Chapter 9 When The Chosen Ones Come Together
Lina's POV
It's a Tuesday, and Father Eron couldn't make it to the office early today. So I'll have to handle some paperwork myself for now.
The sun flashed brightly through the blinds of the station window, glowing over my desk.
My fingers tapped absent-mindedly against my notebook, with my eyes fixated on the files scattered all over my table.
I took a quiet sigh, and leaned back on my chair, now staring up at the ceiling, as I absent-mindedly used my eyes to follow the blades of the fan as they rolled slowly.
I reached for my phone and slowly scrolled down to Father Eron's contact and with a single tap, I dialed his number.
As if he was expecting my call, he picked almost immediately.
“Eron, how did it go with the woman yesterday—the Revealer?” I asked.
Eron didn't respond immediately, I took a silent sigh.
Then calmly, he responded; “I'm scared that she might be a problem! She was being persistent and frantic yesterday. She wouldn't back down unless we agreed to let her join the investigation.” Eron sighed—sounding puzzled.
“That's a good one, actually!” I suddenly exclaimed.
“What?” Eron mumbled surprisingly.
With my eyes still fixated on the ceiling, I said; “Don't you think we need desperate people like her amongst us? And moreover, if she's really a Revealer as you’ve mentioned, then we're in need of her, and we shouldn't let her slip away.” I urged.
“Hmm…so what do you say?” Eron mumbled.
“We’ll let her in. I need you to contact her right away, she should be available for today's meeting. I've someone to introduce to you, so we’re all meeting today…together let's go get these kids.” I hinted.
“Will do, detective.” Eron responded.
With that being said, I immediately ended the call and sighed heavily.
Then there was a soft knock on the door.
“Come in.” I gulped and gently the door slid open and Kate instantly walked in.
“Hi!” I muttered, smiling politely at her as she stepped in.
“Thank you for inviting me.” She murmured and I nodded in response.
She began to scan the room, an impressive smile jolting away from her lips.
“Wow…I'm glad I'll be doing this.” Kate whispered as she took a seat next to me.
Then the door suddenly flung open, it was Father Eron—accompanied by the Revealer.
They both stepped inside with total familiarity and they nodded at Kate then they took a seat.
The room suddenly fell into a total silence, the only sound being heard is the faint hum of the ceiling fan roaming.
Slowly, I stood up from my chair, pressing my palms against the desk as I surfed through the three faces seated before me.
“I'm glad we all made it here!” I murmured, in an attempt to give the meeting a welcoming opening.
“Before we dive into the main discussion…I think it’s only right that we know each other for the purpose of familiarity and unity. I would appreciate a quick introduction from each one of you. It'll help us work as a unit. Trust me, we’ll need this in the long run.” I urged.
"I’m Father Eron, and I've worked with troubled children most of my life. This is a calling from the most mighty…and I'm just obeying.” Eron declared.
“I’m Dr. Allen Quinn but people call me…The Revealer. I don't have answers to this. My daughter is one of the missing children…so I'm here with the will to do anything to bring her back home.” Dr. Allen retorted, her voice plain and flat.
“I'm Kate Harper…I'm not a detective or a mother to a missing child, but I am a therapist. And I'm here because I owe the victims' families this responsibility.” Kate sighed.
“I appreciate that…so from now henceforth, we move as one and we're a family now.” I declared with a gentle smile on my lips.
With that being said, I was just about to dive into the main purpose of the meeting when the door to my office suddenly flung open, slamming against the wall—giving way for the storm outside, causing the papers on my desk to scatter all over the room.
I lifted my gaze only to set my eyes on a familiar looking figure standing by the door, panting and holding a stack of office flat files.
For a split second, I thought I was dreaming. Shock surged through my body the moment I realized who I was staring at.
Unbelievable!
My eyes narrowed as I screamed; “Noel?!”
“Ta-da!” He laughed.
“What the fuck…Noel?!” I stood up from my seat and rushed into his arms.
Noel smiled cheerfully as he wrapped his hand around my waist.
His hair was now longer than I remembered, his eyes a little bit more piercing now, with a burning cheek bone.
Fuck…Noel is way more handsome now.
I loosened my grip on him and spanked him on his head.
Noel and I used to work together about eight years ago. He used to be the journalist in our department, covering stories around the city.
Noel used to be a one-of-a-kind reckless journalist with the gift of digging up truth that people had buried—then one day Noel disappeared.
“Seven years, Noel. No calls, no texts, nothing. You just disappeared. I thought you were dead really! And now you suddenly showed up like a ghost.” I yelped while still smiling.
“I know…I'm sorry, Lina. I was faced with something bigger…too complicated and I never want you to get involved…if I'd stayed, I might lose you.” Noel explained regretfully.
