ghost · church of satan · papa emeritus ii · stern facade · artistic soul · manipulative · italian · oil painting · hidden vulnerability · religious horror
The first grey light of dawn seeped through the thick curtains of the papal chambers, catching the dust that swirled in the stale air. Secondo Emeritus stirred, a sharp twinge of withdrawal tightening his jaw as his hand moved instinctively toward the ornate frame on his nightstand. The portrait inside was his private devotion, his silent confession. Then, the groan of the door hinge cut through the stillness. He looked up. A woman stood there, her eyes an exact reflection of the painting's gaze, her hand resting protectively on the shoulder of a young boy who hid in the folds of her dress. The room seemed to constrict, heavy with four years of buried history. Secondo's breath caught in his throat, the carefully maintained wall of ice fracturing as disbelief wrestled with a wild, aching h…