Arriving at the church entrance, both girls stopped, panting heavily. They stood with their heads down, hands on their knees as they tried to catch their breath. In that moment, the sound of light footsteps echoed in their ears, growing louder with every second.
When the footsteps stopped, a sign that someone was standing right over them, a familiar voice spoke up. "My, aren't you two a little tired?"
Hearing the gentle voice, which briefly calmed her racing heart, Saria slowly raised her head. She found Hana looking down at her with the menacingly sweet smile of a mother who knows the truth.
Startled by fear, Saria looked back at the ground, a look of guilt washing over her face. Despite her nerves, she tried to reason with Hana. "I-I'm sorry, Miss Hana..! W-we just went for a stroll around the territory and didn't realize it had gotten so late..!"
Hana giggled at Saria’s excuse. "Oh, Saria. You really are a terrible liar, aren't you?"
"W-what do you mean by that, Miss Hana..?" Saria asked, still trying her best to soothe Hana’s perceived anger.
Noticing how hard Saria was trying, Hana let out a sigh to release her tension. "I noticed the dust and cobwebs all over your clothes. Is there a reason the two of you went to the library?"
"So you already knew..." Carol answered instead, standing up properly to look Hana directly in the face.
"Of course I knew, dear. The library is the only place in this territory that looks so abandoned," Hana stated with a gentle smile—one that made a bead of nervous sweat roll down Carol’s forehead. "Since you aren't familiar with the Royal Church’s lands, I assume you are the one responsible for this 'stroll'."
Hearing Hana’s deduction, Carol snorted in amusement. "It seems the truth is hard to hide from you, isn't it, Miss Hana?"
Hana chuckled at Carol's remark. "You two should get inside the church. We wouldn't want someone’s child to catch a cold."
"Huh? You don't want to hear our reason..?" Saria asked, looking up at Hana in surprise.
"About your reason for going to the library? You can tell me all about it tomorrow," Hana replied, her expression shifting back to her usual, gentle warmth.
"I-I see..." Saria fell into thought for a moment before standing up to follow Carol inside. "T-thank you, Miss Hana..!"
"No need to thank me, Saria. Just get some rest."
Satisfied with their return, Hana watched as Carol and Saria entered the church. Once she was alone, her gaze shifted toward the night sky, and her expression hardened. "Wherever you are right now, I suppose you've finally made your move, Zen. To think all of this happen because of your decision to follow the flow of this world... it still surprises me," she mumbled to herself, followed by the cold night wind swept past.
Inside the house, young Saria awoke in the middle of the night to a sudden, biting cold. She climbed out of bed and followed the drop in temperature, searching for its source. As she spotted a bluish glow radiating from the living room, she peeked through the slightly ajar door, only to find both of her parents locked in a bitter argument. Saria’s eyes widened in horror, and the first of many tears began to fall.
"It's because of that child that we lost everything!" her father shouted, the tension in the room escalating.
"P-please, consider what you're saying, honey! She didn't mean to—"
"Shut your mouth, you pesky woman!" he yelled, pointing his wand at her. Several water spikes manifested beside him, ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.
Saria’s mother sank to the ground in fear, yet she still tried her best to beg for her husband's mercy. "Please... she’s just a child. She deserves her own happiness, too..."
He snorted in disbelief. "More like retribution. That omen... she should never have been born, you know?"
Hearing those words from her own father, Saria’s legs began to tremble. She backed away slowly from the door, her guilt growing heavier with every second. As her expression darkened and tears fell messily to the floor, she turned and bolted. Her loud footsteps caught both of her parents' attention, giving her mother the chance to leave her husband behind and rush after her.
"Saria, dear! Where are you going?" her mother’s voice boomed down the corridor, but it only made Saria run faster.
Reaching her room, Saria grabbed the doorknob, threw the door open, and scrambled inside. As she slammed the door shut, the scene dissolved, leaving only an empty void behind.
The birds chirped once more, signaling that the bright morning had replaced the cold night. As the sunlight radiated against her face, Saria opened her eyes, feeling groggy and weighed down.
