The clouds above Blackthorn Academy turned pale and bruised.
Rain had threatened all morning, but never fell. The wind blew in strange directions. Birds avoided the chapel's roof. Lights flickered with no cause. The air itself had grown still—as if the world was holding its breath.
Cain Morgan stood at the edge of the east wing balcony, coat billowing behind him, hair damp from the unnatural humidity. His crimson eyes surveyed the campus not as a student…
…but as a god over his temple.
And in the distance, behind the wrought-iron gates of the academy, a black car had arrived.
The Exorcists were here.
[WARNING: High-threat Hostiles Detected][Codename: "Sanctifiers" – Purity Division]
Mission: Identify, neutralize, or contain demonic anomalies.
Known Abilities: Nullify seduction, disrupt magic fields, purge corruption from bonded minds.
Units Present: 3Time until intervention: 8 hours.
Cain walked calmly back into the dorm halls. Inside, Serena and Lilith waited in silence.
"They're here," he said.
Lilith nodded. "I can sense them."
"Will they strike soon?" Serena asked, voice tight.
"No," Cain replied. "They'll watch first. Like cowards. Waiting for us to show weakness."
"And we won't," Lilith smirked. "Will we?"
Cain's eyes glowed faintly. "We'll give them a show."
Seven hours earlier
The Sanctifiers had arrived in plain clothes—three of them, all posing as representatives of the National School Safety Commission. They were escorted through the halls by Headmaster Reyle, who greeted them with just enough fear in his eyes for Cain to notice from afar.
The trio had names, but they wouldn't share them.
So Cain gave them nicknames.
The Shield – the tall, stone-faced woman with silver hair and callused knuckles.The Blade – a younger man, sharp eyes, rosary tattoo around his neck.The Veil – androgynous, almost too quiet, voice like smoke.
They smiled. Took notes. Walked the halls.
But their auras?
Holy. Blinding.
Even Lilith had to retreat back into Cain's shadow when they passed.
"They stink of divinity," she hissed. "Like rot and sunlight."
Cain grinned. "Then we'll make them choke on sin."
Back in Room 5C, Cain summoned Lena and Amara. They entered wearing nothing beneath their school uniforms.
"Today," Cain said, voice steady, "you'll perform for them."
Lena flushed. "You want us to... tempt them?"
"No," Cain said, stepping closer. "I want you to prove something more powerful than holiness."
He reached out, stroking a glowing glyph into Lena's sternum. "I want you to corrupt them."
Amara smiled darkly. "Finally."
[New Skill Activated: Whisper of Flesh]Cain's servants may now extend his aura temporarily to influence those outside his direct field. Temptation and control chance increase by 40% for emotionally unstable targets.Limit: 5 minutes per use. Cooldown: 3 hours.
In the teacher's lounge, The Veil waited alone—taking notes, sipping from a tea cup, eyes darting.
The door opened. Lena entered. Uniform tight. Hair braided. Books in her arms.
"Oh," she said softly. "I… didn't think anyone was here."
The Veil blinked. "It's fine. You're not interrupting."
Lena smiled shyly and sat across from them. "You're… with the safety board, right?"
"That's right."
"I think I'm in danger," Lena whispered.
Veil stiffened.
Lena placed a hand on her own thigh, eyes widening ever so slightly.
"I… feel things. Around a certain student. Things I'm not supposed to feel."
Five minutes later, The Veil stumbled out of the room, flushed, sweating, and visibly shaken.
Their aura had cracked—just a little.
Elsewhere, Amara leaned against the locker beside The Blade, her lip trembling.
"I heard rumors about Cain Morgan," she said. "That he… saved Serena. That he stands up for girls no one else sees."
The Blade's jaw tightened. "That's not why I'm here."
She leaned in. Whispered against his ear.
"I wish it were."
His rosary tattoo pulsed once—then dimmed.
[The Veil: Corruption 11%][The Blade: Corruption 9%][The Shield: Corruption 0%]
That evening, Cain entered the ritual chamber—formerly the basement of the abandoned dorm.
Lit with red candles. Walls painted with glyphs drawn in blood and ash. His harem—Serena, Amara, Lena, Arielle, Junie, Mae—already knelt in silence.
Cain stood at the center. Shirtless. Glyphs etched across his chest glowed brighter than ever.
"I have tasted worship," he said. "Now I taste battle."
He bit into his own wrist and dripped blood onto the stone floor.
The glyphs flared.
A portal opened—just a small tear.
Lilith smiled. "Careful. That much power… invites them."
"I'm counting on it."
[Faith Points: 36][New Skill Unlocked: Crimson Gate]Opens a temporary portal to the Nether Vault, allowing Cain to summon dark entities for assistance or sacrifice faith to receive power in exchange.Warning: Unstable. Use sparingly.
An hour before midnight, Cain stood outside the school chapel, wearing a black suit stitched with blood-red thread. His hair slicked back. His eyes glowing faintly.
And the Sanctifiers waited for him inside.
Cain opened the door and walked in.
The Shield stood with a blade at her hip. The Blade had his hands in his coat. The Veil paced near the altar.
Cain walked calmly to the center aisle.
"I know who you are," he said.
The Shield's hand twitched. "Then you know what comes next."
Cain tilted his head. "Exorcism?"
"No," she said. "Erasure."
He raised his hand.
"Then let me confess before you judge."
And with that, he activated it:
[Skill Activated: Crimson Sermon II]Effect boosted by Godtongue and Unseen Halo.Targeting: The Veil, The Blade
He spoke—not in words, but truth.
He told them of pain.Of being broken.Of being raped.Of crawling through blood for air.Of screaming while the world laughed.
And then he smiled.
"And I became the thing they fear."
The Blade took a step back.
The Veil clutched their head.
But The Shield?
Unmoved.
"You are not a god," she said coldly. "You are a parasite."
Cain stepped forward.
"I'm the parasite this world needs."
[Corruption Status Update]The Veil: 34%The Blade: 28%The Shield: 0%
"Enough," The Shield snapped, drawing her holy blade.
And just before it struck—Lilith stepped from Cain's shadow.
Her wings unfurled.
Her eyes blazed.
And the holy sword shattered on contact.
[Lilith: Full Manifestation]Temporarily anchored to mortal plane. Immunity to divine magic for 5 minutes.
The Veil screamed.
The Blade fell to his knees, shaking.
The Shield dropped her handle and took a step back.
"You… summoned a True Demon?" she whispered.
Cain smiled.
"No. She came willingly."
[Faith Points: +6][Total FP: 42]
The Sanctifiers fled into the night—broken, humiliated, infected.
Cain stood at the altar of the desecrated chapel, his hands soaked in holy fragments, his body aglow with stolen power.
Blackthorn Academy wasn't just his kingdom anymore.
It had become his cathedral.