The heavy wooden doors of the church groaned as they swung open, the sound echoing through the cavernous space. Cold air rushed inside, swirling the incense smoke that hung in the thick air. The candles lining the altar flickered violently, casting wild, dancing shadows against the ancient stone walls. And then, from the darkness, she appeared-Lilith.
She moved with a fluid grace, every step deliberate, her black cloak billowing behind her like wings. Her crimson eyes glowed in the dim light, cutting through the gloom as she stalked down the aisle, the heels of her boots clicking with an ominous rhythm. There was no rush to her movements, no haste. She enjoyed this-the hunt, the confrontation, the moment when her prey realised there was no escape.
Father James stood waiting near the altar, his hands trembling slightly as he clutched the golden crucifix around his neck. Sweat beaded on his brow, though the cathedral was cold. He had known this moment was coming ever since the human girl had slipped away, ever since he had failed to deliver what he had promised.
"You look pale, Father." Lilith's voice was a low purr, thick with malice. She glided up the steps of the altar, her presence dominating the sacred space with an otherworldly chill. "Did you think I wouldn't come? Did you think your pitiful prayers could keep me away?"
Father James swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Lilith." He began, his voice shaking. "I-I can explain."
"Can you?" Lilith tilted her head, her lips curving into a cruel smile as she circled him slowly, like a predator sizing up its prey. "Explain how you let a mere human girl slip through your fingers? Explain how, after all your promises, you failed to retrieve the amulet?"
The priest's breath quickened, his fingers tightening around the crucifix. "It wasn't supposed to go like this." He stammered. "The girl-she had help. The vampire Phoenix, he interfered. He-"
"Phoenix?" Lilith's smile twisted into something colder, more dangerous. She paused in front of the priest, her crimson gaze boring into his. "You're telling me that Phoenix, of all people, helped a human? He despises humans."
Father James trembled, taking a step back, his back pressing against the altar. "I-he came out of nowhere. I was chasing the girl when he-"
Lilith's hand shot out faster than he could react, her fingers closing around his throat in a vice-like grip. The crucifix dropped from his hand, clattering uselessly to the floor. She lifted him effortlessly, her eyes burning with fury as she leaned in close, her breath cold against his skin.
"Do you think I care for your excuses, priest?" She hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "You had one task. One simple task. Capture the girl, take the amulet, and deliver it to me. And yet here you stand, empty-handed, babbling about failures like I should tolerate your incompetence."
Father James gasped, his hands clawing at her iron grip, but it was useless. Her strength was overwhelming, her fury palpable. He could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears, each beat a countdown to his doom.
"Please." He choked, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I can fix this. I can still get the amulet."
Lilith's lips peeled back, revealing her sharp, gleaming fangs. "You've already failed me once. Do you think I'll give you a second chance?"
With a casual flick of her wrist, she hurled him across the room. Father James crashed into a row of pews, the wood splintering beneath him as he hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his body, but he scrambled to his feet, desperation clawing at his insides. He tried to back away, but Lilith was already on him, moving faster than his eyes could follow.
She appeared in front of him, her cold, elegant fingers gripping his jaw, forcing him to meet her gaze. "You have disappointed me, Father. And I do not suffer failure lightly."
The priest whimpered, his knees buckling as he fell to the floor before her. "Please, Lilith. I beg you. Spare me. I-I can still serve you."
Lilith's eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "Spare you? Oh no, Father. You will serve me in a far more useful capacity now."
Before he could react, she pressed her hand against his chest, her nails digging into his flesh, drawing blood. The priest screamed as she twisted her fingers deeper, her eyes never leaving his as she savoured his pain.
"You see, I've learned something from your failure." She said, her voice soft and chilling. "If you want something done right, you don't rely on weak-willed, pathetic men like you. You do it yourself."
Father James' vision blurred with tears, his body convulsing as the agony consumed him. He could feel her fingers piercing deeper, something dark and cold spreading through his veins, pulling him down into a pit of darkness from which there would be no escape.
Lilith leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered her final words. "You were a tool, nothing more. And now, like all broken tools, you will be discarded."
With one swift, brutal motion, she ripped her hand free, tearing his heart from his chest. The priest's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening in a silent scream as he crumpled to the floor, lifeless. Blood pooled around his body, staining the sacred ground beneath him.
Lilith stood over his corpse, her fingers stained with his blood, holding his still-beating heart in her hand. She watched with cold detachment as it slowed, the last remnants of life fading from the organ before she let it drop to the floor with a sickening splat.
The church was silent, the only sound the faint crackling of the candles and the slow drip of blood. She wiped her hand on the folds of her cloak, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at the priest's lifeless form. "Weak. Useless."
Turning her back on the corpse, she walked towards the altar, her mind already moving forward. The girl still had the amulet. But no matter. Lilith would retrieve it herself, and when she did, there would be no mercy, no hesitation.
Phoenix had interfered, and the girl had escaped-for now. But they would not escape her wrath for long.
As Lilith reached the doors of the church, she paused, casting one final glance over her shoulder at the ruin she had left behind. The priest's body lay crumpled in a pool of blood, forgotten, insignificant.
"I'll see to the girl myself." She murmured to no one, her voice a cold, deadly promise. "And this time, there will be no mistakes."
With a flick of her cloak, Lilith disappeared into the night, her mind already plotting her next move. The amulet would be hers. And the girl? The girl would wish she had never crossed paths with Lilith Conrad.