At the church
Ina remained unconscious, her breathing slow and shallow.
While the nun tended to her wounds with care.
Nearby, young Sam woke up in a warm, soft bed.
The heavy blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon, and if not for the dryness in his throat, he might've fallen back asleep.
As he sat up the nun entered the room, holding a glass of water.
"Here, child. You are thirsty," giving him a glass of milk with a gentle smile.
Sam reached out.
His small hands brushed against hers as he took the cup, just a light touch, but something in that moment shifted.
The nun was confused.
She turned to glance at the nearby bed Ina, still injured, wrapped in bandages.
For a brief second, a silhouette appeared next to her.
Him? Again?
And just as quickly, the silhouette vanished.
Ghost Sam, seated on the edge of Ina's bed, hadn't noticed the nun's gaze.
His eyes were heavy with sorrow as he watched her shallow breathing.
Sam, now finished with the water, followed the nun's stare.
His gaze landed on Ina, and he froze.
His sister was pale. Bloody. Her legs bound in stiff wrappings, one still stained in blood.
The sight made something twist inside him.
Meanwhile, outside, Paladin John was chopping wood, stacking logs beside the church.
He heard a scream from within.
Without hesitation, he rushed back in, axe in hand.
Sam, overcome with panic and fear at the sight of the stranger barging in with a weapon.
His body trembled, dark horns sprouting from his head as magic flared around him.
"Stay away!" he shouted, towards the sister.
John acted fast.
He raised a hand and a Golden chains burst from thin air.
Wrapping around Sam like serpents.
The power struggled suppressing his transformation and draining his magic core.
"Sister!" John shouted, struggling to hold the chains. "What is going on here?!"
The nun didn't answer right away. She stood by Ina's bed, reaching out.
"Hey… I know you're here," she whispered, not to young Sam or John. "Can you stop him?"
Her hands searched through the empty air, as if seeking something important.
But Ghost Sam didn't respond. He didn't move.
"I see… so you can't." Her voice was gentle. "Then I will."
She raised her hands and summoned a black flag with a white cross in the middle.
As it got summoned a divine light spread throughout the whole room.
"In this holy place, I alone determine who is an ally and who is the enemy. God, let me give judgment!"
A golden sphere of light exploded from the flag's center, radiating outwards, encircling the entire church in holy energy.
John collapsed from over using his mana, the golden chains dissipating because of it.
Sam, too, fell unconscious, the horns retracting, his body limp in the nun's arms.
She gently stepped forward, lifting the boy when his skin touched hers.
she felt him once again.
Ghost Sam.
Kneeling beside Ina's bed.
His face buried in his hands. His shoulders trembling. Silent tears slid down his cheeks.
The nun froze.
For the first time… she truly saw him.
---
Meanwhile, at the Castle
"My king," a messenger bowed before the throne, out of breath, "we found them."
The king leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand.
"Oh? So soon?"
"Yes, sire. A boy and a girl. The girl matched the description."
A grin spread across the king's face.
"Good. Bring them to me. Do not kill the girl, I have… ideas for her, as for the boy..... hmmmm.... why not make him food for our dogs."
He licked his lips, the sound echoing through the vast hall.
The messenger trembled as he knelt before the throne, sweat beading down his temples.
Still, he forced himself to speak.
"...M-My king… they're under the protection of the Blind Saint."
The hall fell deathly silent.
The king's smile vanished.
His fingers, resting lazily on the armrest, twitched.
"What did you just say?" His voice sliced through the silence.
The messenger swallowed hard. "T-The Blind Saint, sire. The children are in her care at the church."
A nerve twitched at the king's eye.
The tension in the room grew thick, suffocating.
"You insolent insect!" the king roared, standing up "You dare ruin my mood by mentioning her?!"
He turned to the guards standing near the throne.
"Make him watch as his family becomes dog food."
"Sire please!" the messenger screamed, falling to the floor. "Mercy! Please, I'm just a messenger!"
But the guards had already seized him.
His cries echoed through the stone hall as he was dragged away, pleading until his voice broke.
The king turned to the window, his knuckles white with rage as he leaned against the frame.
"That blind slut will suffer" he spat. "If she wants to protect them... let her."
"Let's see if she can protect them all!"
---
At the church
Paladin John paced near the fireplace, still uneasy.
"Sister," he said, crossing his arms.
"how can you say he's not a demon? I saw it with my own eyes. The horns, He definitely transformed!"
The nun, still calm, sat beside Sam's unconscious body.
She gently took his small hand into hers.
"As I said, Paladin John… he is not a demon."
Her voice was certain.
John opened his mouth to argue, but hesitated.
He had served beside her for years. Her words carried weight not just because of faith.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"If you say so... I'll trust you. I'll be outside chopping wood if you need me."
With that, he left, closing the door softly behind him.
The church returned to silence.
The nun's eyes turned toward the other bed, Ina still unconscious, her breaths faint but stable.
And there, standing beside her... was him.
She didn't need her eyes to see. But thanks to Sam she could feel him.
Ghost Sam.