Raphaniel landed in front of an unassuming, if slightly posh, two storey house. She walked right in the front door, which swung open to greet her on its own. The interior of the house was decorated with a soft blend of expensive yet conservative furniture and rugs.
Raphaniel walked steadily without stopping, paying the scenery no mind. What few people she passed acted like she wasn't there, simply carrying on past her without a change in expression.
Eventually, Raphaniel came to a stop at a large and imposing oak door, coloured pitch black. She placed her hand before pausing slightly, but then she opened the door and walked through.
On the other side of the room was a cozy little office, fitted out with a mahogany desk and several stacked bookshelves. A figure in caramel white robe was waiting for her, their hood leaving only their lower face exposed.
Raphaniel strode over to them before pulling out a chair and taking a seat without waiting for permission. The mouth of the figure twitched at the sight, but they regained their posture and also took a seat.
"Is he dead?" The figure asked, the voice leaning towards female.
Raphaniel nodded lazily as she yawned and stretched, groaning softly as several of her joints popped. "Yeah, Albert was a Noble Vampire like you suspected. Seemed to have been a member of the Old Guard though."
The woman frowned and bit her lip slightly before sighing. "That is slightly unfortunate, but the facts don't change. Albert Freydi has killed and sacrificed countless lives in the name of the Blood Lord. Regardless of his willingness and motives in the matter, he deserved death."
Raphaniel made no comment, but she was cursing this woman in her mind.
'Like you lot are any better. How many poor souls have been lost to the insanity of your God since the Thurd Era?' She snarled internally. 'If I wasn't in desperate need for information, I would have reported you to the Churches ten times over!'
Perhaps sensing her distress, the woman looked at Raphaniel deeply before pulling an envelope out of her robe. She slid it across to her slowly.
"This contains all the information we could gather on House Orstein and their co-conspiraters. It also contains a notice about the Reavers and House Hyppiliote. Even for us, this infomation was not cheap" she explained calmly.
Raphaniel stop kidding around as she put on a serious face and took the letter. She opened it in front of the woman and read down the page. As she did so however, the hand holding the letter slowly began clenching it, and her expression turned colder and stiffer.
The woman watched these changes in silence, her eyes concealed by the shadow of her hood. Yet Raphaniel could still feel her gaze boring into her, like a predator watching potential prey.
After she finished reading, Raphaniel put down the paper and looked at the woman across from her. "Is this information true" she asked calmly.
The woman nodded slowly as she leaned forward. "This was personally confirmed by myself and Archbishop Sergio. There is little room for doubt about the verification of that piece of paper" she stated, with a hint of pride.
Raphaniel took a deep breath as her composure threatened to break there and then. After several moments she lowered her head, changing her attitude to submissive.
"How much would it cost to ensure the safety of my family from these forces, Bishop Livia?"
From under her hood, Livia's mouth curled up in a smile as she gently put her hand over Raphaniel's own. Stroking it gently, she responded in a kind tone.
"My Lord is ever-magnanimous and "He" naturally desires to save as much as "His" flock as possible. As long as you swear to "His" holy name, there will naturally be a place for you and your family on "His" Ark."
Raphaniel swallowed heavily upon hearing her answer as she raised her head slightly to look at Biship Livia, croaking out her words.
"And...and what about Altair?"
Silence hung in the room as Livia mulled over an answer. Raphaniel held her breath in growing anxiety, which grew with each passing second. After a minute of no sound, Livia clapped her hands together and said brightly:
"My Lord has expressed interest in your youngest brood, but "He" has no intention of intervening just yet. Likewise for that grinning clown, devious schemer and terrifying existence. The Churches seem to have all agreed to tactically watch him before making any moves."
At her words, Raphaniel seemed to deflate, so great was her sigh of relief. She had just calmed down however, before her heart threatened to burst immediately again. She stated at Livia in horror.
"The Churches and other Gods know that Altair is...is..."
"An Abomination? Yes, the Gods on the Gaia Continent are aware at least. Others in the know include my Lord and those with a connection to "Him", such as the Storm King and that trio of nightmares. Oh, and the possibility of the Overseer being involved isn't too low either."
Raphaniel looked like she was about to pass out from a panic attack, something the woman in white took notice of. She quickly reached over and tapped her forehead, chanting gently as a white light emerged from the tip of her finger.
[Oh Lord of Light, Heal and Cleanse your pious believers of all ailments]
A wind current blew in from nowhere, ruffling the papers and furniture in the study. Raphaniel stiffened before relaxing, sinking languidly into her chair. She stared into space in a daze, her shock and puzzlement still visible within her eyes.
