Sin or Humanity: Chapter 1 – Infected by Sin

Chapter 1 – Infected by Sin

Life is hard and following a strict code of morality makes it even harder. That’s why I keep my mind only on the good things in life. What’s more important than living a comfortable life and leaving a mark on the world? I may work in a simple coffee shop and live in an apartment, but I have my goals are set on a higher place than this. I won’t be conventional about my method nor dirty about it. I won’t waste my money on college and I’m not going to work with the cards I’ve been dealt. What I’m going to do is look for the perfect person to be with and live my life with them.

Because so many people come to the coffee shop I work at, I’m able to look at dozens of men and see if they’re the right one for me. If I see one that I like, I spend time with them and try to get them to come back or at least give me their number. The thing about men is that the most handsome and cutest ones can also be the ones who are the fullest of themselves because they know how good-looking they are. I try to ignore those men, but I do fall for them every now and then. My sights are primarily set on the men who don’t just look good. They have to radiate confidence and success. Not many men fit my criteria, and you could say that I’m too picky, however, I think I’ve found the man of my dreams.

His name is Giovane. He’s both a writer and a cook. The restaurant he works at isn’t anything too impressive, but he makes his food in such a way that his boss lets him add things to the menu. His dishes give the restaurant its great reputation and keep the customers returning and bringing in new ones. He has a small audience of readers and fellow writers. Even though he just has local fame, he does have a growing influence on the world. The only thing that’s stopping him from becoming richer and more influential is his eyepatch and scar on his chest.

There are people called “gluttonous sinners” and they hide their deformities with patches and prosthetic body parts. They’re called gluttonous sinners because they can never be satisfied with the sin they feed on or something like that. Even though these people are very real because of the attention the Church and government give them, I’m not worried about them. They don’t bother me, and I don’t bother them, so I don’t really care. Sure, there are stories of these sinners turning normal people into them with their bites, but that only happens to gullible people and people who are in the wrong places at the wrong time of day. The part of the city I live in has no confirmed cases whatsoever, so I have nothing to worry about despite what the world news says.

Tomorrow, I’m going on a date with Giovane and I’m trying to shop for a new pair of clothes and shoes for the date, but I keep hearing the latest news on the gluttonous sinners and activity related to them and what we’re supposed to do if we are one or if we know someone who is one. I get it that it’s important for people to know. I’d just rather not hear about it in almost every place that I go to. Anyway, there isn’t here that I think Giovane would find too eye-catching. It’s not that I don’t already have nice clothes at home. I just want something really special to wow him. What I’m already wearing is already wowing some of the men around me, and it’s not even revealing. This tells me that tonight is going to be good.

When the day comes, I wait at the entrance of the coffee shop after work. While waiting, I catch the attention of a few men that usually come to the coffee shop. They’re surprised to see me in such a cute outfit, and we talk for a bit. There’s no harm in having backups in case Giovane doesn’t end up being the one I want. A few minutes after they leave, Giovane meets up with me on time. I hold his arm as we walk and talk through the city.

We go to a fancy restaurant in a skyscraper. Giovane reserved us a couple’s spot so we can look down at the city together and by ourselves. Despite the nice setting, I can’t help but feel out of place. Mainly rich and upper-middle-class people eat in the restaurant and their dresses and outfits look so much better than ours. We’re not underdressed though there’s an obvious difference if you have the eye for it.

“Is something on your mind, Lilith?” Giovane asks.

“Oh, no. There sure are a lot of rich people here in this restaurant.”

“Not that many people can afford to eat here. Thankfully, people know me in the local cooking business, so they gave me these seats at a good price.”

“That’s great. I still feel out of place.”

“You shouldn’t worry about it. People like them can be too judgmental about appearances.”

“Do you think you’ll ever work your way up to a restaurant like this or one that you’ll own by yourself?”

“It’s not something that concerns me. I’m happy where I am. Besides, having all that money and responsibility ruins people.”

