03 Black Couple

Joseph Black was living the best and worst moment of his life. He had married the most beautiful and stunning woman. She was sweet, kind, and determined. Joseph had no shame in admitting that he was hopelessly in love with Mary Black.

But it was also the worst moment of his life. Three years ago, he and his wife Mary were solving a case in Watertown, South Dakota. A demon was on the verge of breaking its seal, and they barely arrived in time.

Together with Father Meyer, they managed to exorcise the demon and send it back to hell, but not before the demon cursed the Black couple. Unlike curses cast by humans, demons can curse as easily as breathing.

"There will be no seed in Mary's womb as long as Joseph lives," were the demon's words.

Even after three years of relentless attempts, constant medical exams, and much prayer, Mary had still not conceived. This devastated the young couple.

The Blacks had even traveled to the Vatican to seek counsel from the Pope, but to no avail.

Joseph wasn't getting any younger, now 27, while Mary was 24. They had become the talk of their small town, with rumors about how both were sterile and unfit to be parents.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway drew Joseph's attention. They were currently staying at a hotel to meet an old acquaintance of Joseph's late father.

Mary, dressed in a lovely green floral dress, walked into the living area of the suite with a radiant smile. She had red hair and green eyes, and a few freckles on her face framed her slightly rosy complexion. Her lips were adorned with pink lipstick. Wearing white shoes and carrying a green purse, Mary was already ready.

"Darling, are you ready?" Mary asked.

"I am, my love. Let's meet old Mitama and, hopefully, convince him to help us with our case," Joseph replied with a smile.

Joseph was a tall man with dark hair and a well-trimmed beard. He had pale skin with a healthy glow, an easy smile on his face, and bright blue eyes. He wore a black suit, and, as he had done since childhood, there was a small holy Bible in the inner pocket of his jacket.

Firmly holding his wife's hand, Joseph helped her put on her coat and gloves. Seeing the small scar on Mary's neck reminded him of the events in Watertown three years ago. Joseph pushed the dark thoughts away. This was a pleasant morning, far from the suffering they had endured. Planting a kiss on Mary's lips, the two set off toward Jason Mitama's antique shop.

________

Alexander stood alongside his mentor and walked to the front of the shop. When they arrived, Alexander saw something he would never forget. His face turned pale, his hands grew sweaty beneath his gloves, his pupils dilated, and his chest tightened.

The young couple had easy smiles on their faces, their hands intertwined, and when they looked at each other, it was evident how deeply in love they were.

"Joseph, Mary, it's a pleasure to see you again," Jason stepped forward, not noticing Alexander's sudden change.

Alexander looked at Joseph. There was a heavy, dark mist surrounding him, and from the mist, blood-red hands with claws emerged, gripping Joseph's neck. Burning yellow eyes glared from within the mist, radiating such hatred that it sent shivers down Alexander's spine. Yet Joseph seemed unaware.

Mary was also enveloped in a heavy mist, where countless small worms crawled in and out of her stomach, feeding, dying, and reproducing.

Alexander's legs grew weak. This was a curse, but it was the largest and most powerful curse he had ever seen in his short life. The energy it carried was so intense that, even from several meters away, he could feel it, something that should have been impossible. His "gift" allowed him to see, not feel.

His heart raced, and his breath hitched when those fiery eyes turned to him. Those eyes seemed to peer directly into his soul.

"Alex… Alex!" Jason shouted.

Alexander snapped out of his thoughts. He quickly removed his gloves, ready for whatever might happen.

"What's wrong with you? I'm sure I've told you a thousand times it's rude to stare—no, no, no. Joseph, don't tell me…"

Joseph wore a grim expression as he looked at Jason and Alexander, while Mary bore a bitter smile.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Mitama, could we move to a more private space?" Mary asked softly, her voice soothing enough to slightly lift Joseph's spirits.

_______

Alexander was still a bit shaken and avoided looking too much at the couple. His ability to see the supernatural couldn't be turned on or off. He wasn't supposed to "feel" the supernatural, but strangely, he could feel this curse.

It was cold, insidious, and evoked equal parts fear and anger.

'Is it because of the immense power of this curse, or is there something more?'

While Alexander wrestled with his internal conflict, Joseph and Mary recounted in detail how they ended up in this situation.

An investigation they led alongside 14 other Catholic exorcists had ended in disaster. There was a demon in that place—a powerful one. Of the 14 exorcists, only two survived, and the Black couple had suffered severe injuries.

Demons are peculiar beings. Even without possessing someone, as long as their power isn't sealed, they can interact with the physical world—and worse, command it. If powerful enough, they can make it rain fire.

