Chapter 2: The Whisper of Shadows
Divine stood frozen, his gaze locked on Joseph's intense eyes. The word that had just slipped from the man's mouth echoed in his mind like a broken record, each repetition gnawing deeper into his thoughts.
"Defenders."
He felt something tighten in his chest. "Defenders?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes wide with confusion and fear. "Sin world? What the hell is that?"
Joseph's hand, calm and firm, gently rested on Divine's shoulder. A surge of warmth and strange familiarity traveled through Divine's body, as if the man's touch reassured something long forgotten inside him.
Without answering, Joseph extended his arm and pointed subtly toward a man clad in a sleek black suit. He stood within the room, speaking to an elderly woman seated on a wooden chair. The man looked perfectly human, ordinary even. But something about him felt... different.
"That man," Joseph said, his voice low like a chant carried on sacred winds. "He's a Defender. One of us."
Divine blinked rapidly, retreating a step in shock. "A Defender?" he stammered. "But… he's just standing there. People can see him."
"He hasn't modified his body," Joseph replied. "So he's visible to all. Unlike others."
Divine looked at the man again. Though his appearance was plain, there was something unsettling behind his eyes. As if he was bearing a war that no one could see.
"Why is he here?" Divine asked, voice quivering.
"To protect you," Joseph said calmly.
"Protect me?" Divine repeated. Then Joseph replied:" yes,From the sins?"
Divine looked supprised and asked"what?, Sins?".
Before Joseph could respond, a sharp sting struck the back of Divine's head.
"Who the hell are you talking to?!" Maria barked, glaring at Divine with raised eyebrows.
Divine winced and clutched the back of his head. "Sorry, I'm just… memorizing my school notes," he stammered, forcing a nervous laugh.
Maria squinted at him, eyes scanning his face with suspicion. Then, she glanced toward Joseph's direction. Her gaze lingered for a moment, as if something unseen pricked her awareness. A strange silence fell over the room.
But after a few seconds, she shrugged, muttered something beneath her breath, and walked away.
Joseph turned to Divine again. "Be careful. Your enemies are closer than you think. Sometimes, they're within your home."
Divine frowned. "What the hell do you mean, 'enemies'?"
Joseph stepped back. "You'll understand. In time."
"Wait!" Divine shouted, his voice sharp and loud. "What the hell do you mean enemies?!"
The entire room turned toward him. Heads lifted. Eyes stared. Murmurs stirred.
"What are you doing?" someone asked.
"Who are you talking to?" another inquired.
"Why are you yelling?" a third voice added.
Divine froze for a second, then forced a smile, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, I was thinking out loud. I guess I got a bit carried away."
When he looked back, Joseph was gone. As if he had vanished into thin air.
---
Scene Shift: Agbarho City
At the far edge of the bustling city of Agbarho, a small restaurant glowed with the warm amber light of early evening. Inside, a lone man sat by the window, a cigarette pressed between his fingers, gray smoke curling like spirits in the dim air. He exhaled slowly, drowning himself in the comfort of solitude.
Then, it began.
A bell rang. Not the usual metallic ding of the shop's door. No, this one rang inside his head. Distant at first, then louder—sharper—like church bells being beaten by demonic hands.
The man, Roger Ebert, clutched his ears.
The customers looked at him, confused. Some paused their conversations. Others turned to see if something was wrong.
Roger screamed.
He dropped to the floor, writhing, his hands pressed to his temples as if trying to crush the sound out of his skull.
Visions assaulted him—blood, fire, a small girl screaming. He remembered. He remembered it all. The alley. The screams. The silence afterward.
He had raped her. He had killed her. He thought he had buried the memory forever.
But now—
A shadow materialized in his mind. A figure in black cloth with no face, only a twisted, eternal grin. It emerged from the memory like smoke from a fire.
"This will be the last time we see each other," the figure said. Its voice was like wind over dry bones. "And you will forget me... until the day of your death."
"Who the fuck are you?!" Roger screamed.
"You have committed your first sin," the figure said. "It is now written in the Shade Holy Book."
"Shade? Sin?"
"When you reach your seventh sin," it continued, "we shall come for your soul."
Then the vision disappeared.
Roger gasped for air.
Back in the present, Roger looked up. Panic gripped him.
"No... no... no!"
His heart thundered in his chest. He had reached his seventh sin. He remembered them all. Every deed. Every crime. And now—
The floor cracked.
A hand emerged. Then another.
Two tall figures, flaming like dying stars, their eyes burning red, rose from the ground. Only Roger could see them.
He screamed and bolted.
One figure moved like a gust, smashing him into the road. People screamed. Cars screeched.
To the world, it looked like a spiritual attack. To Roger, it was death.
One of the flaming shades raised a blade. Silver. Serrated.
It slashed across Roger's throat.
Blood sprayed.
Then, silence.
The three shades stood over his broken body. One began to chant.
"The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil."
Matthew 13:41.
The ground swallowed them. The flames died. The people around screamed and recorded. The videos spread like wildfire.
---
Scene Shift: Gloria's Room
Back in the quiet town, inside a softly lit room, Gloria sat with a photograph in her hand. The man in the picture smiled beside her younger self. Her fingers trembled as she stroked the edges.
"Choice," she whispered. "Why would you leave me?"
Tears glistened. "Why? I thought you promised me the world… But now you left. Without a word."
The door opened.
Divine walked in slowly. He stood at the threshold, looking at her for a long time.
"Mom," he said gently.
She looked up, trying to wipe away her tears. A smile broke through her grief.
"Finally, you're alone," Divine said, walking over and wrapping his arms around her.
She leaned into him.
"I know you miss Dad," he whispered. "But you still have us. I'm here. We're here."
"I know, son," she said, her voice soft and shaky. "But his memories… they're still here. They're a part of me. I can't let him go."
Divine held her tighter. "Don't worry. We'll fight through this. Together."
From the window, high above the street, stood a figure on the rooftop. A woman clad in a sleek, sci-fi combat suit. The suit was matte black with glowing crimson lines tracing its form like veins. A jagged, blood-colored blade rested on her back.
Her eyes, hidden behind a dark visor, focused on the mother and son.
Behind her, a man dropped to one knee.
"Ma," he said. "Shall we proceed with the plan?"
The woman turned slowly.
"Not yet," she whispered. "Let him have this moment."
The two figures stepped back into the shadow—and disappeared.
---
End of Chapter 2