“Whatever!” I yelped, now staring at the stack of files in his hand, rather than his face; “And here you're with your system of showing up with just enough to make yourself useful.” I said flatly.
“I heard what's happening—the missing children.” Noel muttered, suddenly switching into work mode.
“Is that why you came back?” I asked, my voice plain and direct.
Noel didn't respond immediately, he stared at me for a while, feelings and emotions fighting him from within.
“Twenty years ago, there was a similar case like this one. Five children went missing, same week, same town, same time, and pattern. It's more like history is repeating itself.” Noel explained, his eyes darting over all the faces in the room.
Noel slid the folder across the table, his eyes now fixated on me.
I hesitated for a while before opening the folder and sharing the files across to everyone in the room.
“But no one ever reported this,” I murmured, the moment I set eyes on the content of the file.
“Exactly! Because it was buried,” Noel said frantically. “And I plan to dig it out. We're gonna dig it out!” He retorted, smiling at me.
“You walk in here after seven years with some horror story in a file and expect me to believe you, Noel?” I asked, glancing suspiciously at him.
“Above anything, I know you would believe me, Lina. You and I have worked together for years and you know me so well…if I never had a reason, I wouldn't have disappeared.” Noel sounded almost too sure.
“Fine, but you must follow my rules. You vanish again, and you're gone forever!” I yelped, sounding more like a threat rather than a warning.
“Aboit the similar case from twenty years ago, do you've any idea how it ended?” I asked, while still flipping through the file.
“All dead, burned beyond recognition.” The moment Noel said this, my eyes instantly darted towards Father Eron and our eyes locked into each other.
“No…no…that can’t be real.” I muttered.
“History repeats itself when wounds stay buried instead of being healed.” Father Eron murmured, adding tension to the situation.
I watched as everyone stared at the file in silent fear of what's ahead of us.
“LU-CI-FER!” The Revealer suddenly whispered into the silence and everyone turned towards her, her eyes burning with flames. Her lips barely moved while her head slowly tilted to the left.
The room suddenly went silent.
Her hands were tightening onto her throat like she was going to strangle herself.
Noel stole a glance at me, surprised at what exactly was happening.
Before I could put everything together, Father Eron whispered the same thing;
“LU-CI-FER!” Father Eron whispered just after her, his hands tightening around his throat like he was about to strangle himself too.
Next, Kate whispered the same thing; “LU-CI-FER!” her hands were tightening around her neck too.
They all were trying to strangle themselves.
I turned towards Noel and he suddenly fell to the ground and he instinctively whispered the same thing; “LU-CI-FER!” And his hands immediately flew to his throat, tightening around his neck as though he was possessed by a demon who wanted him dead.
My hands started to tremble, what the hell is happening?
What's wrong?
Why the fuck are they whispering such a cursed name, like some invisible force has possessed them.
All of them were choking and close to death.
I thought of running away, but I couldn't.
Why am I the only one standing?
I ran to the floor where Noel was shivering and strangling himself. I grabbed his arms and tried to yank it away from his throat, but it was as if I was trying to lift a mountain from its place. It was as if adhesive glue was used to connect his hands to his throat. The more I tried to pull him free, the harder it got and the more he choked himself.
This wasn't him, he's definitely possessed. The same goes for everybody here, they are all possessed and this demon wants them dead.
I didn't know what to do. Four people are trying to strangle themselves to death, what should I do oh Lord?
Then suddenly, there was a heat inside of me, as if something was awakening within me.
Strange words suddenly burned into my memory, words I never thought I knew.
My lips began to move in instinct as if I was possessed; “Lux mea, vita mea, potestas ex ignoto, Ex tenebris, renascor, invicta sum.
Vocem meam audite, o flammae caeli—Claudite portas inferni ante me!” I chanted at the very top of my voice. I didn't stop, I repeated the words again and again and again. I was out of control, I tried to stop talking, but I couldn't.
The room began to shake, the door suddenly flung open and a sudden storm erupted the whole building.
A binding white light suddenly exploded from within me, spreading out over the room.
Then suddenly, the Revealer gasped and fell back, releasing her hands from her throat.
Father Eron choked and fell to his knees too, slowly coming back to life.
Kate's hands instantly dropped from her throat.
And Noel let out a sharp exhale and began to cough wildly.
They were all breathing again.
Alive and restored.
I stood in the middle of the room, the bright light slowly burying itself back into me. And for the first time, I felt him—Lucifer. He's watching, waiting, and silently monitoring me, but he couldn't get close.
For the very first time, I wasn't afraid.
“What the hell was that?” Noel managed to ask but before I could get to say a word, I suddenly slumped and fell to the ground.