THE BATTLE FOR A SAINTESS | PART NINE
Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows of Excel’s private sitting room, casting long golden reflections across the polished marble floor.
The warm glow stretched across the quiet space, touching the cream-colored curtains that swayed gently from a breeze slipping through a slightly opened window.
Above them, the air conditioner hummed steadily, its cool whisper blending with the faint murmur of distant traffic drifting past the compound gate outside.
The wide television mounted on the wall opposite the leather sofas remained dark, its silent screen reflecting pieces of the room like a mirror.
Orean sat upright on a single upholstered chair opposite the long leather sofa. His hair was still slightly damp from his bath, his shirt fresh and neatly pressed.
On the center table between them rested a tray holding an empty plate and a glass of water, evidence of the meal that had restored him.
Strength had returned to his limbs. The hollow weakness from days of hunger had vanished, and the exhaustion that once clung to his bones had lifted like fog burned away by the sun.
There was a steadiness in his eyes now—calm, alert, alive.
Across from him, Excel sat gracefully with one leg crossed over the other, her fingers resting lightly on the arm of the sofa. Her posture carried quiet dignity.
She had intended to excuse herself after ensuring he was comfortable, but something held her there.
Neither moved.
The ticking wall clock on the wall seemed louder than usual, each second stretching the silence longer.
Thirty minutes passed.
Her lashes lifted slowly, her gaze drifting back to him again. He had not shifted. A faint smile touched her lips, though her eyes narrowed with playful suspicion.
The soft rustle of the curtain brushed the air again as Excel straightened slightly on the sofa. Her voice finally broke the stillness of the room.
Excel (playful):
"Excuse me… why are you looking at me like that?"
The question drifted across the quiet room like a pebble dropped into still water. Orean remained unshaken, his calm gaze steady upon her.
The late afternoon light slid across the marble floor between them, while the curtain continued its gentle sway.
The atmosphere held a strange stillness—like two souls quietly measuring each other while the unseen world watched without interruption.
Orean leaned back slightly in the chair, folding his hands across his lap with relaxed composure.
His expression remained calm, almost innocent, the faint curve of his lips refusing to break eye contact.
A quiet breath slipped through his nose. His voice came out even, unhurried, and lightly probing.
Orean (calmly):
"Then where else should I look?"
The words carried a quiet confidence that seemed to thicken the air. Excel’s brows tightened for a moment before her lips twitched in restrained amusement.
Outside the compound, a car passed in the distance, its fading engine hum dissolving into the calm of the room.
Yet beneath the ordinary silence, something deeper stirred—an invisible tension threading gently between them.
Excel tilted her head, her gaze flicking toward the silent television mounted on the wall.
She lifted a hand in a small, casual gesture, as if pointing out something obvious rather than issuing a command.
A faint, almost playful exhale left her before she spoke, her tone light and matter-of-fact.
Excel (dismissive):
"Can’t you see there’s a television? Watch that instead."
The suggestion hung playfully in the air. Orean turned his head slowly toward the screen as if granting the request a moment’s consideration.
The dark display reflected the room’s soft gold light. For a brief second, the television seemed like an empty witness to their exchange.
Excel watched him from the sofa, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest while the breeze stirred the curtain behind her.
Orean turned back to her without hesitation, the corners of his eyes softening.
A quiet ease settled into his expression, as though the tension in him had simply… loosened. His tone came low and steady, almost unguarded.
Orean (steady):
"It's tiring... boring. I’d rather watch you. You’re not boring… and you don’t tire the eyes."
The statement landed gently but carried unexpected warmth. A quiet laugh escaped Excel before she could restrain it.
The sound rippled softly through the sitting room, easing the tension that had filled the last thirty minutes.
Even the curtain’s slow movement seemed lighter, as if the room itself relaxed.
Excel shifted slightly on the sofa, adjusting her posture while pretending indifference.
Her eyes flickered away for a moment—then back, carrying a faint, playful restraint. Her voice carried a light smile tucked inside it.
Excel (smiling):
"Then... watch all you want. I won’t stop you."
The permission carried a playful surrender. Orean’s calm gaze remained fixed on her while the quiet of the room returned, though it no longer felt stiff or awkward.
Instead, the silence now carried a gentle warmth—two people sitting within it comfortably as the golden afternoon light deepened around them.
Orean leaned back slightly again, folding his hands loosely across his lap as curiosity flickered across his face. His head tilted just a little, eyes searching hers with quiet intrigue.
He drew a small breath, voice easing out with genuine curiosity, almost hesitant—like he was careful not to misread her.
Orean (curious):
"But… why are you also looking at me like that? Did you lose something inside me?"
The question landed softly, yet it caught her mid-thought. Excel lifted her hand in a quick, dismissive wave, as though brushing the air itself away.
But her eyes lingered on him a fraction too long before she spoke. Her tone came out fast, lightly strained, trying to redirect the moment.
Excel (quickly):
"Ah, leave that matter."
Orean watched her with quiet interest, the calm steadiness in his eyes revealing that he noticed more than he said.
The late afternoon sunlight shifted further across the marble floor, stretching the golden reflections longer as the day slowly leaned toward evening.
Excel’s gaze sharpened slightly as she leaned forward just a little, curiosity replacing her earlier evasion.
