The colonel signaled his men to quietly surround the area and not to let them be seen. They spied one half of the robed men gathering around something. Or rather someone. It was a young woman who was chained to an alter. Her body bruised, bleeding, and panting in agonizing pain.
"Magdalene." Solomon gasped quietly.
"Is that your friend?" The colonel asked looking through binoculars.
"Yes. Oh dear God what have they done to her? She looks battered."
"And pregnant." The colonel added.
"What?"
Solomon grabbed the binoculars and looked through them. He saw that Magdalene's belly was swollen to symbolize that a new life was growing inside of her. She was with child. Horror struck the exorcist and that horror only grew as he watched one of the robed men move to stand over Magdalene, removing his hood to expose his familiar face.
"Dominick." Solomon whispered.
"Just a few more moments Sister Magdalene and you're suffering will end." He told the pregnant nun.
"Dominick how can you do this?" Magdalene cried as she tried to keep her breathing under control.
"I'm sorry Magdalene." He said in voice expressing sympathy and remorse. "I didn't want to drag you into this. Really I didn't but you have something that I need."
He turned to his followers.
"Bring forth the first child."
At once one of the followers approached him holding a bundle of swaddled blankets which contained a baby girl who had only been born a week earlier.
"Pentious how exactly is an infant and this woman the key to opening the door?" The follower asked.
"This door was created to where it can only be unlocked by a soul representing the two creatures of good in our world. Humans and angels. This girl was born of the union between the fallen angel Lucifer and his human bride Lilith, she's half human half angel making her soul one that represents the two creatures of good. However the door itself can only be opened by a body representing the two creatures of evil in our world. Humans and demons."
He turned back to Magdalene.
"This human woman is carrying a child fathered by the demon Beelzebub. It's half human half demon making it's body one that represents the two creatures of evil. When the child is born we shall raise it and the girl to open the gateway and destroy this damnable world so that we may re-create it into our own Eden."
"Ne...Never." Magdalene protested weakly. "My child will never do such a thing. I won't let you raise it that way."
"Magdalene I'm afraid you have no say in the matter. Once your child is born we shall take it and send you back to where we found you."
"No! You can't have my baby! I won't allow it!"
"Magdalene I do not wish to harm you so please do not resist."
"Dominick please!"
"Freeze!" The colonel shouted as he and his men aimed their guns at Pentious and his followers causing them to become still. Solomon made his way at the front of the soldiers.
"Dominick what the Hell do you think you're doing?" He asked.
"Hello Solomon." Pentious greeted politely. "It's been a long time."
"Get away from Magdalene and unhand that child!"
"I can't do that Solomon. I need them both to help me achieve my goal."
"Your goal is madness! Stop this Dominick! You cannot upset the balance between the three kingdoms!" He lowered his voice. "Dominick you're sick. Come back with me to the Vatican and we'll get you help. It's not too late."
"You mean you want me to go back to worshiping that big heavenly hypocrite? The one who is responsible for the world's tragedies and horrors?! Never! Never again! I will have my Eden and nothing will stand in my way! Not even you! Kill them!"
Guns were shot and knives were used to stab bodies. It was a brutal brawl that resulted in many lives lost. Through the chaos Solomon made his way over to Magdalene who had passed out and he quickly used his equipment to break her shackles while a soldier pulled the infant girl from one of the cult members.
"Solomon over here!" A voice called from a part of the ruined church which would serve as a perfect shelter.
Solomon and the soldier carefully carried Magdalene and the baby over to that shelter, laying them by a statue of a Saint who Solomon knew to be called Saint Charlotte. Just next to that statue there was a human-sized, cat-like creature chained up to a wall. Solomon recognized him to be Husk. The demon Magdalene befriended.
"About time you showed up." Husk said. "Now get me out of this!"
"What is that?!" The soldier cried in shock of Husk's strange appearance.
"I'm not a what you jackass! I'm a who!" Husk snapped.
"Husk please don't try to pick a fight now." Solomon said in annoyance. "Not at a time like this."
"Solomon?" When the weak voice of the waking nun called out to the exorcist, he was at her side in an instant. "Oh Solomon is it really you?"
"Yes Magdalene it's me." With one hand he gently held one of her own and with his remaining hand he caressed her cheek.
"You're here. You're actually here. When I heard your voice I was so sacred that I was dreaming."
"It's alright Magdalene. I'm here now." He embraced her. "Oh Magdalene why in the name of God did you leave the Vatican?"
"After what happened to me I...I was ashamed." She said. "I thought...I thought that none of you would be able to bear the sight of me."
"That could never happen! Not with me! To me you're still as pure and innocent as the day we met!"
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course I do! Now enough of this! As soon as this is over I'm taking you back home to the Vatican and if they turn you away we'll go somewhere else."
"Solomon I-" But she stopped mid sentence and let out a cry when she felt another painful contraction. There was so much blood coming from her lower area. "Solomon, my baby...My baby is coming."
