Suffering's Reward: Chapter 1 – The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery

Chapter 1 – The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery

After hundreds of years of living, my final and most difficult challenge will be complete. I have cursed the world because of my childish disappointment and hatred of God. It suffers in that a person’s demons manifest through their bodies in painful and horrifying ways, and yet, they cannot die no matter how much they suffer. That is about to end as I have the wood of the true cross pierced through my hands and feet and a crown of thorns rests upon my head. With my prayers and penance united to the Church and soul rededicated to God, we go to the Americas, my birthplace, to end my curse and free the world from demonic influence.

I am on a boat with the Church’s penitents who have good control of their temper and pride. Pope Jude the Third, a lifelong friend of mine, is also here. Most people here are praying for themselves and each other on this boat and the others around us, so that their souls may be strong enough to face what’s ahead of us. The Americas are said to be the most dangerous place in the world because you don’t need to have sinned to have the demons manifest through you. Whether this is because I started casting the curse in the Americas or some cultists are strengthening the curse is unknown and not worth figuring out since the solution is the same.

We must cleanse the land of sin, as was told to us by our most devoted penitents who received this instruction from God. This could take days, weeks, months, or years depending on the mercy of God. In any case, I pray and hope that we make it through it and none of us fall to sin, especially me since my fall caused all this in the first place, a fact that I can’t help but remember over and over again. Looking at my reflection in the ocean doesn’t help either. I see my teeth, half are normal, and the other half are sharp and animal-like.

Knowing this to be a temptation, I refocus myself on God and the penitential pains I carry. I look at my constantly bleeding head, arms, hands, and feet and remind myself of the suffering of God. The rest of my appearance is inconsequential. My black and red hair is unique but not uncommon to have as a natural hair color and my black battle dress, long boots, and blessed choker are merely fashion choices since armor doesn’t matter in the battles being fought. What really matters is strength of soul and humility. I pray that I don’t fall to sin again but humble myself and hope that God gives me the strength to pick myself up if I do.

I’m not the only one who is being tempted more as I see people on the boat starting to pray more fervently and their bodies start to warp and change with faces appearing in their bodies, legs and arms twist in unnatural directions, people’s eyes pop out of their head, and alcohol leaks out of their bodies, just to name a few. In the panic to reduce the influence of the demons and bear the pains of these trials, Jude slams the bottom of his papal staff on the ground.

“Why do you pray in fear and trembling? God is with us and these afflictions show that our enemy is the one who is afraid. Pray with me in one voice,” Jude says with a booming voice.

We all pray Hail Marys with Jude, an act of faith and surrender that frees us all from the influence of our demons. Still, our trials have only started because we are attacked spiritually and physically by the possessed as soon as we hit land. The men of the Church fight with their blessed weapons, shields, and magic and offer their every action and pain suffered as a prayer. Meanwhile, I fight with blessed blades of my own that come from my arms after they have split in two as a result of the blessing of the true cross. These weapons that are painful for me to take out and wield are more potent at removing possession than the weapons of the church. Because of this, I lead the charge forward along with Jude.

It feels like it’s been ages since I was in a battle like this, back when I was a simple soldier for the Church. Looking at Jude, I see the strong face of his ancestor, Dominic, even though he’s part high elf with golden skin and pointy ears. Now, I’m really back in the past next to the man who had my heart ever since we trained together to become soldiers.

“You’re outnumbered,” a voice that sounds like mine says in my head.

My mind refocuses on the battle and sees that we are outnumbered.

“You can have this boy for your own. Just say the word.”

“You couldn’t have your true love, Dominic, but we can give you him.”

“Once we subjugate his soldiers, you can have him all for yourself and rule this world with him at your side, whether he wants to or not.”

Burdened by my old temptations, I try my best to ignore them by just thinking of fighting and using the pain to drown out the voices.

“Your life has been nothing but battle and bloodshed.”

“A joke that all of Heaven laughs at.”

“Your suffering and sacrifice is wasted on those who won’t give you what you deserve.”

We’re slightly gaining the advantage now as Jude sings the Ave Maria and we join him in unison. Now, we’ve gained a significant advantage over the enemy who are falling back or too stunned by the prayers to fight back effectively.

“If God really wanted you to win, why didn’t He make the victory easy for you?”

“Why didn’t He break the spell after you embraced the true wood of the cross?”

“Why are you still weak to temptation at such a pivotal moment?”

Most of the possessed are free from their demons now while the rest are far away now.

Jude raises his staff in the air and says, “Praise God for the first of many victories!”

“Praise God!” everyone says in response.

We don’t have much time to rest and catch our breath as the sinking feeling of something wrong is felt by everyone.

“Why did God make us masters of this world He created and gave us full access to your mind and knowledge of what you are weakest to?” a voice says in my head.

“You haven’t won yet. Not even close.”

“There is no rest on the ascent to Calvary.”

“There is only pain and sorrow.”

“Abandonment and unrest.”

“Death and mockery.”

The ground seems to shift around like the waves on the ocean as if it’s alive. Soon after, many bodies form from the ground and start pushing, pulling, and carrying away people in different directions. Jude calls and reaches out to me and I do the same as we are separated by miles in mere seconds.

“Every man faces his temptations alone.”

“Every test is faced in the seclusion of one’s own mind and soul.”

“You’ll be more alone now than you ever were before.”

“No one will save you from us.”

“We are your only allies if you’ll allow us to be.”

“If you want to be so much like your Lord, then you must suffer like Him.”

I accept. There’s a hissing sound in my head before it becomes quiet. I have to get back to everyone as soon as I can. The situation here is worse than we thought if the demons have control over the land itself. Victory seemed so assured, and now, it looks to be further than we thought. Nevertheless, I hold onto hope that God will deliver us to our goal as I pray while heading in the direction that I saw Jude being dragged towards.