Chapter 6 - Sister Irene In Trouble
As Frenchie departed, night began to fall.
The three returned to their respective guest rooms to rest.
Inside one of the rooms, after organizing their belongings, Roy and Father Burke sat down almost in unison, as if guided by some unspoken signal.
A brief silence hung in the air before Father Burke finally spoke.
"Tell me, Roy," he said evenly, "what do you know?"
His eyes were locked on Roy.
Though Roy appeared simply dressed, he didn't resemble an ordinary villager in the slightest.
Along the journey, Father Burke had already sensed that Roy carried secrets.
He acted like someone privy to inside knowledge, yet deliberately evasive.
Roy met Father Burke's gaze.
He had no intention of hiding anything any longer—not with his mission lasting only three days and his own life on the line.
Sister Irene and Father Burke were his temporary teammates. Concealing crucial information could have disastrous consequences for them all.
Roy exhaled slowly. "Father Burke, haven't you noticed how strange the atmosphere is in this monastery? And the Abbess, too."
Father Burke nodded, recalling the oppressive feeling he'd had upon first entering.
Monasteries were meant to feel solemn and sacred, never foreboding.
"So," Father Burke said, "you're suggesting—?"
"All right, Father Burke. I'll tell you everything I know."
With that, Roy explained that every nun in the monastery was already dead, and that the demon nun—Valak, planned to break the seal and manifest fully in the world.
"...!"
The blood drained from Father Burke's face.
His eyes flew wide; disbelief warred with alarm.
If Roy's info was true, they weren't simply lodging at a remote monastery, but at a lair belonging to Valak—one of the 72 demons of hell.
"This is… Are you certain?" Father Burke demanded.
He studied Roy's face, which seemed almost too boyish to hold such grim knowledge.
Roy hesitated, then chose his words carefully. "I'll show you."
He rolled up the right sleeve of his shirt and placed his palm, facing upward, on the table between them.
"Father Burke, you should recognize this."
"That's… the stigmata," Father Burke murmured, eyes drawn to the faint scar.
Roy nodded. "I don't fully understand why I have it, but ever since it appeared, I've had recurring dreams about Valak."
"I believe these dreams are some kind of warning or revelation. And the moment I arrived at this monastery, my palm started burning."
"That tells me St. Carta Monastery is a very dangerous place."
His explanation—visions, divine warnings, revelations—might have sounded far-fetched to anyone else.
But for Father Burke, who was one of the trained exorcist, it was unsettling yet plausible.
Some people are gifted with supernatural sensitivity, like Sister Irene.
God's warnings and revelations were not unheard of.
Seeing Roy's sincerity and the undeniable stigmata left Father Burke little room for doubt.
Yet the implications were staggering. Draining the last of his composure, he finally steadied himself.
"If this is true, then we can't handle it alone," Father Burke said, trying to mask his anxiety.
"We need to contact the Vatican. They'll send reinforcements."
For all his experience in exorcisms, Father Burke was fully aware that Valak was no ordinary demon.
The mere thought of confronting it shook him.
But Roy shook his head. "We don't have time, Father Burke."
"The seal is already weakened. By the time help arrives, the villages nearby along with everyone here will likely be gone."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Father Burke asked, leaning back in his chair, troubled by the enormity of the situation.
He had come expecting a routine investigation, only to discover a looming battle against one of Hell's greatest demons.
Roy tapped the tabletop thoughtfully. "We go on the offensive. Before Valak can fully emerge, we catch it off guard."
"We have your exorcism expertise and Sister Irene's heightened senses. I have the stigmata."
"Maybe, with that combination, we can force Valak back in hell."
"Besides, if my dreams brought me here and fate guided both you and Sister Irene to this place, perhaps it's meant to be. Maybe it's a test."
At Roy's words, Father Burke couldn't help feeling a stirring in his chest.
It fit with his belief that nothing happened without God's knowledge.
Why else would he and Sister Irene arrive just as a young man with stigmata showed up in the village?
It seemed more like destiny than chance or indeed a test from God.
"Very well." Father Burke slapped his thigh, rising from his chair as determination flickered across his face.
"Then we'll do as you suggest."
Just then—
AAH!!
A sudden scream tore through the silence of the monastery.
Roy and Father Burke froze in alarm.
"No… that voice."
"It's Sister Irene!"