Honest and humble. I’d rather not have any worries about money, but I can imagine living in the upper-middle class. It’s better than where I am now.

“I’d like to have the same attitude you have, especially with how much discrimination you must get for your scar and eyepatch.”

“It’s worse than what you saw in the coffee shop though I feel more pity than anger. It must suck being paranoid about the people around you all the time.”

“I know, but that’s the way the world is. I never stop hearing about gluttonous sinners wherever I go.”

“Then how about we go somewhere you don’t hear about it?”

After we eat, Giovane drives me to a nearby town not too far from the city. It’s a nice and quiet place with plenty of humble shops with pretty outfits and dresses that I can’t take my eyes off. Around the town, I see other women wearing these outfits. It was one thing that I saw rich people wearing expensive dresses, and now I’m watching lower-middle-class people wearing beautiful dresses that are not as expensive but look better than anything that I have. I try on these outfits just to see what I would look in them.

“You look stunning,” Giovane says.

“You think so?”

“Yes, so much so that I’ll buy whatever outfits that you want.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. It’s why I brought you here. I didn’t exactly know what to get you and you talk a lot about outfits and dresses, so I took you here so I could get you whatever you wanted. Also, I can’t repay you enough for picking up for me at the coffee shop.”

“I got your number and this date. It’s more than enough to repay me.”

“Oh, you’re welcome.”

“On that note, are you still paying for the outfits?”

“Hahaha, of course I am.”

Giovane brings me to a local bakery to buy dessert then to a nice park to enjoy it at. Together we eat on the grass while we enjoy the lights in the park.

“Thank you for the great day, Giovane.”

“Thank you for enjoying it with me, Lilith. Hey, do you mind if I tell you a secret?”

“I don’t mind. What is it?”

“Those rumors about me being one of those gluttonous sinners…is true.”

“What?”

Giovane takes off his eyepatch and sure enough, there’s a mouth where his eyeball used to be in his right eye. Gluttonous sinners usually have mouths where one of their eyes used to be because they’re said to always look at the objects of their desire with lust in their eyes. He really is one of them…

“See?”

“…I see.”

“It’s been so hard not to give in to sin that I was told to find a friend to confide in. Can you please help me?”

“I-ah!”

He’s tightly hugging me, and I can feel his tears on my face.

“Please, help me. I can’t do this on my own.”

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

“I can’t do this.”

“I’m here for you now. Don’t give up.”

“No, I can’t…keep up this act.”

“Huh?” He’s pinning me to the ground by holding my wrists. I can’t slip my hands from out of his grasp. Gluttonous sinners are said to get stronger with every sin they commit and when they’re committing a sin. “I’m here for you, Giovane! You don’t have to do this!”

“But I want to do this. You don’t understand. This was a setup from the beginning. I wanted to increase my powers through sin and what better way than to lie to a gullible girl, break her heart, and turn her into what I am.”

“You can’t! There are people in this park. You’ll get hunted down and killed.”

“I’ve been doing this for a while. I have friends in high places that will cover my tracks. Furthermore, I’ll be sinning more by making you embarrassed and feel abandoned. No one can help you and no one will.”

“Wait! Stop! Someone help me!”

“Keep screaming and crying like that. It just makes me more powerful. While we’re at it…”

“Ah! Stop!”

He’s tearing apart my clothes! As if this couldn’t get any worse. I don’t even want to know what he’s going to do next. He’s going to ruin my life and the plans I have for it if he bites me. I’m still struggling to free myself, but I don’t see anyone around me. I could’ve sworn there were more people in the park. Please get help! Don’t leave me like this! He’s trying to bite me now! I can feel his mouth on my neck and the saliva coming from it as he licks my neck with his long tongue.

“I’ll be sure to make this painful for you. Let me hear you scream.”

“No! No, no, no!”

