Chapter Five: Breaking the Chains
557 Words
The sun streamed through the stained glass windows, casting shards of color across the cold stone floor. Gabriel stood at the pulpit, delivering his sermon to a modest congregation. His voice was steady, his words measured, but his mind was elsewhere. Each line of scripture felt like sand slipping through his fingers, unable to anchor him.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, he recited, the words catching in his throat. Did he still believe that? His heart felt far from pure.
From the corner of his eye, Gabriel noticed movement at the back of the church. A figure, cloaked in shadow, leaning casually against the wall. The ember-like eyes were unmistakable. Gabriel faltered for the briefest moment, but he continued his sermon, forcing himself not to look again.
When the service ended, Gabriel lingered, watching as the parishioners slowly filed out. Mrs. Callahan stopped to thank him, her kind words barely registering as Gabriel’s heart raced. By the time the church was empty, he could feel the familiar charge in the air.
“I’m impressed,” Ash’s voice broke through the silence. “You barely even flinched.”
Gabriel turned sharply, his fists clenched at his sides. Ash had stepped out from the shadows, his expression unreadable, though his eyes gleamed with something between amusement and admiration.
“You can’t keep coming here,” Gabriel said, his voice shaking. “You don’t belong.”
Ash smirked, crossing his arms. “If I didn’t belong, I wouldn’t be able to step through the door, would I?”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened, frustration bubbling to the surface. “What do you want?”
Ash hesitated, his smirk fading slightly. For a moment, Gabriel thought he saw something flicker behind those ember-like eyes—something raw, vulnerable. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
“You,” Ash said simply.
Gabriel’s breath caught, his heart pounding. “What… what are you talking about?”
Ash stepped closer, his presence both suffocating and magnetic. “I want to understand you, Gabriel,” he said softly. “You fascinate me. Your faith, your strength, your guilt… It’s intoxicating.”
Gabriel stumbled back, his chest tightening. “You’re toying with me,” he said, his voice trembling.
“Am I?” Ash asked, tilting his head. “Or am I just exposing what’s already there?”
Gabriel shook his head, his hands trembling. “This is wrong. You’re a demon. I’m a priest. Whatever… whatever this is, it can’t happen.”
Ash’s eyes softened, his expression unreadable. “You keep telling yourself that,” he said. “But we both know the truth.”
Gabriel turned away, his breathing shallow. He pressed his hands together, murmuring a prayer under his breath, desperate for clarity. But Ash’s words clung to him, unraveling his convictions.
That night, Gabriel didn’t sleep. He sat in his small room, staring at the crucifix on the wall, his thoughts tangled and restless. Ash was wrong. He had to be. Gabriel’s faith was stronger than this—stronger than the pull he felt whenever Ash was near.
But as the hours dragged on, Gabriel found himself questioning everything. Why had Ash come to him? What did he see in Gabriel that drew him here?
And why couldn’t Gabriel bring himself to push Ash away?
- Writer
