I wasn't the type to enjoy people's company, so I decided to find the quietest church I could find.
Though maybe I should've thought about WHY it was empty before entering. The place was silent.
Enough to ease my splitting headache by a lot.
The first step in my journey lead me to finding out the secrets behind the page. The story I didn't know.
About the Faustus City we never visited.
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Pal wasn't aware at first, but he was the first out of the brothers to realise that everyone had a 'story'.
There was no story more or less important to be told.
No real 'Extra' with no bearings in the world.
Even so, Pal's incredible journey started with the his interruption into another story of madness and fear.
A flickering revenge put out like a candle.
This tale dated around 900 years ago. Before the creation of the first Faustus City and its variants.
Humanity would welcome an inter-dimensional fusion between their planet and several others.
The Earth grew several sizes more vast that day.
Travelling around the world was no longer possible in a human's lifetime, and the sun was too small.
Not enough to encompass the newly evolved planet.
Before the world fell out of orbit, a race many had known in mythology showed themselves to all.
The dreadful 'Dragons' had united.
Missiles and nuclear weapons did nothing to those creatures born from flames. They were all invincible.
Shockingly, these creatures were also harmless unless provoked. A feat humanity could never hope to accomplish. When they looked to the sky that hopeless day, all they could feel was defeat.
And acceptance.
When unable to do anything about a non-lethal situation, they went back to socialising about it.
Dragons of various coloured scales traversed the globe and shared their heat to stabilise the world.
A temporary but necessary solution.
Only to make one decision: Leave Earth and head to the more comfortable world they resonated with.
That day, Dragons flew to the sun.
Though the giant star didn't grow, the heat had subtly changed enough fix the issue at the root.
Humanity was saved by an alien species…
It was a scene everyone on Earth had saw and shared with each other on the web. A highlight of history.
With their introduction to other races being saved by them, it was only natural they'd have good feelings.
This kindness was what bridged the insurmountable gap that humans usually found hard to bridge.
Not many records were left about this era. Not many knew exactly what relationship the 'Mystic Races' that day had with humanity. Nor did anyone know where these so-called 'Mystics' had run off to.
The records about them erased.
But if one was to ask Talia of the High Elf Ancient Community, she would tell you a different story.
She sat in the confessional as always after getting her chores done. Awaiting any entering to confess.
As the only Mystic in Old Faustus Border City, she had her animosity towards human culture herself.
However, that didn't change her belief in the Graces.
The once renowned origin of 'Job Classes'.
Humans have now forgotten, but Talia would always pray with her amulet carved with a flower symbol.
Each petal representing a different Grace.
'Please, curse those filthy humans.' It was the thought of a second-rate villain in a fantasy story.
Of course, why wouldn't villains disgust humanity?
If those outside knew what she prayed for everyday of her life, they'd burn her as a heretic at the stake.
The church of the 13 Graces wasn't all-encompassing and influential, but it had a decent amount of followers itself. There weren't many religious people in general, but the border city thrived on beliefs.
Upholding integrity.
The pale skinned High Elf could only pray to the 13 Graces to punish the current form of humanity.
For they had broken the pact between races.
For Elves like her, the incubation period and growth of her kind were already a problem they dealt with.
But the death of numerous elves that day destroyed her love for humanity. She could only hate them.
Her thoughts drifted to the first contact they had.
Humanity had once shown interest and compassion towards them. Changing their once cold society.
When they arrived on Earth, their secluded society of Elves had decided to stay isolated from the world.
Simply breathe and protect nature.
It was after the first contact with humanity that broke their perception of Earthlings being barbaric.
They had so much knowledge and wisdom. Asking simply for food in return for their continued help.
Growing enough to feed their entire race wasn't that hard. Finding alternate fuel sources to replace their burning of fossils was also easy. Elves and High Elves had no greed for resources of the mundane.
For more than 200 years, they lived quietly in the corner of the world and assisted humans everyday.
A treaty was signed.
However, that useless piece of paper became useless when the day of reckoning came to her homeland.
Talia still remembered it well.
Their forest was burnt down. Their home uprooted and many men within her tribe had perished.
They only spared the women. Killing all the children.
A taboo act that had driven many into madness.
With the low population of Elves in general, each child was a treasure. And yet… why did they do that?
Why show such cruelty?
This wasn't some random bandits.
They had come holding the barrier-opening medallion given to the United Nations at the time.
Among many that were killed, she was the only child that had managed to escape and hide herself.
Eventually infiltrating the nearly destroyed Faustus City build by humanity, then becoming a nun.
Talia would avoid human contact and live off of vegetables in the garden. Acting like a ghost.
She would listen to confessions and hear out the poor souls of humans despite her hatred of them.
Slowly killing her heart.
Until the day a certain man had entered the confessional box. A meeting she'd never regret.
One that would stick in her mind forever.
The moment she heard the door to the other side of the confessional box close, she held her nose.