I scream louder than I think I ever have because of the pain his bite is giving me and in the vain hope that someone will hear me. It’s over for me now. My life might as well end. I can feel my body go numb as my screams become quieter in my ears even though I don’t think I’m screaming any softer. Please, let this be the end…

New paperback cover is out!

 

Cover by @KiddoMonokuma and edited by @primerpersonaje both can be found on Twitter.

Check out this updated version of this book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1986118584

A tyrant is given another chance at life and his queen follows along to make sure he's doing the right thing and happy. The two will embark on a journey that will make them face small to larger than life challenges. Their love for each other is strong, but is it strong enough to last until a tyrant can be redeemed? Find out in this epic fantasy, romance story. This version of the story includes a short prequel story and behind the scenes extras after every story.

Saint Within the Sinner is complete and available for free!

Download for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1041187

In a world where demons physically manifest themselves through people, Astra and a band of exorcists have captured Estella, a woman heavily possessed by demons. Estella is being transported to a place to be freed from the demon's possession and to remember who she was, but an ambush forces Astra and Estella to endure each other as they try to get Estella the help she needs. Along the way, they'll learn who Estella was and about each other and what is keeping them from being good and saintly.

Saint Within the Sinner: Chapter 4 – Desperation and Renewal

Chapter 4 – Desperation and Renewal

Astra wakes up in a daze in a cell room with a bed and dresser. The room has a strong stink to it and appears to be a room a prostitute would live in. She sees that one of her arms is chained to the side of the wall and her clothes are torn to shreds. With her senses coming back to her, she sees that her legs and her left arm have been cut off and tattooed for demonic possession. All these things that she sees make her feel enraged, desperate, and distressed at the same time.

She bangs on the cell wall and writhes in the bed as she tries to escape somehow. After a few minutes of this futile escape attempt, the words for cursing her captors and Estella come to her mouth but are stopped as soon as Estella enters the room. Somewhat relieved by this, she ceases the thoughts to curse or hate anyone as Estella rushes to her side.

“Astra! Are you okay?” she asks.

“I don’t know. My body feels numb and my nerves feel unhinged. How did you get them to let you go?”

“I…I do what I had to.”

“…of course you did.”

“I’m sorry, but I had no other choice.”

“Of course you had a choice!”

“I know, but I was too weak to make it.”

“Then watch me make the right choice when they give it to me.”

“I don’t think they’ll let you.”

“What?”

“They might’ve already…umm.”

“What? What did they do to me that could be worse than all of this?”

“Don’t worry about that. What you need to worry about is what they’ll do after. Actually, no. Just worry about praying. I’ll try to do whatever I can to free you.”

“I’ve tried praying and this is where it led me.”

“Astra, don’t say that. You’re supposed to be a strong pious nun, right? That’s what I trained you to be.”

“And this is what it’s made us into! Maybe I should make the same decisions you did for both our sakes.”

“No, Astra! You have to choose to be better!”

“Shut up! What do you know about being better?!”

Demons start to manifest from the tattoos on Astra’s severed arm and legs. A giant demon head manifests from Astra’s arm while two demon mouths with blade-like tongues manifest from her legs. The demons whisper in her ear on what to do to obtain her freedom while complimenting her devotion to God and how holy she is.

“You have to stop now! Control yourself!”

“I know more about that you filthy whore!”

Astra uses the demon on her arm to free her other arm. She then smacks Estella against the wall with it and breaks open her cell door.

“Astra…wait…”

“I’ll show you true piety. I’ll become an even better person than you ever were by destroying every sinner in this Godforsaken place.”

As Astra heads off to kill everyone in the building, Estella struggles to get up.

“I’m sorry, God, for being such a failure of a teacher to Astra. Please, give me the strength to fix my wrongs and become the person I was meant to be.”

Estella’s prayer is answered almost immediately as her strength comes back to her. She gets up and goes to the place where they are keeping Astra’s crucifix dagger. Meanwhile, Astra slaughters everyone who she comes across, even the slaves who she deems too sinful to live. Estella tries to ignore the screams and sounds of fighting while going to the right room. There she finds the crucifix dagger.

