistled.
His toy spun around quickly and placed a gun right at his assailant's head. He squeezed the trigger, firing three shots, but the kid moved away quickly, causing the shots to hit Dis.
He kicked Dis away and knocked the gun out of the toy's hand.
There was a quick hand to hand confrontation between them, but the toy was overpowered and sent flying into a column.
He turned back to Dis.
The demon screamed, and the blades in his chest shattered. Black veins spread around his eyes, which had already turned white. His fingers grew into talons, and a horn sprouted from his forehead.
He didn't care what his boss told him.
He was going to kill the fucking bastard.
* * * * *
Dominic watched the fight between Isaac and the demon.
Things were getting interesting.
He'd heard that Isaac had fought another demon, Bael, before. Bael was possessing a human and was on consecrated ground, making him weaker than what he should. Witnessing the demonic transformation, it seemed that this was a true demon in the flesh.
A demon couldn't manifest its physical form in the mundane world. Doing so outside the Gates of Hell was sure death. That was why they made contracts with humans. Like all contracts, the contents differed from one contract to another.
Demon-possession contracts were symbiotic relationships such that it required the demon to inhabit a human's body (preferably vulnerable) without having full authority but they could take control whenever the host became weak.
To get a true demon, the contract would have to require the person exchange their soul for something. Once such an individual dies, the demon uses that soul as a sacrifice to manifest physically on Earth. The only downside is that they have to consume human souls as sustenance on a regular basis or they would get sent back to Hell. And if they get sent back to Hell, the husks they leave behind are what exorcists referred to as ghouls.
Dominic sighed.
He would have to rescue Isaac eventually but he had to see who was stronger.
A newly awoken Divine charism exorcist or a demon.
They both charged at each other.
Isaac created two swords of light in his hands and the demon stretched out its talons.
Dominic figured that it was going to be a hit for hit situation and he couldn't let that happen. The poor child may not survive it.
He was about to interfere when something unexpected happened.
* * * * *
Quinn liked where the night was headed.
It was easy sneaking into the mansion and it would be easy getting out. His heart had almost skipped a beat when he gave the drink to Camilla earlier but he regained his composure when he saw Headphones' daddy beside her.
When his target and his friends left the stage, he had quickly left the hall with his tray and headed for the treasury.
That was where all the artifacts were kept.
His journey there was easy with no interruptions or distractions since Dis had begun his operation. All available guards and security had headed for the hall.
There was a huge vault with a fingerprint scanner.
That was where the cup he'd given Camilla came in handy.
Thanking the Tubal-Cain exorcist he had stolen it from, he fished out a device from his pocket and scanned the fingerprint on the cup. He dropped the glass and placed the device on the scanner.
It replicated her fingerprint and granted Quinn access.
He laughed to himself.
As he walked into the vault, he felt a sharp pain on his neck. Blood began to gush down from an invisible wound and his head fell off.