[Temple of the Holy Light – Inner Sanctum | Midnight]
The temple air was thick with incense and arrogance.
The sacred inner sanctum glowed with unnatural golden light—etched in gold, draped in velvet, drowning in centuries of piety and power. The scent of sandalwood curled through the air like a lie.
But even the holy candles seemed to flicker nervously.
And at the center of it all, robed in layers of ceremonial white and gold, stood High Priest Caldric, fury twisting every line of his aged face.
He raised his hand—SLAP!
The sharp crack of flesh-on-flesh echoed through the hallowed hall. A junior priest staggered back, lip bleeding, eyes wide in terror.
"USELESS," Caldric spat, his voice a venom-laced thunderclap. "You had ONE task—ONE! Bring me the child! That blessed child, born under the crescent comet, born under prophecy! And you—you—come back empty-handed?!"