Her voice slipped out, carefully controlled—like she was probing without revealing too much.
Excel (evasively):
"Just tell me about yourself."
The atmosphere of the room seemed to quiet further, as if waiting.
Orean inhaled slowly, his shoulders straightening as though stepping into something deeper than casual conversation.
He paused briefly, tone low and composed, carrying a thoughtful restraint as if every word had to pass through silence first.
Orean (measured):
"My name is Orean. I come from a distant land."
The introduction stirred a spark of amusement in Excel’s eyes. Her brows lifted slightly, the corners of her lips curving as she leaned back into the sofa.
She tilted her head, tone light and teasing, carrying a warm edge of irony as she held his gaze.
Excel (playful):
"Is the name of your country ‘distant’? Be specific."
Her teasing tone danced lightly through the room. The moment carried a touch of levity, though something deeper still rested quietly beneath it.
Orean exhaled softly, a faint chuckle rumbling in his chest as he shook his head gently.
His voice followed with relaxed warmth, amused but steady—like he was letting the moment breathe before continuing.
Orean (smiling):
"Relax. I am not yet done. My country is called Hill... and it is very far from here."
The smile faded slowly from his face as his posture straightened again. A quiet seriousness replaced the earlier playfulness. His tone lowered, carrying weight now.
Orean (firmly):
"I am a servant of the Most High God. My divine assignment is to bring souls back into the Kingdom."
The words settled heavily into the room. Excel’s expression shifted—amusement fading, curiosity sharpening into something more attentive.
A shadow flickered briefly across Excel’s face—subtle, almost invisible, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
Deep within her thoughts, a cold realization began forming like a storm cloud gathering over still waters.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as her mind searched the invisible realm for answers.
Excel (thoughtful):
"So, this is the one… the one sent to challenge Kaliqa and disturb my hold over this nation?"
The quiet room seemed to tighten around her words. Though the sentence never left her lips, the spiritual tension in the room shifted.
The golden sunlight dimmed slightly behind drifting curtains as if the unseen realm itself leaned closer.
Orean remained seated, unaware of the exact words in her mind but sensing a resistance rising like a hidden wall.
Excel’s spine straightened subtly, pride gathering within her like steel being forged. Her gaze hardened as it locked forward with unshaken focus.
Her thoughts settling into something colder—controlled, unyielding, as if emotion had been pressed into a blade.
Excel (coldly):
"It will not work. I will resist him. We will see who truly has power."
The marble floor reflected the faint movement of her shifting posture as the atmosphere grew heavier.
Outside, the wind brushed through nearby trees, their leaves whispering against each other.
Orean leaned forward slowly, sensing the invisible battle forming between light and shadow.
He rested his elbows on his knees. His fingers intertwined as though holding something sacred.
The fading sunlight brushed his face gently, softening his features without breaking his focus. His gaze held steady on her, unshaken.
His tone was low and reflective, carrying the weight of something remembered rather than merely spoken.
Orean (reflective):
"When I was seeking the face of the Lord, an angel appeared to me. He revealed the devil’s plans against a child of God."
The room absorbed his words like dry earth receiving rain. The hum of the air conditioner softened into the background as if making room for something deeper.
In the unseen realm, darkness stirred uneasily at the mention of divine visitation.
Excel’s expression remained composed, but a faint tension crept into her jaw. Orean’s voice continued, steady and sincere.
Orean (calmly):
"I didn’t know her. I had never seen her before."
The curtains brushed softly against the window frame as the breeze slipped through again. Excel’s fingers tightened slightly at her side.
Somewhere far beyond the compound walls, a distant car horn sounded, echoing faintly like a reminder that the physical world still moved while a spiritual confrontation unfolded within this quiet room.
Orean shifted forward slightly, the leather sofa creaking beneath the movement. His tone was thoughtful, carrying a gentle seriousness.
Orean (thoughtful):
"But the angel said she is a mighty vessel. Holiness is her clothes. Righteousness is her belt. Doing good. Saving souls. Leading people to Christ."
The words seemed to hang in the golden light between them. For a moment, Excel’s breathing slowed.
Something buried deep beneath layers of darkness stirred—a memory perhaps, or a forgotten calling. Yet shadows within her heart tightened their grip, pushing the light away.
Orean inhaled slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Voice calm and gentle.
Orean (gently):
"And then the angel said—"
Before the sentence could continue, Excel’s palm lifted sharply through the air. Her tone sliced across the quiet room like a blade drawn from its sheath.
Excel (firmly):
"Please, remove your lingering gaze from me... before I pluck out your eyes as they did to Samson."
The words struck the air with cold authority. The curtains froze momentarily in the breeze, brushing softly against the window frame.
A sudden heaviness filled the room as if unseen forces reacted to her threat.
In the unseen realm, darkness surged forward, emboldened by her declaration, pressing against the fragile light that had begun to rise.
Yet the light did not vanish—it held its ground, faint but unyielding, as though waiting for its appointed moment.
The room stood suspended between two worlds, the battle no longer hidden but fully awakened.
The air remained tense, charged, and unmoving—like the pause before thunder breaks.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Written by Agbemawle Atsu Norvishi
© All Rights Reserved. Shared freely to bless and inspire.
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