"Is it really there?"
Michael asked, without turning his head. He sat at a large, intricately carved desk, piled so high with documents they nearly obscured him. His long, thick eyelashes, a feature he detested, prompted him to pluck a few strands of his golden hair and let them fall beside his workstation.
"Yes."
"Is it a Restricted Zone?"
"Yes, but it will be dealt with easily enough," a clear, high-pitched female voice responded to Michael. For the first time since their conversation began, he looked up at the person addressing him.
Standing before him, dressed in a silver-white uniform, her upper body veiled in the twilight shadows, was a girl with bright, resolute eyes. She had distinct East Asian features: her black hair was cut neatly at shoulder length, and her dark brown eyes, almost obsidian, contrasted sharply with the elaborately embroidered uniform. A medallion depicting a claymore and a wafer with an ear of wheat curved in a circle on her chest glinted silver as sunlight struck it. The cross-patterned border on the lapel, embroidered with gold thread and outlined in black, gave the uniform a look that was both simple and elegant. A slender sword sheathed at her hip added a touch of valor to her appearance; visually, the uniform did an excellent job of impressing the beholder.
Michael picked up a stack of documents, glanced through them, and signed.
He handed the stack to the girl standing before his desk.
"Bring it back to me, Hannah."Hannah, the girl just addressed, silently took the documents, bowed, and departed.
✤✤✤ ✤✤✤ ✤✤✤
Ethan had been lost in the ancient quarter of York for over three hours now.
The sun was beginning to dissolve behind large clouds.
He checked his watch; the luminous hands indicated it was five minutes past the Curfew Hour.
He needed to find shelter quickly, before they began to stir.Ethan looked around, hoping to spot a patrolling Holy Knight, but ultimately, he had to continue his disappointing trek through this labyrinth of narrow alleys.
Panting from exhaustion, Ethan leaned against a brick wall covered in damp, green moss. Throughout the Holy War Era, people had increasingly confined themselves within cramped four walls, clinging to their fragile faith.
He too had once been like that, after witnessing the bloody, imbalanced battles between humans and Entities.
Until the grey, confining walls suddenly reminded him of how free he once was, he yearned to see the night sky again, whether over open fields or from the rooftop of a city skyscraper.
And so, he became a reporter, a profession few would choose during these apocalyptic times.
Only because, as a reporter, he could obtain special clearance to travel through the war zones of the Holy War.
But regardless of his choices, the crucial thing now was to escape this bewildering maze of York's alleys.Ethan gasped for breath, looking down at his feet, now partly swallowed by the encroaching darkness. Fear crept into his heart.
He pulled out his Sony phone and turned on the screen; the signal bar didn't show even a tiny sliver.
It was now more than half an hour past the Curfew Hour.Ethan sighed, stretched to loosen his stiff muscles, and then continued to trudge forward.
This narrow alley connected to another, equally small one.
They linked endlessly, all with the same design and musty smell.
They were making him sick, walking in circles in the same place.Ethan wished his phone's signal would quickly return so he could contact his tour group and inform them of his location.
He truly never wanted to spend a night outdoors during these times. The locals would never let a stranger into their homes (the first lesson: some Entities could harm you if you opened the door to them, just like vampires), and the inn was outside this wretched maze. So, Ethan just kept walking in a frustrating loop.
He reached out and touched the moss-covered wall; it was cool to the touch.
In just ten years, the world had changed so much, and this place was no exception.
Since the Hell Gate appeared in Albion, cities had begun to thin out, unwillingly becoming "modern ruins."York was the same; its ancient streets were no longer safe. People had been ordered to evacuate from Northern Albion as far as possible, and most of the upper half of the S-shaped country had become a battlefield.
Yet, York, or Winchester – ancient cities – still held an allure for visitors.
Whether to reminisce about peaceful times or to be reminded of regrets, he didn't know.
"Are you lost?" A voice echoed from the adjacent alley, startling him.Ethan looked over. A teenage girl stood there, in a white dress with a light blue floral pattern.
"Are you lost?"
The girl asked again. Ethan took a step back, checked his watch – it was over 45 minutes past the Curfew Hour.
