Chapter XVI: Everything has changed, including me

Why are all these things happening? What's wrong with Cesare? Actually... what's wrong with the old Cesare... Where did he disappear?

"Antonio, you can leave now," Cardinal Borgia said.

"Before I leave... I have a question... Have you been mocking me all this time, or..."

"Yes, I mean no... I mean, ah... Just leave already!"

What's happening to him? He seems distressed. Even though he's a scoundrel, I can't leave him in his pain. I wanted to touch his forehead to see if he had a fever, but he stopped me, his voice becoming extremely strange.

"How dare you touch me? You should be tortured just for that... N-No... It won't..."

"Your Eminence... Can I ask you another question?"

"Speak quickly and leave. I don't want to see you in front of me ever again..."

"Sure... I'll leave, but before that... In the name of the Lord, tell me who you are."

A cry of pain followed by violent movements came from Cardinal Cesare. So, it seems my fears were confirmed... He is indeed possessed by a demon, like his secretary. But why?

"Leave at this moment or I will kill you!" the Cardinal began to shout, no, the demon within him.

"Holy Father," I addressed the Pope, "I believe it would be best to perform an exorcism on the Cardinal. I know it sounds strange, but I don't know what to make of the events that have unfolded..."

"Antonio, are you sure?" the Pope asked me, visibly surprised.

"Absolutely... The voice, the violent movements, the tears of blood he had this morning..."

"Wait, what? Tears of blood? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

The Pope called a few soldiers from his guard who struggled to restrain the Cardinal, eventually taking him to a chapel where the exorcism was to take place.

Arriving there, I was shocked. The Cardinal no longer resembled a human being at all, but rather a grotesque and repulsive monstrosity.

"Antonio, I think it would be better if you perform the exorcism... He is my son, and I wouldn't want to harm him," the Pope told me, visibly fearful.

"Holy Father, you've been lying to me all this time... I could have resolved everything and returned."

"No, you couldn't... To have an audience with a cardinal, you need documents, regardless of whether you're a priest or anything else. So, if it weren't for Cesare and his theater, you wouldn't have solved anything anyway..."

"Good to know... So, this is our Church, right? It doesn't matter... Anyway, once I'm certain that Cesare is no longer under demonic possession, I will leave..."

"Wait, what? Don't you think it's too hasty to leave?"

"Don't you think it's rather diabolical to toy with a person's soul? Because of Cesare, I've violated the vows I made for my entire life, only to be cast aside by him the next day... It's not right!"

During our conversation, the demon inside Cardinal Cesare was trying to break free, but the chains were not easily broken even for him. Instead, all he did was hurl various insults at me, the Pope, and the Church.

"Antonio, do you remember last night? Do you remember the sounds you made?" the demon said, trying to catch my attention.

"Antonio, it felt so good being inside you... Did you know you have the perfect body for such activities?

"I think you've chosen the wrong vocation," the demon continued.

These things are starting to bother me... I think it would be better not to care about the cardinal and leave without getting involved... But when I remember that he saved my life, that I said he was my guardian angel, or that I had feelings for him, I can't let him suffer until the end. I have to help him...

"Holy Father, I think it would be better if Your Holiness performed the exorcism."

"No, I can't... He is my son. I can't risk losing him because of me... At most, I can participate, but not lead the exorcism."

"Then... I guess I'm his last hope, right?"

"I believe so... I will help you if you need it!"

Well, I think I owe him one final proof of my love for him... From tomorrow on, everything will change, and I will be heading back to my homeland, where I will forget everything that happened in these two weeks.

"Demon, tell me your name," I addressed the demon.

"Hello, my name is Benjamin. What's your name?"

Wait... How can this demon know... No, he's mocking me...

"Hm, so your name is Benjamin, right?"

"Yes, nice to meet you," the demon replied, trying to trap me.

"But you know... This name is holy, not a demon's name, don't you think?"

"Antonio, what are you trying to do?" the Pope interrupted. "Follow the ritual instructions, don't come up with improvised lines!"

"The Pope will die in excruciating pain in a few years. Rats will gnaw on his swollen body due to illness and the heat he will be forgotten in... And you, Antonio, will beg for mercy from people who will do far more hateful things to you than what Cesare did...," the demon tried to frighten me.

"If that's the case, then you're warning us... You're an angel!"

"No... I'm a demon! I am the greatest demon of them all!"

"Really? Then could you tell me your name? You know, just to be sure..."

"I won't tell you... You can't do anything to me... Hahaha!"

"Alright then... Let's pray!"

After we started praying, I began to feel unbearable pain in the stigmata wounds. To my surprise, they were open now, blood flowing out of them forcefully. That's when I decided to do something I learned from that old monk...

I approached Cesare and placed my hands over his, and the demon began to scream. As I continued to touch his head, face, and chest, the demon showed signs of weakness.

"I'm coming out... Stop!"

"Tell me your name!"

"My name is Azazel... Stop..."

"Azazel, in the name of the Lord, I command you to leave this creature and never enter him or anyone else again, and go to hell where you belong."

After making horrifying sounds, he left Cesare, who remained motionless...

"Cesare... Are you okay?"

He seemed to be already asleep. Not surprising, after such an exorcism.

"Holy Father, now that we've performed this exorcism, it's time for me to leave... I can't trust anyone here anymore. However, if you can, I would ask for some money to travel to my homeland."

"Antonio, please don't do it! At least talk to Cesare before..."

"No, I'm not staying. If you can't help me, I'll try to find assistance from other people... Anyway, I have to leave..."

I can't stay anymore. I can't stay after all the terrible things that have happened to me... To be in love with someone, and that person to have lied to me all this time? On top of that... The cassock he gave me is ripped, just like my soul... My only gift in this world is nonexistent now, just like my feelings for him... Anyway, it doesn't matter.

In the end, the Pope took pity on me and gave me the money I needed for the journey. I went back to collect the clothes I had brought and whatever else I had in the apartment... It was quiet. Sister Caterina was out in town doing various errands, so I managed to avoid having to explain things to her...

She knew everything and yet did nothing to tell me the truth... I found fairly cheap transport and left for my homeland. After two weeks, everything changed... Including my trust in people, or God.