Father August is sitting in the dark on his confession chamber. Silence has cover this small chapel, shrouded it in nothingness. All August able to hear is the occasion sound of his own prayer. His old cross-shaped scar on his forehead hurt a bit. Its been like that for a long time, since he got it in war.

He knew, tonight, everyone who left in the city is praying. So he pray for them, for their soul, and for the judgement that await all of them. The allied forces is coming from the west and the red army is coming from the east. They all knew that there is no stopping them, even the Fuhrer has become delusional and unable to lead. How the army will finally take their revenge on Berlin?

His mind start to wander back. He stop praying and look up, on the small window at the side of the churches. The star is shining, a single star, the same star that he see all this time when he pray. How did it came to this? at the beginning there is the glory, the parade, the celebration. People are smiling, believing a new future is being forged and they are going to witness a new German rise.

He too, doesn’t worry, sure time are uncertain, but everything will return as it is, everything will be alright.

Then the war started.

August was born here in Berlin, his father was a colonel in the army, he often away on far away places while his mother is a tailor. August even learn how to tailor from his mother, he still remember her golden hair basked in sun while he concentrate on the clothes. He usually seek her mother attention by standing on her left side and see every single thread being sewn, sometime he lost himself in the moment and just gazing into each hole the needle made.

Many child of his age want to become a soldier, a young and brave soldier that will fight for the fatherland. But August, he never see his father, he blame his job as a soldier for that. Instead he found it much more interesting to study.

August end up studying physics and later work for a while at the university as research assistant. August is not really a brilliant physicist, he is just okay, and he is quite okay with it. He is okay with assisting his friend to achieve success.

Later on, when World War 1 start, he eventually was conscripted to war. He witness the horror of war and every mud he eat for a long year on the trenches. On the trenches, the only person who seem to be calm was a chaplain. A Catholic Priest.

Every night he talk with the soldier, he calm their need, and he prepare them for an eventual end that may came for them. August that afraid to die talk with him.

“Do not fear the death, find it in your heart to walk on the path you are now. Know this, death is not the end. It never the end”. His green eyes stare him deeply. Through his scared blue eyes.

Chaplain open a small black box filled with black powder. He put his thumb to be covered with black powder. He put his hand on his forehead, creating a cross. He smell a burn on that place and quickly it fade. Then he put out another wooden box take out a stick and burn it before slowly letting the white smoke cover August’s body. August was never a religious person, he think that if this is what is needed to safe his soul then so be it. He thank the Chaplain and went away. For a whole night he can smell the incense the Chaplain burn on his body. The smell that make him remember his mother.

It was a night before a massive offense that eventually killed all of his unit. August was lucky, he survive a shell and when he came to the offensive was over. He sought his unit, but he can’t found it. He keep asking around until he found them, on the ground surrounded by other soldier. Their body is laying on the ground covered in pure white clothes. He realize that he alone survive. His forehead is aching, he survive the war but was marked by it, a cross-shaped scar on his head. He was baptized by the fire of war.

After the war end, he sough out the priest and decide to join the church. At least, his mother is proud of him while his father is not so much.

Now, 30 year later, he still at Berlin, he serve what he though is his final days on the church. Soon everything will be over.

On a Sunday morning, he is a leading masses, he knew that there are less and less people on his church now. He used to have help from his member of church to prepare things but now he had to prepare thing alone, even sometime he can’t properly serve communion.

Today too he must console a mother that has lost its child, father that scared, and young man that has lost its way. His church is never truly empty now.

But at afternoon, as usual, the soldier will came and tell everyone to go home. Martial law has been enacted for a while. In a way, he is glad whenever the soldier came, that mean his day is over and he can rest, but at same time the soldier often ask him question.

They ask if anyone spill their bean, they ask their confession, they ask the secret of God. August always try to rebuff them but soldier is getting uneasy.

This time the soldier didn’t leave, a man covered in black clothes is standing in the door of the church. The soldier look at the soldier with some kind of respect. The man is bald with stern look on his face, a face he knew once from a long time ago.

The Reichsbischof somehow came to this small church. August knew about him, even before the war start. He was acquainted in some gathering and at the time think nothing of it. But now, he come knocking on his small church after a service and asking for a private talk.

