Its weird how addiction works. You think that you can stop doing that thing you're so addicted to, then find yourself doing it again and saying you won't do it again, then find yourself doing it again and a again and the cycle goes on and on until you realize that...hello, you can't stop. And instead of seeking help, you say, fuck it, and carry on doing it.

I think this is the third time I've snuck into the kitchen tonight.

Is there such a thing as an eating addiction? Cause I seriously need to get rehabilitated. My body size is becoming a problem. I mean, not only am I taller than all the other kids, I'm also broader and more space consuming. The others steer clear away from me, making it look like I'm a bully. And I don't want to be one. I spent nearly every day of my last life in school fighting bullies, I didn't want to become one.

But the main reason I don't like my size is because it gives Isaiah more charmster ( not sure if that's a word) points. I know what you're thinking. Come on Percy, you're seventeen years older than this kid, isn't it a little bit immature to hold a grudge with a five year old?

I'll give you only one answer. They don't know the age difference between us, so anything goes. Besides, Isaiah is getting all the attention, he doesn't have to make all those mean comments about my size. Let it be clear that kids are not good at whispering. Like today, I face planted in our early morning run, he didn't have to lead the other kids in a laugh at fatty Phillip fest. Especially since it was so distracting, it took ten more minutes to finish my laps after they were already done with theirs.

It totally had nothing do do with my weight.

Anyway, here I am trying to open the door when one of the doors down the hall opened up. Me being the sneaky ninja I was threw myself to the door, finally putting my weight to good use and forced the door open and shut it as quietly as I could behind me.

"What was that?"

Father Valper. Of course.

"Probably a racoon somewhere."

"A racoon?"

"Let's not forget where we are Father. Hidden so densely in a forest I doubt even God can find us."

"Don't joke about that" Father Valper said in a hushed irritated voice" the church cannot know about what's going on. Especially now that we are so close to beginning with the tests. They'll no doubt shut down the program the moment they get a whiff of what's happening. We can't let that happen."

"I bet you're looking forward to it, the tests I mean." the other voice said.

"Of course. There someone I'm particularly looking forward to testing." he said. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that. Everyone and their dog knew he was talking about me. For some reason, he was still hung up on me since our first meeting.

"The fatty?"

Oh sure. It's fatty to everyone now, huh?

"You see lag in the process, I see one very immovable foundation." he said, and I could imagine that gleam in his eyes twinkling as he looked at whoever he was talking to.

"Foundation?"

"Yes. You see, while young Phillip is definitely slower,more space consuming, sleepier and by definition lazier than all the other children" I didn't know whether to be amazed by his analytical skills or to be ashamed of myself. Chiron always told be to take it easy, but not this easy." I have a feeling that all that will be naught once he begins the training program I've prepared for him. I tell you this Mitchell, I am going to turn him into the best exorcist the church has ever seen. He will be a nuclear bomb that will rid this world of the devil scourge."

" You seem very convinced with what you're saying. Any particular reason?"

"From the moment I first laid my eyes on him when he was only three weeks old, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that sister Pricilla held in her hands a monster. The likes even greater than Sirzechs of the Maou himself. I knew, he was going to become the most powerful holy sword wielder the church has ever produced. Just wait Mitchell, you'll see. By the time I'm done with him, he'll make Roland and King Arthur look like cosplayers."

Their voices grew duller as they kept walking past me, completely forgetting the noise I just made a minute ago. Well, thank the universe for crazy minds, once they start thinking of something great, they're always on a roll, it's hard to get them to stop.

Did it bother me that what Father Valper was discussing with that Mitchell guy was about turning me into their poking guinea pig? Of course it did. But did it stop me from shoving my face into the bowls of food reserved for tomorrow?

What do you think?

"Praise the Lord."

"Amen." We chorused, although mine was a bit half hearted because I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. Full stomach, battery low body. Terrible combination. But, I had to keep my eyes open since the person greeting us was new but had a very familiar voice. He was tall, with dark hair and blue eyes, an angled jaw, broad shoulders and a frame that fit quite well into the dark robes he was wearing.

"My name is Mitchell walker, a servant of the church. As you can see, from the robes I am wearing, I serve as an exorcist, that means I am on the front lines of the war within this church, fighting for the good side."

Despite the sleepiness, I had to raise my eyebrow at that. The guy straight up announces to a bunch of innocent five year old killer trainees that he's on the good side...yeah, like I'll believe that.

"Up to now, the nuns have kept you educated on the basics every child is supposed to know. Mathematics, reading, writing and the rest, but my lessons, since I'm going to be your teacher from now on, will be less theoretical more practical."

