Breakfast is served!" The old woman's creaky voice broke the silence in the room. The young man, having finished his morning routine, went to the kitchen for a meal. Two rolls with strawberry filling and a glass of cocoa met his somewhat tired eyes.
"Ms. Marta, as usual, you perfectly suit my tastes," he said with a smile, and began to taste.
"Just don't get dirty again, Father," the woman said in a somewhat moralizing, yet kind tone.
"Don't worry about that, my dear," the man replied, giving the old cook an even brighter smile, before giving himself over to the pleasures of eating.
Marta Stillke, a sixty-three-year-old brunette with a touch of gray, gazed at the young priest with delight. Tomasz was, for her, a paragon of all the virtues she believed the ideal man should possess. He was gallant, intelligent, and handsome. The masses he celebrated were immensely popular, especially among women. And although many of them caught Tomasz's attention with their beauty, he himself, despite numerous temptations, remained faithful to the ideals he had once sworn. In fact, he became a priest by accident. For most of his youth, he led a very lively lifestyle. He didn't shy away from having a good time, and with that came alcohol, drugs, and women. Women, in particular, had a detrimental effect on him. He constantly changed women like gloves, building his ego, until he met a true femme fatale, Anka. A year older than Tomasz, the beautiful, tall brunette with wonderful brown, doe-like eyes and captivating, full lips was a dream come true for any healthy man. The whole school was crazy about her, and Tomasz was no different. However, he was one of the few who managed to woo her, or rather, he thought so. In reality, she had wooed him, treating him as a plaything and a welcome escape from the humdrum of everyday life after a previous failed relationship with a much older man. But he had no idea at the time. Enthralled, he never left her side, accompanying her on all sorts of social and recreational activities. It was at a party with Anka's friends that he first tried drugs. He loved their effects. He felt like he owned the world. Soon, he craved them more than anything else on Earth. When regular weed wasn't enough, he turned to heroin. He hit rock bottom, stealing and robbing to earn money for his drugs. As a result, he landed briefly in a reform school, from where he was sent to Caritas, where the priests were tasked with trying to tame his clumsy soul. In this institution, he suffered another severe breakdown and received a letter from Anka. In a very short and curt message, she told him that he had only been a pleasant adventure in her life and a respite from past problems. She also wrote that she had met someone better and with much better prospects than Tomasz. The mental depression he found himself in after reading the letter reached its greatest depth. He decided to take his own life. He took two packs of sleeping pills and immersed himself in the bathtub, waiting for death. Fortunately, the priests found him at the last minute and reacted in time, forcing his body to vomit. He was saved, though he didn't want to be. Only intensive conversations with Father Lech, a psychologist, and a therapist brought him back to a state of relative normality. He realized that he still had his whole life ahead of him and needed to get his act together. After four months of intensive therapy, he overcame his addictions. His strong will prevailed.He read the Bible with increasing interest, a book he had previously despised. The real turning point in his life came shortly before his discharge. Zbyszek was placed in the next room. Zbyszek was an inconspicuous, short, and somewhat comical 16-year-old, resembling a rumpled ferret. He was sent to Caritas by his parents, who, concerned about their son's strange behavior, decided to entrust him to the priests for observation. Tomasz still remembers the events of Zbyszek's first night at Caritas. Alarmed by strange sounds coming from the sixteen-year-old's room, he decided to see what was happening there. When he opened the door, he saw the boy's body, convulsing. The child was thrashing around like a man possessed. Tomasz tried to calm him down but couldn't. He began screaming for help. And then something incredible happened. Zbyszek spoke, or rather, hissed, in a voice that deeply moved Tomek.
"Now you're ours!" A voice that sounded like two rusty chains rubbing against each other pierced Tomasz's body with immense fear. Zbyszek stared at Tomek with steel-blue eyes, repeating the same sentence over and over again like a barrel organ. The terrified boy could have sworn he saw flames of fire in those steely eyes. A moment later, Zbyszek lunged toward the boy with incredible energy. With strength no one could have suspected, Zbyszek began to fling the body of his much larger opponent like a feather.
