After the Priestess walked away, Maria stood still for a very long time. Then, she half-turned and glanced at the repentant believers in the solemn ambience.

  It's always like this…. She shook her head with a frown. She left the nave and familiarly moved around the inner passages of the church, eventually stopping before a door.

  She knocked on the wooden surface.

  “You may step in,” a gentle voice came from inside.

  Maria hesitated for a moment. She took a deep breath, before finally nudging the door and walking in.

  “Father,” Unlike how she felt, Maria still bowed respectfully towards the man seated behind a table littered with various ancient-looking books and scrolls.

  The man raised his gaze from a parchment in his hands. A soft smile graced his lips.

  The man's smile was nothing short of angelic. He had soft blue eyes that resembled a still lake; a face that seemed to radiate the grace of the heavens, and dark golden hair that went slightly below his neck.

  The Archbishop of the Church of Origin; The Reverend Father, Ramses Raul.

  Being in the presence of such a being evoked a strange sense of submission within the otherwise stubborn Maria. It wasn't an emotion born of fear, but rather an unyielding throb of reverence that made her want to prostrate and kiss his feet.

  “Maria, hast thou been well of late?” The man's voice was as gentle as his endearing face.

  Maria was stunned for a moment, before quickly responding in a stammer, “Y-yes. I thank thee, father.”

  “Haha, there is no need to be so tightly wound. I am well aware thou findest little joy in sitting through these lessons.”

  The Archbishop, Ramses, tapped the edge of the table and gestured for her to take a seat. After Maria settled, he exhaled and asked in a very calm manner, “Dost thou recall the first verse in the Book of Testament?”

  Maria nodded heavily.

  “Speak it.” Father Ramses urged.

  Maria took a deep breath, her demeanor turning extremely pious. She parted her lips and recited in a trance-like manner, “In the beginning, the realm was void and without form; and darkness hath lurked upon the face of the chasm. Naught was the canvas for What, and lo, manifest the Mother who breathed life into All.”

  “Delightful,” Archbishop Ramses wore a pleased smile. “Indeed, Maria. Thou art correct.”

  As Maria exhaled and shifted in her chair, the man spoke once more, “Yet of late, a certain thought hath lingered upon my mind.”

  There was a brief pause.

  “How cometh it that the Mother alone is set upon a loftier pedestal than the other Divine? I ponder still— what doth ‘Naught’ mean in that first verse?”

  A subtle frown appeared on Maria's face. She couldn't follow the Archbishop’s thoughts, but she still listened attentively.

  “The Mother is the Maker. She is Life, She is Realm. She is Everlasting. But what then of Lord Anukkah?”

  Lord Anukkah, also known as Void of the Endless, was the Deified embodiment of ‘End’. He was Oblivion, the stillness of the dark. He was Origin.

  Maria's brain suddenly clicked. She muttered with a mix of realization, puzzlement and apprehension, “Naught was the canvas for What…”

  “Doth thou mean, Lord Anukkah existed before the Mother?”

  “I know not for certain. Mayhap they were one— naught and aught. Hah, forgive my rambles. Let us proceed.”

  …

  After sitting through the rather lengthy lesson, Maria headed to the triforium. Hidden behind stone columns, she watched the proceedings in the nave with a detached look. The Reverend’s words lingered in her mind, and she couldn't help but think about how much she didn't know.

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  About how much the world didn't know.

  It was recorded in the Book of Testament that the Deities once lived amongst men. They dined together, seemingly indistinguishable from one another. So what had happened? Why had the Deities returned to their divine realm?

  Why was it that people still strongly believed in their existence, even when not a single one had appeared for tens of thousands of years?

  Perhaps a Deity's descent was asking for too much, but they didn't respond to prayers either. The only remnant trace of Deities in the world was Essence. After all, Essence was a result of a Deity's presence. So, if people continued to be born with an affinity for magic, it would imply that they still existed— far away, far beyond where man could reach.

  But was that the truth?

  That was what plagued Maria. She failed to understand how people could revel in blind faith. How could they believe in something that could've been made up a long time ago? Written and passed down for generations?

  What if Essence was a result of something else?

  She felt that the world had gone mad.

  Maria clicked her tongue and rubbed her suddenly throbbing forehead. Usually, she refrained from thinking about such things—not out of respect for the church, or fear of being blasphemous towards the gods—but simply because it gave her a headache.

  She knew very little. Perhaps only after seeing the entire world and learning all its secrets would she be able to understand the origin of it all.

  And that was a strong desire of hers.

  At that moment, a mellow voice sounded next to her.

  “What are you thinking about so intently?”

  Maria tensed and quickly turned her head. She visibly relaxed when she saw who it was.

  “Seline, it's you…”

  The other person, a lady who looked to be slightly older than Maria herself, smiled and leaned against a column.

  “When I heard you were in the cathedral, I had to rush over. It's been quite a while, huh… how's life with Old Jeroma treating you?”

  Maria's face sank for a moment.

  “That old woman seems intent on ending my life, I tell you.”

  Seline looked at her. This calm lady was also one of the girls that had been brought into the church a long time ago. However, unlike Maria, she remained here, helping with various affairs.

  She said with a teasing smile, “Frankly, I was of the belief that you'd have run from it all by now. Why haven't you?”

  Maria spared Seline a glance, then she chuckled.

