Before he could finish his sentence, Aylin yanked him harder, and the next thing Jiang knew, he was pulled across the small coffee table, landing directly on top of her. His hand landed in the worst possible place as they hit the floor.
"Watch your hand!" Aylin snapped, her face red.
Jiang froze. "You pulled me!"
Aylin's blush deepened, but before either of them could react further, cold moved through the room. She wrapped her arms around Jiang and rolled them both aside as the shadow lunged at his neck.
They hit the ground together, Jiang's face buried in Aylin's neck. He barely had time to process the situation before Aylin stretched out her palm, releasing a fireball toward the creature. The fireball crackled through the air, but the Yokai deflected it, its shadowy form barely disturbed by the impact.
Then, the Yokai lunged for Jiang's neck a second time, but once again, it was repelled before it could fully grab him. The creature froze, looking down at itself in confusion, as if trying to understand why its attempts were failing. Its gaze then shifted toward the bottle of holy water sitting on the nearby table, realization dawning in its dark eyes.
At that moment, the door creaked open, and the priest returned, his eyes widening in confusion at the sight before him - Jiang and Aylin tangled together on the floor, a corner of the room scorched, and a strange tension lingering in the air. He paused, his face caught between concern and bewilderment.
Jiang scrambled to his feet, his face flushed. "Sorry. She saved me, and I fell on her in the process," he said, rubbing the back of his neck where the red mark from the Yokai's brief touch was now slowly fading.
The priest's eyes flicked between the two of them and the burn mark on the wall. He brought his hands together, muttering a soft prayer under his breath. "The Lord has brought me these children," he whispered, more to himself. Then, with a slightly firmer tone, he added, "I will go forth without judgment."
Before they could explain further, the door opened again, and the head priest - the one they'd been waiting for - entered. His stern gaze took in the entire room, his eyes narrowing as they fell on the burn mark, the overturned chairs, and the awkward tension between Jiang and Aylin.
"What exactly is going on here?" the head priest asked, his voice calm but commanding.
Jiang, still flustered, quickly stood upright. "Uh, it's... complicated. There was an attack - a... presence - but we're fine now." He glanced nervously at Aylin before adding, "We need your help with the shrine rod. We're running out of time."
The head priest's brow furrowed, unsure of what to make of the situation but sensing something serious. He stepped further into the room, exchanging a glance with the first priest. "I don't know what you've gotten yourselves into, but we'll talk this through."
The first priest nodded in agreement and gestured toward the door. "Come with us," he said, his tone more certain now. "We'll take you to Father Matthews' office to discuss this further. There may be a way to help."
Jiang and Aylin followed the two priests down a narrow corridor, their hearts still racing from the Yokai's attack. The soft echo of their footsteps filled the silence. The air felt cooler here, more serious, as though the heart of the church held something more than its rituals. Jiang glanced at Aylin, who seemed composed but alert, ready for anything.
Father Matthews, the head priest, led them into a small, candlelit office. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with dusty tomes, and a large wooden desk sat in the center, papers neatly stacked. Matthews gestured for them to sit.
"Now," Father Matthews began, lowering himself into the chair behind his desk. "You mentioned something about a 'shrine rod' earlier. That's a ceremonial tool, one used for important religious services. Why are you so insistent on finding it? I sense this goes beyond a simple spiritual need."
Jiang hesitated for a moment, careful not to reveal too much, but they were running out of time. "There's something... dangerous, something supernatural, following us," he said, keeping his voice steady. "We've been told the shrine rod could help reveal or repel it."
Father Matthews leaned back, his eyes studying them. "Supernatural?" he repeated, his tone neither dismissive nor fully believing. "You're not the first to come here with talk of such things, but few have ever been so specific. Do you truly believe this rod will stop whatever haunts you?"
Jiang nodded. "We were told it's our best chance."
The head priest let out a slow breath, thinking. "The rod we use during mass is ceremonial, yes, but its history is tied to some old practices. It's a tool of faith, not necessarily power in the mystical sense." He tapped his fingers on the desk. "But I can see you're not looking for superstition. You're after something real, something that will save your lives."
Jiang leaned forward, trying to remain calm but determined. "That's exactly it. We're running out of time, and we've been told this rod can help. We need to find a way to use it."
The head priest glanced between them, his skepticism still present but tempered by the seriousness in Jiang's voice. "I'm not sure how much power it has beyond its symbolic value. But I believe I understand your desperation." He paused for a moment, considering. "The rod is kept here in the cathedral, but it's normally used only by the cardinal.
If you're intent on this path, I will allow you to see it, but I cannot guarantee it will do what you expect."
Jiang exchanged a quick glance with Aylin, her eyes steady as she nodded slightly. "We'll take that chance," Jiang said, his voice firm.
The head priest stood slowly, motioning for the younger priest to follow. "Well. Come with me, and I'll show you where it's kept."
They followed him through a narrow corridor leading toward a more secluded section of the cathedral. The air grew cooler, and the faint sound of distant prayers echoed in the background. As they neared the small chamber where the rod was kept, the head priest spoke again.
"You should know, this is not an object of magic," he said, glancing back at them. "It is tied to faith, to the strength of belief. Its power, if any, is drawn from that."
Jiang's mind raced as they reached the chamber door. The head priest pulled out a key from around his neck and unlocked it, revealing a small room with simple decor. At the center, resting on a velvet cushion, was the shrine rod - a long, slender object made of polished wood with old carvings of crosses and other religious symbols.
Despite its unassuming appearance, the rod carried a weight, as if too many hands had carried it through too many bad nights.
Jiang stepped forward, feeling a strange pull as he looked at the rod. This was their chance.
Behind them, somewhere beyond the church walls, the shadow hunting them stopped moving.