“Are you sure you can do this?” a demon whispers in her ears.

“You are no longer Mother Superior,” another points out.

“God has long abandoned you to your pride and lust. Astra will turn into what you are,” yet another says.

“We’ll see about that,” Estella says as she stabs the crucifix dagger into her tattooed eye, stomach, and arms while saying an exorcism prayer.

This silences the voices of the demons and gives Estella some confidence.

“Thank you, God,” Estella says while crossing herself and heading in Astra’s direction.

Astra has left a massacre of torn bodies in her path with blood and body parts everywhere. Everything from pieces of the wall, ceiling, and furniture have been used to flatten, crush, and tear apart whoever Astra deemed to be a sinner. Eventually, Estella finds Astra in a room filled with chains and the bodies of her victims stomping a body into pulp.

“Astra!”

“You!” Astra says as she quickly turns around, “What do you want, ‘Mother Superior’?!”

“I want you to stop this! Don’t let your demons take advantage of your weakness.”

“I don’t have any weaknesses! I’m perfect the way I am!”

“Would a perfect person kill both the innocent and guilty? Look at what you’ve done.”

“Shut up! You’re just like them and you’ll end up the same!”

“God give me strength.”

Estella dodges Astra’s incoming attacks while chaining her neck and limbs with the chains in the room all the while loudly saying an exorcism prayer. She then uses the crucifix dagger on Astra’s arm demon then the two demons on her legs. Estella’s prayer and faith severally weaken the strength of the demons and this allows her to make them disappear and bring Astra to her senses.

“There we go. You should be back to normal for now,” Estella says while heavily breathing because of the fight.

Astra starts to sob and cry as she writhes in her chains. Estella hugs her to calm her down.

“I felt the same when it first happened to me too, Astra. I felt irredeemable and used every excuse I could to justify my actions. We’re both sinners who need to do a lot of penance for what we’ve done, and I’ll be with you it through it all. Trust in God and me. We’ll become saints together.”

Astra’s crying stops as she puts her head on Estella’s shoulder. Estella then frees Astra from her chains and carries her to the horse stables. From there, they leave the building and head in the direction of the nearest demon treatment facility. Thankfully, they come across a patrol of exorcists who guide them to the facility where they are treated. Over the next few days, they recover from their demonic possession and regain themselves and cleanse themselves of their sins.

On one morning, Astra uses her wheelchair made for her condition to visit Estella in her room. Estella has both of her arms in casts, patches on her stomach, and an eye patch for her eye.

“How are you doing, Mother Superior?” Astra asks.

“Haha, I’m doing fine. You don’t have to call me that, Astra. I don’t officially have that position in the Church anymore.”

“You can be if you come back to the convent.”

“That’s not going to happen for a while especially in our condition. Did they fix that eyeshadow problem you have?”

“Unfortunately, no. I guess I’ll have to carry this scar from my past for the rest of my life along with the rest of my scars. Did they fix your hair problem? It’s still pink.”

“I don’t know I think I like it this way. Haha!”

“You definitely aren’t coming back to the convent then.”

The two women laugh as they begin their day anew as they put their past behind them for a bright future that lays ahead of them.

 

The End

Saint Within the Sinner: Chapter 3 – Knowledge from a fellow sinner

 

Chapter 3 – Knowledge from a fellow sinner

Estella struggles to control herself as she prays to lessen the demons’ power over her. After a while of praying, the demons lose their grip on her and she regains control of herself. Seeing that she’s alone in the woods, she waits and looks around for Astra.

“Astra!” she calls out.

“She isn’t coming for you,” a demon in her mind says.

Instead of talking back to the demon, Estella continues mentally praying while also ignoring their voices.

“Astra! Sister! I’m in control of myself again! I swear!”

“Who would risk their life to save a whore like you?”