"After the exorcism ended, the demon cursed us all. The surviving exorcists were cursed with visions of everyone around them dying in various ways every second, and we were cursed never to conceive while Joseph lives," Mary said with a heavy expression.

Jason narrowed his eyes, searching for any sign of what had disturbed Alexander so much. It was frustrating not being able to see or sense without performing a ritual, even after decades of practice. "What are you seeing, boy?" he asked, his voice laced with concern and curiosity.

Alexander snapped out of his thoughts. He glanced briefly at Joseph and Mary before quickly looking back at Jason. "There's a dark mist surrounding both of them. Two red hands grip Mr. Black's neck, and worms are feeding on Mrs. Black's stomach."

The Black couple's faces grew even darker. Joseph was about to speak, but Jason raised a hand. "This is Alexander Godoy, my latest apprentice. He's a 'gifted' one, able to see the supernatural. Alexander, this is Joseph Black," Jason introduced. Alexander cautiously shook the man's hand.

"The last three generations of his family were all exorcists. The Black family is one of the oldest in this field in all of America," Jason concluded.

Joseph simply nodded stiffly, his mind clearly elsewhere. Mary gently held her husband's hand, offering him a sweet smile. Joseph visibly relaxed, giving Mary a small, grateful smile before taking a deep breath to calm his emotions.

Jason continued with the introductions. "This is Mary Black. Like you, she's 'gifted.' She can't easily see the supernatural, but she can sense it. She's one of the rare individuals with clairvoyance," Jason stated gravely.

Alexander greeted her mechanically. 'So, I can only see the supernatural, but she can see, feel, and even have visions of the future? If that's not unfair, I don't know what is.'

Jason remained silent for a long time, and no one dared speak. Alexander was still wrestling with those flaming eyes of the curse, and Joseph and Mary weren't in the mood for casual conversation.

With a sigh, Jason looked at the Black couple. "As I've said before, I'm retired. Alexander will assist with your case. Meanwhile, I'll look for a solution to this curse. The information you've provided about this demon and its power makes me believe it's one of the 72 Pillars, so finding its name and a way to neutralize the curse should be straightforward."

"No way! Mr. Mitama, I don't need to remind you how reckless it would be to attempt to expunge a demon's curse, do I?" Joseph exclaimed.

"Joseph is right, Mr. Mitama. Please, don't worry about this. We've lived with this curse for three years; it won't harm us directly," Mary agreed with her husband.

Jason's eyes grew serious, and his expression turned grave, making Joseph sit up straight and Mary adopt a dignified demeanor. Both had learned much in their childhood from Jason, and though the old man was kind, he was nothing less than authoritative when he wished.

"I didn't ask for your opinion. I will do this, and if I say Alexander will go with you and I'll deal with the curse, that's how it will be!" Jason struck his cane against the wooden floor with a loud thud.

Alexander, Joseph, and Mary could only sigh, and unbeknownst to one another, they all thought the same thing: 'Jason/Mr. Mitama's stubbornness knows no bounds.'

With his declaration made, Jason nodded to himself as he slowly stood. "Good. You three have much to discuss. If you'll excuse me, I need to begin my research."

"So… how long have you been learning under Mr. Mitama?" Joseph asked, trying to break the awkward tension in the room.

With a sigh, Alexander recalled the harsh lessons he'd learned from the eccentric old man. "More than five years. And you?"

"Mr. Mitama and my grandfather were very close friends, so I guess… my whole life?" Joseph replied with a forced smile.

Mary offered a sweet smile despite her furrowed brow. "My family has been friends with the Black family for four generations, so… Mr. Mitama was a constant presence in my learning as well. There's nothing that old man doesn't know."

For the first time since he'd seen the couple, Alexander noticed Mary's genuine warmth. But he couldn't shake off the sense of impending doom emanating from the curse.

Alexander still didn't look at them for very long, but that suffocating feeling was becoming familiar, greatly diminishing his initial apprehension.

He also noticed that, despite Joseph being only 27 years old and Mary 24, both had participated in so many cases in their lives, their experience left him astonished.

'No wonder Jason told me to follow them on this new case,' he thought.

"So, what case are we working on?" he asked.

Joseph and Mary had professional expressions at this moment. As he listened, Alexander brought a steaming teapot for the three of them.

"Two months ago, the church reached out to us. A family from Iowa bought a house at the end of last year, and since then, strange phenomena have been tormenting them," Joseph began.

"Exorcists were called in, and after a thorough investigation, the entire house was exorcised. Everyone thought that would be the end of the case, but that's not what happened. Apparently, even more strange activities have been experienced by the family."

Alexander took a sip of his tea with a serious expression.

'Please, let this just be another small, quiet case…' he thought.