Livia just shook her head and sighed at the sight. She then stood up and gently took the paper out of Raphaniel's hand, crisply burning it away. She then walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her as she left.
Raphaniel stayed in her state for a while longer, just staring into space. At some point, tears began to trickle out of her eyes and she whispered:
"Is this the tribulation the Gods have opposed on me..."
...
Within a moderately-sized but lavishly furnished apartment, a blue haired girl adjusted her glasses as she looked down at the hand mirror in her grasp. Yet instead of her reflection, the mirror portrayed a young man that seemed be in his thirties, but his exact facial features were obscured.
"How goes your progress on getting close to the target?" He asked coldly, his voice holding no emotions and sounding decisively inhuman.
Elizabeth twirled a lock of her sky-blue hair as she hummed before responding. "I think it's going well, considering it's only been a single day. He seems nice enough, and has a voracious appetite for knowledge no less than our own ascetics."
The man flicked his thumb against his index finger as he went deep in thought before speaking again. "Remember not to get too close with the target. Her Reverence might have spoken up for you to be given this assignment, but we are a senate, not a theocracy. Her vote alone does not give you free reign."
Elizabeth smiled softly as she looked out her window and at Sky Cross, lit up gorgeously against the evening sky. She took in the students and staff going to and fro, and the citizens living in the city. She then turned back to the man and nodded her head.
"I just have to watch over him right? To be honest, he seems far too cute to be of any danger. I'm more inclined to cuddle him than anything."
The man frowned on the other side of the mirror but his voice stayed as monotone as before. "Our Lady has stated you should simply observe the Abomination. The other Gods seem to have tactically reached the same decision, even the Lord of Blood and Lord of Light."
"Even those two half-wits?" a small frowned appeared on Elizabeth's face as she casually insulted two Gods. This did not escape the man's attention, as he subtly leaned forward and clasped both hands.
"Miss Tortaga, you will watch your tongue from now on. I will be raising a complaint against your parents for your lack of respect in your upbringing, towards both your superiors and the Divine."
His voice had undergone a slight change, from emotionless to slightly dark and threatening. Elizabeth's eyes hardened, but she said nothing and merely nodded. The man leaned back and swiped his hand, disconnecting the mirrors. He left some last words behind however:
"And your insult was wrong anyway. "They" aren't half-wits, "They" are just doom-obsessed madmen."
....
A short distance away from Elizabeth, another girl was engaging in a suspicious conversation, though this one was in person.
Ophelia sat up straight at her desk as she looked at the sparrow hopping across it. After finding a good spot, the bird turned its head towards the Princess and opened its beak.
"How was your first day, your Highness?" It asked with the tone of a female.
Ophelia nodded, the simple act imbued with a regal aura and finesse. "I have noted several persons of interest, such as Alexander Legendry and Nezra Ul-Harzar. The former is troublesome for obvious reasons, while the latter is suspicious on a different account."
The sparrow tilted its head. "Is there any other suspects you believe could pose trouble for the Royal Family, or upset the status quo in any way?"
Ophelia wondered on the question before a different face popped into her mind. She hesitated for a moment, before revealing it to the sparrow. "There is one other person I found strange" she confessed.
"Altair Atrazark, the second child of House Atrazark, is is my Class. I don't know why, and it definitely rings alarm bells. Do you have the answers?" She asked.
The sparrow said nothing before suddenly spreading its wings and flying to the window sill. It then turned back to her and spoke in a solemn tone.
"Every student of Class A was chosen by Le'garde personally, so getting access to their file will basically be impossible. However, the fact that Altair Atrazark was placed in such a Class is enough to highlights there is a serious issue surrounding him. Keep a close eye on him and the others you believe are the biggest risks."
Upon receiving her instructions, Ophelia struggled internally for a minute before she eventually spoke up. "Is there trouble brewing on the horizon?" She asked.
"You could say that. Various factors have been set off in rapid succession and hidden forces have stepped out of the shadows for the first time since the end of the Fourth Era. Whether this storm will blow past or sweep everything up in its maelstrom is unclear, even to us..."
The sparrow's heavy words left Ophelia mute. Its business done, the small bird flew out the window and away from the city. Once it was past the town borders, the oppressive gaze that had been eyeing it the whole time looked away.
The sparrow landed on the ground and rapidly transformed into a mature woman with hazel hair and emerald green eyes. She looked back over her shoulder at the Academy and subconsciously shuddered.
'Such a strong and suppressive aura...and it was only a casual observation. Even amongst the Sovereigns, Le'garde is absolutely one of the strongest...'
With that, the woman hurried away, heading north. As she went about her way, she failed to realise her shadow was slightly further away from her body then usual, and that it strangely seemed to have grown deeper...