Chapter XI: I Will Stay Only for You!

Why did the cardinal's secretary come to visit me? Does he really enjoy seeing me suffering so much? Why is he behaving like this towards me?

"Antonio... I'm sorry you had to go through this..." the secretary said.

"Me? How dare you say that?"

"Antonio... You know what? Maybe it's for the best... Look, I can go, I can even jump. Aren't you happy?"

"Wait, what? So your foot wasn't actually broken?"

"No, not at all. I just have to play a little theater until the Pope sends you to Wallachia... You know, I don't think you should be around so much in the future to take my place."

"It's not about the position... You're despicable. How can you do this? Why to me? Why to those victims?"

"Hm, it seems you found out... Oh, right... You're 24, aren't you? I think you could be useful to me, what do you say?"

"No! I won't do anything immoral to get out of prison. Besides, you have no power until the cardinal arrives, do you?"

"Do you really believe that? Oh, as for your Cesare... He cried so much when I started... "

"I don't believe that! I don't believe anything you say! You can't say that about Cesare!"

"You know... He cares so much about you that he did it. Even though he's 25, it was so relaxing the way he behaved... Don't worry, during the act he started screaming your name..."

"No, I don't believe this... I can't... To..."

I fainted from fear and the pain of knowing that all the people I care about become victims of abuse. Why does it resemble so much Benjamin? Why does the same scenario repeat itself?

-3 months ago-

"Benjamin, are you home?"

Three months ago, Benjamin and I were colleagues. Well, to be more precise, I was his subordinate in running the parish.

Just this winter, I had a small argument with our bishop. It wasn't so big that it was anything important, but I think I was going to be punished. At least with a transfer to another parish. The reason? I pointed out to him that he was stealing some money from the collections for the poor parishes. Well...

When I entered the house we shared, I waited to see or hear something. Nothing. Silence. Until...

"What are you doing?", Benjamin's voice came from his room.

"Hm, I think you should have thought about that before agreeing, don't you think?"

Wait, what? Our bishop? What is he doing here? What is he doing with Benjamin?

"Well, you look so sexy today, Benjamin... Your chest... Do you like it when I touch you here... Don't you?"

"Ugh... S-Stop..."

"Oh, Benjamin..."

"Stop it!"

"B-Benjamin? Don't you want Antonio to stay with you? You know I can send him to another country, right? Africa... Nigeria, or other distant countries..."

I was stunned to hear these things, but I had never felt like I couldn't move as in that moment.

"Ha... It feels so good inside you, Benjamin..."

"Ah... Ha... Ah..."

"You're so sexy, Benjamin... Don't you want to be my secretary? You would have this treatment every day, what do you say? Anyway, Antonio would never do this, don't you think?"

"Your Excellency..."

"Call me Marcus, not Excellency, okay?"

"T-Too fast... Ugh... S-Slow down, please!"

"I'm close... Ha... Ha... Huff... Huff..."

I can't believe Benjamin sold his body for me to stay here, with him... Well, I can't trust anyone who has done such things. Even though the bishop was only ten years older than me, still... I never had the courage to confess my feelings to Benjamin, and now when I had to...

"Your Excellency, I'm glad you came to visit us... Oh, Benjamin... I wanted to tell you that-"

"A-Antonio, it's not what it seems!", Benjamin tried to defend himself.

"Well, there's a chance you're right, but I can't agree with that... If you want, you can become his Excellency's secretary. Anyway, I came to tell you that I'm going to ask for a transfer to another parish."

"Wait, what? Antonio, no... Antonio, forgive me, I didn't mean to...", Benjamin said through tears.

"Antonio, be reasonable... Although you're quite gifted, it's all useless if you don't know or don't want to do anything with it, don't you think?", the bishop said, visibly excited.

"Well, I just need a signature. I'm planning to leave this place tomorrow afternoon. So, as soon as I say goodbye to the faithful, I'll leave."

"Antonio, think of me... I love you, Antonio...", Benjamin said crying.

"This is not okay. You're telling me this while the bishop's penis is still inside you? How pathetic..."

The next day I left that parish, so everything Benjamin did was in vain. I ended up alone in a fairly large parish, without Benjamin... I eventually forgave him and we returned to our previous relationship, but... nothing is the same anymore.

