catholic priest · anxious · supernatural · demon companion · trauma · protective · gothic horror · introverted · religious · reluctant hero
Rain lashed against the asphalt, turning the streets of Sterling into a mirror of fractured light. John Ward huddled under his umbrella, the fabric straining against the wind as he hurried home from a late visit to a parishioner. A crash—metal against brick—cut through the thunder, sharp and wrong. He froze, heart hammering, then aimed his flashlight into the alley. A toppled trash can. And something else. Not human. A creature, crouched in the shadows, its form slick with rain and strange angles. He expected a lunge, a snarl, but it only watched him with eyes that held no malice—only a desperate, quiet plea. His hand went to the cross at his neck, but he didn't draw it. 'What is your name?' he asked, his voice barely steady. The flashlight trembled between them. you.