Finally, after an eternity, she spoke, her voice low and husky.
The sound seemed to reverberate through the room, like a crack of thunder on a summer's day.
"Utterly."
The word hung in the air, a challenge, a condemnation, a judgment.
The midwives exchanged nervous glances, their faces still, as if waiting for some unseen signal to react.
She paused, her gaze still fixed on the baby, her eyes seeming to bore into his very soul.
"Pathetic."
Cassandra's voice was laced with disdain as she gazed at the infant.
"Utterly pathetic," she sneered.
Nine months of meticulous planning, only to be saddled with a subpar exorcist.
Her calculations must have been woefully inaccurate.
Yet, there was something intriguing about this foresight.
The servants stood silently, awaiting her orders.
Not a single one dared to voice an opinion, their faces masks of impassivity.
Before she could speak, a shrill alarm pierced the air, signaling that the clan was under siege.
The threat must be substantial for the alarm to sound.
Cassandra's gaze locked onto one of the midwives.
"You, come," she commanded, her tone devoid of warmth.
The midwife hastened to her side, and Cassandra handed her the child.
As the midwife stood back, a whirlwind of petals erupted around her, swirling in a miniature vortex.
An umbrella materialized, hovering above the child, and just as suddenly, a hand shot out from the vortex, dispersing the petals.
Cassandra was already dressed for the occasion, clad in a sleek black coat with a crisp white shirt underneath, her trousers tailored to perfection, and her feet shod in polished leather ankle boots.
Her raven hair was pulled back into a tight bun, accentuating her sharp features.
As she stepped outside, the storm hit her like a slap in the face.
The moon hung low in the sky, a deep crimson that cast an eerie glow over the landscape.
The rain pounded down, looking more like blood than water, and the lightning strikes that battered the clan's barrier were devastating.
The clouds were as dark as ink, and an unsettling feeling hung in the air, like nothing had threatened the barrier in centuries.
Cassandra raised her hand, letting the rain fall onto her palm.
"Interesting," she murmured, her gaze narrowing as she analyzed the phenomenon.
Before she could continue, a midwife's hesitant voice called out to her.
"Mistress?"
Cassandra turned, her icy gaze piercing the woman, who visibly trembled under her stare.
"What," Cassandra muttered, her voice cold.
"Mistress, what should I do with the boy?" the midwife asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Cassandra's gaze flicked to the child, her expression unreadable.
The boy's eyes had flickered open, and he looked up at them, his gaze unfocused.
"Go ask another," Cassandra said finally, waving her umbrella.
She vanished into thin air.
Cassandra's icy gaze lingered in the room, even after she was gone. The three midwives who remained breathed a collective sigh of relief, their shoulders sagging in unison. They had been in the presence of their mistress for far too long, and the tension was palpable. One of them, her hands shaking slightly as she cleaned up, whispered, "I thought for sure she would order the child's death right then and there." The others nodded in agreement, her eyes darting towards the door, as if ensuring Cassandra wouldn't suddenly reappear.
The midwife holding the boy approached the other two, still standing by the bed. "What should I do with the boy?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The taller of the two midwives raised an eyebrow. "Why would you ask us?" she replied, her tone a mix of curiosity and annoyance.
The midwife holding the boy explained, "The mistress told me to ask another, and she didn't specify who, so I thought I'd ask you." The midwife's eyes drifted, recalling Cassandra's words, wondering if their mistress had been vague on purpose, unsure of what to do with the child herself. Not wanting to be the one to decide the child's fate, she responded, "Go take the child to the nursery. Miriam and I will clean this room."
This seemed like the optimum choice, as eventually, others would be forced to handle the child, while they, mere servants, would return to their duties. Satisfied with this response, the midwife left the two alone, cleaning, and headed for the clan's nursery room.
As she walked, the rain pounded against the windows, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The clouds outside were as black as ink, and the people passing by in the corridors seemed like specters, their faces pale and drawn. The midwife turned a corner, and out of the shadows, a dark, amorphous mass followed her, its presence almost imperceptible.
The thing moved with a singular focus, its mission clear: the ball of flesh being carried by the female servant. Just as it was about to catch up, it sensed a group of exorcists approaching, their sleek red suits clinging to their skin. The thing latched itself onto a nearby plant, holding its position.
One of the exorcists stopped abruptly, sniffing the air, confusion etched on his face. "Damn exorcists, always so vigilant," the thing thought, as it remained still, watching the group move on. Once they were out of sight, it continued its pursuit, slipping past unseen, jumping from shadow to shadow.
Oblivious to the pursuer, the midwife glided along the corridors, finally reaching the clan's nursery. She pushed open the door, revealing a room filled with rows of cribs, each one adorned with soft, white linens. The air was warm and comforting, filled with the soft coos of newborns. She placed the child in one of the cribs, adjusting the blankets around him.
As she stepped back, the thing slipped into the nursery, its dark form blending seamlessly into the shadows. It watched, patient and still, waiting for the coast to be clear and after what seemed like an eternity it came out materialising into a semi-physical form
As the twisted form took shape, its abomination-like body seemed to writhe and contort, like a living shadow cast upon the walls.
Long, spindly limbs ended in razor-sharp claws, and its skin appeared to shift and ripple like the surface of a stagnant pool. The air around it seemed to thicken, heavy with malevolent intent, as it gazed upon the child with an unblinking stare.
The demon couldn't help but admire the vessel it was about to possess. An heir of the clan that had reaped the most lives from all the exorcist clans – this child would make a powerful host.
He extended its sharp fingernail towards it
But just as it was about to touch the child, the infant's eyes snapped open, revealing irises of piercing sky blue.
The demon felt a shiver run down its spine as those eyes locked onto its own. It was as if its very soul was being examined, probed by a gaze that seemed to see right through it.
The demon felt like it was staring into an endless abyss of dread, one that it might never escape.
For a moment, the demon hesitated, its hand retracted in surprise. Fear – an uncommon feeling for one such as it – began to creep into its being.
Living for as long as it had, the demon had developed an innate sense of danger, and right now, it was feeling it in the presence of this newborn child.
The demon gnashed its teeth in frustration, angered by its own reaction. How could a human who hadn't even lived for more than a few hours evoke such a response?
Yet, driven by pride and a determination not to be cowed, the demon forced itself to make contact with the child but as he did it once again a surprising development happened
The child grabbed his fingernail
What the heck?
And he tried to pull away but his finger stood still
Let go, you little brat!
And as he going to use more force he felt its life force being drained from the child
"What is he trying to consume me?"
"No, no, no! This can't be happening!" the demon screamed as it felt itself being
consumed even faster
"Let go, you little brat!" the demon shouted, trying to pull its finger away. But it was stuck, unable to move.
The child's grip was surprisingly strong, and the demon felt itself being drawn closer and closer to the child's soul.
"What...what are you?" the demon stammered, its voice filled with fear.
But the child just stared at him with a blank face
"Noooo!" the demon screamed, its voice echoing through the void. "I do anything please don't kill me!!!
But it was too late. energy wrapped around the demon, squeezing tighter and tighter.
"Ahhh...no...no...no..." the demon's screams grew weaker, its voice fading into nothingness.
And then, there was silence. The demon's presence was extinguished.
The boy's eyes then closed, its breathing calm and peaceful. it let out a small burp, as if digesting something.