The continuous chatter of the demon’s in Estella’s mind starts to worry her so she walks faster back to the town in the hopes of finding Astra. While retracing her steps, Estella hears the sound of moaning in the distance. Not knowing if this is Astra or not she makes her way to it to find a grey tree with four branches on it with eye-like marks on them. The tree’s roots are visible as if they were feet and the leaves on the branches seem to be fingers. What’s also strange about the tree is that the other trees are further away from it as if they all moved away from it. Another strange thing about it is how the bark of the tree feels like human skin. Estella can’t help but be intrigued by the tree and notice all these things about it.

Cracks within the tree then begin to expand and appear to form large faces with eyes, noses, and mouths that mumble to themselves. The branches of the tree then begin to move like arms and the roots begin to move like feet stuck in the ground. It takes a second for this to register to Estella because of how strange it is, but when it does, she screams, trips, and falls on the ground.

“Wait, don’t run away. Please, don’t be afraid of me,” a deep voice says from the largest face on the tree.

“Why should I?”

“I can’t do anything to you and I’m a priest.”

“Huh. I wouldn’t imagine a priest to look like a living tree.”

“I apologize for my appearance, but it’s the penance I must pay for my sins.”

“What did you do?”

“I wanted to be perfect in every way for God. Demons tempted me and I gave in to them by sinning in every way that I could think of to experience sin so I know what every sin feels like so I would know how to counter it. What I blinded myself to was that I was killing my soul to an almost immeasurable degree.”

“How could you not know that you were doing the wrong thing?”

“The demons preyed on my pride as a pious man. I also involved my family and friends with my sins, and they join me in my penance, as a result. You look like the way I did when I first started my evil quest for perfection. Don’t repeat the same mistake I did because this is how you may turn out in the end.”

“I’m trying not to. Is there anyway I can help you?”

“Pray for me.”

“Is that all I can do? What about cutting you down?”

“Please don’t. If you do, I’ll suffer more pain in Purgatory.”

“If you say so.”

“Thank you. I sense a nun in the woods. She is coming for you.”

“I know her! How do you know all that?”

“God has allowed me this ability to help lost people in the woods. If I can help you, then my penance is lessened.”

“Can you tell me anything else about her? She seems to really hate me.”

“What I can tell you is that you are part of the reason she is the way she is right now. You put that red cross on her forehead. You taught her everything she knows and practices.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and if she knew who you really were, then her tone would completely change with you. Unfortunately, that’s all that I’m allowed to know about your relationship with her but telling her what I told you will make it clear to her who you were.”

“Thank you so much! You’ll always be in my prayers! Which way is Astra? The nun?”

The tree points forward and Estella heads in that direction after saying goodbye and giving him a hug. Estella runs in the direction of Astra while calling out to her.

“That’s Estella,” Astra says with her crucifix dagger drawn.

Estella finds Astra and holds up her hands.

“It’s me, Astra! Don’t worry about me! I’m in control of myself!”

“Nice try, demon, but I don’t believe you.”

“No, I’m really in control! I used the prayers you said to suppress the power of the demons over me.”

“Impossible. You have to have high authority in the Church to use them.”

“What if I do? A priest who’s a tree told me that I put the red cross on your forehead and taught you everything that you know and practice.”

Astra is surprised by what Estella says and lowers her guard for a second before putting it back up.

“That’s impossible!”

“I don’t think it is. I was remembering something about a superior and a mother. I’m not your mother, am I?”

“…no.”

“Well, what else could I be? Maybe…maybe you should stab me with the dagger again and say the prayer to further release the demons’ power over me. I’ll do whatever I’m supposed to so that-”

“Stop saying that!”

“Saying what?”

“That you’ll do whatever you’re supposed to!”

“Why? What’s wrong with that?”

“Because that’s what my Mother Superior always used to say!”

“Is that who I was?”

“You can’t be! It’s impossible! You may share her name and her saying, but your looks and mannerisms are nothing like hers.”