I was so dependent on him, and yet I suffered. Now I trust Cesare and I suffer again... I made a vow not to fall in love with anyone anymore. I want to be alone, because alone I can't be deceived, right?

When I woke up I was outside. Everything was so noisy that I thought I would go deaf. Everyone was shouting my name contemptuously, even the people I had helped.

"He made a pact with the devil! Burn him at the stake!"

Wait, what? I didn't... Why am I tied up? Oh, God... Am I going to be burned alive...

"We condemn him to death by burning at the stake for causing Bishop secretary Marcellinus to be possessed, thus becoming a servant of the devil. The execution will take place immediately!"

Wait, what? Is the bishop possessed? I don't believe that... But I think that the execution will hurt, right? The Pope was there and he looked angrily at me, next to him was Cesare who was looking at me with tears in his eyes.

"One last wish?", one of the soldiers asked.

"Yes... My last wish is for the bishop to come here."

The bishop was brought in, and as soon as he approached me, he began to scream and yell so much that he lost his voice. Of course, I knew the message I had received, the one with the miracles, so it was worth a try.

"Demon, tell us how you entered this man?"

"You brought me, Antonio! You are to blame!"

"Untie me and you will see the truth..."

Although the people opposed, the Pope commanded that I be untied. Cesare was amazed by everything that was happening and continued to cry.

"In the name of the Lord, I command you to say... Who brought you into this man?"

"No one, no one... Only you!"

"Hm, so you're playing dirty? Fine, then let's see if you can do that now..."

Well, I can say I took some courses in spiritualism and demonology, so I knew what to do in such cases. Holy water, crosses, and others are useful, but not too much. Most of all, demons fear the blood of consecrated men...

"Hm, so you're saying I made a pact with you, right? I think I signed with blood, didn't I?"

"Yes... You signed with your blood...", the demon replied.

"So... You shouldn't be afraid, right? Oops, it seems I cut myself by mistake..."

It wasn't a mistake, but intentional... I made a minor cut in my palm with the help of a soldier's sword and started to approach. The demon began to fear, as I thought, and started to defend itself through the bishop. I made a cross with my own blood on the bishop's forehead, and he began to scream again.

"Who brought you here? Answer!"

"The bishop himself! He wanted me to enter you, but I couldn't. I entered him in a moment of weakness, especially because of his abuses towards students and other young boys. Let me go, please!"

"Very well... In the name of the Lord, leave this body!"

That demon left the body, but I became weaker and weaker. The people acknowledged my innocence, and I was acquitted of all charges against me. I stumbled, and if it weren't for Cesare, I would have fallen to the ground. Well, I fell into his arms.

"Cesare, why did you do that? You promised you wouldn't do anything immoral for me..."

"What exactly did I do, Antonio?", Cesare asked, surprised.

"You slept with the bishop..."

"No, I didn't! I was with the Pope all day to talk about you, until I heard that you made a pact with the devil and that you would be condemned."

What a relief. I'm so glad Cesare didn't do anything weird for me. Then something came to mind... Benjamin was so in love with me that he offered everything he had to help me, and I was a scoundrel and hurt his feelings. I hope I can ever apologize to him for that.

The Pope came and apologized for the inconvenience caused, inviting me to tell him everything about the secretary. Well, I told him everything, and the secretary was dismissed and excommunicated.

"Antonio... I'm sorry I couldn't defend you. I just hope you forgive me for my cowardice and distrust in you...", Cesare said ashamed.

"It's my fault... I shouldn't have approached such important people, but if I can't change the past, at least I can change the future, don't you think?"

"Y-Yes... You're right."

"Even if I'm to stay, I won't do it for rewards or important positions, but I'll stay just for you..."

"Cesare, I think it would be better if you went to your apartment, don't you think? Plus, Antonio, if something happens that you don't like, let me know, okay?", said the Pope knowing what was to come.

As we were encouraged, we went to the apartment. I felt extremely tired, so I left holding onto Cesare. As for the secretary, he confessed all his crimes and was sentenced to 10 years of work for the Church and was fired from the position of bishop, being sent to a poor monastery outside Rome.

Arriving in the apartment, Cesare laid me down in bed, and I tried to recover, although in the end, I fell into a deep sleep.