Protected by the Devil

“Forgive me, Father, because I have sinned.”

In addition to the large varnished wooden doors and through the tilting glass windows, a slight thunderbolt was heard, wherever lightning was falling not far from there. As if somehow the angels already knew who was before the altar of that church, kneeling before a man completely ignorant of danger.

“I'm listening, child “the priest replied kindly.

Arianna smiled briefly, suffocating with dark and infernal power that dark part that was beginning to take shape under her skin, inciting her to dissolve that man in dust and fire. But there was still little power. And she wouldn't risk using anything other than her own hands. Not there on sacred ground.

“I have sinned beyond what is possible for a human being, Father. I'm afraid my soul won't be forgiven.”

The priest fixed the collar of his dress, although he was not at all interested in diverting the person's attention in front of him. In fact, he had wondered about the origin of the strange girl who moments before had begged for help in front of the doors of the chapel, asking the priest to listen to her urgently, as if he were going to lose his life if he had to wait for the next day “Sunday Mass day, and the day when he was deliberately available for confessions.

And, in fact, she looked like someone who was going to lose her life very soon, because she was nothing more than a thin and pale girl, with red hair like crackling fire and brown eyes clouded with tears.

What the priest could never imagine is what the evil himself was lurking under the bones of that young woman, and it was this very evil that had led her there. The same evil that allowed her to clearly hear any thought of the priest, as if she could hear him whisper in her ears.

I was acting. For the priest, for God, even for the devil himself. But never for you. I was sure that was the only way to regain control of your powers. To end the war before it started.

And, for a measly second, she felt sorry for the priest. He felt sorry for what he should do with him. She felt sorry, because he was really willing to listen to her and scare away her fears, because he, in fact, was willing to offer her shelter and food “which he imagined to be a homeless young woman. But as soon as he felt it, so quickly the feeling was gone, causing a hint of rancor to envelops his heart.

“God will always forgive the souls who are sincere to his actions, child “continued the man, bending down to match her height. “His heart must be at peace when praying three our fathers and two hail Marys next to the rosary.

Arianna wanted to laugh, to say that praying had not been part of her reality for months, years, centuries. But not yet. Instead, he forced himself to look at the priest through his eyelashes, filling his eyes with more false tears, fully aware of the new lightning that rumbled in the skies.

“I don't think God can forgive me “she said, quite aware of the lightning that reflected through the windows straight to the altar, where an image of Jesus Christ crucified rested. He observed the image and semi-closed his eyes, hoping that it would move, that the saints of that church would try to stop it by knowing its intentions. For knowing the evil in your heart. But they didn't do anything. So, he rehearsed a fragile smile and dedicated it to the priest. “I took innocent lives, and succumbed to evil, I lost my humanity while trying to find out who I was and what my purpose was on this earth, in this new life.”

The priest retreated his trunk slightly, finally frowning. It was almost there, she reflected immediately. I was almost able to bring the best I could get from people with unwavering faith: fear.

And with fear... with fear she would become the very terror of the seven hells. And it was in search of this that I was there. In search of blasphemy, shame and sin.

For no saint, no angel could stop her from stepping on sacred ground, even with her demonic blood, for she was exhausted, totally drained of her powers. She was nothing more than an empty and hollow creature.

And that priest in her small chapel was what she needed to return, to prove to Lucifer “her father “that he was strong enough, that he would return even stronger if he allowed it, and would take chaos to that hell he knew, which would make them pay for the loss of his powers and that he would kill every damn fallen angel he met in his way.

But not yet. Not as long as the priest didn't feel the genuine fear. Not until he begged for God and his saints; not while his Divinity was not looking at them.

“What are you talking about, my daughter? “whispered the priest, looking worried about the girl's sanity.

“I'm talking, Father, about the men I killed to return to hell for five centuries. Of the wars I caused in the human world, to reincarnate as many times as necessary. I am talking about the children I killed in the womb of their mothers so that I could become wise and beautiful for the rest of my immortal life “she said, rising on one knee, visualizing it from above, as a queen without a throne. “I am saying that there is no merciful God as everyone thinks, nor a good reason for you to have dedicated years learning about Because he can't save you. Because I chose you. I chose to kill and make you suffer. Because I need to go back to hell. I need to finish my mission in this life to start the next one, and everything begins on this day, as in all centuries. This same day when a young woman appears asking for help in a church, where she manages to lead a priest to sin or the complete destruction of her soul, and then she returns, without memories, without memories of every life taken and every century lived. And you, Father, are my chosen one.”

Arianna saw it, as easy as inhaling and releasing the air, when the priest turned pale and choked. He saw when he slowly got up, clearly stunned, but no longer thinking that he was a mentally ill person. Because he clung to the rosary on his neck and holding the cross between his fingers, he began to murmur:

“May God have mercy on your soul.”

And then she smiled.

White tooth like the bones of death shone under his beautiful lips, and outside, the lightning stopped, because God was looking. Because he was sending his dogs and cherubim to protect the priest. And she felt their presence; she felt the purity. He felt the ground shudder below his feet as he walked to the altar, following the priest who was stumbling backwards.

“I don't need mercy, priest “ she replied, reaching him below the image of Jesus Christ, and getting as close as he could to whisper against his livid and shocked face. “I need your faith to condemn me to hell for another century, because I have a war to avoid.”

Then she tilted her head to the side, and the priest imitated her movement, although he did it against his own will, just moments before seeing her raise her hands next to his head and force it to the opposite side. At one moment he was staring at her with wide eyes and a dry mouth of words, at another, his neck was broken and his eyes were opaque and lifeless.

The star of the bone breaking in the priest's neck reborn in his ears, although it did not last long, because trumpets sounded above, far above his head, light years up from the sky, where He watched her once again condemn her next reincarnation. Where her dogs and angels roared in fury for her actions in life and expelled her from heaven for another century.

And there she was, daughter of Lucifer, recipient of Lilith, stepping on sacred ground, crouched before a priest whose body made a point of dismembering with her own hands, releasing her fury and immortal strength, despite not having any trace of supernatural power she had had at the beginning of everything. And above her, they cursed her, roared in fury, releasing their dogs to collect that impure soul.

Arianna turned to the image above the altar and made the sign of the cross on her forehead, very aware of the approaching sounds, of death arriving along with the heavenly dogs. It was the final act of his blasphemy.

“Help me, Dad. “ she asked, and it wasn't God she was referring to.

He listened, and the ground shuddered again. Much faster than the heavenly dogs, Lucifer personally came to his rescue, because he knew who his first daughter was and what she was capable of. And he didn't make her go back to hell, he didn't leave her helpless and powerless.

On the contrary, he reaped his immortal life like a snap of his fingers and threw Arianna's soul into the wind, so that she would reincarnate and again could return to hell when she was ready to reign for another century.

And when she returned, let everyone remember the prayers to God and his saints, for the queen of hell would be even more thirsty for power and fire.