Two days after the sky turned blood-red at dawn, it was a late afternoon.
The mining area of Puread, where workers usually roamed, was uncharacteristically empty of miners that day.
In their place, geologists, knights, and wizards walked the land. They all wore serious expressions.
Indeed, after the strange event, the earthquakes that shook the ground and the disappearance of the miners from the mines had made that early morning a truly remarkable series of events.
They, too, knew the reason behind it all.
The saint of the Holy Spirit Church had come to investigate the heathens, and in the process, they had caused trouble by hunting both the heathens and the missing miners.
The reason these people had come here was none other than to investigate the traces left by that day’s events.
A trembling voice echoed in the space.
“What in the world…”
The wizard’s eyes were filled with astonishment.
The knights couldn’t even breathe properly, lowering their gazes.
It was a sight so unbelievable, even with their own eyes.
After all,
“…Can this truly be the devastation caused by an individual?”
An enormous crater now filled the once open space.
It was as if a meteor had fallen, the overwhelming mark it left evoking a sense of awe.
The geologist spoke.
“The ground has collapsed, blocking the path to the mines. If the workers are to resume their work, they’ll have to…”
“Be extra careful about safety for the time being.”
The knight’s reply was reluctant.
His gaze was once again drawn to the crater.
‘The saint, huh…’
Could anyone who caused such devastation truly be called human?
They knew what the Holy Spirit Church was.
A transnational guardian institution existing for the order of the world.
An assembly with supreme legislative power, wielding extrajudicial authority.
The premise of their existence was that they acted on behalf of the will of the divine.
But, the knight thought to himself, unconsciously.
‘A storm is coming.’
He understood the logic of power.
A reasonable amount of intimidation would evoke obedience, but excessive pressure would turn into fear. And humans, in the face of fear, were inherently cowardly and weak.
The signs of this had already begun to show.
The commoners who had witnessed the blood-red sky with their own eyes were feeling uneasy.
Some trembled, saying that divine wrath would fall, while others wailed, claiming that the gods had abandoned them.
Although the official statement from the Church had been issued, and the testimonies of the missing people had been added, the atmosphere calmed for the moment… but who knows…
The knight’s lips quivered.
He finally shut them tight.
With a troubled expression, the knight turned his head.
“…We must retreat.”
May this immense power not become fear.
All the knight could do was offer a brief prayer to the god who had created their land.
The result of the investigation was clear: The heathens were annihilated, and while there were merits in the rescue of the missing people, the display of divine power had created an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Verdict: One week of suspension for Bersia.
This was the punishment handed down by the cardinals, scholars, and the current leader of the Church, the pope, at a conference attended by intellectuals and clergy alike.
It had caused significant issues both inside and outside the Church.
Above all, the meaning of the blood-red sky was something extraordinary within the Church.
Divine retribution.
The blood-red sky was the phenomenon that occurred when the gods revealed their anger on this land.
Considering the immense impact divine retribution had throughout the continent’s history, this was definitely not something that could be overlooked.
Externally, there had been loud demands for an explanation from the Church.
At the moment, they were covering it up by claiming that the gods were angry due to the appearance of heathens, but if another such event happened, it might be harder to explain next time.
Why not?
If divine retribution were handed down twice for the same reason, it would mean that the gods were not satisfied with the Church’s achievements.
This could endanger the Church’s position.
In such a turbulent political climate, Rubena sighed.
“OO…!”
Rubena tugged at her hair in frustration.
Saturn, who was about to say, “That’s how you lose all your hair, just like me,” held back.
He understood better than anyone how frustrated she must be.
The fact that Bersia’s punishment ended with a suspension was entirely due to Rubena’s influence.
She had “explained” the blood-red sky as the will of the gods, reacting to Bersia’s desire to invoke divine power.
In the end, the suspension was a message, suggesting that Bersia should focus on spiritual cultivation as someone who enjoyed the god’s favor.
The truth about Bersia being the one who triggered the divine retribution was a secret known only to Rubena, Saturn, and a few other saints.
This advice had come from the eldest saintess, Halia.
- Hide it. Saying that the gods responded to Bersia’s anger and that she wielded divine power of her own accord gives off different nuances. That child’s very existence could cause confusion within the Church. This is something only we need to know for now.
Judith Harroway, a quirky figure who preferred to keep interesting topics to herself, agreed to this advice.
Rubena, however, was more troubled than anyone else.
It wasn’t because of what had been said, but because Bersia seemed so fragile.
In her current physical and mental state, Rubena feared Bersia might repeat the same destructive actions.
Why was she so troubled?
Normally, Rubena would have been the first to expose everything and have Bersia cast out, but now she couldn’t bring herself to do that.
- You can do it.
The sinister smile Bersia had given her once seemed to weigh heavily on her conscience now.
That was why Rubena was heading toward her quarters.
It had been five days since the suspension.
Once again, Rubena stood outside Bersia’s bedroom with a tense expression, knocking on the door before opening it.
