Night had come.
The cathedral was dimly lit by a spread of candles, the traditional illumination contrasting the neon glare of everything else outside. Perhaps in the dancing yellow flame burning on the dying thread of its wax, a sense of peace could be offered, a calmness that held against the raging chaos of the outside.
Lucian now sat at the back of the cathedral, his hand gripping a loaf of bread with desperate intensity as if he was told it'd be snatched away at any second. Occasionally, he'd take large bites from the loaf before gulping down some porridge from the bowl held on his other hand to follow.
He ate like a person who hadn't seen a lick of food in days, which was quite fitting as he indeed hadn't.
Lucian watched as the priests discoursed in the front. They whispered lightly, but from the facial expressions of some, he could tell they opposed letting him live. After all, killing the high priest was akin to walking into a gang's den and killing their leader. Yes, this group of holy men were more of a gang than could be discerned.
Assassination, distribution of illegal substances, human trafficking—the long list of their crimes couldn't be counted on two hands alone. So, knowing the kind of men they were, Lucian did not expect to leave easily without a fight, but things seemed to have somehow worked in his favor.
He had already been racking his head trying to come up with a plan to leave Namek, but somehow a one-way ticket had fallen right into his palm.
Then, ringing through the cathedral, the loud bell of the clock echoed from above. It was now midnight, which meant the day the high priest had prophesied the gateway opening had come. That meant from any time at anywhere, black gates could erupt from the ground and demons could exit and begin their slaughter.
The priests visibly jerked into a state of action and panic as they heard the bells ring. They all shared a look before they began progressing into a nearby door to the left of the altar. Lucian sat quietly and watched them dissapear into the room while he finished up the food he was given.
Not long after, the priests returned from the door they went into. However, they no longer wore the holy attires and now were clad in dark cloaks. They also held weapons, rifles, and beamers he had only ever seen in possession of the police force.
The scarred priest walked over to where Lucian was sitting and stretched his hand, handing him a long sword. It had a blood-red hilt and its blade was made of dark reinforced steel, and its edge was so sharp it could draw crimson in a single touch.
"You can handle a weapon?" the scarred man asked as Lucian took the sword from him, then turned away before the chilld could speak.
"Of course you can," the man answered his own question.
The priests took positions, ready to leave at the first news that necessitated it. They had a radio that seemed to listen in to the communication between the NPF, so if the hellgate did appear along with the police force, they would be the first to hear of it.
Lucian gazed down at the sword, and as much as he tried to remain calm, he could feel panic settling in his gut. On one hand, he had vague memories of the invincible angel he was, unafraid and formidable. However, a memory even more clear was the stories he had been told as a mortal child of the evil that were the demons.
No human ever survives an encounter with them.
'Can I really fight a demon?' Lucian wondered internally. He had never had any sort of combat training, and he couldn't really remember much from his time as a celestial as the memory stat displayed. He only had an advantage with his above-human strength and speed. However, that would be no advantage against a demon.
Truly Lucian's only chance at survival was leaving Namek, but staying till the hellgate appeared alone could mean death.
"Your plan—could it not get us out of Nameth before the hellgate comes?" Lucian asked the priest who listened closely to the police force radio.
The scarred man turned to Lucian, with an expression indicating he expected him to already know the answer to that. Perhaps he did, but still hoped for some possibility.
"If it could, we would have been out of this city long ago. I'm sure you are aware of the kind of military force at the border. We would be turned to dust before even getting close. The entire basis of our plan requires the hellgate, because it's only through its appearance that the border military will be thrown into chaos as they are moved to set a closer perimeter. That'll be our chance."
Lucian turned away from the priest with a nod. He already knew the difficulty of getting through the border, so the answer he got was mostly what he had anticipated. He clenched his fist, realizing a possible encounter with a demon could not be avoided.
Then suddenly, Lucian's eyes widened, his body tensed, and his hairs stood on end. A rune had flashed in front of him, and the words written upon it sent a wave of fear through his veins. He then turned to the priests, and it seemed they were yet to realize, probably because the NPF hadn't as well.
He turned back to the rune, and swallowed nervously.
[A hellgate has opened in close vicinity]