“I’ll bring you to the priest who’s a tree.”

“Fine.”

Estella brings Astra to the priest who comes to life when they approach him.

“So, you’re the priest that Estella was talking about. I’ve heard stories about you but didn’t believe them.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sister. Please, keep me in your prayers.”

“Sure. Hold on a second.” Astra takes out her crucifix dagger and tries to stab the tree, but her dagger can’t pierce its skin. “You are holy, aren’t you? I’m sorry for having doubts. I just can’t believe what I was being told.”

“Why is that?”

“First of all, she said it came from a talking tree who was a priest. Second, my Mother Superior was a pious woman who mysteriously disappeared one day without a trace and Estella here looks and acts nothing like I remember, especially when the tattooed man we faced not too long ago mentioned that she took him in. She rejected me when I first was brought to the convent because I was a thrown away prostitute that was saved by a sister in the convent.”

“I did?” Estella asks.

“She is your long lost Mother Superior. You know now that the source of this information is holy, so release yourself from your doubts and accept it.”

“I still feel like I can’t.”

“Your stubbornness and pride are going to be your undoing just as it was Estella’s undoing.”

“What are you talking about? She would never fall to any sin.”

“Everyone falls to sin especially the uptight and overly pious. Estella was kidnapped by the people she would rule over and tricked into becoming the person she is today. She was told in order to do what God wanted her to do in life, she had to submit herself to her kidnappers, or else she would fail God and die. Unable to let her pride go, she fell to sin and turned into what you see before you.”

“This is so unbelievable to me.”

“Is it really? She became what you were while you became what she was. Even though I don’t know what God intends with the both of you, it seems as if He put you in the other’s place to make you learn how the other feels. One was once a self-righteous nun now made a common whore and the other was a common whore made into a self-righteous nun.”

“Tch. I guess it makes sense.”

Astra looks at Estella who looks back at her with concern and guilt in her eyes.

“I’m sorry for making you stand out so much and for treating you so badly,” Estella confesses.

“I’m sorry for-for not completely believing this is you. We still need to perform an exorcism for you so you can have all your memories, and this perverted appearance and personality can be erased. You can apologize when you remember everything that you’re sorry for.”

“Come on. Can’t you just show a little affection?”

Estella offers a hug with her arms out, but Astra turns away from her.

“Don’t make me doubt you more. The Mother Superior I knew hardly showed any kind of affection.”

“You two should be on the move. Estella’s followers are still after her and they just entered the woods after finding the body of the man you killed. I would fight them off for you, but my current form doesn't allow it,” the priest says.

Estella thanks the priest as they leave while Astra stays silent as she leads them away. They aren’t fast enough to make it to any kind of safety as Estella’s followers catch up to her.

“We’re here to bring you back to your castle, my mistress,” they say.

“My queen.”

“My loving mother.”

“You can drop the act of pretending to be on her side. Ask and we’ll do anything you want to her.”

“I want you to leave us alone!” Estella commands.

“We can’t do that for you.”

“The nun still has her control over her.”

“We’ll bring you back to your senses.”

“If you’re not going to listen to me…”

“Don’t use the power of the demons inside you,” Astra says to Estella.

“I won’t though I don’t like our odds of escaping.”

“We’ll have to make it somehow.”

Astra and Estella fight to escape Estella’s followers, but aren’t able to do much since Estella’s followers use the power of their demons to overwhelm them. The demons feed on the fear of Astra and Estella who gave into their fear rather than trust in God. As a result, they are knocked out and brought back to Estella’s castle.

New character redraw!

Prisca from Love is Revenge's Best Motivator in the Romance Dancing with Horror collection redone by @yummy_mealzz on Twitter.

Check out the story she's based on for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/914298

Love is revenge's Best Motivator - A mother's family is killed, everything she has is burned away, she loses her right arm, and the mark for death is carved on her eye. Her husband's spirit comes back from the dead to help her obtain her revenge but can she win against all the odds?