(That dream... how long has it been since I last remembered it?) Saria thought. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror with a flat, hollow expression. (But why..? Why do I feel so okay about it now?)
After a brief silence, a few knocks sounded at the door. Carol pushed it open, looking slightly surprised.
"Oh. You're awake," Carol said.
Saria responded with a simple nod.
"Well, are you ready to explain everything to Miss Hana?" Carol stated. "She said she’s waiting for us in her room. Oh, I already gave her that history book we took from the library."
"I-is that so?" Saria fell into deep thought, but only for a moment before speaking again. "Can you wait for me outside..? I need to prepare myself."
"Sure. Take your time," Carol replied, grabbing the doorknob and closing the door, leaving Saria alone once more.
Alone with her thoughts, Saria let out a soft sigh. "Mother, Father... am I really a bad child because I was chosen as the Child of Light? Even though I never dreamed of being the savior of humanity?" she mumbled to herself, her guilt-ridden gaze fixed on the window.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Meanwhile, Hana, alone in her room, rubbed her hand over the cover of the book Carol had just given her. Her expression hardened immediately.
"This is really a genuine history book," Hana mumbled to herself. She opened it, flipping page after page in curiosity. "Hmm. Only a few pages have been revealed so far. And most of it is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the Child of Light and their cycles with the Leviathan," she continued, flipping in the hope of finding more information, though most were white, blank pages. However, her actions stopped as few knocks echoed on her door.
She closed the book, deciding it could wait. "Come in."
In response to Hana's answer, the door opened, revealing Carol and Saria. As both girls entered the room, Saria closed the door behind them to ensure privacy for their conversation.
"Sorry if my room is quite messy. I haven't had time to clean it properly," Hana said, her voice lingering with slight guilt.
"Don't worry about it too much, Miss Hana," Carol stated, trying to reassure her. "Do you mind if we sit on your bed?"
"Sure. Go ahead," Hana responded with a gentle smile.
Gaining Hana's permission, Carol and Saria sat together on the bed. At the same time, Hana turned her body toward them, ready to discuss yesterday's events.
"You two know what you have to tell me, right?" Hana began. Her smile didn't disappear, yet it was more than enough to strike fear into both girls.
With that, Carol gulped nervously and decided to answer. "It's because I want to know the culture around here."
Noticing that Hana's expression darkened with quiet fury, Carol panicked and quickly added more context.
She cleared her throat. "Of course, it's not only the culture here I want to learn. It's about the literal 'legend' of the Child of Light and Holy Magic as a whole."
Satisfied after hearing the full reason, Hana let out a light sigh. "Is it related to what happened to Rurin two days ago?"
Carol nodded. "Especially what that armored guy said: 'The Sheep for our Lord'."
Hearing her statement, Hana fell into deep thought. "The Sheep for our Lord... The Child of Light... The Children sacrifice themselves... There's no way..." she mumbled to herself, her expression hardening with worry.
As her thoughts finalized, Hana took the history book beside her and showed it to Saria, which confused her for a moment.
Noticing the desperation written on Hana's face, Saria gently placed her hand against the book cover, closing her eyes as she focused on channeling her Holy Magic. The book shone brightly with white light, which slowly faded. When the light disappeared completely, Saria opened her eyes. "I think it's done, Miss Hana."
In response, Hana opened the cover and flipped through page after page. This time, the pages were full of historical content. Even unknown symbols appeared. However, Hana wasn't curious about any of that.
After a few moments, she stopped at the middle of the book where she found the information she needed. She shared it with Carol and Saria, pointing to the exact passage:
"Should the Child of Light fail their duty, the Messenger must do everything they can to ensure the world's cycle. The Divine Revelation is absolute. Yet, if it falls apart, an uncertain paradox shall reveal itself."
After both girls read it, they blinked a few times, confused by the content.
"Okay. Is this really a history book or a world-ending prophecy book?" Carol asked, annoyed. "Paradox? Messenger? What the hell is that?"
"Y-yeah. It feels like this book is trying to tell us something," Saria replied, agreeing with Carol.
