I woke up with a pain that reminded me of the time I tried learning Krav Maga on YouTube. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Aria, looking more annoyed than concerned.
—"What part of 'don't do stupid stuff' do you not understand?" she said, crossing her arms.
The child's father was kneeling nearby, murmuring words of gratitude to us and to God. The boy, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly, free from the demonic torment.
—"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" I replied, trying to sit up. A groan slipped out as the pain in my ribs flared up.
—"It worked because I was here," Aria shot back, pointing to herself. "It might seem like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actually controlling everything. If it weren't for me, that demon would've used your face as a rug."
—"Thanks for the vote of confidence, partner."
Aria sighed and turned toward the father.
—"The demon is gone, but its presence left a mark on this house. You'll need to purify it. Keep your son surrounded by light: prayers, blessed objects, things like that."
The man nodded frantically, his eyes filled with hope.
Meanwhile, I dragged myself toward the door, feeling like a broken puppet. Despite the pain, there was something reassuring about knowing we had won again.
—"Where do you think you're going?" Aria asked, following me with an arched eyebrow.
—"Home. I need sleep. Or an ambulance. Maybe both."
She rolled her eyes.
—"And the paperwork? And our payment?"
I stopped in my tracks. Paperwork. Damn paperwork. Sometimes I think the most powerful demons work in administration.
Aria, of course, took care of everything while I fought to keep myself from falling asleep in a broken chair in the apartment. When we were finally done, we left the building, and the sunset light greeted us as a reminder that the world kept turning, with or without us.
—"You know?" I said as we walked toward the bus stop. "Being an exorcist is a hell of a job."
She gave me a sideways glance.
—"Literally."
I let out a chuckle, despite the pain in my ribs from laughing.
What I didn't know back then was that our next mission would be even worse. Because if there's anything more complicated than dealing with demons, it's dealing with the living.