Exiting the mansion, he let out a sigh of relief as Seth basked in the morning sun; its brightness felt good against his skin, which had been darkened considerably thanks to having stayed inside the building during the night. At the same time, his back feels slightly tensed due to having a vague dream about his upcoming betrayal.
He stared at the people who were mindlessly continuing their daily lives without concern for what was happening around them. Seeing this, he turns away as a lonely feeling hits him when he realizes something else after the moment his eyes lay on them.
Seth will not have a normal life like them. He is going to be constantly haunted by problem after problem while having no chance to take a break from everything that will come his way. Knowing that his very presence attracts danger itself, he is already accustomed to being consumed by it.
Crossing his arms together, he got used to the fact that he was in the spotlight despite not wanting to be one. Despite this, Seth doesn't mind it all. He brought this upon himself, for he loved the world so much that the man he is today is willing to bring salvation upon them.
A smile graced his lips when he watched a couple holding hands together along with their six-year-old daughter, remembering that his love for everyone is enough to endure these things as it keeps him going. He wanted them all to be saved, regardless of their backgrounds.
For he is the Son of God, the savior of this sinned world, one that will deliver them to the promised land. And I promise he will uphold no matter what; his dedication in doing so will always be there, even though some of the Christians still doubt him as the messiah.
"His here!"
A voice called out, pointing towards Seth, who snapped out of a trance while he was still standing there idly for a minute. He glanced at the crowd of people who had begun to gather around him, their eyes shining with anticipation, hoping for the miracles they would witness from their Lord.
Noticing their enthusiasm, he chuckled and raised a single palm. "Calm yourselves, my little children." Seth announced with authority to get them to settle down from excitement, "What more miracles must I show to you who doubt me so?" He inquired curiously, lowering his hand.
Many of them began to whisper among each other, their tones low yet excited all the same; each person spoke at once, which made it impossible for the holy man to determine what they wanted from him. Some wanted riches, others good luck, and still others desired knowledge of magic or special powers.
However, none expected when a boy in his early teens shoved the crowd and made his way through. This caught Seth's attention, causing him to tilt his head slightly with concern at seeing a worried child who was sweating profusely from whatever they experienced.
The young lad was short—no more than five feet and three inches. He wore a simple, ratty pair of trousers and a faded, patched shirt that seemed to hang on his scrawny frame. His dark brown hair was unkempt, and his blue eyes darted nervously from side to side as if expecting a fight to break out at any moment.
"Lord! Come quick!" The boy begged as he embraced the holy man, looking up with tearful eyes, "My father has been possessed!" His response caused many, including Seth himself, to be shocked to learn of an evil spirit haunting a man somewhere in this peaceful town.
Without hesitation, Seth nodded with a look of seriousness on his face. "Show me, I shall make it so that no harm will befall on him," he reassured the child, caressing the boy's head gently while staring down with an unwavering gaze into the young lad's own eyes.
Letting go, the boy nodded furiously before saying, "Follow me, Lord!" He said, causing the rest of the crowd to separate themselves by allowing the duo through. Everyone began to murmur about this predicament they were hearing from one another, wondering how bad this situation truly was as well as how dangerous the possession was.
The boy led him near the outskirts of this town, where a small house and fence surrounding a pack of pigs stood in sight. Alongside the building is an unusual man who was laughing maniacally while wildly gesturing his limbs and twisting his neck at an impossible angle that could've easily broken bones.
Some of the townsfolk followed, while others remained in fear of what would happen. As everyone reached where the boy had led them, they were surprised to see this supposed possessed person who was acting inhumanely in front of their eyes.
The possessed man appeared to be in his late thirties, with greasy, shoulder-length hair that hung limp around his gaunt face. He was dressed in a ratty, tattered tunic that barely covered his bony shoulders and a pair of threadbare breeches that were falling apart at the seams. He smelled of rot and decay, and his yellowed eyes flashed madly as he cackled and giggled like a demented hyena.
His movements were jerky and erratic, as if he were being controlled by unseen strings. Muttering and mumbling to himself, he scratched at his arms and neck, leaving bright red welts that oozed with blood. The sounds he made were like the lowing of a cow or the whining of a sick dog. It was a pitiful sound, and it made the hairs on the back of Seth's neck stand up.
When he felt the presence of the holy man, he immediately stopped in his tracks, twisting and turning his head to observe Seth's person. Inhuman tongue spoken through a possessed man's mouth: "What do we have to do with you?! The Son of God, who is like a little lamb?!" His expression became deranged and wild as the possessed man remained in his spot.
Its voice spoke many tones, unnatural and demonic in nature, sounding as though it were many people talking all at once. The man's body jerked violently as if he were being pulled by invisible strings, his limbs flailing uselessly in the air as he struggled to maintain control.
Upon hearing those words from the demon residing inside the man, Seth stepped closer, his brow furrowed as he eyed the possessed man carefully. His voice was low and steady, his stance relaxed but firm as he approached. "For what do you intend to do with this one, you foul spirit?" He asked, curious about the entity's purpose in tormenting this innocent soul.
The man's body fell on its butt before crawling away from the approaching presence of the holy one. "Stay away!" He warned angrily, his eyes wide with panic as he backed himself up against the fence, "Do not come near me, Son of God!" The creature screamed hysterically, its voice becoming shrill and piercing as it attempted to frighten the holy man away.
Seth stopped in his tracks while maintaining a safe distance. He observed the possessed man's behavior, noting how scared he seemed to be of his mere presence alone: "You fear me, demon, just as you should be." Wrath can be heard through the holy man's words despite his calm tone: "For what reason do you have to torment this child's father in such a manner?" He demanded from the possessed soul, curious about what wicked scheme it had in store.