"You can't have this baby Magdalene. You've lost too much blood, if you give birth now you will bleed to death."
"But if I don't then my baby will die."
"Magdalene it's not worth risking your life over! It's the spawn of Beezlebub!"
"But it's also the spawn of me! It's apart of me! It's the only good thing that's happened to me since the incident! I can't let it die! Please Solomon! Please save my baby!"
Tears were in her eyes and she was pleading for him to save the child in her belly. Unable to deny her what she wanted most, he reluctantly helped her through the difficult labor. For hours she screamed bloody murder as she endured an awful pain that she had never known and after letting out one final scream she successfully birthed a baby boy. His skin was grey, his hair was red, he bore antlers on his tiny head. There was absolutely no doubt that he had been fathered by a demon.
"It's a boy." Solomon said wrapping the newborn in a blanket that the soldier had brought him.
Magdalene smiled at the baby in Solomon's arms and raised her hand up to gently stroke his cheek as though he were the most precious treasure in all the world.
"He's beautiful." She breathed. "So beautiful. My...My little boy I...I...I love you so...Much."
She was fading fast. Solomon quickly handed the infant boy to the now freed Husk and moved to take Magdalene into his arms.
"No Magdalene don't go!" He pleaded desperately. "I won't let you die! I'll get you to a doctor and you'll get better and we'll-"
"Solomon can you promise me something?"
"Anything!"
"Promise me that...you'll make sure...He's loved...The world...Will be...Hard for him...To live in...Because of what he is...Love will...Give him...The strength..To live...Please Solomon...Please make sure that he knows how it feels to be loved."
"I promise Magdalene...I promise."
Even in her weak state she still kept a smile on her face.
"Alastor...His name is Alastor."
Her arm fell limp, her eyes closed, and her breath slowed.
"Magdalene?"
"I...I...I always...Loved you."
Then she was gone. Solomon broke down in tears and he begged for Magdalene to return to life but in the end his begging was all for not. Husk and the soldier both hung their heads in mourning respect for the poor woman who had left this world while bringing her son into it. As for everyone else who was there, the followers were either arrested or killed but Pentious had somehow escaped and fled from the mountain though Solomon had a feeling that he hadn't of seen the last of him.
"I'm really sorry Solomon." Husk said to the heartbroken exorcist. "I know how much she meant to you."
"I just don't understand it." He replied.
"Understand what?"
"That child was the product of not only rape but a rape committed by Beelzebub himself. Still she gave her life to let it be born."
"I guess Magdalene couldn't get past the fact that concieved through rape or not, he's still her son." The demon answered. "Now that being said, what's to be done with these little ones?"
Solomon looked upon the two babies lying beneath Saint Charlotte's statue. The baby girl looked no different from any other human infant that he had seen and she was an especially beautiful baby. One with fair locks and rosy cheeks. But then a white flame appeared around her yet it did not burn her or the boy lying next to her. However he sensed the fire and opened his eyes to see it, revealing that his iries were bright red.
"Oh my God." Solomon said.
"What?" Husk said.
"I have to kill them."
"Come again?"
"The vatican sent me to kill two paranormal beings that was destined to cause mass destruction to our world. These babies are the beings I'm supposed to kill."
"Are you actually going to do it?"
"I...I have orders. I can't disobey the vatican."
The babies responded to the voices overhead by looking up at them. Strangely though they did not cry at the sight of the strangers. The girl merely gazed upon them with big eyes full of curiosity while the boy smiled. Solomon froze dead in his tracks. The infant boy had a smile that was exactly like Magdalene's and the girl's eyes held so much innocence.
He was stumped. To defy an order from the vatican would result in serious consequences. Maybe even treason against Christ. But on the other hand would Christ himself even approve of slaughtering two children? After all these babes couldn't help how they were born or who their parents were. And what of his promise to Magdalene? If he truly loved her than he wouldn't break his promise or destroy her child.
"I can't do it." Solomon decided. "Destructive or not they're still just children and that boy is all that remains of Magdalene."
"So what are you going to do with them?" Husk asked. "Obviously they're not going to be raised by their parents."
"I'll take care of them myself."
"You?!" Husk shouted flabbergasted. "You're going to raise children spawn of a demon and a fallen angel? You who seeks to destroy anything that's involved with Hell?"
"I made a promise to Magdalene. I'll make sure her son is loved and I'll make sure the girl is loved too."
"You know you could get expelled for this."
"If I am I'll manage somehow."
...
So just like that I became the unready father of two unwanted children. Magdalene had given the boy his name but I named the girl. I chose to name her Charlotte after the Saint who's statue watched over us that night. A befitting name if you ask me but as she would grow older she would prefer to go by a different name, however she'll always be little Charlotte to me.
Little Charlotte and Little Alastor. What a pair they were. Inseparable throughout their entire childhood and even in their adulthood. Which was good for their strong bond was the key to ensuring that they would never succumb to their dark heritage.