August shocked and try to welcome him as polite as possible, no matter what, he is still one of the leader of Nazi. The Reichbischof only crack a little smile, even August can see his face is tired from something. He want to talk privately.

August lead him to his small office, where he usually attend to any official need of the church. The room is only a 3x3 space, with a cabinet on the side for his book and some of the official church document and a desk with a rather comfortable chair that was given by one of the church member.

“I want you to understand, that today I did not came with my capacity as Reichsbischof” He said while he sit in the front of the August.

“I hear you have experience with exorcism?”

“I do, but its not much actually, there is much more pain and other thing happening on this time, it almost like… Devil himself has possess this…this… whole world”. August tried to be polite while laughing a bit. Reichsbischof only look at him coldly.

“Then, do you know what is this?” he take out 2 small photo from his pocket and put it on the desk facing down.

August put on his glasses and take the photo, but before he flip it open asking

“Am I going to be in trouble if I see this Herr Pastor?”

“You are going to be in trouble even if you aren’t” he smile a bit, a thin smile barely showing.

August knew that he had no choice. So he flip it and see.

First photo seem to be taken on a highway. Soldiers, Germans, 5 of them is gathering looking away from camera, they all look up and it seems trying to discussing things. What they see is the one that August heart jump. A white sack that seem to be about the size of a man, hanging from one of the lamp.

“I… sir, what is this?”

“Do you know about the rumor from the frontline? we are now burning incense every night just to make sure soldier can sleep soundly”

“Incense?” August remember his times of war.

“Yes it is”

August look back at the photo trying to understand what he see. This is not a work of a man. Who in the right mind has time to do something like this? does the allies willing to go this far? Maybe, yes maybe human can do something like this after all.

“Herr Pastor maybe US has some nasty people on their side?” August asking, he knew full well the irony on that statement, in front of the Nazi leader.

“Look at the second photo”

August see the second photo, and he knew instantly what he see. He feel cold blood rushed to his head and fear that once sealed has awaken once more.

“Do you know him Constance?” Reichsbischof lean forward, his eye is peering to his fear.

“I… I… " August feel so much fear that he can’t speak.

“You have met him. How you survive?”

“No, he was helping us… "

“You also was conscripted to great war, this is not the first time you see the hanged body isn’t it? Somehow, out of everyone on your unit, you and you alone survive. How Constance?”

August stand up, trying to find the box he keep under his desk. The only gift he got from Chaplain on the day of his ordained day.

A cross with Jesus statue. But now he start to look at it closely. The bronze cross has turn green and he closely look at the statue.

“No, no, no” August realize, after all this time, after all the pray he has done.

That statue was smiling, it has curly hair, and a mark on its forehead. He look at the statue, and the statue empty face look back, a face of his own.

Reichsbischof has left. He realize the fear on August face and decide to let him rest. He need August to cooperate and tell him what he know.

Now August sit alone on his confession chamber, the green cross in front of him, the empty face of his own that look back.

He start all of this in service of the God, but all this time, is he being misled?

Is all of the blessing he done was a false blessing.

He touch his forehead, the scar is still there. A scar, or a mark?

Is all what he done is for sake of Devil?

Soon he smell the incense.

He immediately raised and went out from his confession chamber. A man is now standing in the front of the altar. He is wearing the old soldier garnish, just like 30 years ago. His green eyes pierce the dark and and soon he run to the door and open it and disappear into the night. He want August to follow him.

August scar is aching more than ever. August run to the door, but there is nothing out there. He see that the city has start to burn, explosion can be heard far and close.

But soon, green light sprout out from the ground in front of him.

It crack the ground and create a clear line covering the city in blazing light.

He grip his green cross on his left hand and the gold cross on his right hand. He step into the light. He feel haziness, calmness, and fear start to grip him all at once. He look back at the church and the man is standing there, saying nothing.

He must find the truth, does he is wrong? what is he?

And soon the light engulf everything, covering the city in blinding light and left nothing but a hole into the abyss.

Thus August was lost. All that left is an abandoned church at the edge of city. A silent witness to the cruel fate of a man.