I

  I ran back to the cathedral as fast as I could.

  Passing the scattered remains of the beast, I first reached the upper floor and then the inner balcony overlooking the prayer hall.

  When I arrived, the sight below was complete chaos.

  Thick clouds of smoke filled the hall, hiding almost everything. Near the windows I could see a few scattered believers hiding between the benches, and bodies lying across the floor — civilians, and strangely enough, several corporate soldiers as well.

  Gunfire echoed everywhere, much of it coming from outside.

  At that moment Morgan’s voice suddenly crackled through the communicator, though it was barely audible over the chaos.

  “Charlie!? Are you there, Charlie?!”

  “I’m here!” I shouted back. “What’s happening?”

  “Outside… everything’s out of control—”

  The signal died.

  “Great,” I muttered to myself.

  I ran back toward the ground floor.

  Normally I should have tried to escape the building as quickly as possible, but something about the situation felt wrong. Even though riots had seemed inevitable for a long time, something didn’t add up.

  I decided to head toward the pulpit.

  Once downstairs I hid behind one of the benches and slowly began pushing my way forward.

  Progress was painfully slow.

  Several times I felt bullets pass just inches away from me. The smoke not only limited visibility but made breathing and movement extremely difficult.

  Just before reaching the pulpit, I tripped and slammed my head against the floor.

  When I looked down, I realized I had stumbled over a twisted corpse.

  A corporate soldier.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  Another one, I thought.

  Ignoring the body, I crawled forward through the gunfire until I finally reached the place where the priest usually stood during sermons.

  But he was gone.

  Then the smoke shifted slightly.

  And I saw something disturbing.

  The door behind the pulpit stood open.

  Painted across it was a bloody V.

  Without hesitation, I rushed inside.

  II

  Beyond the doorway lay a corridor swallowed entirely by darkness.

  The layout seemed similar to the upper floors — three long corridors branching away, each lined with countless doors.

  In the dim moonlight filtering through the windows I noticed a faint moving shadow.

  I immediately ran toward it with my weapon raised.

  Nothing.

  I switched on my flashlight, but its beam felt useless in the massive corridor.

  Walking back and forth through the darkness felt like sinking slowly into deep water.

  And the entire time I felt watched.

  From somewhere behind me.

  Then suddenly—

  A loud crash echoed from far down the corridor.

  I ran toward it as fast as I could.

  A fallen wooden cabinet.

  Another crash echoed further away.

  Again I ran.

  Again nothing but furniture.

  Then I saw another shadow.

  Then footsteps.

  Then the creaking of the floorboards.

  Again.

  And again.

  Until the realization finally hit me.

  I was lost.

  The killer had completely led me in circles.

  And my flashlight battery was dying.

  Then I heard a calm voice somewhere above me.

  “Tell me, Charlie.”

  “Why are you trying so hard to save that man?”

  I stayed silent.

  “Isn’t he everything you despise?” the voice continued. “Hasn’t he already done enough harm? Why help someone who would never do the same for you?”

  Eventually I found the source.

  An old intercom speaker.

  Without hesitation I shot it.

  Silence returned.

  Then my flashlight died.

  “It's not your conflict, Charlie,” the voice suddenly whispered behind me.

  I slowly turned.

  A large shadow stood in the darkness.

  I grabbed my weapon—

  And suddenly felt a piercing pain in my shin.

  I collapsed.

  The shadow immediately fled deeper into the corridors.

  Despite the pain I tried to chase him.

  I fired both magazines blindly into the darkness.

  Only one shot seemed to hit something.

  Metal.

  I reached an open window.

  The killer was gone.

  III

  I wandered the corridors for what felt like hours.

  The darkness seemed thicker than before.

  Moonlight from the windows was the only thing giving the place shape.

  Eventually I dragged myself to the main entrance.

  I pushed the door open with my body.

  Blinding flashlight beams immediately struck my eyes.

  “Don’t move!”

  I collapsed to my knees.

  Someone threw me to the ground.

  “Captain! We caught the killer!”

  The officer approached and looked closely at my face.

  Then he shoved me aside.

  “Idiot. That’s the commander’s man.”

  At that moment Morgan burst into the hall with several officers.

  And suddenly—

  Glass shattered.

  The priest’s body slammed onto the floor.

  Above the pulpit, in the broken stained-glass window, stood the killer.

  Bathed in moonlight.

  Dressed entirely in black.

  A white mask covered his face.

  On its left eye was the symbol of a sun.

  Before anyone could react, he vanished into the dar

  kness.

  Leaving only the priest’s body behind.

  And the moonlight pouring through the shattered window.