She stood confused, but curious. It was quite unexpected Nicholas was convinced so easily. He was rather weirdly calm.
"Seventy years ago, a villager ran into the church with a book in his hand. He begged the priest for blessing and freedom. He looked insane — restless, jerking, his fingers black, like dipped in coal. But most terrifying were his eyes — no pupils at all. They said he was possessed by the devil, swallowed by darkness alive. The priest refused to help, believing he was beyond saving. The man then silently stood and left."
Lucy was shocked, standing there without any possible movement. Her eyes fixated on the book Nicholas was holding.
"The next day, the priest was found burned, along with the whole building. Only bones and the book remained. It was only slightly damaged. It has been preserved since."
—"And the madman? No one knows what happened to him, or if he still lives," Nicholas told her calmly. "And until now, no one has managed to open the book."
She listened with open mouth, frozen. Lucy couldn't believe his words, she hoped it wasn't true. Now everything she knew has finally been completed.
—"Nor can it be," he said, hitting the book, his face changing.
Lucy snapped awake.
—"That's strange…"
—"I don't know, but you know what I think? There's a reason I keep it here, in the church. It's a Grimoire — a medieval book, with instructions for spells, potions, summoning higher powers, creating talismans, and even calling demons," he said with certainty.
—"What?!" Her eyes widened in fear, "why??? What for?"
—"Lucy, maybe to trade his soul for something desired."
Her eyes shone: "Like what?"
—"Anything: money, fame, love, or even bringing the dead back to life."
She couldn't believe what she heard, but curiosity grew.
—"But it never ends well."
As soon as he finished, he went to put the book back.
—"I must go now, Nicholas. Thank you for telling me…"
She left the room. She stood a moment outside. A strange temptation came over her.
The door opened again.
—"I forgot my scarf," she said.
He just looked at her and went on dressing.
Quietly, she opened the drawer and took out the book, that was forbidden to talk about.
—"Ah, so it's not here," she hid it behind her back and hurried away.
—"Goodbye," he called after her one last time.
Not caring about the way back, she ran with all her strength down the dark, unknown path. Her legs carried her further and further, beyond her control. She didn't dare look at the book again, but she knew she held something heavy and serious under her arm.
When she finally got home, her mother was already asleep. As soon as she opened the book, she saw thousands, millions of sketches, strange and incomprehensible hieroglyphs, and many other mysterious symbols.
On one page, where words were quite readable, she discovered instructions on how to summon the devil and then make an eternal pact with him.
First, she had to draw a pentagram that would serve as both a guide into the underworld and a protection against all unpredictable forces. The pentagram consisted of a five-pointed star inside a circle — exactly like the one carved on the cover.
Each of the four points touching the circle symbolized one of the elements: fire, earth, air, and water. The fifth point, facing upward in the center, was the symbol of the so-called spirit.
She placed five candles at the ends of the star. On a piece of paper, she wrote her wish — what she wanted in exchange — and put it between the mirror and the drawing. She sat in the middle of the figure in front of the mirror and began to read an incantation in Greek, mumbling words in a language she didn't understand.
With noise coming from the room her mother stirred in her sleep and was turning over. Lucy repeated the words from the book three times. She looked into the mirror. The candle flames cast her sitting shadow, which moved restlessly. She sat in silence, and in the deep stillness she heard only her own breath. The moment was full of fear and expectation. But nothing happened. Desperate, she stood up and went to bed, as if she had expected exactly that outcome.
That night girl had a strange dream. She saw her father again, but this time he looked different, unlike himself — his eyes were dark, veiled in black eclipse. He wore a shabby, torn suit. Slowly, the suit was soaking in water, as the water level rose up to his neck. Eventually, he went under and never returned.
From the haze, hidden in fog, she woke with a chill. Cold sweat drenched her as she gasped for breath. She woke with a throbbing, agonizing headache.
From outside, through the wide-open door, carried by the cool wind, came a voice: "Are you awake? Come help me. Take the basket and fetch the eggs."
Obediently, despite her poor condition, she went to the chicken coop and collected the eggs. With a pile of them, she went into the kitchen to turn on the gas stove. She twisted the knob all the way to the right, raising the flame, not being awared of its dangerous consequences.
She had no intention of doing anything — she just stood and waited.
Within fifteen minutes, carbon monoxide had nearly pushed out the oxygen, and the house was filled with a suffocating, acrid smell.
—"Lucy!!!... Something's burning!!!" Her mother rushed into the room, coughing, struggling to speak.
—"Aaah!" The unbearable cry rang in Lucy's ears like the toll of a bell. Still standing silent, she suddenly twitched. Then she noticed her mother and unconsciously breathed in the foul air. Grabbing her head, she groaned.
Her mother, crawling, stretched toward the gas source and shut it off. Both ran outside to gasp for fresh air. Endless coughing shook them.
When all the rooms had finally aired out completely, Lucie went into the bathroom. She stopped at the sink, trying to focus, standing still in the hope that her dizziness would pass.
She lifted her head. In the mirror, behind her reflection, a black shadow flickered for a brief instant. It was so vivid, it looked as if a tall man with long hair stood right behind her. She splashed her face with water to make sure it was only an illusion. The shadow vanished. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal.
Her eyes fell on the book she had taken from the church the day before.
(What is happening…) (No, it can't be…) (No…) Her thoughts tangled. Filled with sudden resolve, she seized the book and ran outside.
Even before she entered the church, a sharp, piercing pain struck her head. The crowds inside shrank the space and took all air. Lucy felt such dizziness that she could barely stand or walk. With effort, she sat down on a bench to steady herself. After a moment, she went to the room where she had once spent a reckless night.
The room was empty. Carefully, Lucy placed the book back where she had taken it and was about to leave. But suddenly, another wave of pain hit her — pounding from every side of her skull. The world began to spin, her eyelids grew heavy. The pain froze her body, her knees buckled, and she collapsed.