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Chapter 8

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Moving deeper into the woods, mysterious fog began to emerge all around, while his eyes could see no trace of the dove anywhere. No amount of searching allowed him to find out where it was hiding, making him wonder if this was all a lie by a trickster who dared to pull a prank on him.

Although the sensation of peace and the presence of the holy spirit weren't misleading him, on the contrary, this is a sign from the divine itself. Thus, Seth kept venturing despite how the fog isn't as dense as it is, being rather noticeable to see through the forest and the trees.

It's better to move with caution; he doesn't want to trip down and break a bone from hitting his head on solid ground. It will not only be embarrassing to endure but painful to sustain as well. Luckily, he had followed his heart, which led him to God's divine grace.

Even though he's walking down a route, his footsteps are silent with stealthy and slow movement in order not to be detected by anything or anyone, for he is cautious about what he might encounter through these dark woods at night.

Not only was the entire forest foggy, but also the sky itself, making him wonder if the fog was a naturally occurring phenomenon or if it was something that was magical in origin. But as he continued through the mist, Seth saw a silhouette figure from afar.

Stopping in his tracks, he contemplates whether to approach this person or turn around. Will the unknown stranger attack him? Who knows, but it is far better than standing here and doing nothing while there's a chance to solve this problem head-on.

Putting on a brave face, he moved forward with full confidence in his abilities, placing his trust in God that everything would work out just fine for him as long as he kept having faith in himself. Besides, the only way for him to overcome this fear of the unknown is to face it head-on.

Sometimes, when fear paralyzes him, it prevents a person from taking action, preventing him from facing what terrifies them in the first place, so it's best to fight against that and do the opposite. No matter the cost, "Hello?" He spoke in a firm tone, "Are you lost ma'am?" Stopping a few feet away to get a better look.

Suddenly, his heart throbbed painfully at witnessing the odd features of this elderly woman, who is seemingly far older than anyone he would expect. An eerie presence of dread washed over him, taking everything in him not to flee at the mere sight of her.

Her long and white, messy grey, along with her brown robe and cane, almost resembling a pig, as the eyes were nonexistent, to the point of Seth questioning whether she even has eyes at all by the mere fact that her wrinkles are far worse than any old person he had seen in his entire life.

How old she is is far beyond any words he can speak. Yet he knows that this was probably not even a person to begin with when she bared her rotting teeth in a cruel smile, if this was all game to her, making him want to flee in fear of his own life.

But he needed answers, and probably this strange elderly woman is the key to what he seeks. But even then, Seth needs to be careful because the way this person is emitting is nothing sort of good or pure but rather dark and demonic energy alone.

"Don't go!" Wicked cackles escaped through her lips. "Why don't you stay and chat?" Unveiling her secrets with a voice of pure malice while Seth listened to her every word in case there was something to learn, she said, "Isn't it right, Seth?" Her cruel eyes looked straight at him, piercing straight through the young man's soul.

Seth widened his eyes in shock. "How did you know my name?" This is the most alarming news he received today, and the fact that this woman knows his name is enough proof that she has been expecting him for a long time now.

Nonetheless, he ignored his beating heart, for the master of creation shall always protect him in times of need. The only way for him to be strong is to continue pressing forward while staying wary of his surroundings and the danger that surrounds him.

She slowly tilted her head, creating cracking noises and snapping sounds in the process. "Let's just say I know everything about you, from your favorite food to what makes you cry in shame," all while revealing her ghastly tongue and smiling deviously at the horrified expression he carries.

Taking small steps away from her, his mind is telling him to run, but his heart says otherwise. He needs to understand who and what she is, mostly how this woman even knows who he is to begin with. "Answer me!" Clenching his fists in controlled anger, he asks, "What do you want?"

He wanted answers; he wanted to know what she was talking about and how she managed to know him entirely. Nothing is adding up to the point, and Seth needs to get it off his chest or he'll go crazy from the mental anguish he is forced to endure from the stress she is putting upon him.

"I'm called many names," pausing for a second, she continued while staring at him, "for I have a thousand names in untold numbers," letting out a crazed giggle. "But please, just call me Thotep," the mysterious woman told him with a soft tone in her voice, resulting in Seth ever being vigilant of the dangers this lady brings.

So, who or what exactly is she? A demon, no doubt, but Seth will not fall for her tricks when his faith in the Lord is far greater than that of her. "Are you a demon?" Feeling fear creeping into his very soul, "or the devil?" He focused her on the little bravery left within him.

All while trying to keep his breathing steady, his throat was dry, and his eyes were wide open. Thotep then laughed hysterically at his accusation, causing him to become confused over her reaction. This only served to fuel Seth's suspicion when she gripped her wooden cane tighter.

