Maurice’s face paled, the blood draining from his features. As a prospector, a man driven by the hunt for gold and profit, he realized with a jolt of horror that he had spent over two years lingering in this destitute little village. He had spent that time willingly hauling supplies to a convent that even the locals shunned like the plague.

This wasn’t just odd for a greedy treasure hunter; it wasn’t something any sane settler would ever do.

As the realization hit him, his skin turned a ghostly white. He looked at the golden-haired girl smiling before him and felt a sudden, overwhelming wave of divinity radiating from her.

Frantically, he flattened his right hand, pressing his fingers together.

He touched his forehead, his chest, and his left and right shoulders with his middle finger, performing the sign of the cross with a precision he had never managed before. "Lord, have mercy! Amen..."

Maurice fell into prayer, and Father Burke and Sister Irene followed suit. No believer could remain indifferent to the descent of such a miracle.

The piety and fervor on Burke and Irene’s faces were so thick they were almost tangible.

They were utterly convinced that they were now undergoing a trial under the very gaze of the Lord—a trial of the highest and most noble calling.

Once the trio had managed to compose themselves, Maurice immediately offered to take them to the convent free of charge.

He was no longer afraid. Even if he hadn’t been a devout man before, he was a true believer now. If Seia hadn’t declined his offer to let them stay the night together, he would have even volunteered to join the investigation.

The four of them set off in Maurice’s freight wagon, heading toward the distant Holy Mountain. As the carriage pulled into a road flanked by dense, suffocating woods, it lurched to a stop. Maurice hopped down from the driver’s seat and called out, "We have to get out here."

"Now?"

Irene looked around anxiously, but the convent was nowhere to be seen.

"The horse stops every time we get near this spot. Doesn’t matter how much I use the whip," Maurice explained, tethering the animal to a large tree nearby. "I never understood why this kept happening, but now it’s obvious."

"It’s afraid," Father Burke noted with a knowing nod.

"Don’t worry, it’s only about a ten-minute walk to the convent from here," Maurice said with a reassuring smile.

The titmouse hidden in Seia’s hair couldn’t help but peek its head out. It began circling above her, chirping and twittering incessantly, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Is it trying to warn us about something?" Irene asked.

Seia reached up a hand, and the bird finally quieted down, settling onto her finger.

"It’s scared, too," Seia explained softly. She pulled a few sunflower seeds from her pocket and held them out to the bird. "If you’re afraid, just stay here. I’ll come back for you later."

Seeing the food, the bird’s panic subsided significantly.

It began picking up the seeds one by one, then gave two sharp chirps toward Seia.

Seia understood perfectly. It was telling her it wanted to protect her.

She found it a bit amusing; this little bird really saw her as its own personal perch—or perhaps it saw itself as her bodyguard.

However, its brave words made Seia grow even fonder of the creature. After a brief thought, a cluster of golden light—invisible to the others—gathered at her fingertips and surged into the bird’s tiny body.

Once the process was finished, Seia couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder.

The power of ’I think, therefore it is’ really is something else, she thought. To be able to grant an animal sapience and strengthen its constitution just like that.

Then again, she wasn’t entirely sure. Her "Original Self" had said she was Gabriel in this world. Perhaps this ability was more of a divine prerogative granted by God?

She brushed the thought aside after a moment.

It didn’t really matter either way. All she needed to know was that the power worked.

The titmouse, now gifted with higher intelligence and sentience, blinked its eyes with a very human-like confusion. Though its brain was still only the size of a walnut, it now possessed the reasoning and memory of a human.

It took a moment for the bird to adjust to its suddenly sharp mind.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s head out," Seia said, offering an apologetic look to the others.

"Not at all. The carriage ride was quite rough; we needed a moment to catch our breath anyway," Father Burke replied graciously, steering the conversation forward.

After trekking through the dense forest, the group emerged into a vast, open meadow. Sitting right in the center was the massive, ancient convent. It was scarred with holes and craters—grim relics of the war.

The grounds surrounding the building were overgrown with waist-high weeds, and the field was littered with crosses of all shapes and sizes, thrust into the earth.

"According to the villagers, these crosses were put here to keep the evil spirits from escaping the convent," Maurice explained. As the only one who had dealt with the place before, he took on the role of a guide, despite his own limited knowledge.

Father Burke stared at the structure. The crumbling walls and the moss creeping halfway up the stone didn’t evoke feelings of holiness or solemnity. Instead, the place felt oppressive and sinister. Just looking at it made one’s heart feel heavy.

"This is the Cârța Monastery...?" Irene whispered, unable to believe her eyes.

She had lived in the Vatican, where the buildings were always pristine, white, and vibrant—places where a sense of the divine hit you the moment you looked at them.

But this place... it was like this...

Seia could feel it clearly. A foul, evil aura had almost entirely filled the convent. Beyond the perimeter of crosses, the very grass surrounding the building was choked by a dark energy.

Maurice had found the sister’s body at the main entrance. Fearing that it would rot or be scavenged by wild animals, he had moved her to the convent’s ice cellar for preservation.

He was quite familiar with the cellar; usually, when he delivered supplies, he would drop them there and leave immediately.

But just as the group decided to head toward the cellar, Seia politely declined to follow. "The two of you should proceed with the next steps. I will provide assistance when the time is right."

Her words caused Father Burke and Irene to exchange a look.

"I understand," Burke nodded. His expression grew more solemn, knowing that the trial had officially begun.

Watching Maurice lead the other two around the corner until they vanished from sight, Seia finally turned her gaze toward the main entrance.

Because of the sister’s suicide, a pool of blood stained the steps. Even though several days had passed, the blood showed no sign of drying or clotting.

Not wanting to interfere with the priest and the sister’s trial, Seia ignored the blood and pushed the doors open.

Inside was a hall dimly lit by flickering candles. In the distance, a stone seat stood with its back to the entrance. When Seia walked around to the front of it, she saw a nun sitting there. She wore a veil and sat perfectly upright, though her posture was unnervingly stiff.

"Who are you? What brings you here?"

--+--

T/N: I have a Patreon!

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[email protected]/AspenTL

If you guys wanna check it out.