Falling For The Flame

Chapter Four: Temptation in the Silence

The days that followed felt like a blur to Gabriel, each one suffused with an unease that he couldn’t shake. The church remained quiet, yet the very silence unnerved him. He found himself lingering at the altar more often, reciting prayers until his throat grew dry, as if the repetition could cleanse him of the lingering presence Ash had left behind.

But it wasn’t enough.

Ash had planted something within him—a seed of doubt that took root in the corners of Gabriel’s mind, where his faith had faltered. The demon’s words replayed incessantly: Do you think you deserve redemption?

Gabriel pressed his hands together, his knuckles white, as he knelt before the altar that evening. The candles burned low, their flickering light casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. His breathing was shallow, his heart heavy with the weight of questions he couldn’t bring himself to voice.

“You pray like it’s going out of style,” came the all-too-familiar voice, deep and smooth, laced with amusement.

Gabriel froze. His pulse quickened, and he slowly rose to his feet, turning to see Ash leaning casually against one of the pews. The demon’s sharp features were illuminated by the dim candlelight, making him appear otherworldly and disturbingly alluring.

“You have no right to be here,” Gabriel said, his voice trembling but firm.

Ash smirked, his ember-like eyes flickering with mischief. “That’s a very unwelcoming tone, Father. Is that how you treat all your visitors?”

“You’re not a visitor,” Gabriel snapped. “You’re—”

“A demon?” Ash interrupted, his smile widening. “Yes, I suppose that’s true. But aren’t we all welcome in the house of God? Or is that privilege reserved for the human sinners?”

Gabriel’s jaw tightened, his chest tightening with anger and confusion. He wanted to banish Ash, to command him to leave in the name of everything holy, but the words caught in his throat. A part of him—some small, inexplicable part—wanted Ash to stay.

“What do you want?” Gabriel asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ash’s smile faded, his expression growing serious. “The same thing you want,” he said softly. “Answers.”

Gabriel frowned, his pulse quickening. “I don’t understand.”

Ash stepped closer, his presence magnetic and suffocating all at once. “You think I chose this?” he said, his voice low and edged with something that sounded almost like bitterness. “You think I woke up one day and decided to become what I am?”

“You’re a demon,” Gabriel said, his voice trembling. “You’re evil. It’s in your nature.”

Ash tilted his head, his ember-like eyes narrowing. “And what about you, Father? What’s in your nature? Because from where I’m standing, you seem awfully conflicted.”

Gabriel’s breath hitched, his hands trembling as he clenched them into fists. “I have nothing to be conflicted about.”

Ash smirked faintly, his gaze locking onto Gabriel’s. “Lying in a church? That’s bold.”

Gabriel took a step back, his chest tightening. “Leave,” he said, his voice steadier now. “You’re not welcome here.”

Ash hesitated, his expression softening. For a moment, he almost looked… human. “I’ll leave,” he said finally. “For now. But think about this, Father: If your God can forgive anything, then why not me?”

Gabriel stared at him, his heart pounding. Before he could respond, Ash turned and walked out of the church, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

Gabriel couldn’t sleep that night. Ash’s words had embedded themselves in his mind, unraveling the convictions he had spent years building. He lay in his small, sparsely furnished room, staring at the ceiling as the flickering light from the streetlamps outside cast shifting patterns across the walls.

He wanted to pray, to ask for guidance, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he replayed his encounters with Ash—the way the demon spoke, the way his ember-like eyes seemed to see straight through him, the way his presence both terrified and intrigued him.

“What do you want from me?” Gabriel whispered into the darkness, his voice trembling. But no answer came.

And deep down, he knew it wasn’t God he was asking.