It was the winter of 1908 in France. A young boy and man not that much taller than him traveled in a steam train from Nantes to Paris. The boy was around fifteen years old. He had unusual hair color, half-white, half-black. The boy was skinny. He wore short black pants and a white shirt with right long sleeves and left sleeve lifted up. He had a tie but he left it hanging and untied. On his hand, he wore leather fingerless gloves.

 

The man sitting right in front of him was well-built. His eyes looked very tired like he hadn’t slept for days. He has messy black hair. Wears black pants and a black vest. The sleeves of his white shirt were slightly rolled up. On his left wrist, he wears a rosary made of wood colored dark blue.

 

“I know that you’re just fifteen years old… but you've been learning about exorcism since you were five and you still don’t understand the basics?” Said, man.

 

“Yeah… I forgot.” Said the boy with a smile.

 

“Looks like you’ll be getting extra lessons after we come back to the Vatican…”

 

“No! Please! Theo! Don’t be like that!”

 

“Then listen to me Senzi!”

 

“I will! I will!”

 

“You know what shadows are, right?”

 

“Shadows are embodiments of our sins and desires.”

 

“Correct. And do you know why before Christmas there is the highest noted presence of shadows?”

 

“Umm…”

 

“Because many people confess their sins and that’s when the shadows escape. While confessions somehow weaken the shadow it still makes them leave their source of food. Tell me. When shadows leave their food source with full strength?”

 

“When someone dies. The more sins he got the stronger the shadow.”

 

“That’s right and sometimes shadows are hiding inside the bodies for the right moment. Around a few minutes, we’ll be going into the tunnel. Well-known tunnel. Where many people commit suicide waiting for the train.”

 

“So that’s why we’re here!”

 

“Huh? You just now figured out why we’re here?!”

 

“I thought we were going to Paris for Christmas.”

 

“No. We are here to exercise the shadows.”

 

The train ran into a tunnel. For a second there was total silence but it was disturbed by the screams. Theo picked up his case and opened it. There was a musket, a few flasks of water, and a golden knife with a cross near the cross-guard. Theo took a musket and flasks while Senzi only took the knife.

 

When they left their cabin at the end of the wagon there was a cornered Ticket Examiner by some black figure that resembled a human but had long and thin legs. Theo immediately shoots the monster in the head. Before the monster could collapse to the ground it disappeared.

 

“He passed out but he is alive.” Said Senzi as he checked the man's pulse.

 

“It was level three shadow. High level for just a tunnel. Let’s hope that some kind of murderer didn’t kill himself here. I don’t want to fight level seven.”

 

“There might be stronger shadows?!”

 

“Of course. Currently, there are only registered nine levels where eighths are capable of destroying the whole building with one attack.”

 

“Wow… I never saw a higher level than three.”

 

“Then prepare because I feel the presence of the fifth level in another wagon.”

 

Theo wanted to check what was on the other side of the door through the window but it was covered in web.

 

“Get ready. There is something nasty behind the door.”

 

The door wouldn't move, so Theo kicked it down. The whole wagon was covered in a web. There were many cocoons, probably with people in them.

 

“Senzi… Start praying…”

 

As Senzi was praying Theo went in with his musket ready. He could feel the presence of the shadow but he couldn’t locate it. He opened one flask and sprayed the water over one cocoon. The weeb burned and with that freed the women trapped in it.

 

While Theo was opening another flask the big black spider the size of Senzi appeared behind him. It was going to stab Theo but he immediately aimed his musket at him. The spider was very fast and avoided sight.

 

“Amen.” Senzi finished his prayer and from under his feet, the blue fire spread through the web and burned it all. Now Theo could clearly see the spider. While he aimed at him he noticed that one of the cacoons didn’t have a person in it. Rather it had small spiders and all of them jumped at him. Theo poured water from the flask over them and by that killed them. Before he could even aim at the big spider it jumped through the window. Theo ran to the window and aimed at the monster but then the train left the tunnel and light shined at Theo’s eyes, blinding him for a moment.

 

“Didn’t want to use it on something like that but I can’t leave that spider be.”

 

Theo grabbed his rosary and smashed it in his hands. Bruises and some kind of marks appeared on his hand. It definitely hurt because he flinched. When Theo ended his prayer the marks turned into a black mist that flew through the window.

 

“That should kill it…”

 

“Are you alright master?” Asked Senzi.

 

“Everything’s fine…” Said Theo as he turned his back against Senzi to cover his nosebleed.

 

“Did I overdo it? The backlash was strong but I couldn’t risk leaving that thing alive.” Thought Theo.

 

Theo checked another wagon. It looked like no shadows were there. Some People were surprised to see him with a musket but as he was going forward he preyed. By doing that he masked his musket and people only noticed him walking without anything in his hands. As for Senzi, he only hid his knife in his pocket because he hadn't learned that skill yet.

 

There was only one wagon left till the train engine. It was a level two shadow that looked like a kid but he had a head of a rabbit. Level two’s are as strong as a ten-year-old child but it’s impossible to kill a shadow without positive or negative energy. One man was protecting his daughter by hugging her and getting his back damaged.

 

“This one is yours.” Said Theo.

 

“Okay…”