The girl turned and pointed towards the end of the alley, her pigtails swaying slightly.
"If you're lost, go to the end of the alley; there's a church there."
He looked in the direction she indicated and saw that there was indeed a small church, or rather, probably just a chapel.Ethan remained rooted to the spot, fumbling in his bag for his bottle of holy water.
Just then, the girl in the white dress frowned and muttered.
"Doesn't even know how to say thank you, so rude."
Then she ran a little further up, opened a small door, and slipped inside.Ethan heard a mother's loud scolding for her mischievous child who hadn't returned home by Curfew Hour, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to tiptoe quickly through the alley, then half-walked, half-ran towards the chapel.
By the time he reached it, darkness had fully descended. Ethan knocked loudly on the chapel's large door.
He tried to position his face within view of the peephole. A moment later, the door opened.
Before him stood a middle-aged priest, portly with a round face.
"Good evening, Father," he heard himself stammer.
"Good evening, my son."
"I'm lost. Please, Father, allow me inside. If necessary, I can test the Holy Water."
"No, that won't be necessary, my son." The priest smiled.
"This is a True Faith Threshold. If you can step into the chapel courtyard, that's proof enough you are human."
"Yes. Thank you, Father. It's terrifying out here."Ethan quickly stepped into the chapel, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.
Since the Vatican expanded its influence worldwide, chapels and churches had been continuously built.
Furthermore, everyone was encouraged to follow the faith and worship God in their own homes to create a True Faith Threshold – a kind of faith-based ward that, through some as-yet-unexplained means, could help them prevent intrusions by Entities ranging from Weak to Moderate threat levels.
Naturally, everyone was recommended to follow Christianity, leading to over 80% of the world now sharing the same faith in Revelation and God.
The priest led him through the chapel. Long pews made of artificial wood lined the space, a faint smell of plastic lingering in the air.
Behind the chapel was a passage that looked like a glass-enclosed tunnel, leading him directly to a small wooden house used as the priest's residence and for stranded travelers.
The rectory, though small, was quite well-equipped.Ethan noticed two guest rooms, a kitchen, and a corner room just large enough for a small bed and a wardrobe, presumably for the priest.
Sometimes he didn't quite understand their way of asceticism, always forcing themselves into inconveniences, limiting their use of modern amenities, and believing that humans needed to endure all suffering as a way to commune with God – the practice of the Ascetic Order.
And Ethan could never understand why they had to push themselves to such extremes.
He was shown to the room near the entrance, sharing a wall with the small kitchen.Ethan thanked the priest and asked for permission to rest; he was exhausted after hours of wandering aimlessly.
He tossed his backpack into a corner and let himself fall onto the bed, feeling as if every joint in his body was creaking each time he turned.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up; still no signal bars.
A small "clink" sound caught Ethan's attention.
He sat up, looking down at the floor to find the source of the noise.
In the corner of the room was a crucifix, the size worn around the neck.Ethan picked up the crucifix pendant. It was clearly made of pure silver, the rather expensive kind often used for exorcisms.
He felt puzzled. It seemed to have fallen from his trouser pocket, but there was nothing in his pocket except his phone.
This crucifix pendant had probably gotten caught in his pocket while he was visiting the lantern district. Well, it didn't matter much now.
Anyway, he couldn't know who had caused the crucifix to get stuck there, so he put it back in his pocket; he couldn't just leave it lying around.
"I'll ask to use the landline at the rectory,"
He thought to himself, then tossed his phone aside and closed his eyes to rest a bit before acting on his decision.
He didn't know how long he had dozed off when Ethan slowly opened his eyes.
It was pitch black around him. He sat up, shivering slightly as the cold seeped into him.Ethan jolted awake upon hearing a noise from outside the door, like the gentle scratching of a cat's claws on the door crevice.
He stood up, moving closer to the door to listen.
He felt the scratching grow louder, accompanied by a hissing sound.
As if an icy draft ran down his spine, his body trembled, and goosebumps erupted all over.
He recalled the signs that The Divine Order provided and updated annually for citizens on how to identify Entities.
The scratching grew louder, the soft hissing… and next would be tentacles descending from the ceiling.
Entity!!