"Now you belong to me!" he shouted, and began to laugh shrilly. The battered Tomasz, with his last remaining strength, managed to scream, "Help!" Then he fell unconscious to the floor. It's hard to say how it would have ended if not for the intervention of the priests, alerted by the noise. Three grown men, with considerable difficulty, managed to bind the arms and legs of the frenzied child, but he continued to growl, curse, and try to break free. Even medical intervention and a series of sedative injections did not change this.
"Call Father Lech!" "Immediately," one of the priests snorted. "The boy is possessed—I'm almost certain of it." The only man at Caritas who knew anything about exorcisms was Father Lech. Tomasz, who had already regained consciousness, watched everything in horror. In the current situation, no one paid him any attention; everyone was focused on Zbyszek. A moment later, the exorcist appeared. The boy recognized the man who had helped him overcome his crisis: Father Lech. Tall and strong, Father Lech resembled more a soldier than a priest. His massive neck and close-cropped hair gave him the appearance of a bar bouncer. His eyes were filled with incredible concentration. He approached the boy and began to scrutinize him. Immediately, a stream of curses and insults was thrown his way. Zbyszek began hissing, and foam flowed thickly from his mouth. Father Lech knelt and began incanting a prayer for deliverance. The possessed boy thrashed increasingly wildly. The priests holding him were drenched in sweat from the exertion. After a moment, Lech stood up and began the exorcism proper. The exorcist placed his hands on the head of the demonically tormented teenager, begging the Holy Spirit to leave Zbyszko's body. At that moment, a quiet yet distinct voice, which could not possibly belong to a human being, could be heard from Zbyszko's mouth again: "I will kill, I will kill!" Lech recited the liberating prayers while showing the possessed man a cross. However, the boy continued to curse and spit at the priests holding him. "I curse you, devil! In the name of God, demon, leave this body!" Modulating each consonant, Lech exorcised the evil spirit from the boy's tormented body. He was already very tired, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He repeated the ritual. Finally, the results of his work were coming. The boy was visibly calming down, freeing his body from the demon's venom. After a few minutes, a gentle whistle escaped Zbyszek's mouth, and the boy fell unconscious to the ground. Everyone felt relief. This experience had cost everyone a great deal of effort, both mentally and physically. Father Lech approached Zbyszek and began to revive him. "Wake up, my boy," he said, gently slapping the teenager's cheek with his open hand. Zbyszek could only say, "Where? Where am I?" before he fainted again. Lech smiled for the first time. "It will be alright. We have won once again." Then he knelt in a prayer of praise to the Lord.
When he finished, the utterly exhausted Father Lech approached Tomasz, who was falling and writhing in pain. "It's all right now, son. You can stop being afraid," he said.
– But how can I not be afraid after what I saw, Father? – replied Tomasz, who was a bundle of nerves at the time.
"Seek solace in God," said Father Lech, making the sign of the cross over Tomek's curly hair before leaving. "Seek solace in God." This sentence left a huge mark on Tomasz's life. From then on, the boy knew what he wanted to do. He decided to dedicate himself to God as a priest. In the most dangerous form possible: exorcism.
Remembering these events, Tomasz shuddered. Eleven long years had passed. Yet, he remembered every detail. He finished his meal, smiled at the housekeeper, thanking her for the meal, and reached for his briefcase. He pulled out Łukasz Olejnik's files. A strange case befell the now-retired exorcist, Father Lech, in his diocese. The 17-year-old boy suddenly, out of nowhere, fell into complete apathy. He didn't respond to any stimuli. He refused to eat or drink. However, every now and then, he would deliver monologues in a completely incomprehensible language. Doctors They ruled out mental illness and brain injuries. The distraught family turned to Lech for an exorcism. However, this also did not help. In a private conversation with Tomasz, Lech expressed his opinion that a young, energetic exorcist might be able to more easily deal with the beast hidden deep within the boy's soul. Tomasz wasn't entirely sure, but he couldn't refuse his old friend. He took his briefcase under his arm and headed towards the car to reach the unfortunate man's family. Father
Lech was already waiting for him in front of the building where the Olejnik family lived. He smiled broadly at him and hugged him warmly.
