Chapter Sixteen: The Age of Storms

The storm still tried to tear the little cabin apart, and I worried that before any true calamity struck, the cabin would prove useless.

I asked, “And then? Did you find this Simon?”

Lamia replied, “At that moment I thought: ‘What have I done? Did I kill my father? But he killed my mother, so wasn’t I right to do it?’ Yet in all those thoughts, I never doubted that Doctor Simon was the true culprit. He hollowed out my father’s mind and parasitized it for himself. He seemed to bear a grudge against my father, and he was still alive—likely preparing to strike again.

I cried for a while, remembering the way he looked at me. I knew I could never let myself fall into his hands, nor could I leave Sami behind. Simon was utterly evil; he was capable of anything.

There were police officers in town, I could report him, but they wouldn’t believe me. They’d likely think some drug malfunctioned, or blame my mother for shooting first. Those officers were so stubborn, how could they ever believe my story? They’d just arrest me, lock me up, and I wouldn’t see Salvador for years.

Doctor Simon was a monster who could possess human bodies.”

I interjected, “Your father’s depression was suspicious too. I’ve never heard of anyone suffering from such an illness.”

Lamia said, “Exactly. Every family in town struggled just to make a living. The psychologist said such mental illnesses were very rare, and my father’s illness had come on suddenly, which made no sense. From the very beginning, it was Simon’s doing.

I started making preparations immediately—I packed some food, took my mother’s gun, and escaped with Sami. There were plenty of empty lots in town, but not a single empty house. I thought about hiding in the Cisco Valley; maybe there were caves left, though that would be an obvious place to search. For me, Black Coffin Outskirts used to be vast, but now it felt so small there was nowhere to hide.

At that moment, I spotted a truck parked in the city square—one of the few remaining intact vehicles in Black Coffin. It still had clean diesel in its tank. It was nothing compared to Yune, of course, but the outskirts had been built up little by little with such trucks.

The cargo bed was covered with canvas. I helped Sami climb in, and hid there myself.”

Salvador smiled, “Sister, you were so imaginative back then.”

Lamia replied, “I was only eight years old. What else could I have done? And as it turned out, I was right. If I’d hidden at Betty’s house, her family would have suffered as well. Simon, sneaky as he was, excelled at tormenting ordinary, defenseless people.

I’d heard the truck would leave town at dawn, heading to Bona Heights for supplies. It took forever for morning to come. When the Rangers started the engine, they didn’t lift the canvas. If they had, I would have told them everything, hoping they’d believe me. There were five of them, fully armed, and they set out.

At Bona Heights, the Rangers discovered us. The captain, Trex, was furious. He said, ‘What do we do with these two little mice? We don’t have time to be babysitters!’

A woman named Flora said, ‘They’re just mischievous children. Let them stay in the truck; there’s no need to make a fuss. We’ll load the supplies and return to town immediately.’

I was desperate to tell them about the demon Simon, about my parents’ deaths, but Trex gave us no chance to explain. He said, ‘People are crazy these days. Whole families dying—tragic, but not uncommon. Stay under the canvas!’

Flora promised that once we returned to the Skyscraper, she would adopt me, and find someone to take in Sami. She lived there, where it was much safer.”

I sighed, “She shouldn’t have said that.”

Lamia asked, “She only meant well.”

I replied, “Such talk seals one’s fate, especially dreams of a better life—they’re the surest way to invite disaster.”

Betty said, “What kind of nonsense is that? Don’t you ever say such things?”

I murmured, “I’m the protagonist. The protagonist never dies.”

They didn’t know what I meant. What could I do? Genius is destined to be misunderstood.

Even I didn’t know what I meant.

Lamia continued, “I was thinking of heading north with Sami. Maybe some settlement out there would take us in. If not, we’d wander. My parents had always warned how dangerous the world outside was, but I’d never experienced it. Whatever happened, it had to be better than returning to Black Coffin. I felt Simon was an omnipresent, persistent demon. Yet, if he truly pursued us, and I could lure him to me, I’d have a chance to kill him.”

I asked, “Didn’t you say he could possess bodies? Why would he risk coming after you himself?”

Lamia answered, “Thinking back, how did he take my father? It took him about two hours to prepare, and a full day to familiarize himself with my father’s body. Even Simon couldn’t control two bodies at once. In a short time, he wouldn’t find another puppet he could use. If he really wouldn’t let me go, the one coming would have to be him.”

I argued that Simon could simply hire someone to hunt them down.

