Chương 27: Chapter 26: Price of Succumbing

Alice fell into her class seat, rubbing the corners of her eyes. Goddess, I didn't get much sleep last night. She glanced at Marley with a silent sigh. The fat pig's skin seemed to glitter under the light, and his eyes seemed no worse for wear compared to yesternight. But it looks like someone did.

"You look horrible. Didn't get enough sleep?" Evelyn tapped Alice's shoulder.

"You could say that." Alice looked down. Evelyn tilted her head for a second, thinking.

"Why not get some shut eye here?"

"Father Orlando might get angry. I'd rather not risk it." Alice said.

"It wouldn't be too bad. But if that's what you want." Evelyn shrugged her shoulders. The door swung open, and Father Orlando entered the classroom. He glazed over the students once, twice, then thrice before walking behind his desk.

"What are you all waiting for? Start practicing." Practice, practice, practice. When will we do something different? Alice leaned into the backing of her seat, and yawned. Evelyn played with the frills of her dress, and everyone else shut their eyes and began practicing. I think I'm starting to understand how Evelyn feels. Alice watched Marley in the corners of her vision. The fat pig of the boy was deep in his practice, sweating bullets like he was being roasted above a fire.

The same spiritual pulse radiated from his body, glancing off Alice's soul, and god so many others. Evelyn looked up and furrowed her brows in surprise, but she said nothing. A few seconds passed and Marley's eyes fluttered open, darting about the room. He let out a soft laugh and with a deep breath, he closed his eyes, deactivating his sight.

"How did I do?" Marley looked at Alice, heaving heavily. I wasn't using my sight. I couldn't tell.

"Uh… good, I suppose." Alice said. Father Orlando's voice rung out from the front.

"Marley, let me speak with you." Marley glanced at Alice, and then at Jack for a second, with the latter shrugging his shoulders in response. Marley stood up, and went over to Father Orlando.

"What is it, Father?" Father Orlando tapped his shoulder and leaned to whisper into his ear. Alice couldn't quite make out what he said, but whatever it was, it made Marley beam a wide smile. Marley returned to his seat, strutting his legs with a newfound confidence. Jack grinned back at him.

"Something good happened, I reckon."

"You could say that." Marley sat back down, and he turned to Alice.

"Thanks again, I'm really in your debt."

"It's nothing." Maybe stop practicing at the dead of night. Alice wanted to say. Father Orlando cleared his throat.

"Stop for a moment, I have something to say." Everyone else opened their eyes, more than half a dozen gazes locking unto him. Father Orlando wrapped his hands around his back, and he spoke.

"For the past few weeks, I have been observing each and everyone of you closely. Now, I can say without hesitation, that all of you are capable of the very basics of spirituality. It is time, we move on to our next lesson." A few hushed murmurs broke out among the students, but most knew better than to interrupt the Father.

"Finally." Evelyn grabbed the underside of her table, her eyes shimmering in anticipation. He's finally going to start covering the books? Well… I've already read those halfway through.

"Stand, and follow me. You will learn that being a demihuman is not just a gift, but also a curse." Father Orlando opened the front door for them. Oh, where are we going? Alice stood up with the others, and they fell into line and followed Father Orlando into the corridor. They walked deeper into the cathedral, until they took a turn that which Alice swore never existed, and went down a set of stairs.

The smooth marble walls soon transitioned into old, and cracked bricks, and the steps became ragged, soft even in some places.

"I didn't know the cathedral had a basement." Marley murmured.

"It's dark, I don't like this place." Jack muttered. Evelyn was rather silent, and she wrapped her arm around Alice, clinging on like a little lost girl. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I don't mind this, not at all. When they reached the bottom, a long and dark hallway greeted them. Old marble pillars ran up to the ceiling, and in between them were large blank reliefs, unnaturally smooth as though their scriptures were scrubbed off.

Strange, it feels something should be on that thing. They passed by a many rusting iron doors, and many more splits and forks. A blonde acolyte emerged from the darkness before them, and he bowed down to Father Orlando.

"The preparations are complete, Father."

"Good. Take us there." Father Orlando said. The acolyte nodded, and led to a certain iron door behind him. He looked at the other children, and his face grew dark of weary and concern.

"Always remain behind the red line. Do not panic. We will protect you if need be." Then, he pushed open the iron door and went inside. Father Orlando followed, and one by one the rest of them did too. When Alice entered the room, she instantly noticed the bright red line running straight down its middle. The other end of the room was nearly pitch black, but she heard the ragged breathing of something there, something alive and suffering. Evelyn clutched Alice's arm tighter.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah." Alice's lips curled into a frown, and she stared into the darkness. The blonde acolyte flicked a switch, and a dim light shimmered above them.. And there, beneath the yellowed rays, sat a hunched white creature, its back facing towards them. Thin black bones ran out in ridges along its spine, and frail strands of black hair fell from the balding dome of its scalp. The students broke into a collective gasp.

