AT ONE DAY
DAICHI'S POINT OF VIEW:
The temple smelled of dust and forgotten prayers. Every sweep of my broom stirred up memories I didn't want to face. I worked slowly, carefully, this place wasn't just stone and wood, it was the prison I had been born into again.
I'm Daichi. Or at least, that's the name I woke up with in this broken temple. The 'False Priest of the Fallen Temple,' they call me though I don't claim the title.
I'm just a shadow in faded robes, pretending to speak for gods who turned their backs long ago. My hands moved on their own, scraping years of neglect from cracked floors and crumbling altars. I could still hear the echo of that first moment, when I was dragged here by a voice that wasn't quite human.
"You will serve." It said. "Though you carry no power, your fate is tied to this place."
I clenched my jaw. I had no memory of my past life, just shards of confusion and a burning question, why me? Why here? I paused, broom in mid-air, and closed my eyes.
"Why did you send me to a temple that's already dead?" I whispered.
The air thickened, shadows deepened. The god's voice echoed in my mind, calm, cold, impossible to ignore.
"Because only a lie can survive where truth has perished. You are the last hope, even if you do not believe it." A god's voice can be heard in my head.
I swallowed hard, opening my eyes to the shattered stained glass filtering light into a broken rainbow. Hope. A dangerous thing to cling to, especially when you know you're a fraud. But I swept the dust again, because even a false priest has to keep the temple standing.
The fading light filtered through cracked windows as I sat alone on the cold stone floor, a small bowl of bland stew balanced in my hands. The only sounds were the soft clinks of the wooden spoon against the bowl and the distant creak of the old temple settling into the night.
I wasn't used to company. I preferred it that way, quiet, controlled. My only companions were the ghosts of prayers long past and the fading hope I wasn't sure I deserved.
The stew was lukewarm, barely filling, but it was mine. Simple. Safe. Then, the silence shattered.
The heavy door slammed open with a crash that sent a flock of dust motes swirling into the air. I stiffened, spoon halfway to my mouth. A man stumbled inside, reeking of sweat, smoke, and something darker, an undercurrent of wild chaos that made my skin crawl and pulse all at once. He wiped grime from his ragged clothes and looked me up and down, his crooked grin sharp as a knife.
"Hey, holy man." He said, voice rough and teasing. "Got anything to eat for a poor traveler? Starving out here, you know?"
I narrowed my eyes, gripping my bowl tighter.
"This temple doesn't serve strangers."I said.
He laughed, a sound both mocking and amused.
"Stranger? Maybe. But isn't everyone a stranger in a place like this?"He asked.
I studied him for a long moment. Then, almost on impulse, I scooped up some stew and held the bowl out.
"Here. Eat."I said.
He blinked, surprised, but took the bowl with a crooked smile.
"You're… generous. Not what I expected from a fake priest."He said.
I shrugged.
"I don't feed strangers. But you don't seem like just any traveler."I said.
He slurped the stew, eyes never leaving mine.
"Where are you headed?"I asked.
He licked his lips, then leaned in, voice low and teasing.
"Name's Kael. Just a wanderer looking for… fun." His smile widened, sharp and playful. "And you? What's a priest like you doing all alone in a place like this?"
I swallowed the sudden heat burning my chest, forcing my voice calm.
"That's not for you to worry about."I said.
Kael laughed, a sound that promised trouble.
"Oh, but I do worry. Especially about the ones who pretend."He said.
Kael leaned casually against the cracked wall, a crooked grin playing on his lips. His eyes glittered with mischief and something darker, something that made my skin prickle even though I told myself to stay guarded.
"You're a fake priest, aren't you?" He said, voice low and teasing. "I can see it in the way you try so hard to look like you belong."
I frowned, crossing my arms.
"How do you know?"I asked.
He stepped closer, the scent of sweat and something wild swirling around him.
"Because I see beyond the robes, beyond the prayers. I see the cracks you hide, the truth you don't want to face."He said.
I looked away, uneasy.
"That's just your guess."I said.
Kael laughed softly, like a cat toying with a mouse.
"Maybe. But I've been around long enough to spot a lie dressed up as faith."Kael smirked.
There was something hypnotic in the way he looked at me, like he could unravel every secret if he tried. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, and I hated that it betrayed me.
"Why are you so interested in me?" I demanded, voice sharper than I intended.
He shrugged, flashing that dangerous smile.
"Because lies like you make life interesting. And because… I'm not exactly who I appear to be either."He smirked.
My eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"I asked.
He leaned in, lowering his voice to a teasing whisper.
"I'm Kael. An incubus. A demon of seduction."He said.
The words hung between us, heavy and electric.
"You're a demon." I said, disbelief and something else swirling inside me.
"Not just any demon." Kael purred. "I feed on desire, on secrets and lies. And right now? You're the most delicious mystery I've met in a long time."
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my pulse steady.
"And what do you want from me?"I asked.
"Nothing yet." He said with a wink. "Just to watch you squirm."
Before I could answer, a voice filled the temple, cold, stern, and unmistakably divine.
"Kael, reveal yourself no more. Daichi, beware who you trust. Your true nature is hidden for a reason."He said.
Kael's grin faltered, but only for a moment.
"Looks like the gods are watching. But don't worry, I'm far more fun than they ever were."He grinned.
My breath hitched. The quiet life I thought I had was gone. And now, a demon stood in my temple, ready to turn everything upside down.