Saint Within the Sinner: Chapter 2 – Piety and Pretentious

Chapter 2 – Piety and Pretentious

While walking along the road, Astra continues silently praying and Estella tries to not be bored.

Unable to take it anymore, Estella asks, “Do you know this road, sister?”

“…”

“If you do, do you know how much longer it will take to get to the nearest town?”

“…”

“If you are too caught up in your prayers to talk to me, then can you at least pray for me? I’m afraid that I’m feeling impatient and…something else.”

“Don’t go proving me right.”

“I’m trying not to. Hey, don’t you think it might be safer to go through the woods? There are probably more people after me and they might be using the roads.”

“And you don’t think that the woods are dangerous?”

“Well…they might be, but I don’t know.”

“Just don’t worry about it and stop bothering me.”

“Can you at least tell me why I’m so irritating to you?”

“…”

“Is it something personal? I feel like it’s something personal as if you were in my position before.”

“You really need to be questioned once you get your memories back.”

“Am I correct?”

“What did I say before?”

“I understand, sister.”

“She’s a danger to you,” a demon says inside Estella’s head.

“No, you are,” Estella responds inside her head.

“I can grant you safety and a good life. You remember how good you had it before.”

“But that was…wrong. It wasn’t me.”

“It was you. No one else could do the job you were doing. It was your God-given role.”

“I don’t think you would know anything about that.”

“And the nun does? You can smell her pride. Her sins reek more horribly than yours. You know her past. She’s no nun.”

“I’m not going to listen to you anymore.”

“Why? I’ve been your trusted advisor. Kill the nun before she can bring you to the exorcists. Do you think the tattoos on your eye, arms, and stomach will be painlessly removed? The pain that your penance requires will be severe.”

“If that’s what I’ll have to do to get rid of you, I’ll…”

“Will you go through it? I don’t think you want to. I don’t think that you’re the most sinful one here. She is. Kill her.”

The demon repeatedly commands Estella to kill Astra in a trance-like manner that makes Estella move behind Astra with the intent to kill her. Her demons come out of her stomach, eye, and struggle to come out of their restraints as they thirst for blood.

“No, no! I don’t want to kill her. You can’t make me! What was that prayer that the nun said before?”

“You don’t have the authority to say it to us,” a demon says.

“I think I do.”

Estella says the nun’s prayer in her head and the demons recede for now. She then walks into Estella as she regains full control of herself.

“Watch where you’re going. We’re here,” Astra says in an annoyed tone after slapping Estella.

“Huh? Oh.”

Astra and Estella see that they’ve arrived in a small town.

“It’s a good thing we managed to find this place so quickly.”

“If you say so. This is a relatively uninteresting place with inns and places to stock up on food, drink, and basic weapons for self-defense on the dangerous roads. It’s not really a good place to make a living.”

“Still, it’s a good thing it’s here.”

Right now is the time of day when businesses start packing up and the night workers come in. When they see Estella entering the town, the people who have things to give go to her and offer them to her while others ask what she needs.

“Huh? What’s all this for? What did I do?” Estella asks.

The people are confused about her response and whisper to themselves.

“I’m sure it has something to do with that sinfully wretched side of yours and whatever she did. People of this humble town, you have nothing to fear from this whore because I have restrained her demons and am taking to a place where she can be freed from her wicked nature and will do penance for her evil deeds.”

The people of the town rejoice and profusely thank Astra. She soaks in the praise while telling them that she doesn’t need it. While Astra is distracted by the crowd, Estella looks around then notices a tattooed man on a horse arriving in the town. He asks the people around the town questions and Estella assumes that he’s asking about her.

“Sister, I think we have trouble.”

“Trouble? What trouble could there be with all of these great people here?”

“Look over there. I think that tattooed man is looking for me.”

“Huh? Oh. He does look like trouble.”