The demon laughed mockingly despite being terrified by the Lord's authority: "You think you're so clever, don't you?!" It sneered, its voice dripping with contempt as it glared at the holy man before it. "Always trying to help those who can't be helped," the creature hissed, its face contorted into a twisted grin as it licked its lips. "We will always triumph against you and your precious believers," the thing spat maliciously, its eyes flashing with malevolence.
Seth narrowed his gaze at the entity's audacity, his expression growing stony as he listened to its words. "You will not win this battle," he retorted in determination, his voice laced with steel as he stood his ground. "For God is the true supreme creator of everything, and you are but a fallen servant to the prince of lies," he stated with certainty.
The creature merely scoffed at his statement, rolling its eyes as if exasperated by such a notion. "Ha! Have you noticed, Son of God?! The world has already been conquered by Satan himself! When mankind progresses, social media and politics will become the greatest things for us to sway them into." His words caused Seth's pupils to dilate momentarily while he digested them thoroughly.
"We will be like cancer, spreading awful news across the world, advertising false promises, delivering unhealthy, tasty food, and making people look up to famous idols, bringing them down a self-destructive path! Truly, even with your grand sacrifice, the modern era will be our domain, glorifying worldly pleasures more than God!" It continued with venomous words of its goals in regards to the world and the people: "Then what will happen to the likes of you? Man's world is already crumbling, very slowly. The signs are there," the demon explained while smirking evilly.
Those dark words sent a shiver down Seth's spine, causing his heart to drop in despair. He knew how destructive and hateful mankind had become. However, even when there is darkness all around, a candle of light still shines brighter than the void of endless shadow that consumes every living being. "You may try, but you cannot destroy faith in humanity. Just as they are born with free will, so will they find salvation in the end."
"Free will. That's a joke!" The demon snarled angrily, its voice filled with rage at the mere mention of that: "The devil sets you free! God is a fool who holds you prisoners of hope," the creature continued with sarcasm, its tone filled with disgust at the holy man's words, "We are the only ones who are the true saviors!" Causing the crowd behind Seth to whisper among themselves after hearing the creature's declaration.
The holy man's lips curled upwards, forming a small smile on his face as he shook his head lightly at the demon's accusation: "If you are truly free, then what's stopping you from not following Lucifer's plan to bring this world to ruin?" He asked rhetorically, his tone soft and gentle, as if speaking to a small child rather than an ancient evil.
Sweat rolled down on the creature's forehead, its eyes darting around anxiously as it realized it had been cornered by the Son of God's logic. The holy man's question struck it like lightning, rendering it speechless for several seconds.
Realizing its error, the creature growled deeply in frustration, knowing that every demon must serve Lucifer or else severe punishment will await them by the king of hell itself: "Your kind will pay for your arrogance in the future; just you wait! Your death will be gruesome and painful."As he was about to stand up, Seth ordered him to kneel in front of him.
"Kneel, fallen one!" Seth declared sternly while looking directly at the creature's eyes with intensity, forcing the possessed man to comply fearfully. "You have no authority or power against me and my father in heaven," he said, raising his arm straight upwards.
Fear drenched on the possessed man. "If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs!" He begged desperately, fearing being destroyed by the holy presence before it, "Grant us mercy, Son of God!" The demon pleaded, its eyes filled with terror as it looked up at the holy man.
Seth crossed his arms together and gazed at the beast, his expression solemn as he began to consider it despite knowing the demon was only doing this to escape and continue their actions, for the demon kind had already seen the mercy God had shown them.
Silently contemplating its plea, he closed his eyes and nodded once before finally opening them again. "Go!" Seth ordered, granting them what they wanted as the evil spirit left the man's body before entering the pigs themselves. Causing the unfortunate pigs to jump over the fence and drown themselves in a nearby lake, for they could not tolerate such an unclean spirit inhabiting them.
The holy man's heart aches from resorting to this, for while the demon is irredeemable and chose to bring themselves into darkness, he still cares for them as he hopes to one day also absolve them from their path. Sadly for him, they will continue to rebel because of their jealousy and hatred in their hearts.
Hearing the pigs cry out from a distance in pain of their demise, the demon's final cry can be heard as the wind carries it to his ears. The creature's screams of anguish and sorrow pierced through the air like arrows, causing the crowd to tremble in horror at the horrible wails coming from beyond.
He was full of remorse, not only about the demon and the man who was recently possessed but also about the unfortunate pigs that died. Everything about this situation troubled him greatly, as if it were a reminder that his love and care are for naught. But Seth reminded himself that everyone needs to make difficult choices in order to protect or save what matters most to them.
He doesn't desire any of this, as sending the evil spirit to people instead would cause more harm than good. Moreover, demons despise going to hell, and because of Seth's mercy, he chose to comply with the demon's command, despite how much it hurts to see those unclean animals.
"Father!" The boy who led them went over to his father's side and said, "You're alive!" A smile grew on his face as the man slowly got up with confusion on his face, not understanding what had happened nor remembering anything that occurred in the past hours.
"What did I do...?" The confused father asked with a frown, looking at Seth, whom he believed was responsible for what happened, "You?" Confusedly asked, not knowing what to make of this strange incident or even where he is at the moment.
Seth smiled, his eyes filled with compassion and understanding. "Yes, me." As he said those words, the crowd behind him began to cheer at the miracle they saw firsthand, their faces full of smiles and hope that salvation had come at last.