"Is the room ready?" asked Tomasz.
"Of course, there's a cross and a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary," replied the older priest.
"Let's go then," said Tomasz, and they headed up the stairs to the fourth floor.
The Olejniks' apartment was rather modest. Pictures of saints and rosaries hung everywhere, with candles burning here and there. It was obvious "That this is an extremely God-fearing family. Where is Łukasz?" asked the younger of the priests.
"Here, on the left," she replied to Olejnik, directing the priests to a small room. The room was empty, and in the center of it, a young, blond-haired boy sat on a chair, mumbling words only he could understand. Tomasz began the identification procedure. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't find anything unusual about the boy.
"Are you sure the boy is possessed?" he turned to Lech.
"You can never be sure, but it's always worth a try if it helps," replied the older priest.
"All right, let's try," Tomasz said, and knelt to begin the prayer for deliverance. The boy's parents and Father Lech accompanied him. When they finished, the young priest stood up and began the exorcism proper. Despite numerous attempts, the boy wouldn't respond. Gestures, chants, or the signs of the cross didn't help. After 30 minutes, Tomasz collapsed from exhaustion. He decided to try one last time. "In the name of the Lord, I curse you, demon!" He uttered these words with all the strength and energy he still had. And then the boy reacted. He reacted in a way that was absolutely astonishing to everyone present. He rose into the air and began levitating with his eyes closed. After a moment, he opened them and began
to intensely observe the crowd. Tomasz momentarily lost his composure. However, he regained control and began exorcising his patient again. The boy, in turn, burst into laughter. A loud cackle filled the room, causing considerable terror, especially among the boy's parents. Tomasz didn't stop. Suddenly, calm but energetic words flowed from Łukasz's mouth, "Your efforts are in vain, priest. I'm not a demon." Then he began to laugh again. When he regained his composure, he exclaimed, "I've returned to all the fucked-up gods of this and other worlds, I'm full of strength again." His words were laced with euphoria. The levitating boy spread his arms in triumph. He made a beckoning gesture toward Tomasz, causing the young priest to begin to float toward him.
When Tomasz's face finally came face-to-face with Łukasz, he said,
"I owe you a favor, priest! You freed me from the body I was trapped in." Tomasz stared at the possessed face with fear, while constantly repeating the words of the liberating prayer.
"I told you to stop!" said a clearly irritated Łukasz, slapping the young priest's face, sending Tomasz's body crashing into the doorway with incredible speed. The fallen priest writhed in pain on the broken doorway, trying to get up with the help of Lech, who rushed to his aid. Łukasz glanced around the room once more. Suddenly, his gaze fell on his parents. "Well, Mommy and Daddy," he smiled, his face contorting grotesquely. "It was nice meeting you all, but it's time for me to go," he said, simultaneously taking a running start toward the window. With incredible momentum, he crashed through the glass, diving toward the paving stones. All that could be heard was a loud "Nooooo!" from his mother's wailing. Tomasz rushed to the window to save the unfortunate man, but it was too late. The young boy's lifeless body lay on the sidewalk of the apartment building. Tomasz stared at it in horror. Suddenly, he noticed an eerie yellow aura rising from the boy's body and flashing toward the man who was just getting out of the car parked under the cage. The man staggered for a moment, as if struck by lightning, then regained his balance. He looked into Tomasz's face and smiled. A cry escaped his lips, "Thank you, priest, for the favor. Forgive me for this small gesture. I am Singharma Threnton, nomadic soul, lord of the Muatalans, and priest of the Sith Order. As I was saying, I owe you a favor for freeing me from this pathetic shell." He pointed at Łukasz's limp corpse. "
Remember, I always repay my debts!" When he finished speaking, he waved friendly at the young exorcist, then got into the car and drove off with screeching tires in the direction known only to him. Tomasz was very nervous. What he saw exceeded his worst imagination. As a result of his exorcism, a man died, and the demon he was trying to exorcise possessed another victim. He found himself in a tizzy. The sounds of an approaching ambulance and police car filled his ears. He began to wonder how he was going to explain all this to them. It was going to be a long and difficult evening…
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