Sure, use big words on a bunch of kids and carry on like the questioning looks on our faces don't mean anything.

"Many eons ago, there was a war between three groups, better referred to as factions. The Heaven Faction, made up of God, our Lord and his host of angels , the devil faction, made up of demons who were cast from Heaven and their kin and the fallen angel faction, made up of angels who have fallen from the grace of God and decided to live a live of divulging in their sinful desires."

Oh, now he had my full attention. A war huh. That brought up nasty memories.

"There were severe casualties on all three sides, so much so that the war ended up without a clear winner, so a truce was made by the three factions. Since then, there has never been a war, but there has been conflicts. The devil faction had a civil war, in which the former leaders of the devils, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan and Asmodeus were ousted and new leaders took over who were a bit less war loving than their predecessors. The current Beelzebub, a genius by the name of Ajuka of the Astaroth clan came up with a way to increase devil population by designing something called the evil piece system ,where any of the other species that isn't a devil, like humans and Youkai can be turned into devils. These human turned devils serve under one family and are answerable to that family. They spread the ideals of the devils into the human populace, slowly eroding them. This is why exorcists like me exist, to battle the devil influence."

He took a long breath after that very long explanation.

"And very soon, you will be joining our ranks." Most of the kids had wide smiles on their faces when he said this. "But, not as ordinary exorcists, for you are a very special group" cue the wide eyes and charmed expressions" you were all chosen for a very specific reason. To become the tip of the sword for the church. The human world threw you away, but the ideals that led them to do that originated form the demons beneath us, which is why, you will be leading us in saving humanity from them."

Whispers of 'wow' and dreamy like expressions filled the room.

Even you can tell that we were being deceived , right?

"Now this.." he pulled something from his belt. A short, broad cylindrical thing that fit in the palm of his hand snuggly. He pressed to on of the buttons that the cylindrical , crucifix engraved thingy had and a three foot glowing blade made of light grew from it" is a light sword. Made of Holy power, God's own power."

Now, I know I've never been a believer of the big guy upstairs, especially after Chiron explained his ideology. Even after being reborn and having lived five years in a life where I woke up to the grace and having to say amen after every five minutes, the idea of God never really cemented itself in my mind as being serious.

But when that light sword emerged, I felt something I've never felt before. I've been exposed to divine power before, and survived thanks to my previous half blood status, so I know what it feels to be next to a god. But, never have I ever felt such...pure power before. The aura that radiated across the room from the sword filled me with a sense of...I don't know, peace, tranquility, Harmony? This was something I've never felt before. It was so foreign that, a minute later, I found myself drooling as I looked at it. Not out of hunger, but out of sheer bewilderment? Was that Holy power?

A smile grew on my face, completely out of the blue. I didn't make myself smile...it just happened, for no reason at all. I just found myself smiling and mysteriously feeling good. It was like the Holy power was smiling at me, a genuine kindhearted smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey, Philip, its not food so don't think you can eat it "

Classic childish joke that caused everyone except me and the exorcist to burst into a fit of giggles. The perpetrator raised his blonde eyebrows at me while smiling smugly now that he had accomplished his daily routine of pick of fatty Phillip. I raised an eyebrow back at him, wondering what motivated kids like Isaiah to be mean. Was it a natural reflex? Or an acquired trait?

"This is what normal exorcists use." Mitchell continued on, ignoring the cute laughing with a perfect poker face" but like I said, you're a special group. You won't be using these, you'll be using Holy swords."

He clapped his hands and one of the walls of the rooms we'd been sitting in lifted to expose a glass panel which showcased four swords within it. Of course, you know how kids are when they see something extremely interesting. They become an uncontrollable force of nature. The moment the swords were visible, seats were pushed away and bodies rushed to the panel, faces squeezed on it while breathing mist on the surface.

It took me a while to get there, but once there, I used my strength to my advantage. I pushed people out of the way to get a clear look. Holy power washed over me the moment I lay my hands on the panel, making me chuckle unconsciously. The grandeur of the swords had my mouth filling up with saliva, and not just because I was an avid sword lover but because they were just worthy of my delusional, genuine drool.

"That's right kids " Mitchell continued, but I doubted anyone heard him seeing as even I considered him background noise and I like to think I had better control of self than five year olds.

You think so too, right?

"Feast your eyes on what awaits you." he said, and I could feel the satisfied smirk on his face" you're gonna take them by storm kids, I can assure you of that."