To the citizens of the Celestial Kingdom, the sacred lineage of popes was a matter of great pride. In a world infested with the undead, the Pope's family was the icon of justice. The residents of the kingdom were always proud to praise and boast about them whenever they were brought up in conversations.
The capital of the Celestial Kingdom housed the Vatican, the residence of the Pope's family. A holy land even more vast than the Emperor's home. In the heart of the Vatican, nestled between towering cathedrals and blessed gardens, lived a young man named Lucius.
Lucius possessed a striking appearance that often left an indelible impression on those who met him. His strong jawline created a chiseled visage, while his deep-set, hazel eyes seemed to hold an ocean of holiness. His light-blonde hair was always perfectly styled, adding to his air of sophistication and elegance.
Standing tall and broad-shouldered, Lucius exuded an aura of confidence and authority that was difficult to ignore. His well-toned physique, honed from years of disciplined training from the Vatican, further enhanced his magnetic presence. In a room full of people, it was Lucius who inevitably drew the attention, not just for his handsome looks, but also for the enigmatic charm he carried with him.
Lucius was the son of the greatest Pope the kingdom had ever known, a man who brought prosperity and harmony to the people. A powerful man capable of vanquishing the vilest undead with just a wave of his hand. His wisdom and piety were unparalleled—a beacon of light in a world plagued by darkness.
His mother too was no less exceptional; a Saintess, considered to be the most powerful in history. She descended from a long line of foreign saintesses. Her radiant presence and beauty were so awe-inspiring that even the shadows seemed to bow in her wake.
Among their countless achievements, the most precious to both parents was their only son, Lucius. Despite not having met the people's high expectations of their bloodline, their love for him remained unwavering.
Their only disappointment, if they had to admit, was his inability to see something related to the Goddess they served, Goddess Elysia. They never fully explained what that was and eventually stopped mentioning it altogether.
Possessing exceptional intellect and natural grace, Lucius was expected to follow in his father's footsteps, even if his power couldn't match his father's. He was destined to become a great pope himself one day.
However, Lucius was different from his parents. Not only was he significantly weaker compared to them, but he also harbored a secret darkness within, a view of life that was far more cynical and realistic than his family's pure, unwavering faith.
Perhaps his high intellect led to this worldview. He wasn't naive enough to believe the world was perfect, like his parents did. He held a bleak and realistic view, one that acknowledged the cruelty and suffering beneath the kingdom's pious facade.
Suffering and injustice were rampant, and even the most devout could fall prey to temptation. Just the other day, he saw his uncle Darius, the adopted brother of his father, who theoretically should be just as devout and kind as him, stealing funds from the Vatican.
Even while he unluckily had to witness other acts of corruption and unethical conduct throughout his life, he was forced to suppress these thoughts, donning a mask of piety and righteousness to appease his family and the kingdom that revered them.
For years, Lucius swallowed down his true feelings, putting on the mask of a loving and dutiful son. He dutifully studied the holy scriptures, prayed devoutly, and upheld the virtuous principles his family cherished. All the while, the darkness within him continued to fester.
One fateful day, as Lucius was deep in prayer, an assassin abruptly broke into the chapel. Before he even knew what was going on, an arrow found its mark, piercing his heart and extinguishing his life in an instant.
He was the victim of a sinister assassination plot, orchestrated by those who sought to seize power within the kingdom. As Lucius drew his final breath, he felt a strange mixture of relief and sorrow, for leaving behind his strict life, and never having the chance to challenge the world's hypocrisy.
His family and the kingdom mourned the tragic loss of such a promising young man, their grief echoing through the hallowed halls of the cathedrals. His parents, enraged, quickly uncovered those involved, executing them, including Darius, the arrow's shooter. Only then could they grieve for their lost son.
In their prayers, they heartbreakingly cried to Goddess Elysia, on the injustices of the world, together with the corruption of the Vatican and empire that they should've long have noticed, but did not due to their glazed eyes. The two were full of grief and regret. They shared their agony and sorrow, on every little possible thing they could think of.
The pain that their child must've experienced, in his last moments, who was at the prime of his life, it constantly brought tears to their eyes. A child should never die before their parent, for their parent was supposed to leave the world first.
They would never be able to tell Lucius for the reasons for his assassination or that his uncle was the one who shot him. The uncle he decided to not report when he caught him so many years ago. For he, had succumbed to a swift death.
But Lucius's story was far from over. For his eyes would open once more.