Garnet: "Can you speak or not, mister?"
Williams stood frozen, his usually calm demeanor replaced by visible panic. He turned his head sharply, as though listening to something distant, then hissed,
Williams: "She's coming. Run!"
Garnet (bewildered): "Wait—who's coming?"
Lessie (alarmed): "Garnet, just listen to him! Run! I know who it is."
Without wasting another moment, they all started sprinting into the dense jungle. The once silent forest came alive with a chilling howl as an icy wind began to chase them. The wind was more than cold—it was malevolent, like unseen claws tearing through the air. Garnet felt the sting against his skin, and even Williams, who was usually unbothered, winced in discomfort.
But to Garnet's growing confusion, Lessie seemed unaffected. The wind swirled around her, but it didn't harm her. Instead, it parted around her as though she belonged to it.
Garnet (panting): "Why… why isn't it hurting you, Lessie?"
Lessie didn't answer. Her face was pale, her expression torn between fear and something deeper—guilt, perhaps.
They finally stumbled upon a dark cave, its entrance jagged and foreboding, but it offered shelter. Williams signaled for them to stop.
Williams (catching his breath): "I think we outran her… for now."
Garnet (frustrated): "Okay, will someone please tell me what's going on? Who's chasing us? What is this thing?"
Williams sighed, his voice dropping to a grave tone.
Williams: "She's the Goddess of the Dark Demon. The Devil's weapon of war. She's not just a demon—she's a force of destruction, powerful enough to kill angels. We've fought her before and won a few times, but only barely. She's a nightmare, Garnet. And she's after you."
Garnet: "After me? Why me? What did I do?"
Williams: "That's what I don't know. But if she's chasing you, you're in the kind of trouble that no one walks away from easily."
Lessie (snapping): "Williams, stop! You're making it worse. I'm already terrified—do you have to keep talking like that?"
Williams raised his hands in surrender.
Williams: "Fine, fine. I'll back off. But you two need to be careful from here on out. You're on your own now."
With that, Williams disappeared into the shadows of the cave.
Garnet and Lessie continued their journey, the oppressive silence of the cave broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing against the stone walls.
Garnet (trying to lighten the mood): "So, Lessie… who do you think she is? This 'Goddess of the Dark Demon'?"
Lessie hesitated, her steps slowing. Finally, she said,
Lessie: "Promise me you won't freak out when I tell you."
Garnet: "I promise. Go on."
Lessie (reluctantly): "I think… I think it's my mother."
Garnet stopped in his tracks, staring at her.
Garnet: "Your mother? How does that even—wait, what?"
Lessie sighed, crossing her arms.
Lessie: "My mother is… she's a Satanist. She prays to the Devil. But I'm not like her. At first, I didn't believe in anything—not God, not the Devil, none of it. But then I started thinking… if the world came from the Big Bang, then who created the Big Bang? That question wouldn't leave me alone. So I started searching, and… I found my faith. There's something greater out there, Garnet. I know it now."
Garnet (quietly): "You never told me that before."
Lessie: "I didn't want to. But now… now you need to know."
Garnet nodded, his mind spinning with everything she'd just told him.
Garnet: "Alright. Let's keep moving."
The two ventured deeper into the cave, their footsteps crunching over loose gravel. The air grew colder, and an unsettling stillness surrounded them.
As they walked, Lessie began to speak again, her voice calm and steady.
Lessie: "Do you know what Heaven is, Garnet? It's not just a place of happiness. It's a reward for those who are worthy. People who sin—those who give in to greed, lust, or anger—can't enter Heaven. It's for those who love and fear their God. That's what my faith teaches."
Garnet: "Does that mean we're not sinners yet?"
Lessie: "I don't know. Those are the words of religious ideology, not mine. But one thing is clear—we were chosen for this journey. That has to mean something."
Garnet (nodding): "Yeah. We're chosen."
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the cave.
Williams: "Hey, remember me?"
The two turned to see Williams standing in the shadows, his face grim.
Garnet: "What now, Williams?"
Williams: "I have bad news. The Ten Sinister… they've come through the Door of the Road. They're looking for you, Garnet."
Garnet (exasperated): "Why is it always me?"
Williams: "Because you're the chosen one—on both sides. You're tied to Heaven and Hell, Garnet. That makes you a target for everyone."
Garnet (muttering): "Great. Just great. First Lessie's mom, now them. It just keeps getting better."
Lessie's voice suddenly changed, becoming cold and distorted.
Lessie (in a possessed tone): "You will never be able to kill me."
Garnet froze, staring at her in shock.
Garnet: "Lessie? Are you okay?"
Her voice returned to normal, soft and confused.
Lessie: "What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
Garnet: "You just said, 'You will never be able to kill me.'"
Lessie's eyes widened in horror.
Lessie: "What? I… I didn't say that."
Garnet: "Lessie, I think… I think you're possessed."
Lessie (panicking): "Oh no… no, no, no. This can't be happening."
To be continued in Chapter 6