[1863] His Second Coming

This is a chapter towards the beginning of a novel I had been working on a while back. Fortunately, you don't need any context to read this portion (although a few referenced names and places won't mean anything). Please, please rip the guts out of this thing. I want it pulverized. Feel free to tear apart the syntax, but most importantly, I want to know if it flows. Is the dialogue too on-then-nose? Is it interesting to read? Even a few sentences of blunt feedback would go a long way. I want to improve at this craft, so hold nothing back.

Story: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tcmca_EyMF9yZHgWIfsMrL0RwxlngEX4TV5FEzSqGWs/edit?tab=t.0

Crits:

-[2300] Limina https://www.reddit.com/r/DestructiveReaders/comments/1ju03of/comment/mmc6dvc/?context=3

-[2072] Okay https://www.reddit.com/r/DestructiveReaders/comments/1jxu7iv/comment/mmubpz2/?context=3

-[1313] Lucifer's Tears https://www.reddit.com/r/DestructiveReaders/comments/1i9fijn/comment/mchv550/?context=3