"What were you expecting? God? The Devil? No, it is only me," she began walking toward the confused young man, causing him to take a step back, "just a lonely old hag that wanders through the forests on nights like these, looking for some company," stopping in her tracks as the demented old woman gave him a sultry grin, "You understand, don't you?"

The young man doesn't have a clue what she is trying to do, but he knows now that this isn't human to begin with. "If you are not the devil or God, Then what are you?" Just as Seth said those words, she briefly vanished for a second before feeling his neck being suddenly grabbed.

Appearing in front of him, she raised him up with one hand, letting out a deep chuckle when his legs dangled, while the other clutched his neck. It took every ounce of his strength to try to break away, but none of it worked as her strength was far greater than his.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Thotep was getting aroused at the frightened expression Seth held, watching his legs struggle to touch the ground. "The child of God! Ha!" Mocking him before licking her chapped lips in perverted excitement, she said, "he won't save you now."

His face slowly turned blue, foaming at the mouth where desperation could be clearly seen. Tears ran down his eyes at being unable to do anything; this was the end of him. Was this part of some greater plan God has? Perhaps the Lord has other things to worry about than saving some random priest.

"DIE DIE DIE!"

She continued to chant and cackle loudly, squeezing the young man's neck tighter in satisfaction, relishing the pure horror on his face. The woman could have simply killed her with a snap; however, this is all too fun for her; after all, a quick death wouldn't have satisfied her desires.

Looking up at the sky, he wonders if this is the end. How pathetic of him, and how shameful it is for him to die like this. The irony of being killed in the middle of nowhere with no one by his side except this evil creature He hopes to finally see them again.

"DIE—"

With his final thought of calling upon the holy spirit's help, a sudden gust of wind entered the area, safely passing through him before it violently pushed Thotep away, dropping him down on the ground as he desperately comforted his neck in pain while taking heavy breaths.

He watched her being continuously attacked by powerful winds while he himself remained on his knees, unharmed by the unknown force. While she is desperately holding on to herself from being blown around by powerful currents of the elements, he felt safe and relieved for his prayer of asking for the Holy Spirit to intervene on his behalf.

"NO!" She tried to hold onto a tree, but the force of the winds caused her grip to slip, as even when she lost her hold, the evil woman still managed to walk forward, albeit with difficulty. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Her old, frail body struggled against the unseen force before her cane flew away from her.

Out of frustration, she let out a monstrous roar to the point her hollow sockets began to sprout out many tentacles oozing in black liquid. "CURSE YOU! I CURSE YOU, YESH! YOU HEAR ME, GOD!" All while lashing out at the holy winds in hopes of fending off the attack, "CURSE YOUR CHILD FOREVER! CURSE YOUR FUCKING PROPHETS! AND CURSE THE ENTIRE HUMANITY!"

But as the mysterious force continued its assaults, a glowing golden vine emerged from the ground beneath the woman, wrapping it around her body, causing Thotep to scream in maddening agony at this insolence, "AHHH!" Throwing out a tantrum in attempts to remove the restraints around her, "WHY CAN'T I BE THE ONLY ONE?" Instead, more vines appeared from the soil, quickly encasing and binding the evil woman in a cocoon-like structure.

"YOU CAN'T—"

Her entire body glowed brightly with radiance before exploding in blinding light as the violent winds then briefly stopped, leaving behind a small crater where Thotep once stood. Slowly and gradually, Seth stood up on his own two feet while using a nearby tree for support, wiping away the tears from his eyes after his mind had become hazy over everything that had just happened.

His legs felt weak, like jelly at best, and he is aware of how death almost claimed him. "I thought..." Gritting his teeth, Seth felt scared for a moment, seeing death so close in his eyes. His entire life flashed before his eyes. It was a terrifying experience.

This is what made him realize that life itself is fleeting; anyone can die at any moment without warning. He is only lucky to be alive, thanking the master of creation for saving him, and while he wanted to cheer to the heavens, a sudden interruption caught his ears.

"Child of God," an androgynous voice called him, gaining his attention, in which he realized the voice was everywhere: "Follow your heart; I will show you the path." As he blinked, the fog in the area returned to the normalcy of the night, returning to its normal state where the woods were as eerie or foreboding as they were a few moments ago.

Still shaken, he can nonetheless sense the presence of holiness lingering within these trees. And when he saw a dove of light gently leaving trails of feathers, Seth understood what he must do: "Thank you." Straightening himself up, he covered his mouth in tearful relief. "God has shown his miracles yet again."

Praising the almighty, he uttered a quick prayer of gratitude to the Lord before sighing in relief at finally having this all over, a terrible event that no one should experience. At least he will get his answer sooner or later; right now he has important matters to attend to.

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.043 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 18:30, Dec 22 2024