  “Why haven't I? I guess you could say I don't know where to go…”

  Seline was quite surprised. “For someone as fierce and defiant, that's definitely an odd reason.”

  They both laughed. Then, Maria exhaled and solemnly shook her head. She said, “I've been here for too long. As much as I hate the church, it's still my home. Drats! It's such a conflicting feeling… my heart really can't handle it anymore. I feel like I'd break if I leave this place, and yet, the longer I stay here, the more I want to cry.”

  “You're scared.” Seline’s voice was clear as day.

  Maria turned her head slightly. The two stared at each other for a moment, then the Druid chuckled softly.

  “You're right, I am. I am scared of facing the world I want so much to unravel.”

  She looked at her friend once more. “Seline, tell me what to do.”

  Seline moved away from the column and stood before Maria. She was a tall figure, so poor Maria had to crane her neck. Seline smiled softly and pulled her into a tight embrace.

  Then, she whispered in the Druid's ear, “We both know that you have already decided. I can see that spark in your eyes. Heh, although, I should say, when you're out there, do refrain from causing trouble. Father won't be there to bail you.”

  “Haha, very funny.” Maria broke the hug and rolled her eyes. Then, she smiled and said, “I'm going to miss you. Why don't you come with me?”

  Seline frowned and responded with a laugh, “What do you mean? I like this place! Now, get going before I call Priestess Hannah!”

  Maria's smile widened and she bade farewell to her friend. Then, she hurried along the triforium, trying to avoid the gaze of the Priestess below. Her stride quickly turned into a run, and tears fell down her face— yet, she smiled brilliantly.

  She was about to leave it all behind— the church, Old Jeroma, Father Ramses.

  What did the world have in store for her? That, she would find out soon enough.

  …

  Esau and Heather stepped into a guarded chamber somewhere beneath the castlegrounds, while Tilly waited behind. Here, the rocky walls here were wet and stained with slime, which glowed a faint blue light.

  Esau took careful steps along the slippery floor. Although, even if he fell and managed to injure himself, it wouldn't matter since he was here to meet the Healers.

  The boy and lady arrived at the edge of a pond. The surface of the pond was covered in a strange mist, and the silhouette of certain figures were fairly visible beneath.

  The pond glowed with the same blue light on the walls.

  After a few seconds, the figures beneath the pond swam to the surface. Three heads poked out from the water, sending a ripple that dispersed the mist to a degree.

  These heads looked feminine, and bewitchingly beautiful. They had gills on their cheeks, however, and when they spoke, sharp rows of teeth became visible. They looked quite terrifying, but at the same time, utterly captivating.

  The Healers were, in fact, Mermaids.

  Usually, Mermaids were only found in the depths of the Moon sea, which ran along the edges of the Northern Continent. These creatures weren't particularly hostile, but were quite territorial and shy. As such, they were rarely seen— preferring to stick to their dwelling in the deep. Encountering one could be regarded as a spectacular occurrence.

  However, after King Angelos led the battle against the Demons and triumphed, one of the many gifts he received were Mermaids, who were known to possess spectacular healing powers. Then, it became tradition for the Human royal family to own Mermaids.

  Even now, a thousand years later, the Goldhearts still enjoyed that benefit.

  “Your highness, Lady Heather.” All three spoke at the same time, their unified voices echoing throughout the underground pond.

  Esau stared at the captivating creatures in a daze. Heather glanced at him, suppressed a chuckle, then said, “He needs cleansing. Body and mind.”

  “Might I ask what happened to him?” One of them asked.

  “A nightmare.” Heather glanced at Esau again. “A very terrible one.”

  The mermaids nodded simultaneously, then gently swam backwards, gesturing for the boy to step into the pond.

  Esau had been here before, and so he was familiar with the process. He quietly took off his clothes, shivered a little due to the cold, then stepped into the misty pond.

  As his body sank, he once again felt the blissful sensation of swimming through cloud-like water. The water gently ate at his body, and he felt multiple palms press against his skin. Just as that happened, the dark fog obscuring Esau’s memories shook violently.

  Heather watched with a frown as the pond grew brighter and brighter.

  It's even more serious than I imagined…

  Inside the water, the Mermaids looked at each other. They poured more Essence into their touch and tugged at Esau’s mental wounds. However, no matter how much they healed him, the dark fog stubbornly held.

  It was a puzzling moment for them.

  What could've damaged the young prince so bad that the combined powers of three ancient Mermaids proved useless?

  That wasn't all.

  As they tried desperately to heal the boy, they noticed something else. At that moment, the pond had begun to boil. The water bubbled and popped, spilling over the edge.

  Heather warily took a step back. For what reason, she didn't know. After all, she was one of the strongest beings in existence. If something was wrong, she was definitely the only one who could handle it.

  She frowned and carefully dipped her hand into a dark-red gap that had appeared at some point in time.

  However, the abnormality soon died down.

  The pond stopped boiling, and the mist once again permeated the surface. About a few heartbeats later, three heads broke the surface of the water. The mermaids looked awfully drained, and their usual luster had dimmed.

  “What happened?” Heather demanded, holding the hilt of her sword tighter.

  The three hesitated for a moment, until one eventually said, “T-there’s something terribly wrong with the Prince.”

  Heather's frown deepened.

  “H-his Essence Pool is damaged.”