The warm sun's rays danced on Zaria's face as she began to wake up. The mild scent of dust filled the air, tickling her nose. Her vision blurred, and the room slowly took shape. She recognized the dusty windows directly in front of her, and the noises gradually grew louder as she fully regained consciousness.
The voices were all too familiar. As she looked around, she saw everyone sitting on their beds in a dazed, panicked state. Keldorna, Max, Valor, and Anna—each of them pale-faced—were talking and arguing with each other.
This snapped Zaria out of her groggy state, causing her to sit up quickly. "You guys! You died! I watched all of you die! How!?" she shouted, her voice filled with shock and disbelief. Thoughts raced through her mind—had everything she experienced been just a dream?
Suddenly, they all rushed to her, wrapping her in a desperate embrace.
"Zaria! I'm so sorry I wasn't more help! I'm just so happy we're still alive!" Anna cried, clutching Zaria tightly. Max sat beside her on the bed, a gentle smile on his face, while Valor stood nearby, his expression one of pure relief that Zaria had finally woken up. Keldorna, tears streaming down her face, joined the embrace. "I don't know what happened, but I'm so damn glad it was all a dream!"
But then, the door to their shared room creaked open, and the Pope walked in. "It wasn't a dream," he declared, his voice calm and composed. Behind him, the priestess who had been brutally murdered by the Oracle followed quietly, her head bowed.
The group's attention shifted to the Pope as he pulled a chair from the study table, placing it in the center of the room. He plopped himself down, almost whimsically, and began to speak.
"I don't know how to sugarcoat this, so I won't," he began, scratching his head with a lackadaisical smile. "What you went through was what we call the 'Awakening Simulation.' It's a spell the kingdom uses on new knights—your bodies remain asleep, but your minds are thrust into a simulated event managed by the Oracle's magic. The crowd? Nobles, all eager to find hidden power to back their favored factions financially."
Despite his title, the Pope's casual tone and informal mannerisms made him seem more like a laid-back adventurer than a holy leader. "So basically, yesterday is today. You just woke up, and yes, all the gifts you received are still with you. We don't usually explain this beforehand—makes you fight like your lives depend on it," he added with a silly laugh.
Keldorna, visibly frustrated, stormed toward him. "No kidding! So why did we have to die in that simulation? Do you know I felt every bit of that pain!? Was this all part of some grand plan of yours?" she demanded, though careful not to anger him.
The Pope sighed, shaking his head. "I sincerely apologize for that. Normally, the 'death challenge' is forbidden for precisely that reason. The events might be unreal, but the pain is very real. Some knights go mad, some quit, and some... lose their humanity. But you all seem okay, right?" He scanned the room, his gaze resting on each of them in turn.
Zaria, still seated on her bed, pointed accusingly at the priestess. "What about her? Why is she here after everything she did?" Her voice was cold as she glared at the priestess, who remained silent, eyes cast downward.
The Pope's gaze shifted to Zaria's arm, now marked with blackened skin and mysterious ancient dark red runes . His eyes widened in surprise. "Wow! That is incredible! You're the reason they stopped the fight, aren't you? I've never seen such ancient text, not even in all my years of studying the divine scripts," he marveled, childlike excitement coloring his voice.
He patted the priestess on the back, nudging her forward with a mischievous smile. "Ah, you mean her. Let me explain. She's one of my many homunculi, forbidden from tearing her veil, which she did. She was created from the soul of a terminally ill orphan who died many years ago." He crossed his arms, nodding to himself with pride, as if satisfied with his own creation.
"Before I became the Pope, I was a wandering paladin," he continued, his voice growing more animated. "I stumbled upon two sisters, left to die as sacrifices to some false god in the forest. They were weak, on the verge of death. So, I created bodies for them with my gift of alchemy and gave them half my power to live proper lives in service to the church." He stretched out his arms, striking a glorious pose, his movements so exaggerated that the chair toppled over as he stood up.
The room fell into an awkward silence as everyone stared at him, bewildered.