“Uh oh. I think he’s noticed us.”

“Sorry, grateful citizen, but we have to leave!”

Astra and Estella try to make a quick escape from the crowd and hide, but they are quickly caught up to by the tattooed man who finds them when they turn a corner.

“Estella! I knew I would find you here at one of our favorite places to relax and find more workers!” the man says with a sinister grin.

“I don’t know who you are! Leave us alone!”

“What? But I’m your favorite! You tell me every time we…you! You whore of a nun! What did you do to my mistress?!”

Demons with blades coming out of their mouth manifest themselves in the tattooed man’s eyes and mouth.

“I exorcised her and brought her back to her senses! The same thing that I’m going to do to you!” Astra says before starting her exorcism prayer.

The prayer appears to be ineffective as the man charges at her and knocks her down.

“You don’t have any help to constrain me like you did my mistress. There’s a reason I’m her favorite and I’m going to show it to you!”

“No, stop!” Estella says as she pushes the man away from Astra.

“You shouldn’t get in the way, my mistress. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“If you don’t want to hurt me, then leave me alone! I order you to!”

“I’m sorry but I can’t do that. I have to bring you back and help you get back to the way you were. You helped me when no one else will. You gave me a place I can call home and people I can call family! I need you to come back home!”

“No!”

Demons come out of Estella’s eye, stomach, and her arm restraints are broken by a demon within her arms.

“Don’t use the power of your demons, Estella! You’ll completely lose control!”

“I-I can handle it. I can control it. There’s no other way for us to get out of this. I have to do what I can.”

Estella attacks the tattooed man with her demons and slashes at him her tattooed hand, but he doesn’t do anything.

“That nun and her friends have weakened you despite your exquisite tattoos. I’ve taken harsher beatings from you in the past.”

Aggravated by her ineptitude, the demon in her eye bites off half the man’s head though it doesn’t appear to be over just yet as he smiles.

“Haha, that’s the Estella I remember.”

Estella then gets pushed back as a demon head with other demons coming out of it manifest from half the man’s head.

“I got the inside of my mouth tattooed just in case anything like this happened. What do you think?”

“I think you’re giving me an even better reason to kill you.”

Estella’s anger gets to her and the demons give her more power. Seeing this, the tattooed man’s demons take away his powers so that Estella can critically wound him and cut his body in half with her claw-like hands.

“I-I’m glad I brought you back-”

Estella crushes the tattooed man’s head into mush with the demon hand in her stomach. She is then ominously quiet as she tries to stand still while shaking.

“Estella?” Astra says as she cautiously approaches Estella with her crucifix dagger drawn.

With her back bent completely backward, Estella says with a smile, “Yes, sister?”

“I knew this would happen! People like you never listen to me!”

“I did what I had to do while you were no help at all.” Estella straightens herself out as she turns around as she struggles to regain control of her fading true self. “You…you’re nothing to me, sister Astra. Never were. Always an annoyance. Always took the spotlight away from me.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t have a clue as to who you were before.”

Estella charges forward and puts Astra’s face into the dirt.

“Bow before your superior…superior…mother.”

Flashes of her old memory wake up Estella and give her the strength to say an exorcism prayer to regain some control of herself. The demons inside her fight to stay in control as they make her run away into the woods. Astra gets up and wonders what Estella was talking about.

A citizen of the town approaches Astra and asks, “Aren’t you going to go after her?”

“I had a hard enough time restraining her the first time, and I had help that time. This time. It’s impossible.”

“But isn’t anything possible with God?”

“Yes, but I can’t do anything.”

“Why don’t you ask God for help?”

“You don’t think I do already?”

“No, but maybe you have to pray harder. It seems like she’s struggling to control herself so you could use that to help you exorcise the demons from her.”

“Hmmm. You have a point.”

“So, are you going to go after her?”

“…yes, I will.”

Astra heads off after Estella while leaving the kind citizen without a thank you for their helpful advice.