(Elena POV)
I needed to learn more about this Dionysus - especially about these followers of a false god. I decided to revisit the spot where I'd met the girl.
She had told me Dionysus actually answered her prayers. Now that I thought about it more deeply, her life could be in danger if such an entity was demanding something in exchange for answered prayers.
I made my way through the poor district where we'd first met. To my luck, I spotted her right away. She stood out in the dreary surroundings, her eyes bright with life, a large sack resting at her feet.
"Hi, lady! We meet again!" The girl noticed me and gave me a warm smile.
I nodded back with a smile of my own, glancing at the sack. "Hi. What do you have in there?"
"Ah, this?" The girl looked down and opened the sack, revealing fresh produce inside. "Just some fruits and vegetables."
"Oh, healthy foods," I said with curiosity. "Are you planning to sell them?"
I thought she must be selling them, but to my surprise, she shook her head. "This? Hehe, no. I'm going to give them to my neighbors."
That caught me off guard. As she spoke, people from the neighborhood began gathering around her. The girl happily distributed the fruits and vegetables to everyone who came.
I watched in amazement. This girl clearly lived in the same poverty as everyone else here, yet she was giving away all this food without hesitation.
After she'd given away the last of it, I had to ask, "Why did you give everything away? What about yourself?"
"Didn't I tell you before?" she replied simply. "Lord Dionysus will give me more food whenever I pray for it."
Her words left me more and more troubled. "This Lord Dionysus... it would be better if you stayed away from such an entity, young girl..."
The girl's face scrunched in confusion. "Why? He has always been kind to me."
I sighed. "I'm part of the Solarus Faith, and I must tell you - except for the Three Known Gods, you shouldn't pray to any others. They're false gods who only want to deceive you."
The girl's expression turned wary at my words. "So you're one of them - a follower of the false gods?"
"What?" I exclaimed, taken aback. As we continued talking, the girl insisted that the "Three Known Gods" were actually the false ones, and that only Lord Dionysus was true.
I sighed, feeling the weight of concern as I asked, "What's your name, child?"
"Me? I'm Crystal," she replied, her voice clear and bright.
I knelt down to meet her eyes, making sure she could see the seriousness in my expression. "Listen carefully, Crystal. Even if Dionysus answers your prayers now, have you considered what he might want in return?"
"In return?" Crystal's innocent eyes widened with confusion.
I nodded slowly. "Yes. These gifts - they seem too good to be true. What if Dionysus is asking for something precious in exchange... like your soul?"
Fear flickered across Crystal's face, but she shook her head firmly. "No, that's not true. I've spoken with Him myself. He's kind and really cares about me!"
Her words sent a chill down my spine. This entity was actually communicating with the child? That could only mean Dionysus had already marked Crystal as a target.
This revelation meant the entity was watching from the Spiritual World. The thought made my blood run cold.
My mind flashed back to my days at Solarus School.
I could still see the towering marble columns of the lecture hall, smell the burning incense that always accompanied our lessons. Our teacher's stern voice echoed in my memory as she explained the Spiritual World - that shadowy realm where false gods dwelled. While most entities there couldn't touch our physical world, some dangerous exceptions existed, capable of reaching across the barrier to harm mortals.
The fact that Crystal received both answers and physical food from Dionysus proved this entity could affect our world. The realization terrified me.
I tried warning Crystal further, but her faith remained unshakeable. I couldn't force her to abandon her beliefs in Dionysus. In a way, I understood - when someone answers your prayers and feeds your family, faith comes naturally.
For now, I could only watch over Crystal. The thought of reporting this to the church gnawed at me, but I hesitated. Who knew what they might do to her?
Though I was a sister of Solarus, even I didn't know all the church's methods. The whispered rumors of how they dealt with cult members sent shivers down my spine - tales of harsh interrogations and worse.
No, I needed to observe first. I would only bring her to the church if something happened to her.
***
Day after day, I visited Crystal. To my growing surprise, she seemed to glow brighter with each passing day, her smile more radiant than ever. Yet this only heightened my concern. At any moment, Dionysus could snatch everything away from her.
Everything I'd learned about false gods told me they always demanded payment from their followers - usually within days or at most a week after answering prayers.
But days passed, and Dionysus asked nothing of Crystal. It defied everything I knew.
Then, a week later, Crystal ran up to me, practically bouncing. "Sister Elena, you were right! Lord Dionysus is asking for something in return!"
My heart plummeted. "What does he want?" I asked, dreading the answer.
Crystal's reaction stunned me - she beamed. "Lord Dionysus wants wine and grapes!"
I nearly choked on air. "W-what? Wine and grapes?"
"Mhm!" Crystal nodded eagerly. "He says they're his favorites. And he's not even forcing me to give them - I want to!" She paused, looking up at me with pleading eyes. "Sister Elena, could you help me get some wine and grapes?"
My astonishment grew as she added sweetly, "Please?"
"Alright," I sighed, unable to resist her hopeful expression.
Crystal beamed with joy. Looking at her innocent face, I felt relieved that Dionysus wasn't demanding her soul, yet my confusion only grew.
Who exactly was this Dionysus?
I'd noticed others in this poor district praying to him too. But these followers were different from any cult I'd encountered before. They carried themselves with dignity, kept their surroundings clean, and showed none of the wild fervor I'd come to expect from false god worshippers.
My opinion of Dionysus began to waver, but I quickly caught myself. Whether he asked for wine and grapes or souls, he was still a false god.
The marketplace buzzed with afternoon activity - vendors shouting prices, wooden carts creaking over cobblestones, the mingled scents of fresh bread and overripe fruit hanging in the air. Crystal bounced along beside me as we searched for wine and grapes. I could have taken wine from the church stores, but stealing felt wrong, and I couldn't explain why I needed it.
Looking at my wallet, now lighter by two dollars after purchasing the offerings, I could only sigh as we headed to Crystal's home.
The single room she shared with her family barely fit two thin mattresses. Faded curtains hung limply from rusted rods, and a cracked window let in the afternoon light. Despite the poverty, the space was surprisingly clean.
"Where are your parents?" I asked, looking around the sparse room.
Crystal's smile never dimmed. "The followers of Lord Dionysus made them get jobs."
"Made them get jobs?" I echoed in surprise.
She nodded. "They used to fight all day, but Lord Dionysus saw our situation. He told his followers, and now Mom works as a waitress and Dad's a laborer."
My astonishment grew. A false god concerned about a mortal family's welfare? This was unheard of.
Crystal's siblings lay peacefully sleeping on one mattress. She carefully arranged the wine and grapes on a clean cloth spread over the floor. As she began to pray, the room's atmosphere shifted subtly. The light seemed to dim, creating mysterious shadows in the corners.
Then a voice spoke, warm and gentle: "Little girl, thank you for this."
Dionysus!?
I should have felt terror at hearing a false god's voice, but instead, a comforting warmth filled the room. Before my eyes, the wine and grapes vanished in a shower of golden sparks.