Two years later, when I was eight years old, I started helping the Sister clean the church and garden in the backyard.
This church was located on top of a hill.
Only a few houses were visible in the distance.
Initially, this church was just a relic from the world war era.
It could be said that the church was quite well-provided with food, money obtained from donations, and fields.
Sister Leonora only operated with her father, the Pastor.
The Pastor was rarely seen because he often traveled to other churches.
Now, the Pastor had returned home.
Sister Leonora's father was named Leonardo.
Every morning, we prayed, listened to Pastor Leonardo's sermon, and his travel stories.
When night fell, I was heading to the bathroom, which was located on the first floor, to urinate.
I overheard Pastor Leonardo and Sister Leonora whispering and looking serious; they seemed to be discussing something very important.
Illuminated only by two candles, they sat facing each other at the table we usually used for eating together.
I walked slowly closer, hiding behind the wall.
I was just curious about what they were talking about, especially since the Sister seemed hysterical.
"My daughter, your father has received that information from another church, and the data seems to be genuine."
Pastor Leonardo glanced at a pile of papers on the table that he might have found or written himself.
Sister Leonora stood up, slamming the table, her left hand gripping one of the papers while reading it.
"F-Father! What are you saying?! I have cared for him as my own son, b-but why are you showing me horrible data like this?"
Then the paper was placed back on the table with the others.
Sister Leonora sat back down.
I, who was peeking, became more curious.
'What are they talking about? Why did Sister Leonora say that?'
Pastor Leonardo stood up casually.
He looked at the statue of Mary, clasping both hands behind his back, then let out a long sigh.
"My daughter, this is reality. If he stays here, we might run into trouble. He is old enough now to go outside."
Then Sister Leonora also stood up, taking the paper and tearing it up. She seemed to be crying.
"F-Father, why does it have to be this way? Even if he is old enough, he is still a child. It will be very difficult if he has to struggle outside alone."
Pastor Leonardo turned to look at Sister Leonora, then walked toward her, patting both her shoulders.
"My child, it's not that your Father doesn't want him to stay, but if other churches find out, we could be sued for hiding an Accursed Creature."
"B-But Father, he's not what you imagine. He is just an innocent child, and he's perfectly fine when praying. How could an Accursed Creature do that?"
Sister Leonora wept, sobbing, embracing her Father, and her father patted her back to calm her.
I thought hard.
Who was the 'Accursed Creature' they were talking about? I didn't understand anything.
I leaned against the wall, rubbing my chin while glancing at them.
Pastor Leonardo released his daughter from the hug. He walked to pick up the other paper while reading it.
"Demons. In ancient times, demons indeed existed. But now they only hide and do not reveal themselves. We, as religious people, acknowledge that demons exist."
Then Pastor Leonardo turned around.
"When your Father traveled, your Father conducted research on that child's symbol. And your Father is certain, he is a descendant or one of their kind, even if it's not clearly visible and I think he is not a Creature of this world."
Sister Leonora seemed unconvinced.
Since the baby was found, there had been many strange occurrences.
That's why Pastor Leonardo traveled to various places to find out secretly.
"F-Father, are you sure Michael is a demon, an Accursed Creature from another world? I cannot believe this has happened."
I was shocked when the Sister said that.
My breath felt heavy.
I tried to walk to ask about myself, but my legs froze, unable to move.
"It's true, my daughter, that's what your Father found. But we can do this nicely, giving him some food and support from behind when he is outside later. This is for the best."
I, feeling shocked, stumbled and fell.
The sound echoed loudly in the perhaps spacious room, startling them.
Pastor Leonardo narrowed his eyes, his pair of sharp eyes immediately directed at the source of the sound.
The silence of the night felt oppressive, and the sound of his footsteps now clearly echoed on the wooden floor.
I held my breath until my chest felt tight.
I couldn't move; my body could only crawl, slowly hiding behind the nearest cupboard shadow.
The Pastor's footsteps stopped.
