The Abandoned Path

Epilog - Devil Church

Author's note:

Hopefully some have stuck with me though this story. Less Ghost focused, more world building. However, the next book will transition into Copia era ghouls, including Dew! And more Copia being shifty, more Papa Nihil backstory, ect. If you're interested in that, I will be posting The Hidden Path soon-ish. Thanks!

The dim Morning light slowly lulled Lilith out of her sleep. She stretched and rolled onto her back, her body sore from the night with Aamon. With as much stealth as she fatigued body would afford her, she slipped out of bed and looked around for a robe to cover herself. At the opposite side of the room was a door that she had not noticed the previous night. Tip toeing across the room, she pushed the door open and walked into a bathroom. It was just as opulent as the rest of the manor, a mashup of old and new. Searching the room, Lilith found a robe as well as a towel and toiletries. After showering and brushing her teeth and hair, she towel dried her hair with haste. Tying the robe tightly around her waist, she cracked the door open, peering into the bedroom. Aamon was still sleeping quietly. The sight of his tousled blonde hair made her smile.

Sneaking out of the room, she decided to explore the house now that it was daylight. The hall was still fairly dark though, no windows allowing light to fill the space. Behind her was the large landing that opened into the vaulted foyer. At the other end of the hall there was a glimmer of light along the red carpet that lay on the floor. Lilith rushed down the shrouded hall to the light, the hall extending to her right and left. To the left was a dead end, two lattice casement windows revealing the blue sky outside. The wall before her had five similar windows, to her left an open stair well. Lilith frowned at the decision she was about to make but couldn't help her curiosity.

The sound of her bare feet against the stone steps echoed in the masonry stairwell as she ran down the spiral steps. At the bottom, she found herself in a narrow hall. Stepping into it she saw four windows and, at the end, a door to her left. The right hand wall was bare, white plaster covering what she assumed was stone beneath. Taking in a deep breath, Lilith walked along the hall, peering out the windows as she passed them. Opening the door, Lilith looked out at a sprawling, viridescent field, still wet with morning dew. So green...in winter Lilith thought, an old stone building seemingly detached from the rest of the manor catching her eye. It was nearly 150 yards away, tucked along the edge of the evergreen forest beyond. Now more hesitant, Lilith stepped out onto the cold grass, a shiver running through her. Gripping her robe, she ran across the field to the doorstep of the building. The door was weathered and old, moss growing in the cracks of the smoothed stone that made the archway.

Pushing the door, it opened with a loud groan that reverberated through the space. Lilith stepped into a chapel, taking her by surprise. Despite the warnings her stomach was giving her, she walked through the vestibule and to the left down the aisle along the nave. Running her fingers along the wooden pews, she studied the stained-glass windows along the sides of the worship hall. They all featured figures, but the words below them were in a language she didn't understand. What she did notice was that there were seven windows at either side, to the right the figures were alone, their six wings not made of feathers. Fear crawled down Lilith's spine as their black eyes watched her move through the dusted, forgotten room. Beside her, seven couples stood, wings of different colors encircling them. The windows were incredibly detailed, depicting wars and feasts. Walking past them, one man struck her as very familiar. His frost blue eyes bright from the raising sun, his angular face framed by brown hair. Turning from the mans face, she found herself at the front of the nave. Behind the alter that had long been abandoned was a cloth of gold and ivory. It hung across the sanctuary, oddly close to the pews and stone podium. Lilith tilted her head, studying the cloth and the space it occupied. At the bottom right side, Lilith noticed light shining through a hole in the fabric, the corner having been worn or eaten away. Touching the gilded cloth, it was too taut to grasp. Holding her hand to it, she pulled it toward her with all her force. Just as she was about to give up, the fabric tore and fell from the high ceiling. Dust plumed from the floor and tapestry, clouding the air and causing Lilith to cough. As the air settled and cleared, she looked up at what she had revealed.

Lilith gasped in horror by what was now brightly illuminated by the morning sun. Stepping back, she bumped into the alter, placing a hand on the weathered stone top. Her being shifted, the light now nearly blinding as it poured in through the colored glass. The air was hot, the space suddenly tacky with humidity. Beyond the stone walls there were loud shrieks and howls, the sounds rattling her bones and chilling her core. The high sound of metal clashing was intermixed with the death cries outside. Turning to the pews of the chapel, Lilith was taken back by just how clean and new the nave of the chapel was. Even the alter beneath her hands was smooth and untarnished by time and ritual. The space was starkly different in every way and Lilith knew she had never been to this time before. She didn't know how far back this vision was, but the atmosphere felt different, heavier. The sky that she could see through the small windows above the ornate stained glass was burning amber and crimson. Unknown beasts flew high against the hellscape, occasionally being struck down by some unseen force. Before Lilith was able to take in more of her surroundings, the wooden chapel door swung open, now silent on its hinges. She froze, her throat tightening with panic as her took in his image. Reality faltered for a moment, but Lilith forced herself to remain. The man was not one she recognized, but he was draped in very familiar garb. Wearing a white and gold miter and chasuble, the man's eyes were a dim green, his face resembling a skull. The black surrounding his eyes contrasted starkly with his bone white cheeks. He smirked, almost like he could see her and moved into the chapel, his hand gripping tightly onto the hair of a bloodied, lifeless form. Her stomach turned, the strain of maintaining the connection to this time quickening her breath.

"Hello, Lilith." The man greeted, his lips curling into a smile. The words made her blood run cold, but she stood still and unblinking. He released the body halfway through the center aisle of the nave. Lilith noted the body looked human, the light grey feathered wings splattered with blood.

"Who are you?" Lilith asked, her voice no more than a whisper. She had never tried to interact with anyone or anything during her visions, but she could feel this moment slipping and she needed to confirm her suspicion.

"Seraphiel" the man said in a humored tone, his smile widening into a horrid grin, and Lilith was thrown from the vision. Stumbling back, she tripped on the fabric and lost her footing completely. Her head met with the stone floor with a sickening thud. The pain of her head cracking on the stone gripped her stomach and would have emptied it if she had remained conscious.