That night, inside the Axios village church, the air was colder than the winter night outside. Candlelight flickered, illuminating two figures standing before the altar.
One was Priest Lycomedes, thin and tall, his face radiating a false sanctity. The other was Overseer Hector, the representative of the lord's power, his large frame now appearing servile.
"Are you certain, Father?" Hector broke the silence, his voice unable to hide its anxiety. "It has been nearly a century. If we are wrong this time, the Goddess's wrath...".
Lycomedes smiled faintly, a smile devoid of warmth. He touched the silver holy symbol on his neck—a peacock with its tail feathers spread wide, the symbol of the Goddess Hera.
"I am certain, Hector," he said calmly. "When I visited that family, when I stood before the little girl, Lyra... the Goddess's symbol on my chest grew warm. A very faint warmth, but unmistakable. It has found a new vessel. The one with the 'Crack of Fate.'".
He looked into Hector's eyes, explaining the principle. "The goddess on high bestowed this symbol upon me. Outwardly, it represents nobility. But in truth, it is enchanted with an ancient magic, incredibly sensitive to the 'leakage' of a soul. A normal soul is a closed circuit. But a soul with a Crack is like a cracked vessel, constantly emitting an invisible energy. This symbol senses that anomaly and warms up. The girl Aella, all those years ago, made it vibrate slightly. But this child, Lyra... when I drew near, it almost wanted to 'sing.'".
"So... the 'Crack of Fate' truly exists?" Hector whispered, his eyes a mixture of desire and fear.
"It not only exists," Lycomedes replied, his voice like a sermon in the dark, "it is a remnant, a scar from the greatest of wars. When the primordial gods were overthrown, the order of the universe was torn, and so were souls. Although most mortal souls have healed themselves, in a few bloodlines, especially those living near places where the Aether is still thick like that Labyrinthos Forest, the crack remains. It is a flaw of destiny.".
"A curse," Hector murmured.
"Yes, a curse," Lycomedes nodded. "It causes the owner's soul to constantly 'leak' life force, which is why they often die young. It also makes their emotions intense and unpredictable. But for us, Hector, their curse is our blessing.".
Lycomedes paused, a satisfied smile on his lips.
"We cannot absorb the primordial breath of heaven and earth ourselves, Hector. That energy is too wild and chaotic for the order the gods have established. But those with a Crack can, even if unconsciously. Their leaking souls are living 'crucibles,' a bridge to the other world.".
"The sacrificial rite is not about killing," he lowered his voice, "it is about 'harvesting.' We will use that child's soul, along with the fear of the entire village and the pain of her family as catalysts. Over the course of a year, we will drain all of her life force to refine it into a single, pure drop of 'Essence of Immortality.'".
"A perfect offering to the Goddess Hera," Hector added, his eyes glowing. "In return, the Lord will gain more years of life, and we will gain more power.".
Perhaps, aside from offering the "Essence of Immortality" to Goddess Hera, Lycomedes was permitted to keep a minuscule portion for himself. The old man didn't just serve the divine; he was using the faith of others to extend his own decaying life. This turned his "piety" into an act of supreme greed and selfishness, making his actions all the more abominable.
"Precisely," Lycomedes confirmed. "But this time, there are a few obstacles.".
"You mean her family?".
"Indeed. The father, Orpheus; the pain of losing his first child did not break him. The mother, Theona; her love is an unpredictable thing. And especially the older brother, Lycaon." Lycomedes frowned. "The problem isn't just eliminating them. The problem is the boy. I have a feeling he has a Crack as well. You don't understand, Hector. Not all Cracks are the same.".
He paused, his eyes turning sharp as ice.
"A Crack in a female, we call it an Emissive Crack. Its nature is passive, directed outward. It is like a spring, naturally 'leaking' life force into the surrounding environment. This turns them into 'vessels,' the most perfect 'crucibles' for us to exploit.".
"Conversely," he sneered, "a Crack in a male is an Absorptive Crack. It is not a spring, but an abyss, madly sucking in power for itself. They are the seeds of rebellion. They are not just useless; they are a menace. The secret histories of the Church have recorded several cases of such individuals causing terrible disasters. We cannot repeat that mistake. We cannot simply take the sister and leave a wolf cub waiting for revenge. It's too risky.".
Hector understood. "So you mean...".
"The whole family," Lycomedes said, his voice cold as ice. "We must create a pretext, an undeniable sin to justify purging them all. Turn them into heretics in the eyes of the villagers. Then, our actions will not be an assassination, but an act of divine justice. The villagers will become our executioners.".
He outlined the plan. They would use Kretos to sow suspicion. They would create a small incident to provoke Lycaon, using his love for his family to turn him into a savage beast in everyone's eyes.
"Let him resist," Lycomedes concluded. "A teenager's anger is so predictable. The more he tries to protect his family, the closer he pushes them to the pyre. We need do nothing but stand back and wait.".
Hector nodded, his initial fear completely gone, replaced by admiration for the cruel plot. "Your wisdom is great, Father.".
Lycomedes just gave a slight nod. He looked up at the statue of the Goddess Hera on the altar, a satisfied and saintly smile on his lips.
"Everything," he said, "is for the glory of the Goddess.".