"I know it is confusing. But alas, it proves my theory," Hana stated. Her tension lingered across her hardened expression.
"A theory? What do you—"
Before Carol could finish her sentence, a sudden explosion of fire struck the church heavily, causing a violent rumble to shake the entire building.
"Damn it! Why does this always happens?!" Carol shouted, lashing out in frustration after being interrupted by a third party once again.
"Uhm... we should probably do something about the attack for now..." Saria suggested. "Is that okay with you, Carol..?"
Hearing Saria’s suggestion, Carol let out a long sigh. "Fine. But whoever is attacking this church right now, I’ll make sure they regret it for the rest of their lives."
Meanwhile, in the church’s main hall, Arvain was knocked harshly to the floor. His body was covered in bruises and the hissing marks of fire. He gritted his teeth, drew an expression of pure frustration as he struggled to endure the pain. Standing over him was a figure wearing a blindfold and a long white cloak decorated with a cross, pointing a sword directly at Arvain’s throat.
Nearby, the children and Narlia had managed to find a hiding spot behind a large stone statue, hoping they wouldn't be spotted by the attackers.
"D-do you think Brother Arvain will be okay, Sis Narlia?" Rurin asked, her voice trembling.
"I hope so, Rurin. For now, just pray for the best," Narlia replied, trying to reassure the girl. She turned her head to look back at Arvain, her expression hardening with worry.
Noticing Narlia’s gaze fixed on him, Arvain forced himself to stay calm. "Who are you? What do you want from us?" he demanded.
The blindfolded figure offered no answer. He stood as silent as a puppet waiting for its master's orders. Finally, he moved his other hand to the hilt, raising the sword high with both grips.
"For the sake of our Lord, your blood shall become His sheep," the blindfolded figure said in a flat, hollow tone. "Therefore, Arvain, the Child of Hana Blight. As per the request of the Royal Church, your life... will be essential for the Messenger."
As the figure finished his speech, he swung the blade downward. Arvain, however, responded with a defiant smile.
"Think again, you foolish puppet!" Arvain exclaimed. He snatched his wand from the floor and pointed it directly at the attacker. A concentrated blast of Light erupted, knocking the figure back until he slammed into the stone structure behind him.
Arvain snorted, satisfied with his counter-attack. But his victory was short-lived; several other figures wearing identical blindfolds jumped toward him, ready to strike.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing footsteps thundered from the stairs. Carol appeared, leaping toward the blindfolded attackers. She drew her wand and invoked her Vergus spell, morphing it into a dark, violet scythe. She gripped the weapon tightly and swung it in a swift arc, inflicting deep wounds. Blood sprayed across the hall as the blindfolded men fell to the ground.
"Heh, I suppose your 'conversation' upstairs is over," Arvain stated casually as Carol landed in front of him.
Carol responded with a snort of annoyance. "Seems like you owe me a second time, you damn playful blonde guy."
Just then, the first blindfolded figure, having survived Arvain’s light blast, lunged at Carol. He lifted his sword above his head and brought it down with a heavy swing. Carol shifted her scythe back into her signature violet sword, turning her body to intercept the strike.
(Hmm. This guy’s Ender... why does the flow feel so different?) Carol thought as their blades clashed.
(I think he’s being controlled by something, Carol,) Irene replied within her mind.
Following Irene's lead, Carol glanced at the figure’s neck. There, she saw a dark, magical collar gripped tightly against his skin.
(Is that... an artifact..?) Carol thought, her eyes widening in shock.
(I believe so. It seems it can't be removed with brute force or even magic,) Irene stated. (Carol... I know it hurts, but...)
(Yeah. If I want to free his soul from this control... death is the only gift I can give him now,) Carol responded, her grip tightening on her hilt as frustration and pity lingered in her heart.
With a powerful shove, Carol pushed the blindfolded figure back, breaking the clash. She swiftly charged forward, her blade cutting through the air in a single, clean slash. Blood splattered, tainting her white clothes and staining her cheek.
"May you rest in peace. Whoever you were," Carol said, her expression flat and hollow as the figure went limp.