Zane was successfully inside the Glory Order Church.
The place worshipped the First Flame—the Sun—yet it was engulfed in darkness.
Zane couldn't see anything.
No one raised any noise or complaint about the darkness, which made Zane believe it wasn't anything new. They were familiar with it.
He smelled wood and floral scents of the rich and also the familiar stench of gutter.
But what he smelled most was the intent.
It was still there.
Zane looked around but it was no use.
The darkness did its work. Eyes were useless.
It should be dark for them too.
Zane might be right, but he couldn't be sure. What if the threat could see even in darkness? Then whatever Zane does would be meaningless.
But in his naive hope, he tried something.
He bent his knees, covered his head with both his hands. He curled up in his spot.
He would give a hard time to the one targeting him. If they can't see in the darkness, that is.
And if the threat could see, then Zane would feel the intent coming closer anyway.
And if all hell broke loose, then his merged skill would come into play, making his body move on its own.
So all Zane did was wait.
However, since he was in the church.
Things would surely happen.
And they did.
STEP!
STEP!
Footsteps echoed around the church.
Zane judged by the sound that someone was walking on a wooden platform.
And after reaching their desired spot, they stopped.
A throat clearing sound came and after that, a voice:
"My fellow true believers of the Omniscient First Flame," boomed the voice. "I welcome you to its heartily embrace with warmth."
No one made a noise.
Hell, no one said anything even around darkness.
Does this happen daily? Three times a day?
It was Zane's first visit in the church so he didn't know all the details. But if no one was protesting about darkness, even the wealthy who had the right to, then it meant it was normal like he suspected.
So Zane waited like everyone else and the voice carried on.
"This darkness around you. What is it?"
…Darkness? What else?
"If you think it's darkness, if you think it's mere darkness, then you are naive and ignorant of the world, my lovely believers."
The voice paused and then raised its pitch.
"This is not darkness. Not at all. This is much worse."
Zane waited and the voice revealed:
"This is the Rifts."
Zane frowned.
He had heard about rifts.
The golden slab had descended from there and before the rifts could close, some more things came from there.
Zane didn't know what they were, as he had only heard some rumors and stories. He saw nothing from his eyes and he wasn't one to believe the words of others just because they said so.
But he did know that there were Riftguards, the ones who protect everyone from those things that came from the rifts. They were an elite force. The most favored by the Slab. They consisted of the highest level of Halocrats and some lesser ones.
Zane didn't know their correct term but it was one of the reasons why the gutterborns should be grateful for the Halocrats and obey them, because they "protect" worthless scums like them.
Also, Zane was willing to bet anything that this darkness was not at all Rifts. Either the voice was lying or it was a figure of speech.
"I won't take a second guess to say that you don't like darkness. No one does. Darkness is unpredictable, foreign, and most of all, evil."
I am afraid I can't relate. It's the only thing I know.
Zane wasn't afraid of the darkness, his unease was the intent, the threat.
He was still curled up and the voice came from his back, he was facing where he believed the door was. He would make a run as soon as prayer was over.
"Since it is evil," the voice carried on. "It shall be eradicated. It shall be domesticated."
The voice went silent for a while and then, it picked up.
"Therefore, the only being capable enough of overcoming these rifts, only being that tames these rifts shall emerge now. Every head must bow, every hand should rise, every voice should chant…"
The sound of fingers snapping echoed and the next second…
"All hail the First Flame!"
SHRILL!
The walls rumbled as the ceiling moved and through that, came the stinging light of the sun.
It fell on every inch of the church and Zane finally saw everything around him.
He finally saw the Church.
He stayed curled up, his head was already bowed, his hands were already raised as obeying the voice seemed the right thing to do and when he looked around in that position, everyone else was the same. Even the Wardens or guards, as Zane called them.
The only problem…
Zane was bowing towards the door.
Opposite of what everyone else was doing.
They faced the altar and he faced the exit.
And the worst fear Zane had, it manifested.
He stuck out like a sore thumb. Like a withered, still tree in a flowing river.
Zane felt eyes on his back, his hairs stood up.
He had to correct himself.
He slowly moved his knees to his right, rotating like rusty equipment, his head hung low.
But before he could become like others…
"Stay right there."
The same voice rang.
Zane froze on his spot, unlike his raging heart.
STEP!
Footsteps echoed on the wooden floor and Zane gulped.
The voice was coming towards him.
Zane kept his head low and in no time, he saw a pair of feet, clad in red episcopal sandals that matched with the stockings, in front of him.
It's the Priest. What a first day I am having.
Zane held his breath. No one messes with Priests. That was public knowledge.
And more than that, no one should ever lie to them.
"Child," The Priest spoke. "Look at me."
Zane wasted no time. He raised his head.
"You bowed your head opposite from the First Flame. Do you not believe in it?"
Zane swallowed.
The black eyes of the Priest were filled with warmth and Zane's lips shivered.
His brain gave up coming up with any lies, and blurted out the truth.
"Yes. I don't belie—"
[ Mandatory Quest Generated! ]
[ Quest: Lie To The Priest! ]
[ Penalty: Stripped Of Power! ]
[ Reward: Synchronization +0.5 ]
[ Host's Permission Not Required! ]
[ Quest Accepted! ]