19~

A knock on the door grabbed his attention, Rafael kept the glass down and answered, "Come in."

Yug and Rune walked in and they were not surprised to see Rafael already half-drunk, Rafael didn't expect them but he still signaled them to sit down.

"There is something I need to tell you," Rune said.

"If it's anything about the teacher stuff then..."

"No, it's not about that," Rune said, "it's something else."

Rafael leaned back and took a sip and Rune told him everything about the ritual and how he got attacked and then injured.

Rafael had a frown on his face by the end, "Is your wound okay now?" was the first question he asked and Rune nodded, Rafael seemed relieved, "Okay, so you told me all this for what?"

Yug spoke from here, "We think that these ritualists may or may not be related to the cult of Mithras."

This grabbed Rafael's attention. He looked at them with a jerk, in the meantime, Rune called in Darian, "Tell us Darian what did you find out?"

Darian spoke, "The ritual that they were performing is actually a ritual or a form of worship towards the goddess Ankh."

"Elaborate. "Yug said.

"In our religion, to please god some offer regular prayers, donate and many more things but some people want fast results and to gain something you need to lose something some people lose time while waiting for God to fulfill their wish and some...go for the sacrifice option...these people were doing the sacrifice ritual

It is the most brutal form of worship that's not demonic hence it's safe if done correctly but even the smallest of mistakes can be proved fatal."

After he was done there was silence in the room, before Rune said, "Thanks for your information, Darian you can leave now."

Darian left and once he left Rafael spoke, "They are different."

Rune and Yug looked at him, "What?"Yug asked.

Rafael spoke, "These people you are talking about are not from the cult of Mithras..."

"How are you so sure?" Rune asked.

Rafael clenched his fists and close his eyes before he took a deep breath and drank half a bottle of alcohol in one go, before he said, "They are not the cult of Mithras I am sure...you have to trust me..."

Yug spoke, "We trust you, Rafael. We just want to know how are you able to distinguish between them?."

Rafael suddenly got up, he kept his hand on his hand and groaned as if he was fighting something that was threatening to come out, Rune got up as well and went to his brother, "It's okay if you don't want to say anything."

Rafael shook his head, "I know because these people who were doing rituals are religious while the cult of Mithras is...Demonic...pure demonic."

~~~~~

Screams of terror and horror echoed in the dark small room.

His hands were tied, and he tried his best to block out everything. But he couldn't.

In the end, all he could were those haunted eyes and mutilated body parts.

Rafael once again opened his eyes, his body was covered with sweat but he did not scream. instead his body felt heavy, very heavy that he cannot move it at all.

His hands seemed to be bound, and there was a strong force on his chest.

But when he looked down, he saw that small monkey-like creature was lying on him.

Sleeping.

Rafael sighed and sat up as he held the child, of course, it was Simon, who seemed to have woken up by the sudden movement. He rubbed his eyes and smiled, "Good morning, brother."

Rafael looked outside, and it was still dark. He asked with annoyance, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was lost, and I stumbled into your room."

"Why are you out of your room in the first place?"

"My father punished me with fifty sit-ups and now my legs hurt and I was looking for him, but I couldn't find my father."

Rafael sighed, "I will take you to him."

Simon hugged him in return, "No, brother, I am more comfortable here, with you."

Rafael took a deep breath, "Kid, you need to go to your father. okay, he will take care of you, better."

"But I want to stay here with you."

"No, get out," Rafael said with a firm and cold voice. He thought that it was enough to scare Simon, as the child was looking at him with his twinkling eyes but suddenly his eyes became wet and he pouted.

Rafael's eyes widened, and he got scared that Simon was going to cry when two tears slipped from his two eyes Rafael quickly grabbed him, "Okay, okay, I am sorry. I will not send you back. Now stop crying because your father will kill me if he sees you cry."

Simon cried a little more, "You like my father more than me brother, you hate me is that why you are not taking me as your disciple?"

Rafael rocked him back and forth and nearly cried. He didn't know how to make a child understand, "I don't hate you, you kid."

"You don't even know my name..."Simon pretended to cry harder, but he was laughing on the inside.

"I am sorry, Simon...I know your name is Simon and I don't hate you, you are an adorable child but I don't like kids who cry, so stop crying if you want me to like you."

"Okay," Simon said in his timid voice and sniffed, while Rafael grabbed a cloth and wiped his tears. He was going to keep the cloth away, but Simon snatched it and blew his nose into it before giving it back to Rafael.

He was clearly disgusted and used his thumb and index finger to grab the cloth and keep it away.

While Simon once again smiled at him.

"Go back to your room."

But instead of listening, Simon lay beside him, and that's when Rafael noticed that Simon was holding that hideous black book.

"What's that book about?" Simon gave the book to him and when he opened it, it was blank, which made him, even more, confuse, "Why are you carrying a blank book?"

"It's not blank," Simon said.

"It is blank."

Simon got up, "It is not blank. It is given to me by the goddess."

Rafael looked at him, suddenly he felt like Simon does not look like a child anymore, there was something in his eyes, something so deep and enigmatic that for a moment scared Rafael.

"Which goddess?"

Simon spoke, "Goddess Ankh."

Rafael looked back at the book, and he saw the same blank white page, "Where did you get this book from?"

"Temple of Nirvana." Simon said and smiled, "Would you like to read it?"

Rafael sighed, this was getting weird, for some reason Rafael felt like he was talking to an adult, he knows children are special; they are dear to both gods and demons.

"How can I read it when it's blank?"

Simon smiled, "I can make you read it, would you like to read it?"

"How can I read it?" Chen asked again and Simon grabbed a knife from the bedside table, "Kid, that's dangerous..."

But before he could continue, Simon slit his hand, till the blood came out, and he raised his hand to Rafael. "Here."

It was Rafael's turn to completely freak out now, but he didn't show it on his face, he was going to refuse, and for that, he opened his mouth but Simon kept his hand in his mouth and let him taste the blood, Rafael pushed him back and stood up, "Have you gone mad?"

Rafael felt that this child was not normal, he was a freak, otherwise what child talks with so much maturity and even take a knife and cuts his hand and does not wince with pain at all!

Simon didn't mind being pushed down. He showed Rafael his hand and Rafael saw that Simon's hand was healed before Simon picked up the book and gave it to him.

Rafael was so baffled that he forgot to breathe. What the hell is going on?

But when Simon opened the book and put it on the bed, Rafael could see the words written on it.

Rafael's hand went cold and his face became pale as he slowly picked up the book, he saw that the book was named the 'favored one.'

Just the name and everything was enough for a prodigy like Rafael to understand what was going on, but the shock that he felt froze his body as he looked at Simon, unable to understand what to say.