Aisha's gaze flicked to the Denisova bracelet, her body tensing slightly at its sight. Was that a reaction that could be analyzed? Julian watched her closely. "Alright," he muttered. "It's time for classroom work."
Julian addressed the duo at the door. He needed to explain the process to avoid confusion or misunderstandings later. "I'm going to speak to Aisha in different tongues from scriptures all over the world. Let's see what triggers the entity. Miguel, if you can…"
Miguel quickly removed the gag from Aisha's mouth. The girl grunted and glanced at Julian with narrowed eyes. Apart from the middle-aged man's voice and a few wrinkles, the girl looked as pretty and as feminine as the original. Something was off.
Julian cleared his throat. "Aisha has been muttering Arabic, so let's start there."
On Earth, he could barely speak a couple of languages, and even then, in poor form. Strangely, Julian Amadeus was quite thorough and fluent in Arabic and many other languages.
"Allahu laaa ilaaha illaa huwal haiyul qai-yoom."
It meant Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. It was a verse from the Holy Quran, meant to invoke peace and protection.
Aisha wriggled against her restraints, but there was no other unnatural response. It was just the same restless twitching, like a caged animal bored with its captor.
Julian frowned and decided to move on. "Okay, Sanskrit next. It has roots in the Hindu pantheon. Let's see if that might stir something."
"Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanan-Mrityor Mukshiya maamritat." It was a mantra invoking the destroyer of the universe, Lord Shiva, pleading for release from the grip of death.
Again, nothing. Aisha's eyes narrowed this time, but her body stayed slack, bringing no convulsions or eerie voices.
Undeterred, Julian pressed forward. "Let's try Aztec. Something from the old Mesoamerican ways."
He recalled a cleansing chant to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god. "Ehecatl, xochitl in cuicatl, tlalticpac in tonatiuh."
Aisha barely blinked. This time, the reaction was more bland than the last time. The only changes that happened in the room were in Father Ramirez, Miguel, and Rosa. They were amazed and impressed by the young man's knowledge. He wasn't lying on the ads at all.
Julian tried a Buddhist chant next, followed by an Aboriginal Dreamtime call, and then a Celtic ward. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Aisha's lips curved into a thin smile, but apart from that, there was no reaction. Frustration built in Julian's chest. What was he missing? He had covered all the major systems—Islamic, Hindu, Aztec, Buddhist, Aboriginal, Celtic. "What are you?" he muttered in frustration.
The Denisova bracelet sat inert on the table, its pieces as broken as ever. Julian paced about, thinking, browsing through Amadeus' memories and skills. Even the priest and the caretakers were impatient, starting to lose faith in their cheap exorcist.
Suddenly, Julian stopped, turned, and stared at Aisha. Her eyes mocked the young man, as if daring him to keep guessing. Then it clicked! It was so obvious! He had avoided the possibility, thinking it was no longer possible. Blind belief in the Church and its propaganda had affected him as well.
"Father," Julian called out. "Could you help us with a Latin Christian verse?"
Ramirez snorted from the door, shaking his head. "Why? This isn't a Christian exorcism. Let's not take the Lord's name in vain."
"Just try," Julian insisted, leaning against the table. "We've got nothing to lose. Humor me for once. Besides, praying to God never hurts."
Ramirez sighed heavily, his reluctance clear with what was asked of him. He stepped a bit closer, clearing his throat like he was about to deliver a sermon. "In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti."
Julian gestured at the other two. Miguel and Rosa followed up on the priest's words. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
The change was sudden and instant. Aisha's body arched off the bed, her restraints creaking as if they might snap. She sat on her haunches like a feral animal, exchanging beastly glances with everyone else.
"Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum," Aisha herself continued the verse in flawless Latin. "Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris."
Aisha, the sixteen-year-old girl, who had never read the Bible or heard a Christian prayer, ended the verse expertly but mockingly. "Et ne nos inducas in tentationem: sed libera nos a malo. Amen!"
It was a perfect recitation of the Lord's Prayer. But then she cackled, churning out a deep, monstrous rumble that made the bulb overhead explode. Crackle!
Miguel and Rosa, frightened beyond their wits, scampered away. They quickly lit candles to light up the dark room.
Aisha was not done with her diabolical drama. She mocked the Trinity with grotesque gestures. Crossing herself backward, spitting at the air, and rolling her eyes back and forth. "Your Lord and Father is not listening, exorcist! But I am! Pray to me!"
The Denisova bracelet on the table began to hum faintly, its pieces inching closer. Slam! They pieced together and became whole.
Julian grabbed the Denisova bracelet. All of a sudden, he had a vision of the following words written over a massive door. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
Julian dropped the bracelet, and his vision stopped. What was that? The room fell silent suddenly, except for Rosa's frantic sobs.
Julian relaxed himself and raised his eyes, meeting them with Father Ramirez's. The old man was petrified. It was time for the truth.
Their eyes were both wide with the same horrifying realization. The priest's face was drained of color, and his hand trembled as he clutched his cross.
Miguel, unable to handle the tension, stepped forward. "What... What just happened? What are you not telling us?"
Father Ramirez swallowed anxiously. His voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke. "It means Aisha has been possessed by something that isn't supposed to walk among humans anymore. Something we haven't encountered in three years after the Church sealed the Gates to Hell. Aisha has been possessed by a—"
"Biblical demon," Julian finished his morbid thought. "We are screwed."