"The Shooting Star"
-a Shadow Hearts: Covenant one-shot
Karin and Nicolai moved ever upward through Apoina Tower, towards the "lucky charm" the exorcist sought. The night air was cool and a brisk wind was blowing through the cracks in the stone. The higher they went, the more narrow and crooked the ancient steps became. The ominous atmosphere, filled with the malice of lost souls, pressed in on them from every side. Nicolai was focused on the task ahead however, and did not appear overly bothered by the invisible ill will surrounding them.
Karin was another matter entirely. She felt almost as if a million tiny fingers were reaching out to grasp at her hair and her uniform. Would they tug her away into oblivion or were they merely searching, taking stock of what sort of people had dared to enter their abode? The red-head shuddered and hurried along, trying to keep as close to Nicolai as possible. At the very least, his confidence managed to lessen some of her fear. If it were within his power to do so, he would not let anything hurt her.
Sometimes the monsters leapt from the shadows to attack, but each time the two warriors beat them back. Nicolai was very nonchalant about the whole thing, going so far as to flip his bangs back out of his eyes as he finished an attack. Actually, they were not hard for Karin to handle either. The cardinal had been correct when he told her that they would be "a snap to handle" compared to the demon in Domremy. These ghouls had neither the strength nor the skill of the thing she had seen in France. They also shared none of its grace and other human-like qualities. They were merely storybook-style monsters.
Each window the pair passed on their way drew Karin to it. She paused to peek out at the "real" world outside, reminding herself that she was not caught in a dream. The lights of Vatican City shone dimly and peacefully below, with spires of churches gleaming softly in the pale moonlight. From between the dusting of wispy, gray clouds Karin could see several glowing stars. They were faint, obscured by the mists of the night, but just as she was about to turn away and continue up the steps, a brighter spot in the night caught her eye.
"Nicolai! Look!" she exclaimed, and reached out to tug his sleeve, "A shooting star!"
He stepped back down and peered through the window with Karin. There it was- a glimmering light shooting across the sky. Unconsciously, both began to smile at the sight. Karin recalled her far-away home in Germany where she had looked at the stars through her grandfather's telescope. Nicolai remembered sitting up at night in summer in the attic of Rasputin's home, reading until he fell asleep staring at the sky through the cracks in the battered roof.
"Make a wish," Nicolai whispered to Karin, moving closer so that their shoulders touched. The back of her gloved hand brushed his. She closed her eyes and seemed to be focused on willing her wish to become reality.
Nicolai made a wish as well, and wondered if their wishes were the same. He took her hand in his, causing Karin to suddenly open her eyes and jerk away, a slight blush reddening her face. "C-come on," Karin stuttered, "We don't have time to waste here! We have to get going!"
Nicolai stifled a laugh at the young woman's behavior and nodded in agreement, following at a sedate pace while Karin practically ran up the steps until her embarrassment wore off.