She knew there would be no response.
“…Hey, are you there?”
Narrowing her eyes, she poked her head inside.
At that moment, Rubena had to fight back a sigh.
“……”
The coldness was overwhelming.
The room was supposed to be warm, but it felt cold because of Bersia’s aura.
On the bed, Usher lay still, as if dead.
Beside him, Bersia sat in a chair, looking like a lifeless doll.
Bersia was in a pitiable state.
She was wasted away to a degree Rubena had never imagined.
Even when Rubena made noise or called out to her, she didn’t respond.
She merely stared blankly at Usher with vacant eyes.
She hadn’t eaten in a week.
Rubena had heard she wouldn’t eat anything, even though she could have been severely dehydrated or malnourished by now.
The sight made Rubena angry.
Hadn’t she rushed to help someone else, only to be on the verge of dying herself?
Her teeth clenched, and just as she was about to yell, a hand landed on her shoulder.
Saturn shook his head, stopping her.
Rubena’s strength drained away as she turned around with a defeated sigh.
Saturn asked gently.
“Are you really that worried…?”
“No, I’m not!!!”
She shouted and stomped her feet, but her anger was hollow.
Saturn felt helpless.
Bersia suddenly became lost in thought.
When had she stopped perceiving the flow of time?
She couldn’t remember.
In fact, she couldn’t even tell if she was awake or asleep.
At some point, her thoughts had begun to break off, and her mind had become clouded, leaving her feeling numb. The things happening around her no longer felt real.
It would have been fine if she could just fall asleep, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
The thought of Usher’s heart stopping while she slept terrified her.
The vague sense of unease that she might have missed the moment to say goodbye consumed her completely.
It had already been over a week, yet Usher remained unconscious.
It’s just a coma. Leave him be, and he’ll wake up.
Judith Harroway had said so, but didn’t it seem strange?
Her body had been declared fully recovered, and her nutritional state was being carefully managed, so why hadn’t her mind returned to her even after more than a week?
Was it possible that her soul had left her body?
Such thoughts made her wish she could just die.
But she couldn’t act on that thought, because she feared something would happen to Usher in the meantime.
Moreover, she already knew that even if she attempted suicide, she wouldn’t die.
For nearly a week now, Bersia had discovered a new possibility within herself.
She found that, despite not eating or drinking and remaining in the same position for a week, she didn’t collapse.
She hadn’t died from exhaustion or other symptoms.
The power that lingered within her body kept her alive somehow, and this was the result.
Once again, she realized that her life was one where even death was beyond her control.
Another day passed like this.
As nightfall approached, Bersia felt a chill run through her.
It was unbearably cold, and painful.
It wasn’t due to the actual temperature, but because of her own condition.
The shadows of the night stretched across Usher’s face.
His skin, bathed in moonlight, was as pale as that of a corpse.
At moments like this, Bersia, as she had done in previous nights, would rise from the chair, climb onto the bed, and burrow herself into his arms.
Pressing her ear to his chest, she confirmed the rhythmic thump of his heartbeat.
She let out a breath.
She gripped Usher’s collar tightly.
Her lips moved, but from her dry mouth, only the sound of metal scraping could be heard, a faint hiss.
“Wake up.”
Please.
If only he would wake up again, she would grant him anything he wanted.
She wouldn’t make crude jokes, and she would even do the saintly things she had always refused to do.
She thought this as her mind wandered.
But then, a sharp shift occurred in her thoughts.
Bersia rejected the thought that had just formed.
“…No.”
That wasn’t right.
It was because of that action that Usher had ended up like this.
So what should she do?
What must she do to ensure it never happens again?
What could she possibly do?
The shadow that stretched across her mind began to gnaw at her thoughts.
Thump. Thump.
When she fixated on the sound of his heartbeat, an overwhelming sense of frustration surged within her.
This frustration soon turned into resentment.
“Why did I even get involved?”
She could have just stayed away from danger.
If she had just stayed hidden away in this flower garden, everything would have been fine.
Look at her now. She couldn’t even overcome the things she could have easily crushed with a glance, and here she was, crumbling. How ridiculous.
It was proven in the end.
Despite her arrogance, she was just a small and fragile being who didn’t know how to use her skills.
At some point, as her thoughts continued to spiral, Bersia looked up.
Through the tangled mess of her hair, Usher’s vacant eyes seemed to pierce her.
Her heart began to beat irregularly.
The shadows under her eyes deepened.
She feared tomorrow.
Looking at him lying there like this, she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“If only…”
What if her body could change again?
If she were to be trapped in that frail form once more, unconscious as she was now.
Would the flower garden become a cage, binding him to her?
If that happened, would he always stay by her side, looking as beautiful as ever?
After these strange thoughts, her head throbbed again.
Bersia buried her face in Usher’s chest.
Her still, bloodshot eyes remained wide open.
“Ah.”
Her head hurt.
She could barely breathe.
Her throat was dry.
She wanted to hear Usher’s voice.