Adam nearly jumped in fright, quickly spinning toward the source of the scream. The others turned as well.
"I-I felt something grab my ankle just now!" stammered a tanned teenager with a nervous, boyish face.
Adam recognized the teenager. Omar.
Well, "recognize" was too simple a word. He didn't just know Omar. He had once saved the lad's life, and his sister's.
The memory was still fresh in his mind as it had happened only a few months ago.
Omar's father had been an archaeologist who often explored pyramids, sphinxes, and other ancient sites. One day, driven by greed or other reasons, he smuggled a piece of jewelry out of a pyramid. That was when his family life took a drastic turn as though a curse had been exacted.
His wife fell ill and died shortly after. His own health began to decline rapidly. Within weeks, he followed her to the grave.
The siblings were left alone. But the curse didn't stop there. Omar's little sister was next. She fell sick and became bedridden. Most of the family's money had already been spent on the medical bills of his parents, and with no support left, Omar was desperate.
While searching through his father's belongings, he found the jewel. Innocently, he tried to sell it at a local jewelry store. The police arrested him not long after for trying to sell a stolen historical artifact.
But when he told them his story, how his family had died one after another, and how the jewel might be the only way to save his sister, the case was passed on to the Inquisition.
The police had long known that when they encountered cases involving strange or supernatural elements, they could request assistance from the Inquisition.
Adam and his team were the ones who handled it, and they managed to locate and contain the curse.
Through study and divination, it was discovered that the jewel had once belonged to a female oracle. She had suffered a grave injustice in life, and even in death, her spirit could not find peace. Consumed by rage, she became a vengeful spirit, bound to the jewel. Ever since, anyone who came into possession of it would fall under her curse.
Yet even after the curse was contained, Omar's sister didn't recover. It was already too late. Her body was still alive, but only thanks to modern technology. Her soul had been deeply damaged, and no ordinary treatment could restore it.
The only hope for her recovery was the Rejuvenating Soul Potion, which was only available to Church members and members of the Inquisition.
Joining the Church was out of the question, at least in Adam's opinion. Omar would need to rise to the rank of High-Ranking Deacon just to qualify for the Rejuvenating Soul Potion. That could take years, with no guarantee of success.
The only viable option was to join the Inquisition. By fighting supernatural threats, he could earn contribution points and eventually exchange them for the potion. A few years at most, if he performed well.
In the end, Omar joined the Inquisition, just as Adam had expected.
Back in the present, Adam watched as Omar, still shaken, described what he had felt.
The blonde woman studied him for a moment, then gave a calm nod to him and the others.
"Keep moving," she said.
At the same time, she raised her hand, and a soft yellow light burst forth from her palm. The light split into several glowing strands, flying toward each member of the group and wrapping around them. In seconds, a shimmering layer of golden mantle formed just outside their clothing.
Adam felt the night's cold, which his clothes couldn't keep out, begin to fade, replaced by a warmth like summer heat flowing through his body. Along with it came a surge of courage. His trembling stopped. The fear of the hundreds of unseen eyes watching him began to vanish.
Adam immediately recognized what she had done.
Solar Mantle!
Detailed information from the Church's textbook about the supernatural ability surfaced in Adam's mind.
Solar Mantle:
Shields the wearer from physical attacks, including bullets and blades.
Grants strong resistance to cold.
Enhance spiritual resistance and courage.
Repels undead and wraith-like entities.
...
Adam couldn't help but see the blonde woman in a new light. Simultaneously, a few information about her surfaced in his mind.
Amelia Watson.
One of the eight Archbishops.
Blessing: Angel Of Light
Primarily responsible for Church affairs across Europe.
For this mission, the Inquisition had requested the Church's assistance. In response, they had sent none other than Archbishop Amelia herself.
At first, he and the other Inquisitor were puzzled by the Church's decision. Why send an archbishop all the way from Europe, when Archbishop Salman, stationed in Cairo, much closer to Nubis was available?
But now, it was starting to make sense.
The threat inside the villa had to be closely related to undead, wraith-like entities, or possibly demons.
It aligned perfectly with what Archbishop Amelia had said earlier about the villa. This place reeked of death, the underworld, and hell.
Archbishop Amelia was someone whose power lay in the domain of light. She was a purification expert, well-suited for dealing with curses and undead. She's basically the nemesis of those dark, filthy creatures.
Archbishop Salman, on the other hand, was renowned for his Blessing or power related to life and plants. Rumor had it he could summon an entire forest in the middle of a city.
Salman's Blessing was impressive, no doubt, but when it came to undead or cursed beings, the better choice was clear.
As the thought passed through Adam's mind, he realized he had fallen behind the others. Snapping out of it, he hurried forward, running to catch up.
A couple of minutes passed. Adam began to feel strangely heavy, like something was weighing down his limbs. Worse, it felt as though their destination kept drifting farther away. The more they walked, the more it seemed like they were going in circles.
They were still stuck in the yard with tall grass everywhere.
"Something's not right," someone muttered.
At that moment, a familiar scream pierced reached his ears
Adam turned around and saw Omar. Somehow, the latter had fallen behind the group by several hundred meters, and no one had noticed!
'How is that possible?'
Then Adam saw Omar clutching his own neck, fingers digging in tightly. His eyes bulged, his face had turned blue, and his tongue hung unnaturally from his mouth.
The boy was choking himself!
Adam's first instinct was to rush in and help, but as he took a step forward, a hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him.
He turned and saw Archbishop Amelia standing beside him.
'When did she get here?'
Her golden eyes were fixed on Omar, reflecting the image of Omar strangling himself.
Then, without a word, she spread her arms wide.
A pillar of light shot down from the sky, engulfing Omar in an instant.
Once again, Adam recognized the ability Archbishop Amelia used.
Purification!
Through the translucent glow, Adam and the others could see the grass within the light writhe as if in pain before suddenly igniting, bursting into flames, and crumbling to ash in seconds.
Adam had expected Omar to cease his action the moment the light showered him and for whatever creature was possessing him to be forced out.
But instead, Omar, still caught within the pillar of light, suddenly looked up and smiled.
It was a cold, mocking grin, aimed directly at Amelia.
"No!" Adam shouted.
Snap.
The sound of his neck breaking was relatively vivid in the quiet night.
Omar's body collapsed into the charred grass.
His eyes were still open, wide with confusion and regret. His lips curled up into a smile.