Newfound Resolve

"D-Don't tell me you're an E-Exorcist too?" Devin struggled to talk as he asked his old professor.

"No, I am not," Mr. Coltrane replied. He looked like he wasn't the Mr. Coltrane Devin knew. He was smiling and his face held a soft expression. "I am a mere supporter of the Union."

"U-Union?" Devin asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you more information. Welcome, Devin. May fate guide you to your desires," was all Mr. Coltrane said before walking away.

A gentle cough behind him made Devin turn around where a woman greeted him with a smile. Her skin does not glimmer like porcelain, her eyes do not shine like stars, and her hair wasn't as bright and flowing as a river.

She's not an Exorcist.

"Congratulations on passing your admissions test, Mr. Lewis," she said with a bright smile. "You are now to be examined by our tailor for your measurements. Then, you will–"

"No." The woman's smile fell when Devin cut her off. "I want to be out. I don't want to be an Exorcist. I want to live a normal life. So tell your superiors that I won't enter Brightburn."

The woman didn't say anything. Instead, she smiled and nodded. "As you wish, Mr. Lewis."

Devin walked away, leaving the card on the coffee table. His expression didn't change apart from when he saw Mr. Coltrane. He was showing the same expression his face held since he left his apartment complex.

The moment he walked out of the hotel, he felt his body getting pulled. He closed his eyes and heard the siren before opening them. His eyes squinted when he felt sunlight hitting his face.

As the drain of the Glimpse took its toll on Devin, the boy looked at the now filled hotel one last time. He hoped it was the last time he would see that hotel. See Exorcists, and the last time he would choose to become one.

Taking his walk home, Devin felt everything but at ease. There was this feeling inside him that's building up like magma inside a volcano, ready to erupt. A feeling that made him nervous and his body shiver in fear.

Before he could even ask himself a question, he fell to his knees after seeing a familiar row of stores destroyed. There where blood in the streets and the nearby pavement.

His legs ran up to the place he felt the most warmth to. As his eyes trailed down the sign of the store, his feet took him up the pile of debris. He could only care less about crossing the police line.

People were calling – screaming for him to go but Devin walked closer. A familiar gray cloak caught his eye. Turning around, tears fell at the sight he wished he never saw.

A headless Exorcist was hugging a woman in a cherry red dress. Dried blood was splattered all across the ruined building. The tables were smashed, glasses were shattered, and pieces of bread were scattered.

"Mrs. Berry?" Devin called out. As he got closer, his tears gushed harder. The cherry red dress, the curly white hair, the healthy body. He couldn't be mistaken.

Mrs. Berry was hugged by a headless Exorcist. Their stomachs were open and void with innards, Mrs. Berry's left arm was ripped off. Devin turned around in disgust just when the police pulled him out of the crime scene.

With his knees on the ground, Devin cried his pain away. The woman who gave him the warmth that made his heart full of love, the woman who took him off the streets and gave him a job. The woman whom he considers like family.

"You see?"

Devin looked up and met eyes with a familiar pair of green orbs. He was wearing his cloak as two more walked past them. His glass-like skin glistened under the ray of the morning sun.

"It's not the first time this has happened, Devin. All across the world, something like this happens," Mr. Franco said.

"You!" Devin shouted. "Just because I declined to enter your school, you made Mrs. Berry your bait?!"

Mr. Franco's eyebrows met. "She was the kindest and most loving person I knew in this miserable life and you killed her!" Devin stood up and punched the man's chest. Mr. Franco, who was taller than him by over a foot, didn't dodge. He just let the boy punch his chest continuously.

"An Echelon 5 attacked the neighborhood," the tall man said. "It killed 7 civilians and 4 Exorcists. The attack concerned an opened front door and a series of opened back doors that formed a hallway. This case did not happen because of you. Don't give yourself too much credit."

Devin was lost for words. His resolve to live a normal life was torn down. The thought of becoming an exorcist crossed his mind again, but this time he didn't stop it.

"This is what stained souls do every night. And not every night all Exorcists comes home." Mr. Franco looked at the decapitated Exorcist. "She wanted to have a family. It was always her wish to have one."

Devin stood, patting his body from the dirt that stained his clothes. All his life he could see stained souls even before nightfall. If this is what fate wanted him to do, then he will do it.

"I want to become an Exorcist," Devin said. "I want to avenge humanity… I want to avenge Mrs. Berry."

Mr. Franco shook his head and smirked, "You lost your chance, kid. Admissions are over."

The moment the words escaped Mr. Franco's lips, Devin's world fell. Fate was toying with the boy. He had the chance but he ignored it. Now that he wanted it, the chance shooed him away.

The tall Exorcist turned around and looked at Devin, "But you can always apply a day later."

A shiny metal card flew up the sky. Devin squinted his eyes and saw that it was the card he left at the hotel lobby. With a swift catch, Devin held the metal card.

With newfound courage, Devin went home and changed his clothes. He fed Revelation and was trying to sort his things, but his energy was drained after the Glimpse.

"Good thing they returned my stuff," Devin said, beaming when he saw his snow-white cat running over to him.

He went to him be after feeding Revelation his breakfast. In his hand was an old coin that Mrs. Berry gave him. She said it belonged to her grandmother. She didn't have a child and Devin was the closest to her.

"I will avenge you… granny."

The loud siren woke Devin up from his slumber. The sun was setting, and he couldn't go out without eating so he prepared their dinner. A simple meal of instant noodles and rice would give him just enough energy.

The third siren called, and Devin closed his eyes. He felt his body Glimpsing as the cold touched his body and the silence drowned his ears.

Devin was comfortably walking along the streets of the Purgatory when a loud shriek made him shudder in fear. Behind him was a bat-looking stained soul. It was almost as big as a car and its wings were half the size of a public bus.

"Holy soul!" Devin yelled and ran as fast as he could. He forgot that it wasn't admissions day anymore. Exorcists weren't roaming the area like they were doing yesterday.

If any strong stained soul would come for him, he would surely die.

In the middle of his escape, a loud shout filled his heart with hope, "Echelon 2!"

He turned around and a familiar white-haired boy in gray cloak slashed the bat stained soul in half. His body landed in the ground and jumped forward to avoid the falling monster.

"Little Curls!" Andrei greeted. "It's funny seeing you here again. The Union did not open the Gate anymore."

"Gate?" Devin asked. "Wait, no. I'm here to become an Exorcist like you."

A crying shriek made Devin look behind him. Andrew was cutting a giant rat stained soul's head. The black-haired boy gave him a smile and put his weapon in its sheath.

"Funny seeing you here again, Little Curls," Andrew greeted with a smirk. "I didn't think the Union opened the Gate today."

They are twins. Devin thought.

"Andrew, Little Curls is going to be an Exorcist!" Andrei cheered.

"Wasn't the admission process yesterday?" Andrew asked. His brother's smile dropped and thought about it.

"No… I'm a late enrollee," Devin said and smiled awkwardly. He had to look up since the twins were as tall as Mr. Franco. They were all a foot taller than the boy, which made him feel inferior.

"Come on, Little Curls. We'll take you to the hotel," Andrei offered, nonchalantly putting his arms around Devin. Andrew nodded and did what his brother did, putting another arm around Devin's shoulders.

A few more minutes of walking and they finally arrived. Devin thanked the twins and they even joined him inside. The Exorcist outside asked for Devin his card, to which he showed before walking inside.

The bright lights made Devin squint his eyes. The hotel was the only building with any bright lights. The others were dimmed and could only provide so little.

"Welcome back, Mr. Lewis," the receptionist said. "And welcome to Brightburn Institute."