The streets of the last city, Reztint, was Shin's least favorite place to be. It was a constant reminder of the state humanity was in. The homeless littered the roads along with waste and grime. Banners and signs were plastered across walls and shops, making it difficult to see. The dense crowd on each street made it nearly impossible to think about anything except where your next step would be.
Buildings short and tall that ranged from restaurants to drug dispensaries could be found along the roads. On-ground transportation vehicles had been completely removed to make space while the light hum of cars and bikes could be heard whistling above.
Shin grabbed his sister's arm tightly.
"Make sure you hold onto me tightly, I don't want us getting separated in this enormous crowd."
"I can barely hear you!" Kuruna yelled as she clashed with multiple other pedestrians.
"I said, hold onto me tightly!" Shin yelled back. "You're lucky the church is so close to home or else I would never let you go outside into this mess!" The church was only a short 10-minute walk from their home but the overpopulated crowds made it hard to travel fluently.
Several minutes passed of the two weaving though the crowd before both found themselves in front of a large white building with a golden harp at the top. Six stained glass windows set together in the shape of an arrow were displayed in the front of the building, each with a different symbol embedded into it.
Panting from exhaustion, Shin let out a relieved grin as they approached the building.
"Holy sh*t I never want to make that trip again," Shin half-complained as he recalled the suffocating crowd pushing him at every turn.
"Jeez Shin stop being such a baby. Your awesome sister makes this trip every week," Kuruna shot back, "if you want I can teach you how to get through the crowd faster but you'll have to call me master Kuruna from now on." She laughed as they both climbed the steps.
"I think I'll be alright, thanks though." Shin couldn't help but chuckle at his sister's optimism.
After collecting his thoughts Shin and his sister made their way inside. Two large wooden doors were already open, seeming to invite anyone who wished to enter. The inside of the church was bright despite the gloomy weather outside. The stained curved glass ceiling connected to the walls, creating a grand dome, each painted with pictures of divine beings and majestic beasts found only in fairytales.
Rows of seats on both sides were filled to the brim with worshippers all dressed in white head-to-toe. The long rows of seats could easily hold 30-40 people, each side containing six rows of seats. However, despite the large amount of space, all seats were taken. With nowhere to sit Shin and Kuruna joined a few others leaning against the walls of the church.
"This is what we get cause you took forever to get ready," Kuruna pouted while pinching Shin's cheek.
"Ow ow! Okay, you've made your point! I'm sorry!" He pushed his sister's hand away and rubbed his face.
"You better be. Now we have to stand until it's over." She slouched slightly against the wall.
"You should think of it as a test of your faith, that'll help," Shin mentioned sarcastically. Kuruna ignored his remark and made herself comfortable sitting on the ground.
The room was lively and smiles could be seen all on the believers' faces. The atmosphere was happy and peaceful as if no one had a care in the world. This is what Shin hated most about the church. How could they act as if everything is perfect all the time? How could they ignore the problems of the world, and when questioned, justify it by saying "the gods will help us"? Shin thought that this was absolutely absurd, thus he stopped attending the ceremonies altogether.
The whispers and talking quieted as a man dawned in a majestic gold and white robe entered the church. His bright yet mysterious outfit covered his entire body and he carried a book at his side. Attached to the book was a golden bell with a harp engraved on it, a charm of some kind. The man walked to the center of the church, scanning the faces before addressing the waiting audience before him.
"I thank you all for joining me this lovely afternoon. I'm sure the Gods are pleased with your appearance before them today." The man looked around the room once more before ringing the bell attached to his book. In unison, the crowd stood and placed both of their hands atop their heart. Closing their eyes, they waited for the man's next words.
"Let us say a prayer to the gods, who will so graciously save us from our fate!" The man rung his bell again, and the crowd muttered a prayer in unison.
"Oh Lords of Creation, save us from our fate. Oh Gods of Wisdom enlighten our race. Strike down any evil that may show its face. And accept our people in your divine embrace."
Shin, of course, didn't partake in this prayer. Cringing from the sound of their prayer, he decided to try and completely wipe it from his memory.
'This is so unbelievably stupid. Now I remember why I never come here,' Shin thought to himself as he rolled his mind's imaginary eyes.
"Vrrrrrrrrrr."
At that moment the ground beneath Shin began to vibrate, whilst a blinding light came down from the ceiling. He covered his face for what felt like an eternity, and when he peeked he couldn't believe what he saw. The world around Shin seemingly froze. Time seemed to have stopped. And a loud silence filled the room.
'What. The. Hell. Just happened.'
Shin couldn't hide his surprised expression. The worshippers around him were frozen, still in the middle of their prayers. Kuruna was stuck too, her mouth and eyes closed in worship. No matter what he did he couldn't break them out of their frozen state. The blinding light had disappeared and everything around him was perfectly still.
'Am I dreaming right now?' Shin couldn't grasp whatever was happening around him. At that moment a voice echoed in his mind.
'Oh my, look what we have here. I never expected a cute little human like you to be one of the chosen.'
Shin looked around but everyone was still frozen. No one except for him was moving.
"Where are you?! Show yourself!"
'Unfortunately, I can't do that darling, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it.'
"Wh- who are you? Why can't I see you?"
'Ah you're a rather bold boy aren't you. But you honestly don't know who I am? You hurt my feelings Shin. After all, I've been with you since you were born.'
"What? Are you crazy? I think I would've noticed a talking voice in my head before." Shin thought he went crazy.
'Not just you, but everyone. After all, I am a Goddess of Creation, Hermeya."