Devil in Shepherd's Robes

Ch 12: Beauty of The World

The world is not beautiful, but it doesn't have to be that way. There is cruelty and betrayal behind every shimmering mask that others portray. The only way to make the world a beautiful place is to rip those masks off the faces of those who dare use them for evil. In his heart, he knew even he had done the same. A false persona, a false identity, a false mind, and a false love. The only thing within him now was the ever-marching reality of time. There was no going back to the past, no changing the outcomes of any event. The only thing he could do was set his sights upon the future.

To change the world, and to change himself, he would have to become the very thing he hated most. A demon. Only with the power of a demon would he be able to return to her, by creating a world without suffering. A world without pain and heartbreak. Only within a world devoid of evil would love thrive, and he would stop at nothing to get it. Victor Agnello was now truly dead, the only one remaining was Ephram. He knew now that he was no longer human, but no longer demon either. He was something else entirely. Something new.

The graveyard mist had cleared, revealing the hundreds of tombstones staring back at him like a shocked auditorium chock full of captivated spectators. They all looked towards the three demons, waiting patiently for something amazing.

"E, are you... okay? What's happened to you?" May's voice called out to him as he rose to his feet, dusting off his clothes as he slowly got his bearings.

"Call me Ephram... please." He said, but his voice sounded different. It was stronger somehow, more resilient. Everything about his demeanor had changed from the confused and scared demon with millions of questions, to the one holding the answers.

"Before you ask, let me explain something to you both. I am no longer a demon, but once was a human. I am now... neither. Ephram is not the true name of a demon but was once part of my human identity. It's safe to call me by that name, don't worry." He said, standing up taller than before, his shoulders back and face pointed towards the starry night sky. Everything about his timidness had seemingly corrected itself the second he stood from the grave.

May and Silo looked at him with awe and confusion, not entirely sure what to ask. He must've seen something after he'd fallen unconscious, but neither of them were sure why it had affected him in this manner.

"What do you mean you used to be human? That's..." Silo began, but looked down at the grave beneath their feet, "...impossible."

"This is the grave of my late wife and I. She had taken her life after being paralyzed in an accident, and not long after I decided to die by her side. I don't know how I became a demon, but nevertheless, I'm here. Somehow I traveled to Hell before I died completely, without the use of a sigil. I awoke in the garden shortly after and became a full fledged demon, but my memories must have been shattered in the process."

"But... without a sigil!? Oh my... I think I get it now! You must've created a new body for yourself in the form of a demon, using the pain of losing your wife to create it! You don't have a human master because you are your own master! Holy shit!" May yelled, taking a few steps back from shock.

She was completely amazed by this unique situation, she had previously thought it impossible for a human to become a demon. It was entirely possible for them to become angels in the afterlife, but to become a demon was absolutely unheard of.

"I think you're onto something May, you're quite a clever demon. You too, Silo, the both of you have been an overwhelming help to me... so, I'm sorry." Ephram said hesitantly, looking at the two of them with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow in his heart.

"What? Why are you sorry?" Both Silo and May asked, unsure of what he could be talking about.

"I don't want to drag you two down the path before me, you two are very precious to me... I hope you remember that." He said, suddenly dropping to one knee in front of the two of them.