Page 47 of Virgil's Demons

"Hellsing? What the hell you doing here?" Virgil asked, concerned.

I could barely breathe as the room seemed to tilt around me. I took a step back, nearly tripping over my own feet. My finger trembled, pointing at her. "That thing… it's not human."

The air in the clubhouse thickened, the tension cutting through the sound of the storm raging outside. Virgil's brow furrowed, his gaze shifting between me and her. "What the hell are you talkin' about, Hellsing? I exorcized the demon out of her. I felt it leave her soul. She's fine."

"No!" I shook my head, my whole body trembling. "She's not right. There's something wrong with her!"

I couldn't look away from her—couldn't stop seeing the shadow that clung to her like a second skin. It wasn't just the fear from my premonitions anymore. It was real, tangible. That shadow loomed around her, twisted, grim, and behind it, I could see hollow eyes, empty, watching us all with an eerie calm. A scythe gleamed in the dim lights of the clubhouse. Death had claimed her. I could feel it.

I ran to Virgil, grabbing his jacket, my voice raw with desperation. "You have to get away from her! Can't you see it?"

Virgil shoved me into a chair, firm but still calm, like I was the one losing it. "What's goin' on with you, Hellsing? You're talkin' nonsense."

"You can't see it?" I rasped, looking around the room, hoping one of them—anyof them—would back me up. But all I saw were confused, questioning eyes. "I'm the only one… I'm the only one who can see it."

I saw it in my dreams, too—night after night, the same damn thing. Virgil, torn apart, piece by piece, while she stood over him, hollow-eyed, smiling down at him in fake adoration.

"You told me," I muttered, my voice low, barely a whisper. "You told me to tell you if I saw anything. I'm tellin' you now. I've been seein' things… dreams, premonitions. Horrible things. Whereshe… kills you."

Virgil crouched in front of me, his face softening, concern creeping into his eyes. "Calm down, kid? You look like you're about to pass out."

I shook my head, my eyes flicking back to Barythaya. "She's not who you think she is. That thing… it's not her."

Virgil's expression hardened as he glanced at her, his voice low. "Go back to the bedroom, I'll handle this."

She smiled—cold, calculated. "I can help him, Virgil. Maybe he just needs a woman's touch." Her voice was too sweet, too rehearsed.

"Go," Virgil snapped, sharper this time.

For the briefest second, her smile faltered before she turned and walked back toward the hallway. But the shadow stayed. It clung to her like smoke, disappearing into the darkness after her.

Virgil grabbed my arm, pulling me up from the chair, dragging me toward the back of the clubhouse, away from everyone. "What the fuck are you doin' here, kid?" His voice was low, tired. He shoved me into a small room, flicking the light on.

"You told me to reach out if I heard anything," I said, trying to catch my breath. "There's something wrong with her. I can feel it, Virgil.Deathis in her."

Virgil's jaw tightened, and he rubbed a hand over his face, looking more exhausted than I'd ever seen him. "I know."

My heart stopped. "You know?"

He slumped into a chair, running a hand through his hair. "Death took over her body. I've been tryin' to figure out how the hell to fix it."

I stood there, numb, my mind reeling. "What are you going to do?"

Virgil looked up, his eyes dark, filled with something I hadn't seen before. "I don't fucking know, Hellsing."

Silence hung heavy between us, the storm outside pounding against the walls of the clubhouse. I could hear the wind howling, lightning crackling in the distance. It felt like the whole world was coming apart.

"I've been seein' things," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Premonitions… but worse. I'm not just seein' them anymore, Virgil. I'mwalkingbetween worlds. Sometimes I can feel them. Demons, spirits… they know I can see them. And they're waiting."

Virgil's face shifted, his eyes narrowing. "Youseethem? You can walk between worlds?"

I nodded, my hands shaking. "It's not just demons. It's everything. The dead, the in-between. And every time, it feels like I'm closer to not comin' back."

Virgil's jaw clenched. "There was a priest, years ago… he could do what you're talking about. Walked between worlds. He taught me a lot. But he got too close one day. Never came back."

The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut. "I'm not gonna let that happen to you," he said, his voice firm. "You need to leave."

"I'm here to help you."

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