Chapter 50 – The Seed
Father Benedict’s expression stayed calm even as Captain Hale stepped into the room without knocking. The old priest simply looked at him and asked, “Captain Hale. What brings you here at this hour?”
Hale raised an eyebrow. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the files spread across the table.
“I was reviewing some recent reports on potential agitators near the college area,” he said. “I noticed a few overlapping names and thought I should cross-check with your department before morning.” He gave a thin smile. “And you, Father? What keeps you and Brother Elias awake so late?”
Elias shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Father Benedict let out a small sigh, as if deciding how much to say.
“Sit down, Captain,” the priest said.
Hale took the seat across from them, curiosity clear on his face.
Father Benedict looked at Elias for a moment, then turned back to Hale.
“Captain, what exactly did you hear when you entered?”
Hale leaned back and studied both men.
“Something about surveillance. Presidency College. And a woman. I only caught a few words.”
The priest was quiet for a long moment. The lamp on the table flickered softly. Finally, he spoke.
“Very well. Since the cat is out of the bag, it’s better you know the truth now.”
He gestured toward the two files.
“We have been tracking a particular woman for many years. A European lady who first appeared in Madras in 1925. She washed up on the beach, half-dead, with a serious wound on her neck that should have killed her. Fifteen years later, she looks exactly the same age. She is now teaching English Literature at Presidency College under the name Seren.”
Hale frowned.
“People don’t stay the same age for fifteen years, Father.”
“No, they don’t,” Father Benedict replied. “That is why we believe she is connected to… older matters. Things the Church has been watching for centuries. We call her kind ‘the Seed’.”
Hale stared at them, waiting for the punchline. When none came, he let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
“You’re serious.”
“Quite serious,” the priest said. “Over the years, we have collected many strange reports about her. People who saw her survive injuries no normal person could. Witnesses who say she speaks languages that have been dead for hundreds of years. She appeared suddenly in 1925 with no past, no records, nothing. And now she is here, living among us, teaching young minds.”
Hale’s smile faded as he realized they were not joking.
“With all due respect, Father… I deal in facts, not old superstitions. Supernatural creatures? Immortal women? This sounds like something from ghost stories, not intelligence work.”
Father Benedict leaned forward slightly, his voice steady and serious.
“I understand your skepticism, Captain. Many good men have felt the same when they first heard these things. But we have been keeping watch over bloodlines like hers for a very long time. Some things in this world do not die easily. She may look like a normal woman, but we have reason to believe she is far more dangerous than she appears.”
Hale was quiet for a few seconds. He clearly thought they were being ridiculous, but he could see the genuine concern in the old priest’s eyes.
Father Benedict continued, “I ask you this - keep what you heard tonight to yourself. Do not speak of it to anyone else. When the time comes - and it may come sooner than we think - that things feel like they are getting out of hand, I will be the first one to ask for your help.”
Hale sat there for a moment, then stood up slowly.
“Very well,” he said. “I’ll keep my mouth shut. For now.”
He gave a small, formal nod and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Once they were alone again, Father Benedict let out a long breath.
“He doesn’t believe a word of it,” Elias said softly.
“No,” the priest replied. “But he will. Sooner than any of us would like.”
The lamp on the table continued to flicker. Outside, the city slept, completely unaware that old fears were slowly waking up once more.