Warning: Sensitive topic
"Good day, Lady Melenheim!" a young priest who I believe is just my age leading the group greeted me as I stepped out. He's wearing a white priest's robe, with gold hems, and a red belt. In addition, he is handsome with his long sky-blue hair that is tied loosely a few inches from the tip.
The priests at his back were also wearing the same robe, the only difference is that their belts were yellow.
"Good day, priest of Vitas!" I answered back.
"I presume you have already read the letter, yes?"
"I did. And you are here to personally escort me?"
"That is right, lady Melenheim. Shall we?"
"Why, thank you!" I said gladly as if it didn't come out of my nose. Then I walked side-by-side with the head priest. The others following us from behind.
I can see the questioning look of the people inside this dome, most especially the nobles and aristocrats. They look with curiosity and doubt, dubious about me. This scene must have made them think hard. Well, I, the subject cannot even think about something, how much more them, who were blind about the situation. By the looks of it, the letters were just forwarded. So that means, the rumor of the test hasn't surfaced yet.
"It would be a long walk." the head priest caught my attention.
"The temple isn't that far away." I smiled at him. I even walked from there to here on the first day of the hunting festival.
"I see you're used to walking."
"I am."
"What were your thoughts?"
"What do you mean?" You might ask why I sounded like I was just casually talking to a friend. Well, that's because I do not know how to address a priest! In my past life, we used to call them 'father.' Whether that applies here, I am not sure.
"The letter's content?"
"Ah!" I get it. He wanted to know what my thoughts were, most especially my feelings. "I was surprised, and I feel burdened," I replied honestly.
"I understand."
"I thought when you release the prophecy of the coming of a new saint, you already knew who would that someone is, or you would know in what way that someone comes."
"Prophecies are only bits of information of the future provided to us from above."
"Bits? Why not just give it all?"
"That's how the supreme God communicates. The sense that we are only beings with borrowed powers makes it hard for us to decipher their words."
[Eh? Isn't that saying that God might have given the full details, but since they cannot understand God's language fully, they only got some details?]
"I know what you're thinking. The coming of a new saint only happens once every five hundred years. In those times we were only able to hear the word of God. Although we are God's people and we are bestowed divine powers, we are still human. What do you think would happen if a human starts to fully understand God?"
I didn't say anything. I just kept silent and looked in front as we continued to walk.
"The people would start to create a new ruler based on religion. Wouldn't that cause a great problem to the kingdom?"
"I understand." Indeed it would. The temple isn't even making its move, but even right now the new saint who is still unknown is already making an uproar. How much more if the priests would claim they can understand the word of God and that every day they would say something such as receiving a daily reminder from Her?
"Humans are flawed. Remember, we are only creations."
Yes, we are flawed. God's existence is something that we cannot fathom. That's how powerful She is. I cannot even understand what's the purpose of my existence here. Why the hell was I sent here? Is it to enjoy my second life? To redo Aerin's life? Or do I have a purpose I haven't yet discovered?
Finally, we have arrived. We are standing in a hall, in front of a massive white door. When the head priest announced our presence, the door opened and a bigger hall appeared behind that door. There in the middle is a small pillar made of white marble that reaches the waist, on top, is a basin made of the same material. Beside it is the high priest.
"Good day, your eminence, the high priest!" I greeted and bowed my head as I stood near him.
"Good day to the lady of house Melenheim! Thank you for coming despite the short notice."
"I understand the urgency of the matter," I replied.
"Every five hundred years, the coming of a new saint is already known not just to the whole kingdom, but also to the whole world. I believe you are aware of that?"
"Yes, I am, your eminence."
"In every year that a prophecy is released, we would know the feature of the new saint, and we would know the time when the saint's power had awoken based on the time we are told of his or her coming." the high priest then walked away from us, went to the altar to get something, and then came back. "Searching for the new saint would be searching for a needle in a haystack if we are to include all people in the kingdom. That's why we are fortunate to have been bestowed the prophecy."
[I know. If they were not able to at least get the saint's description, how hard would it be to test everybody in the kingdom, from children to old people, eh? That would have taken years to finish.]
I was just standing still, looking at the high priest as he pour sparkling water into the basin. I believe that was holy water. It was only a small amount of water, it didn't even cover the whole surface of the basin's inside.
"Come forth, lady Melenheim." the high priest commanded.
I looked at my back, to the head priest, and to the others. They just stood still and smiled. I am really nervous to do this test. What if I would be the saint that they're looking for? It is something I imagined I couldn't do. Though you may see me as a normal person, I am actually very worldly. In my past life, I was a failing writer. I like drinking, you can usually see me in clubs, and I easily change boyfriends for the reason of finding a better sex partner. I don't think I can survive a life of just serving God.
I broke my thoughts and started to walk. When I reached the basin, I looked at the high priest.
"At ease, my child." he smiled. "Now, put your hands in the basin. You feel discomfort, but you would be fine." He assured me.
I gulped. Then I put them in. When my palms were pressed on the marble surface, I felt the coldness of the little water in it. Then that coldness ran through my whole body as if cleansing me. I felt so light and relaxed. I feel like I was floating in the middle of the sea, calm waves soothing my senses, making me want to sleep. Then, a sudden vibration came, and it started slow until it went erratic. When I opened my eyes I was indeed in the middle of the ocean, but instead of a calm sea, I am seeing a huge wave ready to wash me off. I screamed hard!
[Huh! This is not your typical surfing wave. This is a tsunami.]
I tried to swim hard even though I knew I couldn't escape it. Finally, I felt its impact on my whole body, my bones cracking because of the harsh wave. I tried to swim up as it sent down the ocean, however, the turbulence from below is giving me hard time going to the surface. I feel like losing my breath, the water's coming into my mouth, and I can't swim anymore. So this is how it is to die drowning?
I felt my soul separating from my body. And it indeed did.
In front of me is Aerin's body, floating in the depths of the ocean, lifeless. I tried to swim to her, but no matter what I do I am not moving an inch. Then, the darkness seeps through me as I was dragged deeper. The only thing I could do was look up at Aerin's body that is still floating, light from above the surface enveloping her.