My heart pounded erratically, competing with the quiet sound in the room.
I could hear his heavy breathing as he scanned the surroundings, looking confused.
After a while, he turned around and walked back to where he was before.
I didn't waste a second.
With steps as light as possible, I climbed the stairs.
Each step felt like a trap.
After reaching the top floor, I hurried into my room, locked the door with the old bolt, and immediately exhaled the breath I had been holding.
I exhaled, walked to open my window.
I pondered, resting my head on my hand while looking at the crescent moon.
'A Creature from another world? Me? But why do they say that? I, I'm just a normal human! How did this happen? What should I do? Should I leave this church?'
I yawned because I was sleepy.
I stopped thinking about it; my head suddenly felt empty.
I went to bed, grabbed my blanket, then slept and closed my eyes.
The window was still open.
The night wind entered the room.
Behind the large tree outside, there was a flash of light from a pair of eyes.
The black silhouette jumped into my room through the window.
I was sleeping too soundly to notice it.
The silhouette approached.
Its magenta-pink eyes glowed, then its right hand hovered over my head.
"It's not time for you to know yet."
It chanted a spell in a foreign language I had never heard.
Suddenly, my head ached.
I only squirmed slightly and made no sound.
The bluish light slightly illuminated my room.
The light emitted intricate script characters that slowly entered right in the center of my forehead.
I calmed down again; it seemed the ritual was over.
When I felt heat all over my body, I felt strange and tried to open my eyes slowly.
I was semi-conscious, seeing the black silhouette quickly fly out of my window.
I fell asleep again.
When I woke up in the morning, I didn't remember the events of last night at all, especially Pastor Leonardo's conversation.
I only vaguely remembered a black shadow. When I tried to recall it more deeply, my head felt a sharp, stabbing pain.
I held my throbbing head, then decided to forget about it.
The morning light and the birds began to sing.
I turned toward the window that had been open all night.
'I forgot to close it. Lucky I didn't catch a cold'
I rubbed my eyes while walking toward the window.
I breathed in the fresh air and saw the beautiful scenery, but the sky was still dark; perhaps it was only five in the morning.
Knock! Knock! The sound of knocking.
I was curious who was knocking so early.
Sister Leonora usually never knocked because by 6 o'clock we were all gathered for prayer.
I walked to open the door, then I saw Pastor Leonardo standing, staring at me.
"Pastor, why are you visiting me so early? Is something the matter?"
Pastor Leonardo walked into my room and sat on the chair near the window.
"Son, close the door again, I want to talk to you."
'What is the Pastor going to talk about?'
I closed the door again, then walked and sat on the edge of the bed, watching the seemingly restless Pastor.
His expression showed pity.
"Son, you are big now. Go outside. Out there, perhaps you will find something that makes you happier. I will ask Fuji to accompany you. How about that?"
Pastor Leonardo looked at me, seemingly reluctant and slightly serious.
I felt confused about what the Pastor meant.
"Pastor, do I have to leave the church? But I still want to stay here."
"Son, I don't mean to drive you away."
Then he turned toward the window, where two birds were close together and singing.
"Look at those birds. They look happy because they found a new life out there. Don't you want your own happiness? If you stay here forever, it won't change your life."
Then I looked at the two birds while listening to him, and the rising morning light made the two birds shine.
My heart was impressed.
Perhaps the Pastor meant finding my own path.
But I thought, 'Aren't I still a child? Should I have to do that?'
"Pastor, can a child survive out there, like those birds?"
"Son, fundamentally, every human has their own life, but don't worry, I will ask Fuji to accompany you. If anything happens, Fuji can help you, and the Pastor will help you from a distance too."
I looked at the Pastor, who seemed to be smiling.
All my negative thoughts disappeared.
The Pastor's words made me excited.
I also wanted to find my own path.
Michael, who was watching the flash, remained silent.
Suddenly, it happened again.
The flash began to crack and shatter into pieces, disappearing just like that.
Then, another flash of light came again, which was likely Michael's next memory.