'…The smell of death?' Talia thought in anxiety.
She knew exactly what organisation most those that acquired this scent were part of, but held it in.
After all, scent alone couldn't convict anyone.
She'd learnt enough about human laws and thought process to understand that reacting wasn't good.
Her presence wasn't detected yet.
So she waited for him to greet her.
"Who am I talking to?" A voice naturally rude but trying to be civilised pried about her identity.
However, she kept her cool.
"This is Priest Talia." The practiced words came out.
"Aren't priests usually in-charge of confessions?" It sounded too casual, but she wasn't offended by this.
Talia knew to have patience: "I'm sorry. This church doesn't have any substitutes. If you aren't comfortable for me to hear your confession, I can recommend you to a more popular place of prayer."
"That's fine. Your gender doesn't matter anyway. As long as you can fulfil your role… Anyway, allow me to start this. Ahem… 'Bless me, oh Graces, for I have sinned. My taint is too deep.'" The man spoke to her.
Talia could hear the sound of his clothes rustle when he made a cross on his chest. His heart was clear.
She stayed silent for him to continue.
"My name is Pal Welcome.
It is a name I'd chosen myself, and also the only action I'd ever made by myself. Solely on my own…
Please… Forgive me, oh Graces, and please be merciful to me. I have been the perpetrator of many evils, and now I am lost. The purpose that once drove me no longer exists. Now I am free.
What should I do with this newfound freedom, oh Graces?" The man's words made her think deeply.
But she knew he didn't come for HER opinion.
The power of his faith flowed into her side of the confessional. It ignited, then flowed through her body. This was normal in confessionals. It was a divine artifact that helped communicate with 'God'.
Or to be more precise, the 13 Graces she knew.
The answer to his confession came out of her mouth with her body as a medium. She told him straight.
"To rid you of sins, you must dedicate your heart to freedom and equality. Only then will you be granted permission to enter Heaven." Talia quickly broke out of the Divine Possession once words were spoken.
She awaited the regular response.
Which was: 'Why that? I do not believe it!'
Talia sighed. Not many truly believed the words of a priest this day and age. Treating them like idiots.
But Pal was different.
"…That's a vague thing to ask for." Pal didn't deny the words of God, and truly sought to answer it.
She felt relieved that he was defecting from that Cult.
The less of those evildoers, the better.
"You may leave and start your act of absolution. The Graces shall watch you." Talia was ready to leave.
Only to hear him speak: "One minute..."
He took a moment of her time and continued: "…I don't have a time. Can I live here for a bit?"
"…You don't have a place to return to?" Talia squinted at the suspicious words he spoke.
Was he lying or not?
"I'm homeless." He admitted this with humility.
Ideas started to flood into Talia's mind. Since the Dragon Cult didn't have many defectors, this was the first time she was dealing with this issue. If she let him stay, it could bring disaster to her eventually.
Was this a test of some sort by the Graces?
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"Did I ask for too much?" I spoke to the nun on the other side. I somehow felt attracted to this place.
The scent filling my side of the confessional smelled like every beautiful flower in nature congealed.
"Only if you follow the basic rules." She finally gave an answer. My heart was bursting with happiness.
It was rare for people in my world to care.
Let alone allow a stranger into their home.
Maybe it was because how the Wolfheart Siblings had found a home… after their old one burned.
There weren't many homeless in border city.
People died too often for that to be the case.
I was grateful even though a part of me thought of this friendly woman as naive. She was too easy.
A defenceless little girl.
Maybe freedom and equality meant to protect this kind woman. So she could continue to be kind.
Time started to go by fast after I'd found a home.
At first, the whole thing about one man and woman sleeping in the same home finally dawned on me.
But my penniless pocket didn't let me leave.
Finding employment wasn't easy in a world where superpowers were kinda the norm.
Everywhere didn't have a place for me anymore.
Out of sheer pity, Talia shared me the personally grown fruits in her garden. I felt a little seduced.
"Thank you." My face was red while eating the salad she made. Knowing the lack of meat wasn't good.
I wouldn't be able to hold out for long, but it was better than starving to death with no hope in sight.
"Take care of yourself." The beautiful sister Talia stroked my cheek like she was some sort of mom.
It was the first time anyone had taken care of me.
A year had passed after I'd used what little was on this body of mine to buy her some livestock.
Explaining to her I needed a balanced diet.
This was the start of our isolated life away from the story. Becoming a monk that distanced the world.
Regardless of what happened.
George could take care of himself now. I felt that I'd only get in the way. The was only one problem.
My death was coming…
I knew my body wouldn't stay dead for long.
That I'd become an Undead.
But what was I to do with this ability?
Maybe I should pretend to die and let myself be buried in a coffin. At least then nothing happened.
We could cut ties immediately.
The only thing I could do was hope that my transformation would be patient enough to do that.
Please… I hope you are.