Lamia said, “Black Coffin has strict laws. If he hired too many civilians, it’d draw too much attention—no easy exit. If he could even hire Rangers, that would mean he had great power, so why did he sneak around pretending to be a pharmaceutical company? I think he fears Black Coffin’s authority. He’s certainly not one of those all-powerful elites.”

She was only eight years old then, yet she could reason so clearly—remarkable indeed.

Lamia continued, “Trex found some supplies and planned to continue to a building materials store. That’s when the demon attacked—a black beast, as large as an elephant, appeared from behind the bridge pier and overturned the truck. Three people died instantly. Trex, Flora, Salvador, and I survived.

Trex and Flora unloaded all their Divine Sword rounds onto the black demon, killing it. But night had fallen. We took refuge in a small office. Trex began sending out distress signals.

I heard a horde of demons shouting and running outside. Thunder and rain joined their cries, forming a chaotic symphony. I held Salvador, recited scripture, prayed to God for a swift death—anything preferable to falling into Simon’s hands.

I picked up the gun, aimed it at Sami’s temple—first him, then myself. I would never abandon my brother, not even in death.”

Betty and Salvador held hands, their smiles a bit tense. Salvador said, “Sister, I didn’t know you once thought of doing that.”

Lamia replied, “In despair, people stop thinking and choose the shortest, fastest pain.”

I remembered my own despair, trapped in a steel chamber. Orchid and the others were outside, coaxing me through the intercom to become ‘true kin,’ to gain eternal life. They sang cheerful songs, showing how happy they were now.

I wanted to die then too, yet here I remain. I have forgotten much, but I believe I never lost myself.

Lamia continued, “Soon after, the demons broke down the office door. Flora killed two white demons but had her neck snapped by another. Trex used his last bullet and perished in a final struggle with the remaining monster.

The storm gradually subsided, and the voices of the demons faded. A cold wind blew in from outside, mixed with the scent of blood.

I looked at the corpses filling the room—terrifying demons and the Rangers who had protected us, strangers though they were. I wept again. Their deaths convinced me that justice still existed within Black Coffin, and that justice could defeat evil, or at least drive it back. I decided to return to Black Coffin, to inform the Rangers of Flora’s fate and tell them about Simon. Surely some would believe me. The governor of Black Coffin called us humanity’s hope—they had wisdom, not stubbornness.

Someone spoke at the door: ‘What a mess.’

It wasn’t just Simon who entered—two others came with him, a young woman and a young man. Simon walked in front. I aimed the gun at his eyes and fired. Simon jerked his head aside, dodging the bullet at lightning speed. He said, ‘Where did you learn to shoot so well? You nearly killed me.’

The young woman remarked, ‘A gun in the hands of a child is most dangerous—they don’t know their own strength.’ She moved her fingers, and my own finger froze, unable to pull the trigger. I shouted to Sami, ‘Run!’

Sami cried softly, saying his feet couldn’t move. I realized mine were immobilized too.

Simon said, ‘Lamia, I mean you no harm. What I said to Lana was sincere—I love her, and I love you and Salvador as well.’

I replied, ‘You killed Mother! You killed Father!’

Simon said, ‘The reasons are complicated. I could have simply taken all three of you, instead of resorting to possession.’

I shouted with all my strength, ‘Because you’re vile! You wanted to be with Mother!’

Simon said, ‘Yes! Yes! My greatest wish in life was nothing more than that! Do you know? Lana and I knew each other long ago—she was meant to be mine! We were separated for some reason. She should never have married John, that pig! How could he possess such a living angel? If John’s soul hadn’t resisted me, I wouldn’t have mistakenly killed the love of my life!’

The young man said, ‘Master, now that the storm has stopped, let’s hurry to the Eagle’s Nest. The journey is long and full of uncertainty.’ He gestured, and my feet regained freedom.

I saw a pair of hands silently cover the young man’s mouth and slit his throat. As he fell, the young woman and Simon barely noticed. Almost instantly, the young woman met the same fate. Simon reacted quickly, dodging with great speed. I glimpsed a thin figure at the door, holding a dagger.

Simon was furious, casting spells against the assassin. But he heard someone calling in the distance: ‘Longinus, what did you find?’ People approached.

The assassin, Longinus, said, ‘Three shameless ones, trying to kidnap two children.’ Thunder obscured his voice, but he sounded young.

Simon struck like the wind, knocking the assassin against the wall, breaking bones, it seemed. Yet the assassin’s companions arrived, surrounding Simon.

I didn’t know who would survive, but Salvador and I escaped through the back door. I vaguely remembered the route back to Black Coffin. After three days and nights, we encountered Rangers searching for survivors.”