Many stepped back, others turned for the door, but some were completely silent, entranced by that unspeakable thing. Alice herself stared wide-eyed as the hairs on her skin stood up.

"What the hell is that?" Jack's face twisted in disgust, taking the words right out of Alice's mouth. Evelyn tugged on Alice's arm, as though begging her to run and leave. But Alice remained still, lost in her own thoughts. Is that… no, that can't be. Why would they keep something like that down here? But… what else could it be, but a succumbed? It wrenched its neck backwards, staring at them with a pair of bloodshot eyes that bulged from lidless sockets.

It's face was thin and unnaturally long, and it grinned its broken yet sharpened teeth; the muscles of its cheeks straining like they were about to snap.

"Stay behind the red line. It cannot reach you there." Father Orlando stepped in front of the group, stopping inches away from the line. The creature rose upwards, standing on a pair of twisted legs, so thin and ragged in fact they seemed like the appendages of an insect. It stood two heads taller than Father Orlando, and its long and slender arms fell past its buckled knees, nearly touching the ground. Its body faced the wall, but it's face gazed at them, unblinking.

"This is a succumbed." It coiled like a spring and lunged at Father Orlando neck with its long black claw. The students screamed, but at the last second it was flung into the wall by an invisible force. It let out a guttural shriek as its arms and legs spread across the bricks. Alice saw it clearly now. Its skin was sheer white like snow, and it stretched like old rubber, leaving loose flabs along its ribs and belly.

When the light fell upon its loins, there was nothing but a huge fiery wound running in between its thighs. As it thrashed and shrieked to no avail, Alice saw figments of what it once was.

"His name was Robert. He was an eight generation of the death bloodline, and a criminal wanted for murder. Still he was human back then. After being hunted and imprisoned by the Inquisition, he broke and succumbed. Look at him now, nothing but a rabid beast." Father Orlando took a deep breath and sighed. It snarled upon its name, but try as it might, its limbs were glued to the wall. Alice activated her eyes of truth, and the world turned black and white.

Bright blue lights shimmered out of the walls, forming chains that latched unto the creature's arms and legs, continuously tightening and loosening with every passing moment.

"That thing is human?" One of the blonde haired boys said.

"Was a human. Now it is just a monster, wearing the dying, rotting skin of one." Father Orlando reached into his bag, and pulled out a slab of rotting, maggot infested flesh. Most turned away in disgust, but Alice and Jack were unfazed. She was simply too used to the stench of death. For a split second It stilled, eyes glued at the slab of meat.

"Here's your food, beast." Orlando threw the rotted slab on the ground, the chains loosening up as he dragged his hand back. It growled and pounced, catching the slab within its gaping jaws, threshing back and forth, splattering blood and chunks of rotted meat all over the floor. It snarled as it chewed and bit, devouring the slab within seconds, leaving nothing but scraps. When it was done, its stomach churned and its blood red eyes drifted towards them.

Alice gulped, as a low resounding laugh billowed from its throat. It broke into a sprint, eyes locked unto Alice. But then, the chains screeched, slamming the creature back against the wall with a resounding thud.

"See how it hungers for human flesh. It would eat anything, even something as old and rotted as that slab of meat." Orlando stepped dangerously close towards the creature. The thing shrieked, and lunged for Father Orlando's neck. But at the last second, it was flung back against the wall, its back smashing with a loud thud. Even so, it snarled and it reached with its inhumanly long arms, trying to scratch away at Orlando's face.

"Then, there is anger. It hates without knowing why. It hates, for it has lost all other thoughts." Father Orlando reached into his bag, pulling out a three pronged cross.

"And last, is Faithlessness." He shoved it towards the creature, and the thing snarled and threw back its head, hitting the brick wall once more. It covered its face with its arms as it hunched down, screeching in fear and agony.

"Misuse of the soul may also lead to succumbing. I made all of you practice not for your eyes, but for your own well being." Father Orlando said.

"Is there… a cure for it?" Evelyn gulped and asked.

"You should already know that, Ms. Baruch. There is only one cure." Father Orlando stepped backwards, and he extended his open palm over to the blonde acolyte. The blonde acolyte pulled out a small revolver from the box behind him, handing it over to Father Orlando. Father Orlando smacked the hammer once, and took aim right at the creature's dome. With a pull of a trigger, a loud bang echoed out, and the creature's brain and blood matter spattered all over the wall.

It fell limp, with a large window peering straight through its skull.

"The only cure is death. It is a mercy, nothing more." Father Orlando stepped away, returning the silver revolver to the blonde priest.

"I will dismiss you early for today. Tomorrow, we will start with our lectures."