Luke didn't kill the hunters pursuing him, but he warned them of what would happen if they went after Caleb.
He wasn't hiding Caleb out of fear of what the Church might do to him—it was the opposite.
The hunters thought he was bluffing at first, but there was one thing Luke never did: lie.
That reputation stuck with the Church. His word was one thing they could always rely on.
"You still don't understand, Luke," one of the hunters said, a cold bead of sweat running down his forehead.
Luke raised an eyebrow, locking his gaze on the man and waiting to hear what he had to say.
"I don't?" Luke repeated.
"The hunter chasing him isn't just anyone, it's—!"
Before he could finish, something happened to him—like a hex had been cast.
He began convulsing like a rabid dog, foam forming at his mouth. Luke merely watched.
Bryan had no idea who the man beside him truly was, but it was clear he was strong enough to subdue trained killers without lifting a finger.
"H-Hey… he's dying!" Bryan shouted, hoping Luke would do something—but Luke didn't move a muscle.
"He's already dead," Luke said calmly.
"What do you mean he's already dead?!" Bryan shouted, shaken.
Until now, they'd only killed supernatural beings—ghosts and spirits. This was different. This was a human.
But Luke was too composed. This clearly wasn't the first time he'd seen something like this.
"The Black Choir has made its move," Luke muttered.
The Black Choir—a fanatical sect within the Church—believed evil should be used to fight evil.
They had no moral compass and would stop at nothing to accomplish their twisted goals.
Luke had always known they operated underground, but for them to go this far to stay hidden only proved how extreme their ideals had become.
"This is worse than I thought," Luke realised.
If they were involved, it could only mean one thing—Caleb was in more danger than ever.
And without unsealing his powers, he wouldn't stand a chance.
The man standing before Caleb looked unnervingly calm, even though Caleb had just managed to counter him.
Caleb knew he was at a disadvantage. There was something off about this man.
It wasn't just the sword—it was something deeper, something emanating from his very soul.
Caleb couldn't leave without Eileen. He refused to abandon her, because that would mean her death.
He watched as the man took the sword he had used to kill Hilda and cut his skin.
Caleb's eyes widened as the man's skin began to shift in tone, and he started chanting in Latin.
"W-What the fuck…?" Caleb muttered. The man had a cross, but his actions were anything but holy.
"My Father, who art in Heaven,
The souls of the wicked shall perish by Your divine instrument.
Purify my body of sin, and let me embody Your wrath,"
The priest recited the prayer with conviction, and Caleb realised he had to act fast.
He dashed toward the man, but he didn't even see what happened.
All he felt was a devastating blow to the side of his jaw. His brain rattled, and for a split second, he blacked out before regaining consciousness.
But this didn't feel like a battle anymore—
A sharp pain suddenly pierced his chest.
The priest had moved too fast—faster than humanly possible.
Caleb had no chance to react. His eyes widened in pain and disbelief.
From across the room, Eileen opened her eyes—and her worst fear became reality.
She saw the sword driven clean through Caleb's chest.
"NO!!!" she screamed, her voice cracking with despair.
She knew that sword. It didn't just kill—it destroyed souls.
It erased them from existence.
All she could do was watch.
Caleb coughed up blood, staring at his attacker with fear and disbelief.
"N-No… I-I don't want to die…" he whispered.
He tried to speak, but no words followed—just tears welling in his eyes.
Eileen was frozen, but she knew there was only one thing left to do.
"I have to remove the seal…" she thought.
She had no idea what would happen, but it was the only chance.
She began chanting a spell, giving it her all.
Undoing the seal would mean erasing years of careful work and sacrifice… but it might save Caleb.
She committed the ultimate taboo.
She removed the seal.
"Am I too late…?" she whispered to herself.
If the sword had already destroyed Caleb's soul, then nothing would bring him back.
The priest pulled his bloodied sword from Caleb's chest, and his body collapsed to the ground, limp.
"Y-You bastard!" Eileen screamed at the priest, who finally turned to notice her.
"You're still alive?" he said with a sadistic grin, licking the blood from his blade before pointing it at her.
"I'll take your life next."
Eileen knew she stood no chance in her current state.
The priest stepped toward her, and she didn't resist. She had failed to protect the one person she was meant to—and she no longer cared what happened next.
And then—
Blood spilt across the floor.