Page 51 of Virgil's Demons

"Is there no other way?" I asked, my voice cracking under the weight of the decision.

"No, chère," she replied, her tone full of sorrow. "Dis da way of things. Death always takes somethin'. If ya wanna keep her alive, ya gotta give it da one thing it craves most...da bond between ya."

I felt like I was suffocating, trapped between two impossible choices. Save her life and lose her love, or let her die and keep what little time we had left intact.

"I'll do it," I said finally, the words catching in my throat. "I'll give whatever it takes. I won't let her die."

Laveaux let out a soft, resigned sigh. "Den prepare y'self, Virgil. Dis gon' be da hardest thing you've ever done. You'll be savin' her life, but you'll lose a part of yourself in da process."

Spectre hung up the phone, my heart heavy with the weight of what was to come. First, I had to face the demon and save Hellsing. And then, I'd have to face Death itself.

But the price I'd pay... the price would haunt me forever.

VIRGIL

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Hellsing asked, his voice tight with nerves as Spectre finished tying him down to the chair. The kid's arms were shaking, his eyes darting between me and Spectre like he was second-guessing every decision that had led him to this moment.

I lit a cigarette and took a slow drag, letting the smoke curl in the dim light. "It's gotta work," I muttered, more to myself than to him. "There ain't no other option."

Spectre stepped back, his hands clenched at his sides, the tension in the room thick enough to choke on. "He's ready," he said, his voice steady, but there was an edge to it. The man was a hell of a fighter, but this wasn't a battlefield he was used to. He was ready to fight, sure, but this wasn't the kind of fight that fists or bullets could win.

I crouched in front of Hellsing, staring into his wide, terrified eyes. The boy was trying to be brave, but he was too young to know what kind of hell was about to be unleashed inside him. "You're strong, Hellsing," I told him, gripping his arm. "Stronger than you know. When this thing comes out, it's gonna hit hard, try to mess with your head. But you're the one in control, alright?"

He nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm gonna need ya to do what you told me you can do. Talk to the shadows, find me its name."

He nodded, quickly. "Yeah, I can do that."

"You get me his name and he's mine. You hold on to that."

He nodded, but I could see the fear all over his face. His jaw tightened, and he looked away from me, staring at the ceiling as if trying to distance himself from what was coming.

"Okay," I said, standing up and stepping back. The room was quiet except for the rain tapping against the window, the soft hiss of wind through the cracks in the walls. It was almost peaceful, like the calm before a storm. But that peace was a lie.

Spectre crossed his arms, his gaze flicking to me. "What now?"

"Now," I said, exhaling a final stream of smoke before crushing the cigarette under my boot, "bring in Raven, we're gonna call the bastard out."

Spectre turned, then paused at the door. "You sure this thing won't go into her instead."

I nodded. "I'm sure of it. She's too powerful and it wants something weaker. Something that will make me weak, and that's Hellsing."

He nodded and opened the door, softly calling for his wife who was standing just outside the door."

The black-haired beauty walked in, she really was a sight for sore eyes. She held her belly protectively, glancing at us warily.

"What do I do?"

"Hum, your song, Raven. Don't be afraid. I know you can't shift right now but I do know your powers will shield you. Bring those walls up as you hum. Bring them up as high and strong as you can for you and that baby. When I feel its power I will take over."

She nodded and centered herself. Slowly, a soft melody flowed out of her. To us, it sounded sweet and pretty, but for them, the evil, it was a song to lure in the snakes.

I could feel the tension coil tighter, the weight of the moment pressing down like a vice. The demon had been hiding, lurking in the shadows, feeding on the fear and pain of those around me. And now, I was going to bring it into the light.

"Hellsing," I called out softly, "you know why we're doing this, right?"

"Yeah," he whispered. His voice was barely audible, fear thick in his throat.

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