"Why aren't you clapping?" he asked, looking around expectantly.
Keldorna facepalmed, muttering under her breath, "Yup, he's a dumbass..."
The Pope sighed, regaining his composure as he picked up the fallen chair. "I get that a lot," he said, surprising Keldorna, who hadn't expected him to hear her. "But think of her as my gift to you—an apology for what she did. I've given her a new body, rank F like you all, to remind her that only I reserve the right to judge sin, not her." He stood behind the priestess, resting his hands on her shoulders.
"She may not be a warrior, but she knows a lot about the world. She'll serve as your information officer. And if she ever gives you any trouble, feel free to... dispose of her. I can always make more." His menacing but gentle grin sent a chill through the room, the air growing heavy with the weight of his magical pressure. Despite his jovial demeanor, it was clear—this man was a ruthless serpent, hiding behind the guise of a harmless lizard.
Then, as quickly as the tension had built, the Pope's smile returned to its usual, carefree state. "Alright then! Now, all that's left is for you to receive your evaluations in the main knight's hall. I expect each and every one of you to report there immediately." He turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing in the silence he left behind.
The group stood in stunned silence, their gazes shifting to the priestess. Their expressions of distaste were like sharp needles pricking at her emotions.
"Hi everyone, my name is Lily. I will be in your care!" she blurted out, bowing deeply, her hands trembling at her sides.
Keldorna slowly approached her, and Lily quickly straightened up, facing Keldorna with a mix of fear and resolve. Keldorna was shorter but intimidating. "So, you think you can just waltz in here and act like nothing ever happened? You've got some nerve," Keldorna growled.
Lily, intimidated, responded in a timid voice, "Please forgive me. I... I don't know why I did those things or said what I said."
Keldorna scoffed, brushing past Lily as she stormed out of the room. Lily, humiliated, sank to her knees, bowing her head to the floor. "Please... forgive me. If this doesn't work out, the Pope said he'll discard me... and useless homunculi don't deserve to live..." Her voice cracked, tears streaming down her face. "I still want to live... I don't want to die..."
Her desperate pleas echoed in the room, but Max merely shrugged and passed her by without a word, his face expressionless. Valor approached, hesitating for a moment as he looked down at her. But he, too, chose silence and followed Max out the door.
Anna, who had been sitting with Zaria, hurried toward the door, doing her best to avoid Lily. But Lily, still on her knees, frantically grabbed Anna's ankle. "Please, I beg you, give me a chance!" she pleaded, desperation choking her voice.
"Don't touch me!" Anna snapped, shaking Lily off and storming out, leaving Zaria and Lily alone in the room.
"Fuck..." Lily muttered under her breath, tears streaming down her face. Still on her knees, she banged the floorboards in frustration. Her hope of being kept alive had just walked out the door, and the reality of her past cruelty began to suffocate her.
Zaria saw this and slowly rose from her bed, her movements deliberate and filled with a quiet intensity. She approached Lily, who sat trembling on the floor, her tear-streaked face buried in her hands. Zaria crouched down, her blackened hand now etched with crimson runes, and stretched it out towards Lily.
Lily hesitated, her eyes swollen with tears, and slowly lifted her gaze to meet the sight of Zaria's hand, a symbol of both darkness and unexpected mercy.
"All my life, I've been trampled upon, used, and discarded," Zaria said, her voice strong, yet laced with a raw edge. "For so long, I believed my life was forfeit, destined to fade into the nothingness of this world. But now… Stand up."
Lily, with trembling fingers, grasped Zaria's hand, and as they stood, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Yet, the flood of emotions surged again, confusion and guilt twisting within her as she tried to comprehend why Zaria was showing her kindness, a kindness she felt she didn't deserve.
As Lily's tears began to flow once more, Zaria pulled her into a tight embrace. She whispered into her ear, her voice soft but laced with a chilling resolve, "This world is cruel, Lily, and mercy is a rare gift. But know this-this kindness isn't weakness. It's a promise. From now on, you will never be alone… but neither will you ever escape the destiny we now share..."